Chicago Bears Team Report

[DaDitka]

Chicago Bears Team Report

Posted 8h 41m ago


If nothing else, the lineup changes that the Bears made for Monday night's 20-17 victory over the Packers proves that their depth is impressive.

Tommie Harris, who started the first two games, was one of the eight inactives Monday night, and he sat out due to a coach's decision based on lack of performance rather than because of any injury.

Harris appeared healthier this year during training than at any time in the past couple years, as he suited up for every practice and played in every preseason game. But the 2004 first-round draft choice had a total of 1 tackle in the first two games.

Harris was replaced in the starting lineup by Matt Toeaina, while underachieving Marcus Harrison, a third-round pick in 2008, was active for the first time this season. Harris was benched for one game last season and suspended for one game in 2008 for missing treatment sessions on his injured knee along with multiple team meetings.

"We have 45 guys that you go with (on game day)," coach Lovie Smith said. "We have everybody healthy right now. Just felt like we wanted to get a look at Marcus Harrison and Henry Melton inside a little bit. Just performance based. Tommie's been doing everything we've asked him to do, (but) you have decisions."

Wide receiver Devin Aromashodu, who was targeted a team-high 10 times in the season opener and caught 5 pass for 71 yards but also dropped three and was hesitant to go over the middle, was also inactive Monday night.

Aromashodu played just one snap a week earlier against the Cowboys.

"We have good players on the sideline right now," Smith said. "We'll go to practice next week and see who gives us the best chance to win."

Earl Bennett, who missed most of training camp and all of the preseason with a hamstring injury, has taken Aromashodu's place as the third receiver. Bennett caught 5 passes for just 29 yards last week, but is willing to make catches over the middle. He had 3 catches for 21 yards Monday night.

Starting cornerback Zack Bowman was also benched after one quarter Monday night in favor of Tim Jennings, who recovered the fourth-quarter fumble that led to the Bears' winning drive.

With left tackle Chris Williams still out with a hamstring injury and inactive, right tackle Frank Omiyale moved over to that side and was replaced by Kevin Shaffer at right tackle.

Rookie J'Marcus Webb, as planned, played the first series of the second quarter in place of Shaffer and saw additional time in the second half.

NOTES, QUOTES

—Even Devin Hester said it had been a long time since he took a punt of kickoff to the house.

In his first two years in the league, Hester returned 4 kickoffs and 7 punts for touchdowns, leaving him just 2 shy of the career NFL record for kick-return touchdowns. But he was blanked in each of the past two seasons.

"My first two years it was like once every three weeks or so," Hester said. "It's been a long time, but I'm happy with what happened (Monday night), and I'm glad that I can give my teammates confidence in me that I'm still capable of taking it the distance. My biggest goal is to not let them doubt me and start second-guessing themselves about me. I hope that I proved to them that I'm still capable of doing it."

Hester was asked if he felt some doubt creeping in over the past two-plus years.

"If I was out there blocking, I would feel that way," he said. "But then again, I work hard every day, and those guys see me at practice, and they see the determination that I have when I'm out there practicing."

—Jay Cutler came into Monday night's game with four straight passer ratings over 100, but he hadn't done much against the Packers.

In his two previous starts against Green Bay as a Bear, Cutler completed 40 of 72 passes for 486 yards with 3 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions.

Cutler had a career record of 5-10 in prime-time games with 24 TD passes, 24 interceptions and a passer rating of 78.8.

Monday night he overcame a rocky start to complete 16 of 27 passes for 221 yards, one TD, one interception and a passer rating of 82.5.

Playing in the same division, comparisons between Cutler and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers are inevitable. Cutler is 27 and in his fifth season as a starter. He moved into that role late in his rookie season. Rodgers will be 27 in December and became a starter in 2008 after serving a three-year apprenticeship under Brett Favre.

Both were first-round picks, Rodgers in 2005 and Cutler a year later.

Rodgers has 63 career TD passes and just 23 interceptions, while Cutler has thrown 86 TD passes and been picked off 64 times.

"We're going to see each other twice (a year), we're about the same age, we've both been successful at times," Cutler said. "He's going to be around for a while and hopefully I am too."

—Monday night's game was the 192nd in a Bears uniform for long-snapper Patrick Mannelly, the most in franchise history; one more than defensive tackle Steve McMichael and two more than Walter Payton. Among active players, center Olin Kreutz is second to Mannelly with 178 games played for the Bears. Mannelly has also played in 124 straight games, tops on the team, and has missed just three games in 13 seasons. Kreutz has started 121 straight games.

—Linebackers Pisa Tinoisamoa and Nick Roach and tight end Desmond Clark had dinner Sunday night at Shaw's Crab House in downtown Chicago. So did Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and some family members.

When the Bears' players asked for their check, they were told that Rodgers had already paid their tab.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

PLAYER NOTES

—WR Devin Aromashodu was benched Monday night after playing just one snap the previous week. He had five catches for 71 yards in the opener but also dropped three passes.

—DT Tommie Harris was benched Monday night, as he was one of the Bears' eight inactives. Harris had a total of just one tackle in the first two games.

—DT Matt Toeaina started at the three technique in place of Tommie Harris.

—CB Zack Bowman was benched after one quarter Monday night.

—CB Tim Jennings replaced Zack Bowman after one quarter Monday night and recovered the Packers' fumble in the fourth quarter that led to the Bears' winning points.

—WR Johnny Knox led the Bears with 94 receiving yards on four catches.


REPORT CARD VS. PACKERS

PASSING OFFENSE: B — QB Jay Cutler wasn't satisfied with the performance of the offense as the group appeared disjointed in the early going, with he and his receivers not in sync. Cutler was also sacked three times in the first 19 minutes, but not at all after that. He recovered in time to complete 16 of 27 passes for 221 yards and an 82.5 passer rating. TE Greg Olsen had a team-high five catches for 64 yards and a 9-yard TD grab, while WR Johnny Knox picked up 94 yards on four receptions.

RUSHING OFFENSE: D — Only Jay Cutler's 37 yards on three scrambles saved this group from a failing grade, although the Bears proved again that they really don't need to run the ball to be successful, and they really never made any kind of commitment to the ground game. Matt Forte managed just 29 yards on 11 carries and the Bears finished with 77 yards on the ground on 18 carries for a 4.3-yard average, although if you take out Cutler's numbers, it was 40 yards on 15 carries.

PASS DEFENSE: C-minus — The Bears never really stopped Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 316 yards on 34 of 45 passing for a 92.5 passer rating. But the Bears limited the yardage that Packers receivers picked up after the catch, and they forced Rodgers to check down when the big plays weren't there. The Bears never sacked Rodgers, but they did force a fumble by James Jones after a fourth-quarter reception, and that led to the winning field goal.

RUSH DEFENSE: B — Take away Rodgers' two scrambles for 20 yards, and the Packers had just 43 rushing yards on 13 attempts, as the Bears remained the NFL's No. 1 run defense. Once again it was LBs Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs who were the most noticeable of the defenders, making plays sideline to sideline against the run game.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A — Devin Hester got his groove back. After going almost three years without a return touchdown the two-time Pro Bowl pick went 62 yards for a score with a punt return early in the fourth quarter, which gave the Bears their first lead of the game. Hester also had a 28-yard punt return that set up the Bears' first touchdown.

COACHING: B — Again coach Lovie Smith disdained what would have been a game-tying field goal went for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal from inside the one-yard line and again the Bears failed to convert. But just as in the season opener, the Bears got the ball back in good field position and scored the touchdown, this time on Devin Hester's 62-yard punt return.