Brian Urlacher

Now we can keep him there.

-Hunter Hillenmeyer is no Brian Urlacher, be knows how to play the game. His strip of Adrian Peterson in overtime won Chicago the game. (That missed facemask call didn't hurt either.) While Urlacher was definitely missed after being injured in week one, it wasn't the reason the defense suffered. Hillenmeyer's football intelligence and reliability make up for his lack of athleticism and speed.

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or the Bears.

Defensively, Chicago still needs work, in spite of giving up only 14 points without Brian Urlacher. They allowed Pittsburgh to find their running game, allowing 105 yards on 22 attempts. Their typical “bend but don’t break” defense was on display, with a consistent soft spot 8-12 yards from the line of scrimmage. Steeler receivers routinely found their way in that area and practically stood still, with Roethlisberger finding them every time. It’s a by-product of Chicago’s defensive look, which features its linebackers close to the line of scrimmage, either blitzing or faking the blitz. Being that close means they can’t get back in time to stop some of those over the middle throws. To me, that’s a problem. I don’t want to get dinked and dunked on; I want to stop what the opposing offense is doing. I’d like a linebacker back in coverage every now and again.

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ome week for Bears fans after a confounding opener in which Jay Cutler threw four interceptions and Brian Urlacher dislocated his wrist, ending his season. With a load of criticism being heaped Jay’s way and a depth chart shuffle since Monday, the Bears now have to focus on Sunday’s match-up to avoid starting this season 0-2. Unfortunately their mountain to climb is steep, as the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers are coming to town.

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nts and a much-needed spark in the second quarter.

Things broke down a bit in the second half, as Brian Urlacher remained on the sideline with what was revealed to be a dislocated wrist. (*UPDATE* ESPN reports that Urlacher will hage surgery on his wrist when the team returns to Chicago. No timetable has been set for his return.) Green Bay took advantage and ran the ball right up the middle at back-up Hunter Hillenmeyer with a great deal of success. Capping their comeback, Rodgers hit Greg Jennings on a 50-yard score after Jennings burned past Nathan Vasher, who was sucked in on a fantastic play-action fake. It was a horrible ending for Vasher, who made six tackles on the night.

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Maybe you didn’t hear the NFL kicked off its season last night. Maybe you didn’t know the Chicago Bears are headed to Lambeau Field to play the Packers on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. What I’m pretty sure you heard is that Jay Cutler is a Chicago Bear. 

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ls.

Still a weak against power running backs, the Bears had trouble bringing down Brandon Jacobs. Brian Urlacher himself was shed by the bruiser on at least two occasions, not getting low enough to bring him down. Despite these mishaps, the defense showed tremendous improvement from the Buffalo game. They made Eli Manning look purely pedestrian at times, which is a feat depending on with whom you speak.

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Lance Briggs has surpassed Brian Urlacher as the elite member of the squad, but that is accredited to Urlacher’s decline as much as Briggs’ emergence. Hunter Hillenmeyer was injured part of the season and barely found his way on the field once healthy. Nick Roach filled in at the strong-side spot, but still let too many plays get by him. Drafting for the strong-side or an eventual successor for Urlacher in the later rounds would be a smart move for Angelo.

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Lance Briggs snagged two interceptions, and Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman each added with one of their own. St. Louis only ran the ball for 14 total yards on 19 carries, so the defense did its job on both fronts. No one should be pounding their chests over thumping a two-win team though. 

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Ironically, it was probably the best game middle line-backer Brian Urlacher has played in the past month. Aside from his interception which was the only turnover caused by the defense, the Packers never experienced any resistance. Through ten games, the Bears defense has been the one glaring weakness, specifically their play versus the pass. St. Louis may only have two wins, but they still have a core of talent on offense that features the accurate Marc Bulger at quarterback, Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Torry Holt, and the punishing Steven Jackson at running back. Taking the Rams offense lightly would be a foolish mistake. Corner Charles Tillman will most likely be matched up with Holt for the bulk of the game, but he’s not the focus in the secondary. Nathan Vasher has looked timid in his attempts to tackle the ball-carrier, so much so that writers around Chicago are calling for his benching. Back-up corner Corey Graham is the better corner for run coverage, and his tackling skills are above average. If Vasher continues to underperform, Smith shouldn’t waste time in showing him the bench for a stretch of time. It won’t fix all of the defense’s issues, but it could be a step in the right direction. 

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The NFL’s been buzzing with activity the past week. As if mock drafts, roster breakdowns, and morbid obsessions with Mel Kiper’s hair weren’t enough, many high-profile names have been exercising their freedom of speech. Here’s a quick rundown…

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At any rate, saying Derrick Brooks sucks is like saying Bryant Young, Brian Urlacher, or Reggie White sucks. These are all excellent defensive players that have had long, fruitful careers.

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