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Injury update: Linebackers Lance Briggs and Urlacher were limited Thursday, as were safeties Danieal Manning (ribs), Chris Harris (knee) and Major Wright (hamstring). Cornerback Zack Bowman (sprained foot) and guard Roberto Garza (knee surgery) remained out.
For the Redskins, tight end Chris Cooley (concussion), safety LaRon Landry (Achilles), and running back Mike Sellers (heel) all were limited.
Tribune reporter Brad Biggs contributed.
vxmcclure@tribune.com
Returning Briggs set to put 'head on ball'
Lance Briggs is expected to play against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, which is good news for a Bears defense that must deal with the physical running style of Ryan Torain.
The Pro-Bowl linebacker missed the 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Soldier Field with a high ankle sprain.
''I don't know a whole lot about him that I haven't seen on film,'' Briggs said of Torain, who has replaced the injured Clinton Portis in Washington. ''It's a good opportunity for us to come out and test those same skills. Last week we missed a lot of important tackles, tackles in the backfield, tackles that would've prevented drives. Against someone like this, a hard-nosed runner who likes to get his nose in it, it's a good shot for us to fit up, get in our gaps, get our head on the ball, get our head on him and top off the pile.''
Like most Bears defenders, Briggs is no fan of the league's new stance on ''devastating hits.''
''If you go back in the day and watch a guy like Deacon Jones, he was drop-kicking guys,'' he said. ''Is it safer? What time period is it safer? You either want to separate the man from the ball or get the man down after the fewest yards possible. You don't do that by breaking down or letting him run you over.
''This is an intimidating game. If you can intimidate your opponent, you may not have to hit him. He may drop the ball. There's just a lot going on to this game, and violence is right up there. You can't escape the physical nature of football.''
Baffled
Brian Urlacher said not only has Chicago native Donovan McNabb not lost a step, but he still doesn't understand why the Philadelphia Eagles let him go.
''He's still good,'' Urlacher said. ''I don't know why Philly traded him. It still baffles me. He's a good quarterback, one of the best in the NFL.
''He scrambles. He throws it well. He's got a great arm. He knows what you're doing on defense. He's just a smart quarterback.''
Wilson off the hook
Bears special teams coach Dave Toub absolved Rod Wilson of blame for the holding penalty that nullified Danieal Manning's 89-yard kickoff return against the Seahawks.
''He was doing what he was coached to do,'' Toub said. ''It could be called a hold. It could not be called a hold. It's the judgment of the referee.''
But it's not going to change the way the Bears block on kick returns, Toub said.
''We're going to keep blocking,'' Toub said. ''We're going to be aggressive. We're going to finish our blocks.''
Injury report
Cornerback Zack Bowman (foot) and guard Roberto Garza (knee) did not practice Thursday while Briggs (ankle), Urlacher (groin) and safeties Chris Harris (knee), Manning (back) and Major Wright participated on a limited basis.
For the Redskins, tight end Chris Cooley (concussion) was limited for the second consecutive day.
Contributing: Mark Potash
Wilson off the hook for penalty
By Neil Hayeson October 21, 2010 6:58 PM
Bears special teams coach Dave Toub absolved Rod Wilson of blame for the holding penalty that nullified Danieal Manning's 89-yard kickoff return against the Seahawks.
''He was doing what he was coached to do,'' Toub said. ''It could be called a hold. It could not be called a hold. It's the judgment of the referee.''
But it's not going to change the way the Bears block on kick returns, Toub said.
''We're going to keep blocking. Were going to be aggressive. We're going to finish our blocks,'' he said.
Wilson said he was a victim of circumstance.
''I'm guilty of being the guy they pointed out,'' he said. ''Do I think it was holding? I could have had better leverage on the guy. From his [vantage point] I saw what he saw. But from where I was, it's a [borderline call].''
Urlacher wonders what Philly was thinking
By Neil Hayeson October 21, 2010 2:40 PM
Brian Urlacher said that not only has Chicago-native Donovan McNabb not lost a step but he still doesn't understand why the Eagles traded him to the Redskins.
"He's still good," Urlacher said. "I don't know why Philly traded him. It still baffles me. He's a good quarterback, one of the best in the NFL. He scrambles. He throws it well. He's got a great arm. He knows what you're doing on defense. He's just a smart quarterback."
Urlacher said the challenge in defending McNabb is not only his mobility but his ability to complete long passes on the move.
"There are a lot of times when McNabb gets out of the pocket and throws it deep," he said when asked the best way to defend McNabb. "They've got a lot of deep balls just from what we've seen on film. Just stay over the top of them and when he does scramble, get him on the ground if we can, and just try to keep him in the pocket."
Jay Taft: Bears players, coaches not hiding from early problems
After another tough loss last week, at least the Bears players and coaches are not acting like there is nothing wrong these days, the way they have done in the past. Despite their 4-2 record, there are many issues to deal with, and they seem to be holding themselves accountable and are trying desperately to fix it.
