NFL Feature Capsules - NFC: Vick says NFL future will take care of itself
PHILADELPHIA — Superman has become the handyman.
Michael Vick produced plenty of dazzling plays with the Atlanta Falcons. He's still waiting to do something special for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Vick's return to the NFL following a two-year absence has mostly been a dud. Except for a 34-yard run two weeks ago at Chicago, Vick hasn't done anything noteworthy in his first nine games.
The former Pro Bowl quarterback is heading back to Atlanta to play in the Georgia Dome for the first time since he served 18 months in federal prison for his role in a dogfighting ring. But he'll be a bit player on a field where for six seasons he was feared by NFL defenses.
Vick probably will take a few snaps at quarterback and may even line up at wide receiver because the Eagles could be without DeSean Jackson, their top playmaker.
"Whatever you need me to do, I'm the handyman. I can make it happen," Vick said.
Given the talent on the Eagles, his former teammates didn't expect him to start in Philadelphia.
"I'm not really surprised," receiver Roddy White said. "They've got Donovan McNabb. When he's healthy, he's a great quarterback."
Vick has been saying all the right things this season, but his football future is uncertain. Unless his role expands, it's unlikely he'll be in Philadelphia in 2010 for $5.2 million, the price on an option held by the Eagles. That's too much to pay a third-string quarterback and the Eagles have made it clear that Kevin Kolb, a far better passer who threw for more than 700 yards in two starts this season, is McNabb's backup.
But there are plenty of teams that need a starting quarterback, so Vick could get an opportunity somewhere else. Then again, he hasn't shown enough for a team to just hand him a starting job.
"I can't look that far down the road right now," Vick said. "I just got to focus on this team winning a Super Bowl and that's the most important thing. I think the future is going to take care of itself. I just have to continue to work as hard as I can and continue to help this team win in whatever way I can."
Vick's stats are measly. He's 3 for 9 passing for 6 yards, along with 15 carries for 65 yards, including two kneel-downs.
So much for all that talk about Vick being the ultimate weapon. When the Eagles signed Vick in mid-August, many considered him the ideal player to run the wildcat formation. Defenses were supposed to shudder at the thought of Vick and McNabb being on the field together. People imagined Vick in the backfield or split wide and wondered about all the gimmicks he could run with McNabb.
It hasn't happened.
Instead, the Eagles simply take McNabb out and replace him with Vick. He's taken nearly all of his snaps behind center, and he doesn't get many because coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg don't want to disrupt the offense's flow. But Vick isn't complaining.
"It's been a great experience to just be here every day, to be around football, to continue to learn all the things I've missed and to be able to go out and practice every day, something I didn't have a year ago and two years ago," Vick said. "I'm just soaking it all in. I'm trying to get better each and every day, working on self development, personal development and my development on the field as a quarterback. I like the progress. I like where I'm at right now. I like the way I feel. I just thank the organization for giving me the opportunity."
Vick nearly scored his first touchdown of the season in Philadelphia's 27-24 win over Washington last week. He was tackled at the 1 after gaining 4 yards on a QB draw in the first quarter. Vick didn't sell the draw well, taking off without any hesitation after he took the shotgun snap.
Later in the quarter, he was stopped for no gain on third-and-1 from the Redskins 42. The Eagles then converted on McNabb's sneak on fourth down.
Vick came in again in the fourth quarter with Philadelphia trailing 24-16. McNabb had just completed two straight passes to Jason Avant for 66 yards to put the ball at the Redskins 24. On first down, Vick rolled out and missed a wide-open Brent Celek. He left the field to a smattering of boos.
"He's not the problem there," Reid said. "I'm sure the guys will tell you we could have blocked a little bit better on his short-yardage run. He probably could've done a little better job on his quarterback draw, just pulling it for another step. He's excited to get a touchdown I think. Everybody has been giving him a bad time about scoring a touchdown here, so he was a little anxious on that one and the throw was off by a hair. It will be fine. He's fine."
While there's been little to celebrate on the field, Vick's return has been successful in other ways. Off the field and in the locker room, he's been a model citizen. He's popular among his teammates and has kept himself out of the spotlight.
"Our guys have rallied around Michael and they like him as a person and they know what kind of football player he is," Reid said.
Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez said signing with the Eagles was the right move for Vick, even with McNabb entrenched as the starter.
"Yeah, you can come, get your feet wet, ease yourself back into it," Gonzalez said. "Then next year, you can probably get to a team that really wants you as a starter. I'm sure he'll do well."
