Chicago Bears Team Report
Posted 1h 6m ago
It's only Bears cornerback Corey Graham's second season, but he seems to grasp the urgency of improving the pass defense, especially Sunday afternoon against the 4-5 Packers in Green Bay.
"Right now everybody's on thin ice," said Graham, who started four games when Nate Vasher was out and has played nickel back in the past two. "It's real tense around here as far as the DBs. We know they're going to throw the ball — that's what they do — so we're going to go out there and try to make some plays."
The 5-4 Bears' defense is predicated on takeaways, but the only one they had last week was a fumble recovery by Graham on a fourth-and-goal play that would have been stopped short of the goal-line anyway. Not counting the four interceptions in the Vikings games, the Bears have picked off just four passes in the past five games. Even worse, they've allowed each of the past four opposing quarterbacks to throw for at least 289 yards. And none of those teams rank higher than 19th in passing yards. Graham said that makes for a tense situation in the secondary.
"Why is it tense?" Graham said. "Because when you give up 300 yards to teams that don't normally throw the ball like that, it's going to be tense. It's our jobs on the line. We've got to go out there and be accountable. We've got to make plays, and that's what we plan to do."
Graham has played well enough to hang on to Danieal Manning's nickel spot even after Manning returned last week following two weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. But Vasher could have his playing time cut if the Bears decide to get more physical with Graham and Manning both on the field in nickel.
The Bears' other major malfunction on defense has been an inability to get to the quarterback. They rank 29th in sack percentage, but Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been sacked four times in each of the past two games, and as a team they're 19th in protecting the QB.
Soft coverage and a weak pass rush have created a Catch-22 situation on the defense when it comes to stopping the pass. Is it because of shortcomings in coverage or the pass rush that opponents have been able to exploit the Bears?
"It's kind of rubbing a lot of people the wrong way here on this defense, and that's a good thing," said defensive right end Adewale Ogunleye, who had the Bears' only sack last week. "Hopefully we'll all look in the mirror, myself included, and say 'I've got to play better to help out this pass defense.'"
Linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs have been utilized on blitzes to try to help the pass rush, but they've combined for just one-half of a sack.
"We've tried to attack more this year, and we have blitzed quite a bit this year," Urlacher told the Green Bay-area media. "We haven't gotten sacks, but we've been blitzing quite a bit. We're just not stopping the pass very well. We've given up some plays, but it's nothing that teams are doing to us. We just have to make plays when we get a chance to do it. We're just getting out of position for the most part on defense."
Just about every player on defense can say the same thing.
SERIES HISTORY: 175th regular-season meeting. Bears lead series 89-79-6 and have won the last four at Green Bay's Lambeau Field. Bears have won six of the past eight overall immediately following a Packers streak of 18-2 in the previous 20 games.
NOTES, QUOTES
—Injured quarterback Kyle Orton was able to practice with his sprained right ankle on a limited basis Wednesday and took some reps with the first team.
He was also able to drop back, at somewhat less than full speed, and throw some passes on the side when he wasn't working with the starters.
"It's early in the week, but I'm preparing like I am (going to start)," Orton said. "It's gotten better every day, so hopefully it just continues to do that."
Coach Lovie Smith said Orton looked "pretty good" at practice and that he doesn't have to be 100 percent to start in Green Bay.
"Who is 100 percent this time of the year?" Smith said. "We won't let Kyle play if he can't protect himself (or) if we just don't feel like he's ready to go. Beyond that, it's pretty subjective. We'll know if he's ready to go. If he continues to make progress like he has, I think he has a good chance to play."
Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said Orton's status may depend on how he feels today after Wednesday's work.
"If it feels good, obviously he can get more reps (today)," Turner said. "If not, then we'll just do about the same and bring him along."
—Lovie Smith has never lost a game as a head coach at Green Bay's Lambeau Field, winning on all four trips since taking over as the Bears' boss in 2004.
Smith's first win with the Bears was at Lambeau, 21-10 on Sept. 19, 2004. In '05, the Bears swept the Packers, winning 19-7 at home and then 24-17 on the road. The Super Bowl team opened the '06 regular season with a 26-0 victory in Green Bay, and Smith enjoyed another sweep last year, winning 27-20 there and 35-7 at Soldier Field.
"We play the same type of ball up there," Smith said. "It's not like we change up our philosophies. We've been able to execute up there and find a way to win, and hopefully we'll be able to this time. They're a good football team. We have a pack right now in the NFC North. This is a tight competition going on."
