Bears "Vintage Defense" Not Old, Just Aging Nicely............

Briggs proud of 'vintage' Bears defense

By Fred Mitchell, Tribune reporter 1:36 p.m. CST, November 10, 2011


The core of the Chicago Bears defense -- Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman and others -- has been described widely as an aging unit.

But these decorated veterans have performed like young and restless defenders most of this season. Briggs demonstrated his speed and agility last Monday night when he ran the width of the field to chase down Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.

“I always take a lot of pride in that. And I think we should change (old) age to ‘vintage.’ I tried to do that earlier in the year,” Briggs said Thursday at Halas Hall as the Bears (5-3) prepared for Sunday’s important NFC matchup against the Detroit Lions (6-2) at Soldier Field. “Vintage … we get better as we get older.”

The linebacker combination of Briggs (30) and Urlacher (33) hopes to harass Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford on Sunday. Briggs said he and Urlacher have yet to peak as players.

“I don’t know. When does vintage usually peak?” Briggs said with a hearty laugh. “I’m nine years in (the league) right now. I don’t know. We’re a pretty expensive bottle right now. As far as I am concerned, people can call us old all they want. But as long as you produce in the game, I don't think it really matters."

LOL, Unlike Bradd Biggs, David Haugh, or Dan Pompeii, Fred Mitchell must not get paid by the word. He writes the shortest articles of any Trib staff writer.

Briggs has a point. For a bunch of old guys they sure are playing well. I don't see Briggs as being that old at age 30 but Uralcher and Tillman are getting up there in football years at age 33. Whatever Peanut may lack in speed he compensates for very nicely with toughness and saavy and nobody in the NFL is better at causing fumbles than he is.

Urlacher hasn't slowed down one tenth of a second fron what I could see and the adjustments they made in the defense paid dividends the other night. Roach played more and Marinelli had both Urlacher and Briggs playing the A gaps on either side of center so when the Eagles ran up the middle you might be able to block one but not both. Roach has very quietly played some nice football as well.