Vick also has spent time working with the Humane Society of the United States, speaking to school and community groups about the mistakes he made in getting involved in dogfighting.
"I've just been trying to get the message out there that what I did is wrong, and I'm trying to keep people from going down the same path that I went down, believing the same things I believed in," Vick said. "Just to let them know that you don't have to fall into that trap. I just want to keep as many people as I can from doing what I've done. I think it's been working. I think the message has reached across the world, and I'm excited about that."
Eagles preparing for din of the dome
PHILADELPHIA — The Atlanta Falcons have been defeated just once in their last 13 games at the Georgia Dome, and the last time they lost to an NFC team at home was in 2007.
Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg thinks he knows why.
"Crowd noise is a big factor," said Mornhinweg, whose 7-4 team visits the Falcons on Sunday. "It's going to be an issue this week. Much of the game is about beating your opponent to the punch. It's kind of like a boxing match.
"With that crowd noise they have there it's an advantage. There are teams that are built that way, for the dome, for the noise. They just beat people to the punch in their place, so that's the biggest thing right there."
The Eagles took advantage of rare spring-like weather and practiced outside Thursday. They are expected to go indoors Friday, and pump in simulated sound to get ready for the dome.
Two of the loudest places the Eagles played this season, San Diego and Oakland, resulted in two of the team's four losses.
Atlanta will be the first dome game for the Eagles this season. They went 1-1 indoors last year, both in the postseason: a win over the Minnesota Vikings and a loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC championship game.
In Andy Reid's 11 years as head coach, the Eagles are 7-7 in dome games.
"It's kind of a different mindset in a dome," quarterback Donovan McNabb said. "The key factor that plays such a major part for (Atlanta) at home is the crowd factor and just kind of the past few years I think they've only lost one game at home, so that confidence factor is something they kind of ride off us as well."
Atlanta (6-5) is 5-0 at home this season, with wins over Miami, Carolina, Chicago, Washington and Tampa Bay. The Falcons' only home loss last year was to Denver, and the last NFC team to beat them at home was New Orleans in December 2007.
"One of their strengths is their quickness and speed and on the turf with the crowd noise advantage they can get after you," Mornhinweg said. "They can make a good offense look bad if you're not right on it. So that's one of the emphasis we have this week. That's one of many."
NOTES: WR DeSean Jackson (concussion) remained out of practice Thursday and it looks like he will miss Sunday's game. It's uncertain yet if No. 3 receiver Jason Avant or Reggie Brown will replace him in the starting lineup. Recently promoted practice squad WR Jordan Norwood could see time as the No. 4 receiver. ... Rookie Jeremy Maclin, who is averaging minus-1.3 yards on four punt returns, will fill in for Jackson in that area. ... LB Akeem Jordan, who missed the past three games with a knee injury, practiced with the scout team Thursday. It's not certain if he will return Sunday. ... DT Brodrick Bunkley (ankle) practiced and could play Sunday. ... K David Akers was the special teams player of the month for November.
'Fired up' Gregg Williams returns to face Redskins
ASHBURN, Va. — Double G is coming back. And he's got an ax to grind.
Gregg Williams, the fiery assistant who got a pink slip instead of a promotion from the Washington Redskins nearly two years ago, returns Sunday as the defensive coordinator of the unbeaten New Orleans Saints.
Players on both sides are expecting a flood of previously pent-up fury.
"He wants to win first," Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers said, "but he want to prove to this organization that he still should be here."
For four seasons, Williams and his legendary temper ran the Redskins defense and felt ready to take over the head coaching job when Joe Gibbs retired. Instead, owner Dan Snyder sent Williams packing and eventually opted for Jim Zorn.
"He'll be fired up to go back," Saints linebacker Scott Fujita said. "But whether they missed the boat by not hiring him or not, I don't think about those kinds of things. There are so many bad decisions made in this league from a coaching standpoint, a player standpoint, every team you see a couple of them. Maybe he would have been the best choice (for Redskins head coach) at the time. Maybe not, but I'm glad he's here with us."
Williams spurred the Redskins into a top 10 defensive ranking three times, although his aggressive schemes were short on turnovers: Washington ranked 25th, 32nd, 15th and 22nd in takeaways from 2004-07. Notably, his unit is leading the league with 32 in his first season with the Saints, while the Redskins are at the bottom again — tied for last with 13.
But forget the numbers. Players don't start citing statistics when Williams' name comes up.
"When you think of Gregg," Redskins middle linebacker London Fletcher said, "you think about obviously his mouth."