The Bears and Vikings are tied for first in the NFC North at 5-4, and the Packers are a game back at 4-5.
—Rex Grossman said his mindset has to be the same this week as it was last, when he assumed he would be the starter.
"I've got to go out there and prepare like I'm going to play the whole game," Grossman said. "Obviously I don't know what's going on, so that's how I'm going to approach it."
The good news is that Grossman is 3-0 at Lambeau Field. The bad news is his passer rating last week was 64.4 in his first start of the season.
"I'm feeling pretty good about that stadium," he said. "I've got a good vibe going in there."
BY THE NUMBERS: 37 — Receptions by rookie Matt Forte, second only to Reggie Bush among NFL running backs.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I don't rehab at all. I just stretch and go to practice. That's all I do. It's not that big of a deal. I don't miss practice, I don't take time off or anything like that." — Bears LB Brian Urlacher when asked about the arthritic back that frequently kept him out of practice last year.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Players have not been critical of the Bears' scheme, although it has frequently been questioned because of the failure of cornerbacks to play tighter man-to-man coverage, giving opponents opportunities to take advantage of underneath routes.
"Our coaches actually do a good job of switching it up," cornerback Corey Graham said. "We play man (coverage) more than you probably think. It's just that when we are in man, we've just got to make some plays. Coaches can only do so much. They can make the calls, but eventually you've got to go out there and make some plays and get it done."
Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher had five interceptions and five sacks last season, but he hasn't made nearly as many big plays this year as he has in the past. He also said it isn't the scheme.
"I won defensive player of the year (in 2005) in this scheme, so I must've been doing something right," he told Green Bay-area media. "There are chances for me to make plays. It has nothing to do with the scheme or the calls, it's just a matter of me getting in position to make plays."
PLAYER NOTES
—WR Brandon Lloyd was not listed on the injury report for the first time since suffering a sprained knee on Sept. 28, and he is expected to play Sunday.
—QB Kyle Orton's 90.8 passer rating is ninth in the NFL and fifth in franchise history for a single season. Orton missed last week's game with a sprained ankle but practiced Wednesday and has a better than 50-50 chance of playing Sunday.
—TE Greg Olsen is ninth in the NFL among tight ends with 29 catches.
—LB Lance Briggs is one of just six NFL players with a forced fumble, recovered fumble, sack and interception this season.
—PK Robbie Gould is fourth all-time in FG accuracy (84.6 percent) among players with 100 attempts, even after having a 48-yard attempt blocked last week.
GAME PLAN: The Bears can talk all they want about stopping the run first and making the Packers one-dimensional, but that formula has been getting them destroyed all season. The Bears are No. 4 in rushing yards allowed, but they rank 17th in total yards allowed because they are 30th in passing yards allowed, and each of the last four quarterbacks to face them has thrown for at least 289 yards. The Bears won't ignore the run, even though the Packers are 23rd in rushing yards and 25th in average gain per rush, but they must be more concerned with QB Aaron Rodgers and a passing game that is No. 11 in yards.
On offense the Bears say they won't change what they do regardless of whether it's Kyle Orton or Rex Grossman at quarterback. But they're clearly more comfortable letting Orton put it up than Grossman, especially against the Packers' opportunistic secondary. They will rely almost exclusively on rookie Matt Forte to establish the ground game, which for them, is always important, but even more so if Grossman starts.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Packers WRs Greg Jennings and Donald Driver vs. Bears CBs Charles Tillman and Nate Vasher - Jennings and Driver have a combined 84 catches for 1,313 yards and 7 touchdowns. They attack the maligned Tillman and Vasher, who have been hurt much of the year and criticized for failing to press opposing receivers at the line of scrimmage.
Bears QB Kyle Orton or Rex Grossman vs. Packers secondary: Packer defensive backs have already returned six interceptions for touchdowns this season, including three by FS Nick Collins and two by CB Charles Woodson.
INJURY IMPACT: C Olin Kreutz, S Mike Brown and DT Tommie Harris all were rested during Wednesday's practice, and RB Kevin Jones was excused for personal reasons. All are expected back today. QB Kyle Orton (ankle), LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (thumb) and CB Charles Tillman (shoulder) were limited. Tillman is expected to play, Hillenmeyer and Orton are probably a little better than 50-50.