“I need to do everything better. I think we took a hard look at all of ourselves on offense, myself included, and we need to execute better,” quarterback Jay Cutler said. “Whether it’s us as players not paying attention, not doing exactly what we’re supposed to do, or if it’s something (the coaches) are doing, they’re wording it differently or something like that, we’ve got to figure it out. It’s got to come on both ends. Everyone’s got to get better.”
Briggs appears ready to go
All-Pro linebacker Lance Briggs practiced with the team Thursday, and not only had no setbacks, but showed his burst again during defensive drills midway through the workout.
It looks like he will be ready to go Sunday against Washington.
“I feel good, very good about playing this week,” he said. “I anticipate the anticipation of getting on the field.”
McNabb coming home
Quarterback Donovan McNabb grew up in the Chicago area and led Mt. Carmel High School to the 1991 state championship.
He will be back on his home turf Sunday when his Redskins come to Soldier Field.
“It’s still special to come back home and play in front of family and friends. I always look forward to it,” McNabb said. “It seems like we play the Bears every year, but it’s still something I look forward to.”
Washington head coach Mike Shanahan, an Eastern Illinois graduate, also has family in the Chicago area.
Rex expects boos in his return
Former Bears quarterback Rex Grossman returns, and though he will be backing up McNabb, he still expects to hear a few boos from the fans.
“It’s hard to anticipate, but I would assume there will be boos. I don’t think there should be, but you know how it is there; you never know what is going to happen,” Grossman said in a teleconference.
“Either way, I don’t care, I still love Chicago. I love the city, the tradition, the team and everything about it. I’m very proud to be a part of it.”
Cutler on the O-line issues
Cutler was sacked six times Sunday and leads the league after being sacked 23 times in the first six weeks. The offensive line has been shuffled around every week, but the coaching staff and Cutler believe in what they’re doing and expect a turnaround soon.
“We’re not hiding from our problems. We’re not trying to mask that we have problems or go out there and trick people,” Cutler said. “We’re going to fix it in the right manner, and we’re going talk to the guys we need to talk to and we’re going to get it fixed.”
As far as offensive line coach Mike Tice is concerned, he’s just happy there won’t be wholesale changes made to his unit this week.
“We’re just excited,” he said, “to start the same five guys two weeks in a row.”
McNabb vs. Urlacher
This will be the sixth time that Donovan McNabb has played the Bears with Brian Urlacher active (including their meeting in the postseason in 2002).
W-L 3-2
Eagles PPG 20.2
Comp pct 61.2
Pass YPG 233.2
TD-Int 5-4
Passer rating 79.6
Includes playoff game following 2001 season
Washington Redskins' defense gives up yardage in bunches, but gives team a chance to win
There is no simple formula for determining how well a defense is playing, and there is little doubt statistics can be deceiving. The Washington Redskins know that. They also know this: They have given up more yards than any other team in the NFL, and while there may be ways to twist that fact and explain it and justify it, there's no denying it.
It bothers me a lot," inside linebacker London Fletcher said. "I'm not used to being on defenses that are ranked last in the league. That doesn't sit very well with me."
With Sunday's game at Chicago approaching, that standing doesn't sit well with anyone associated with Washington's defense. Worse yet, through six games, the Redskins are not just last in the league in yards allowed; they are, at 420 yards per game, on pace to fit in with the most generous defenses in league history.
The record for yards allowed in a season is 6,793 - an average of 424.6 yards a game - by the 1981 Baltimore Colts, a team that went 2-14. The next most is 6,470 yards (404.4 per game) by the 2008 Detroit Lions, a team that went 0-16.
The Redskins? They're already 3-3. But as they approach midseason, they're on pace to allow 6,720 yards - which would make them the second-worst defense, in terms of yardage allowed, of all-time.
"Nobody's happy about it," defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said. "Nobody wants to be last in the league in yardage. But there's a lot of circumstances that play into it. I think people have to understand."
Indeed, this is a complex equation - and there isn't necessarily a direct correlation between yards allowed and wins and losses, the statistic Haslett and Coach Mike Shanahan said they care most about. Two years ago, the Redskins ranked fourth in total defense - and missed the playoffs. Last year, they were 11th - and went 4-12. In fact, in each of the past five seasons, at least two teams in the top 10 in yards allowed missed the playoffs.
"It doesn't tell the whole story," outside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said.
So what is the whole story? Clearly, one factor in the Redskins' early struggles has been the quality of their opponents. Indianapolis, Dallas, Philadelphia and Houston rank second, third, fourth and fifth - respectively - in yards per game. Five quarterbacks Washington has faced - Peyton Manning, Tony Romo, Michael Vick, Matt Schaub and Aaron Rodgers - have combined for 18 Pro Bowl appearances.