The stories from the Washington locker room are too numerous to tell, and they usually start with a shake of the head and a smile. Let's start with safety Reed Doughty, who had been drafted by the Redskins minutes earlier when he first spoke to Williams on the phone.
"He said, 'Are you in shape?' I said, 'Yes, sir.' He's like: 'We'll see. I'm going to make you puke.'"
Then there's defensive tackle Kedric Golston, talking about the adjustment to Williams' prolific use of four-letter words.
"As a rookie, I'm like: 'Is it even legal to say that?' Then I realized we were grown men."
And cornerback Carlos Rogers, who needed a few games to crack the starting lineup as a rookie even though he was a high first-round draft pick.
"When I first got here, he cussed me out left and right," Rogers said. "My second year, he eased up off you. Some guys can take that type of coaching and some guys can't, and with his system (if you can't) you're not going to make it. Once you establish yourself, once you start playing, you'll know that he means the best, just trying to bring the best out of you. Everyone will say that."
Indeed, the Redskins defensive players for the most part remembered Williams fondly, having recovered from the initial shock of his abrasive style.
But it's a style that didn't appeal to everyone, and it didn't always look good from the outside. It used to be said around Redskins Park, both complimentarily and derisively, that the second "g'' in Williams' first name stood for "genius" because he never failed to let everyone know how smart he was. That's hardly an ideal trait for someone angling for a high-profile job like head coach, and it no doubt cost him in his efforts to succeed Gibbs.
Williams' only previous NFL head coaching stint didn't go well — 17-31 with Buffalo from 2001-03 — but his success this year with the Saints will surely make him a candidate again when openings come up during the offseason.
"What's bigger than a genius?" New Orleans safety Darren Sharper said. "A guru? A savant? Whatever you want to call him, he is that."
Here's another adjective that applies this Sunday: motivated. Williams has yet to address reporters this week — he's scheduled to speak Friday — but his feelings are already known.
"He's going to let it rip," Washington receiver Santana Moss said. "I know Gregg. I like Gregg. Gregg is going to come out here no holds barred — show the whole kitchen, the sink, you name it. You've got to expect it. You're going to get beat or they're going to get beat. He's going to come in here and say 'Let's show 'em.' I accept it. I accept the challenge."
NOTES: Zorn said he expects DT Albert Haynesworth to play after missing two games with a sprained left ankle. ... CB DeAngelo Hall remains unable to practice because of a sprained right knee and is likely to miss his second straight game.
-- Joseph White
Wait is over for laid back Moore with Panthers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wearing his baseball cap backward, Matt Moore walked into the Carolina locker room Thursday and immediately began joking around with his golfing buddy, kicker Rhys Lloyd
If Moore was nervous that he's about to make only his fourth career start and his first since 2007, he sure wasn't showing it.
"I think the fact that he is laid back will help him," Lloyd said. "Not a whole lot of things bother him."
With Jake Delhomme sidelined with a broken finger on his throwing hand, Moore is preparing to take over the Panthers' struggling offense Sunday against Tampa Bay. It'll come after a long wait in a career that's required patience.
He didn't start in high school until his senior year, changed colleges, briefly contemplated playing professional baseball, went undrafted, was cut by the Dallas Cowboys, didn't throw a single pass last season and has gone more than 23 months between starts.
"The only thing I can do is be ready," Moore said, shrugging. "And that's how I've approached the whole thing."
Moore came from a sports family, but it was baseball, not football. His father, Don, bounced around the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system until his career was derailed by injuries
His son's top sport was baseball growing up in Valencia, Calif. The younger Moore had a strong arm, and that drifted him toward quarterback, but it was a crowded position at Hart High School.
"We had a kid, Kyle Matter, who had a scholarship at Stanford," Moore said. "He was a senior and I was a junior."
Moore starred in his only year as a starter and earned a scholarship at UCLA. He played two seasons for the Bruins, but couldn't beat Drew Olson for the permanent starting job and quit school. Moore was contemplating his options when he was selected in the 22nd round of the 2004 baseball draft by the Los Angeles Angels.
Moore said he was offered him a signing bonus for about $80,000 that included college expenses. He wasn't sure what to do, but when Oregon State called asking him to play football, he decided to head north.
"I had a lot of friends that went and played baseball out of high school. No offense to any of them, but it's hard," Moore said. "Baseball is a hard road to take and they were good players. I don't look at it as I took the wrong road by any means."
Moore threw for 5,733 yards and 29 touchdowns in just two seasons with the Beavers. But he also threw 27 interceptions, and he wasn't drafted in 2007.
