Archives for October 7, 2006

‘”His biggest strength is athletic ability,” Jauron said. “He’s faster than he looks. He’s a long strider and he covers ground quickly. He has really good hands and ball skills. I think he makes good judgments when the ball is in the air. The rest he’s learning – how to position himself, how to disguise without hurting himself.”‘

‘After Brown showed up late for a practice leading up to the finale at New England, the coaches decided to leave him off the game-day roster. Thus ended a streak of 71 consecutive starts, leaving Brown disgruntled with the only franchise he ever had known. “My mistake was probably being too vocal,” Brown said. “The things I was thinking, I didn’t have to take them public. If that’s what they were upset about, I can probably understand. “But things weren’t working there, and it was frustrating. It was like they were only worried about my complaining, not the things I was complaining about. So yes, we parted ways on kind of a sour note.”‘

‘Levy knows exactly how Jauron feels this week. In 1986, his first season coaching the Bills, he returned to a city where he once worked and was fired, Kansas City. Buffalo beat the Chiefs 17-14. “I went through it,” Levy said. “You’re aware of it and it’s deep in your mind. Maybe if you win the game and walk off the field, it’s a little nicer feeling. But really, you come in on Monday of game week and it’s all work.”‘

‘Brown is one of the best offensive linemen to wear a Bears uniform, even if most of his glory days were while he was wearing a Bills jersey. The veteran left guard has had eight Pro Bowl years and could make it nine this season. Advancing his case Sunday against the Bills would be a particularly nice touch after the bitterness and acrimony that surrounded the team’s waiving him in March 2004. Former coach Gregg Williams held him out of the final game in 2003, breaking his string of 71 consecutive starts, reportedly because Brown had been late for a meeting.’

‘The Bears, known for their defense, surprisingly rank 10th in the NFC in yards given up per rushing attempt, which gives the team some pause when considering the threat McGahee presents.’

Making a claim for Hall of Fame (Chicago Tribune)

20 Questions with Adrian Peterson (Chicago Tribune)

Special teamers on alert (Chicago Sun Times)

Bills rely heavily on McGahee (Arlington Heights Daily Herald)

Ogunleye, Clark appear ready to go (Arlington Heights Daily Herald)

Berrian no longer a hidden talent (Tinley Park Daily Southtown)

Bears’ Brown faces old friends (Northwest Herald)

Bears put down talk of a letdown (Rockford Register Star)

Ogunleye back at practice, status still up in air (ChicagoBears.com)

Smith lauds home fans as key fourth phase (ChicagoBears.com)

Bears must stop the Bills’ run attack (ChicagoBears.com)

‘Make no mistake, Bruce Smith hasn’t gone soft. At 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, he still could probably scare someone like Dan Marino, one quarterback he spent years chasing on Sundays. But if Smith sees Marino, now, he’s more likely to strike up a business conversation.’