Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011
Posted: 9:32 a.m.Updated: 11:11 a.m.
By John Mullin
CSNChicago.com Bears InsiderFollow @CSNMoonMullin
For reasons very much apart from football, it was good to learn a little while ago that Brian Urlacheris at Halas Hall Thursday morning. Sometimes work is indeed a good place to get away from personal hardship for a while, and it is never easy to lose your mother at any age. Hopefully this is a sign that hes among good friends and is in a place where he can go about his life even bearing the grief of the moment.
Talkin' Bears
Did the Bears overspend for Chris Spencer (at 3 million per for two years) if he isnt good enough to start over Edwin Williams at right guard with Lance Louis hobbled on a right-ankle injury? Why is it that Drew Brees has done worse against the Bears all three times hes faced them than against the rest of the NFL?
These are the kinds of things that Danny Mac and Spiegs and I chat about Thursdays at 10 a.m. on WSCR-AM 670 on The McNeil and Spiegel Show.
The reality with Spencer is that I never look too hard at the money because it isnt strictly a measure of the player; its perhaps more a measure of the market. The Bears thought they needed a center and other teams were flirting with Spencer, who also happens to have been a first-round pick of Bears personnel guy Tim Ruskells back when he was running the Seattle Seahawks.
Either way, and the bigger picture here, is that the Bears have quality depth in a league where thats extremely difficult (and expensive) to get. Williams started last year when Louis went down, was nicked up a bit and the Bears went other directions by moving Chris Williams to guard. All things being equal between Spencer and Williams, a thought here is that Spencer gives the Bears backup at both guard and center. Thatll all work its way out this week.
NFL
A more intriguing thought is whether the Bears defense can continue to throttle Brees, and why it has done that in the past. A huge plus from the Atlanta win was the debut of Henry Melton as the starting under-tackle. If the Bears get pressure in the middle the way they did from Tommie Harris, heres what happens:
The Cover-2 of Lovie SmithRod Marinelli has pressure in the quarterbacks face. The Smith scheme thrives on quarterbacks becoming impatient and forcing things downfield against a defense set up to prevent deep damage. Brees wont have No. 1 target Marques Colston (broken collarbone); if he becomes impatient against this defense, hell have a fourth loss to Lovie Smiths Bears.
Which is what I gave Mac and Spiegs, a prediction of a three-point Bears win. Well see.
Do the right thing
Kudos to quarterback Jay Cutler for the London trip package for the Tampa Bay game that his foundation is giving away, plus tix to the Carolina Panthers game. Go to jaycutlersix.com and register.
Working through grief
Expect Brian Urlacher to play Sunday in New Orleans against the Saints. Nothing is official by any means until the middle linebacker says hes in (hopefully some of the reports are more accurate and restrained than the Chester-Taylor-is-released business), but various indications are that hell be in New Orleans.
Teammates privately said Wednesday that theyd be surprised if Lach (as they call him) isnt there, as much for personal therapy as football, and Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune tweeted to that effect as well on @BradBiggs.
Personally, seeing him play really would be a positive, and that has absolutely nothing to do with football. His presence is clearly pivotal but dont look for a lot of breathless coverage of this whole thing; when Urlacher is ready to talk about it or his playing, he or Lovie Smith will talk about it.
Bear guy, sort of
Was Sean Payton involved in doing damage to the 85 Bears? Indirectly, probably yes.
Payton played his college football at Eastern Illinois, the program that gave the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys Tony Romo. And he also was one of the Spare Bears in 1987 during the labor impasse that caused the NFL to establish alternate squads which played three games.
When Mike Ditka, sticking up for the alternatesscabsfill-ins(your term here) declared that the real Bears will be the ones wearing uniforms Sunday, he lost the Mike Singletarys, Dan Hamptons and others. The Bears played well after that, even to the 1988 NFC Championship game, but more than a few players said it was never the same between Ditka, who preached loyalty, and the players who felt they didnt get any.
Amen to that
Kicker Robbie Gould ought to be making laws. RG tweeted on @RobbieGould09 this morning that Putting makeup on in a car should have the same consequences as cell phones."
Yup.
Amen to that IIChris Harris on @ChrisHarrisNFL Dear Summer, I really miss you!!!! Its 40 degrees this morning.
Talking football
Ill be getting in the weekly visit with The McNeil and Spiegel Show on WSCR-AM 670 at 10 a.m. Thursday, then hook up with Mike Florio on ProFootballTalk Live at around 11.
John "Moon" Mullin is CSNChicago.com's Bears Insider and appears regularly on Bears Postgame Live and Chicago Tribune Live. Follow Moon on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bears information.