He eventually signed with Dallas, but the Cowboys decided to keep only two quarterbacks and cut him before the start of the regular season.
Carolina quickly signed him and he was expected to watch and learn behind Delhomme and backup David Carr. Only then Delhomme was lost to a season-ending elbow injury and Carr struggled, then got hurt. Aging verteran Vinny Testaverde was signed, but he got hurt, too.
Enter Moore. Playing with a scaled-back playbook, he went 2-1 as a starter to close 2007, throwing three touchdowns and two interceptions.
"In '07 everything was real quick for me," Moore said. "My first read, if that wasn't there I'd go to my second read and get the ball out."
Moore was expected to be the backup in 2008, but he broke a bone in his leg in the final preseason game. When he got healthy he was the emergency No. 3 QB for the final 12 games.
He started this season as the No. 3 QB, too, but moved up a spot when Josh McCown injured his knee and ankle replacing an ineffective Delhomme in Week 1.
No matter how poorly Delhomme played, coach John Fox resisted putting in Moore amid concerns about his decision-making and knowledge of the offense. But with the fiery Delhomme sidelined, a much calmer Moore is poised to replace him.
"I think Matt is going to do an outstanding job," Delhomme said. "When he played in '07, here was a guy who came in the first week in September. So he didn't have a basis for what we were doing."
Moore may have little to work with Sunday. Running back DeAngelo Williams and receivers Muhsin Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett missed practice Thursday with injuries. But while fullback Brad Hoover is sure the Buccaneers will "pressure the hell out of us," he doubts Moore will get too rattled.
It doesn't seem to be in his nature.
"He's very casual, sort of a happy-go-lucky type of guy," Hoover said. "But he works hard and comes prepared. We just want him to be extremely prepared this Sunday."
Moore's performance while Delhomme is out could determine his NFL future. The waiting is certainly over.
"It may take a little time to get his pinpoint accuracy down. But he does have a nice touch on the ball, too," Muhammad said. "We're all looking forward to seeing what he can do."
-- Mike Cranston
Peterson working on keeping ball 'high and tight'
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Adrian Peterson isn't worried about opponents trying to tackle him. He's focused more on keeping them from taking the ball away.
Fumbling has been the one problem of Peterson's sensational career, and Minnesota's All-Pro running back has lost five of them this season. Once again, he's trying to be more careful, which is difficult for him to reconcile with his powerful style.
"It's just little things like carrying the ball too low at times," Peterson said Thursday. "It's something that I point out and focus on when I'm in practice, keeping it high and tight."
Just as Peterson had taken the unofficial, always arguable crown for the NFL's best runner from San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, he's been passed by Tennessee's Chris Johnson.
Peterson has 12 rushing touchdowns and currently ranks third in the league in yards, still unquestionably in the league's exclusive elite group at age 24. That defenses continue to stack the line of scrimmage with safeties to stop him, even with quarterback Brett Favre on an amazing tear, speaks to Peterson's ability and threat to change a game with one open running lane.
Still, after topping 100 yards six times in 14 games as a rookie and in 10 of 16 games last season, Peterson has only three 100-yard performances this year. His yards-per-carry average has dropped from 5.6 in 2007 to 4.8 in 2008 to 4.7 in 2009.
Peterson fumbled twice, losing one after a replay review of the other retained possession for the Vikings, and rushed for 85 yards on 25 attempts with one score last week against the Chicago Bears.
"Watching film, there was a lot of things I did wrong," Peterson said. "It could have easily been a 200-yard game for me, even with those guys stacking the box. A lot of times it's what I'm doing too. I try and make sure I focus on me and the things I can do better to help the offense."
Starting with protecting that ol' pigskin better.
"Sometimes I can be my biggest enemy," Peterson said. "How I run, I try to scratch for every yard. I've just got to be more aware that guys are going to come in and try to punch the ball out."
Peterson blamed putting the ball in the wrong arm for one of last week's fumbles, but he also insisted that defenders are not just trying to pry the ball loose — they're going so far as to tackle the ball instead of him.
"When I'm in a crowd, I'm sure the defensive coordinators tell those guys, 'Hey, when we got him up, forget tackling if he's not going anywhere. Rip for the ball. Rip for the ball. Rip for the ball,'" Peterson said. "So I'm just going to start being more aware of putting two hands on the ball and going down at times."
The Titans have faced the same stiff fronts, with a steady diet of eight defenders in the box. They've effectively used the option a couple of times per game since the mobile Vince Young took over at quarterback, which has helped open up more room for Johnson.