We've been playing against some quarterbacks that [throw] the ball and put up so many yards," cornerback Carlos Rogers said. "Peyton, at times he can move the ball, and then [we] made them kick field goals. I think we did give the opportunity [for us] - still - to win the game, no matter how many yards they put up."
Given that array of quarterbacks, it would make sense that, statistically, the Redskins' defensive deficiencies show up more in the passing game. They are ranked 31st in passing yards allowed at 298.2 per game. Though Houston has allowed more passing yards, should the Redskins keep this pace and the Texans improve, Washington would set a new NFL record by allowing 4,771 passing yards for the season. The current mark: 4,541 yards, an average of 283.8 per game, by the 1995 Atlanta Falcons.
"To be naive and think that we're going to hold Peyton Manning and that offense to 200 yards? That's not realistic," Fletcher said. "But should they have 469 yards on us? No. That's not something we accept either."
There are other factors as well. The Redskins have played two overtime games - one against Houston, the other against Green Bay - and their opponents have had two extra possessions in each of those games, totaling 98 yards. In regulation, the Redskins have allowed 403.7 yards a game.
Shanahan and Haslett, though, throw out most of those numbers.
"The second thing you look at from an offense and a defensive standpoint [after wins and losses] is points scored," Shanahan said. "And when we talk about short-yardage, we talk about the red zone, we talk about goal-line - all those things, the reason why we talk about it and emphasize it is it all relates to points."
So it is possible for the Redskins to be abysmal, statistically, in yards allowed, yet hold up in the categories Shanahan and Haslett consider more important to winning? They allow opponents to convert just 34.9 percent of their third downs, which puts them ninth in the league. They rank 14th in the percentage of times opponents have scored touchdowns during trips into the red zone. And two weeks ago, when Green Bay threatened to take a 14-0 lead in the first half, the Redskins came up with a game-changing goal-line stand.
Add all that up, and even after giving up yards by the bunch, the Redskins allow 19.8 points per game, better than 13 other teams.
"There's some defenses that will give up a lot of yards," Shanahan said, "and it's a bend-and-don't-break defense."
Some of the struggles in yards allowed also come down to the fact that the Redskins have fundamentally altered their defense from a year ago, changing their base set from a 4-3 to a 3-4. But as Haslett pointed out Thursday, the Redskins all but scrapped the 3-4 the past two weeks against the Packers and Colts, choosing to play more defensive backs against pass-oriented offenses.
"Every week, it's always a transition," said veteran Andre Carter, who's still adjusting from his old spot at defensive end to a new one at outside linebacker.
The Redskins believe all of this will correct itself over the course of the season. The Bears average just 285.2 yards per game and have struggled mightily to protect quarterback Jay Cutler. The next opponent, Detroit, has moved the ball much better, but will be playing its first game in more than a month with starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The Redskins know any improvement is ultimately up to them.
"We've got to go out and work at it," Fletcher said. "We can't, week in and week out, give teams 400-plus yards, 500 yards. That's just ridiculous."
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skjensen they should have put Chester in there, if that was strategy @ProFootbalFocus: Forte was asked to pass protect more (18 times) than run
skjensen Here's their story RT @ProFootbalFocus: New article published! Re-Focused: Week 6, Seahawks at Bears http://bit.ly/9c9ERe
week 7 tip sheet
Notes, my top 5 teams and picks for the entire slate of games. Matt Bowen
Brian Urlacher, Bears: The Chicago defense should expect plenty of misdirection and movement passes from Mike Shanahan’s offense in Washington. In Chicago's Cover 2, the Mike backer has to be sound in his run/pass reads. Donovan McNabb wants to force Urlacher to the line of scrimmage with play action and throw the ball down the filed between the two deep safeties.
Green Bay: Defeating the Vikings’ Tampa 2 coverage. Know that is what you are going to see from Minnesota on third downs and in the red zone. QB Aaron Rodgers knows the routes that are effective and I would not be surprised to see Green Bay utilize the screen game to slow down that front four pressure led by DE Jared Allen.
Chicago: After seeing what Seattle did to Chicago with pressure off the edge, why would ‘Skins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett do anything different? No need to even mention Mike Martz’s passing scheme when the Bears can’t protect QB Jay Cutler. Had a week to make corrections—let’s see what they came up with.
My Week 7 picks...
Chicago over Washington
Green Bay over Minnesota
Chris Cooley set to return Thursday
Washington Redskins Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley (concussion) participated in some drills Wednesday and should be at full speed Thursday, according to coach Mike Shanahan. Cooley has been one of Donovan McNabb's favorite targets, so that's great news for the Skins as they prepare for Sunday's game in Chicago.
"You never know with those concussions," said Shanahan. "You don't know how long it's going to hang in there. He's feeling much better, so hopefully nothing pops up."
Fred Davis emerged as the Skins' best offensive threat when Cooley was injured last season. For some reason, Davis has not excelled when both players are healthy. I thought the Redskins would have one of the best tight end duos in the league this season, but then, I thought the same thing about Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett heading into the '09 season.