Johnson's 800-yard November was the best month in NFL history since the 1970 merger. He has three touchdown runs of 85 yards or longer, too, and has lost only one fumble.
Johnson, who leads the NFL with 1,396 yards, is averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Steven Jackson of St. Louis (1,120) and Peterson (1,084) are averaging 4.7. Even by subtracting the longest run from each of Johnson's and Peterson's games this year, Johnson has the edge.
Asked who he considers the NFL's best running back between them, Johnson said: "I would say myself. I have great expectations. I don't want to say anything else. He's a great back. It's a great argument at the end of the day. Shout out to Adrian Peterson."
Before this season started, Tomlinson balked at comments made during the summer by the great Jim Brown pumping Peterson up as the best in the league. An unusually emphatic Vikings coach Brad Childress then defended Peterson by calling him the NFL's best, praising the progress he'd made in all phases of the offense since his rookie year.
Childress may not defend Peterson's driving, after he was clocked by police in Minneapolis going 109 mph in a 55 zone Saturday night. The transgression could cost Peterson his license.
But Childress will defend his franchise player on the subject of fumbling.
"Touch it as many times as he does, somewhere it's falling on the ground," Childress said.
-- Dave Campbell
Packers stick with pass, even in wintry weather
GREEN BAY, Wis. — A few snow flurries fell in Green Bay on Thursday, giving Packers players a taste of the conditions they're preparing to handle in the final month of the season.
The Packers think winter weather gives them an edge over visiting players who aren't as used to it, and hope to enhance that advantage with this year's new heated outdoor practice field that will allow them to practice outside more often.
But preparing for cold and snow doesn't necessarily mean Packers coach Mike McCarthy will dramatically change his play-calling tendencies going into Monday night's home game against Baltimore. According to STATS LLC, the Packers have passed 59 percent of the time since McCarthy took over in 2006 — and that percentage fell only slightly, to 56.7 percent, in games played in temperatures under 40 degrees.
McCarthy says football certainly gets more physical in December, but that doesn't automatically mean an emphasis on the running game.
"Everybody wants to talk about the run game," McCarthy said. "Yeah, that's a pretty good indicator. But we're going to do whatever it takes from a football standpoint to win games in December, and I am very confident in our style of play and how we utilize our players."
The Packers are 7-4 and in good shape for an NFC wild card berth in large part because of their successful passing game, and players don't expect falling temperatures or a few snowflakes to shake things up dramatically.
"I don't think Mike is going to change anything, either," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "We feel confident throwing the ball. We did last year, we threw the ball pretty effectively in the cold, even in the minus-15 down in Chicago. I've got big hands, I can grip that ball, and let 'er rip. So I think we're going to keep to that strategy hopefully."
The Packers have two home games left, Monday night's game against the Ravens and a Dec. 27 game against Seattle. They also could face challenging weather in two of their three remaining road games, Dec. 13 at Chicago and Dec. 20 at Pittsburgh.
Wide receiver Greg Jennings says abandoning the pass in December would be playing into an opposing defense's hands.
"The defense is thinking the same thing — oh, they're going to try to run the ball on us," Jennings said.
But while Jennings hopes the passing game remains productive in December, he knows he'll have to make a few tweaks to his techniques to make it happen.
"It changes how you have to run the routes," Jennings said. "You have to have body control. That body lean, you can't be on your heel. In perfect weather, you can run your routes without thinking about keeping your chin over your knees and things like that. When that ground gets harder, everything gets slick and if you're falling back a little bit, you're going to end up slipping. That's when the defenses have the advantage."
Rodgers knows he won't be able to run quite as well on a slick field — but neither will the guys chasing him.
"I've always felt a wet field, the advantage always goes to the offensive player because they know where they're going," Rodgers said. "That's more on like a receiver running a route on a DB. But at the same time I feel like me moving in the pocket, I think I still have an advantage over guys coming to get me because I'm kind of shifty and I have decent speed."
The Packers will be able to practice outside more often this season, thanks to a new practice field that features a heating system underneath. The team has been hesitant to practice on an unheated field in years past because of concerns about injuries.
The Packers went outside Thursday with temperatures in the 20s.
"I don't really consider that cold," McCarthy said. "I thought today was a beautiful day to play football, and from my understanding this will be very similar to what we play in Monday night. ... They live in it, we practice in it, so it should be a benefit to us."
But even some Packers players take a while to warm up to the idea of playing in the cold, including native Californian Rodgers.
"People ask me that all the time back in California," Rodgers said. "I don't think you ever really get used to it, I think you just get better at dealing with it. You've got to live in it and walk from the stadium to your car and your car to the restaurant, or be out there shoveling your driveway with no gloves on — that's what I did last year, at least. It's not a lot of fun, but you just get better dealing with it."
-- Chris Jenkins
Bears' Briggs uncertain he'll play against Rams
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Lance Briggs insisted he was breathing just fine and his temperature was 98.6, right at normal. As for that sprained left knee?
The Chicago Bears' Pro Bowl linebacker isn't sure if he'll play Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.
Briggs said he's "questionable with the possibility of being possible," which left his status about as murky as the team's prospects after dropping four in a row and six of seven.
Coach Lovie Smith shed a little more light when he said "it isn't looking real good" for Briggs or left tackle Orlando Pace (groin) after they sat out their second straight practice.
It's not looking good, period, for the Bears.
At 4-7, they need all the help they can get — not to mention a win — and losing Briggs would be a big hit for a team that isn't delivering enough of them.
The big blow the Bears absorbed last week in a 36-10 loss to the Vikings certainly left a mark. They let Brett Favre and the Vikings roll over them for 537 yards, the most by an opponent in 27 years, and they'll try to pick themselves up against the Rams (1-10), one of the league's worst teams.
"This team, we'll be good sooner rather than later," defensive end Alex Brown said. "I hope I am still here."
At the moment, it's not good at all. And there's no shortage of speculation about changes.
With criticism against him mounting, Smith acknowledged the scrutiny this week. Quarterback Jay Cutler pointed the finger at himself, saying it's "100 percent fair" for him to take the blame, and he also said there was no need for injured star linebacker Brian Urlacher to apologize for comments he made in an interview with Yahoo! Sports.
Many thought Urlacher was taking a shot at Cutler when he questioned a change in direction while mentioning Kyle Orton, who went to Denver in the Cutler trade. His point: The Bears got away from what took them to the playoffs in 2005 and 2006, when they wore down opponents with the run and a strong defense.
The problem is their running game ranks last, and their defense isn't the dominant force it was three years ago. Smith has been criticized for sticking with the Cover 2, yet Briggs insisted the scheme is not outdated.
He sees a defense simply not making the plays it made in the past, allowing teams to convert passes that would have been broken up. He sees gains that would have been losses.
And he sees why fans are "angry, upset and confused by what's going on." He feels the same way.
Chicago is allowing 339.8 yards per game and ranks 18th overall, but Smith has always suggested looking beyond yardage for a clearer picture of the defense's performance. He prefers the Aikman Efficiency Ratings, which uses a variety of statistics to rank defenses; by that measure, Chicago ranks 29th.
It would help if the Bears got an early lead or if they stopped opponents on third down, but they're coming up short in both areas. Opponents have outscored them 69-20 in the first quarter, and they have a 46-percent conversion rate on third down, making Chicago the third-worst in the league in that area.
Although last week's game was scoreless going into the second quarter, the Vikings wound up converting 12 of 18 third downs, running 83 plays and beating the Bears in time of possession 40:55 to 19:05.
"I'm not trying to make excuses for why we're not successful, but it's a different atmosphere than what it was in the past," Briggs said. "There are guys that are getting shuffled around, guys that are for the first time being starters for a full season. ... We'll get better when people become more football-savvy."
NOTE: CB Charles Tillman went through a full practice after suffering a mild concussion against Minnesota. "I felt like I could go back in, but the doctors were like, 'No, we're going to hold you out.' (I) respect their decision. They've got 13, 15, 20 years of school; (I've) only got 3½." ... DE Alex Brown (calf) also went through a full practice.
-- Andrew Seligman
Cutler: No need for Urlacher to apologize
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Jay Cutler said there's no need for Brian Urlacher to apologize. He understands the linebacker's frustration, and if there's any ill will between the Chicago Bears' stars, the quarterback passed on confirming it.
Sound familiar?
After reports of a rift in the summer, their relationship again was fodder for discussion after Urlacher questioned the Bears' direction while wondering why they went from emphasizing the run to the pass during an interview with Yahoo! Sports over the weekend. Many viewed that as a shot at Cutler, the Pro Bowl quarterback whose arrival in an offseason trade with Denver ignited a surge of optimism in Chicago.
Now, that's gone.
Cutler leads the league with 20 interceptions and the Bears are 4-7. They've dropped four straight and six of seven, and while their playoff hopes are just about gone, they at least have a chance to stop this slide Sunday against woeful St. Louis (1-10). The Rams have just eight interceptions this season, and that could bode well for Cutler, who has 15 in the past seven games.
Yet on Wednesday, the focus was more on Urlacher's comments.
"He didn't have to apologize to me," Cutler said. "I talked to him. I understand what he's talking about. It's frustrating. It's frustrating for everybody in that locker room. I know where he's coming from."
In the Yahoo! interview, Urlacher called Cutler "a great player who can take us a long way" and said he still has "faith in him," but he also hates "the way our identity has changed."
"We used to establish the run and wear teams down and try not to make mistakes, and we'd rely on our defense to keep us in the game and make big plays to put us in position to win," Urlacher told the Web site. "Kyle Orton might not be the flashiest quarterback, but the guy is a winner, and that formula worked for us. I hate to say it, but that's the truth."
The problem is that the Bears' running game ranks last in the league, and the defense hardly resembles the dominant unit that led the 2006 team to the Super Bowl.
With Orton last season, the Bears missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Of course, he went to Denver in the trade, and while Cutler can "absolutely" see why others would interpret Urlacher's comments as a slight, he insisted he didn't take them that way.
"You can't take anything personal in this game, especially whenever we're losing," he said. "I'm going to get a lot of blame. I'm aware of that. A lot of it should come my way. I'm understanding of that. I know Brian's frustrated. I'm frustrated. There's not much we can do."
Cutler said it's "100 percent fair" that he's taking the blame even though there have been breakdowns in just about every area this season. There were signs of trouble even as the Bears built a 3-1 record heading into their bye.
Urlacher suffered a season-ending wrist injury in the season-opening loss at Green Bay. Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in that game, an injury that ultimately ended his season. He played against Atlanta on Oct. 18, got carted from the sideline and finally went on injured reserve on Wednesday.
The offensive line has been ineffective all year, leaving Cutler under pressure and often on the ground. He hasn't helped himself by making questionable decisions, leading to interceptions, and the Bears usually go nowhere when they hand off the ball.
"Do we want to run the ball more?" offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "Yeah, there's no question about that."
The Bears average a league-low 85.1 yards rushing per game and are last in the league with 21 runs for 10 or more yards. The defense can't bail them out, either.
"We've struggled running the ball and Brian's right," Cutler said. "You don't have to run the ball every play. But when you run the ball, you have to be effective. I think that's the most important part. There are a lot of teams that throw the ball, but when they do run the ball, it's effectively. I think that's the main issue."
-- Andrew Seligman
Morgan, Crabtree bringing stability at wideout
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Josh Morgan got in Michael Crabtree's face to celebrate after a long reception that led to a touchdown during last week's victory over Jacksonville.
It's a scene the San Francisco 49ers are seeing a lot these days from their two young starting wide receivers.
And perhaps will continue to see for a long time to come.
Crabtree, San Francisco's first-round draft pick this year, and Morgan, the team's sixth-round selection in 2008, are now entrenched as the starting wideouts on a team that has been searching for talent and stability at the receiver position for most of the past decade.
Both have become instrumental in the evolution of a San Francisco offense that began the season with a run-first mentality but now is spreading the field and throwing 40 passes a game.
Many of those passes are going toward Crabtree and Morgan, who were targeted 16 times by quarterback Alex Smith during a 20-3 victory over the Jaguars that lifted the 49ers to 5-6 and kept them on the edge of NFC playoff contention.
That tandem caught 10 of those passes for 97 yards as the 49ers produced one of their most consistent offensive performances of the season.
"Obviously, they're pretty vital to what we're doing," Smith said Thursday. "They're our two receivers now who are in there the majority of the time. I think they're a big part of the reason we're growing as an offense."
Crabtree and Morgan both are growing as individuals. Crabtree immediately became a starter after joining the team in October, and Morgan recently supplanted veteran Isaac Bruce as the regular at flanker.
They have injected the offense with both talent and exuberance. The latter can be seen from both any time either makes a big play, something that has been occurring more and more often the past few weeks.
"Since the day he got here, we've been excited for each other and we've been pushing each other," Morgan said. "We don't want to get fined for it, but we're happy out there and having fun. When you see the other guy out there making plays, you're happy and excited about it, because it doesn't get much better than when that happens in a game."
Crabtree and Morgan are doing their part to improve an offense that has struggled for most of the season.
The San Francisco offense still languishes at 28th in the NFL rankings, but there is no question the 49ers have found a spark recently with Smith throwing more often to the young wideouts and tight end Vernon Davis.
Davis is having a career season. He ranks fifth in the NFC with 57 receptions and is tied for the NFL lead with nine touchdown catches.
Davis said the emergence of the young receivers on the edges has opened things up for him in the middle of the field and in the flats.
"It's been a big help," Davis said. "It's just wonderful to have wide receivers that can make plays, because it takes so much pressure off the tight end position that it allows me to get open because they're worried about Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan."
Morgan (30 catches for 348 yards) and Crabtree (26 for 346) have climbed to third and fourth among San Francisco's leading receivers behind Davis and running back Frank Gore (36 for 234).
Crabtree and Morgan also have been complementing each other well. Both are big-bodied receivers who bring a different skill set to the game, and both are becoming weapons that opposing defenses have to respect.
Smith had one of the best passing performances of his career last week, and the emergence of the young wideouts as legitimate threats has become a boon to the development of both Smith and the San Francisco offense.
"It's kind of an on-the-job-training deal with the way it's unfolded, because a lot of those people weren't here early on," offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said. "I think it's an ongoing process for (Crabtree and Morgan). It's not spit-shined and polished by any stretch of the imagination, but the growth has been good. Michael continues to learn every game. And last week, I think Josh Morgan played his best game."
Morgan said there are many more performances like that to come from both him and Crabtree.
"Hey, we're only getting started, you know?" he said. "We're both big, strong receivers who can block for Frank, but we can also do things in the passing game. You have to account for us. When we get the opportunities, we can make plays. We just have to go out and do the job day in and day out now. The sky's the limit with our talent."
Center back day after first missed practice
ST. LOUIS — No matter how sorry the St. Louis Rams' season, Jason Brown wants the team to know they can always count on him.
Not just on game day, either.
Brown expects to make his 56th consecutive start on Sunday at Chicago, a nice, long run. Even more impressive: He'd never missed a practice during his six-year career until Wednesday, when he was held out as a precaution with a sprained right knee.
That he was back on the field Thursday was no surprise given he'd been a reluctant spectator the previous day, to the point he had his helmet on while riding a stationary bicycle. The mouthpiece was in, too.
"Guys picked on me. They said 'Jason, you're not practicing, why are you taping up your ankles, why are you taping your wrists, your fingers, putting your gloves on?'" Brown said. "I want to be in there. It felt very awkward standing on the outside."
The Rams (1-10) played much of last week's loss to the Seahawks minus three offensive line starters after Brown was hurt in the second quarter, but expect to get two of them back against the Bears. Guard Richie Incognito has taken regular snaps with the first unit the last two days after missing four games with a sprained ligament in his right foot.
"Everything starts up front," offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. "When you've got your guys back, it really does help."
Running back Steven Jackson missed practice for the second straight day, similar to last week when he didn't practice at all due to back spasms but then had 89 yards rushing and a touchdown while at less than full strength. He'll try to practice Friday and expects to play against the Bears.
"It feels better," Jackson said. "If I don't play, I'll be more surprised than anybody."
Jackson's mentality is similar to that of Brown, who craves being involved.
"Jason wants to go all the time," coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "That's Jason."
Reliability is a point of pride for Brown, a former fourth-round pick who became the highest-paid center in the NFL when he left the Ravens for a four-year, $37.5 million free agent contract in the offseason. His streak of consecutive starts dates to 2006, and he only grudgingly agreed it was a good idea to watch practice for once on Wednesday.
Brown compensated for the inactivity with extra conditioning work and a "whole bunch of mental reps," although he admitted keeping the streak alive might have hindered his play in the past on occasions when rest would have been better.
"It happens to a lot of guys, that's why you definitely have to keep that line of communication open," Brown said. "They rely on honest information from me and I rely on their expertise. It's all about doing the smart thing, and that was giving my knee some rest."
Brown thought both streaks might be over when he fell backward after a player rolled into his leg.
"I felt a crunch, I even heard a crunch out there," Brown said. "My knee swelled up immediately and it was intolerable pain."
The team's medical staff believes the tumble might have broken up old scar tissue, and the injured area quickly calmed down to the point he was in uniform at the end of the game in case of an emergency.
Barring a setback, Incognito said he'd be in the lineup. Brown's happy the feisty guard who's often been accused of playing after the whistle appears ready.
"I think everybody knows what Richie can bring to the table," Brown said. "He definitely has a toughness that he brings to the game that a lot of people take the wrong way. Sometimes they say he's overaggressive, but I love his aggressiveness out there, I really do."
-- R.B. Fallstrom
