LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears are still reeling a day after their overtime loss in Denver.

Coach Lovie Smith called the 13-10 defeat to the Broncos one of the most difficult he’s ever had to digest.

Chicago had a 10-0 lead late, but let it slip away. Running back Marion Barber made two mistakes that were costly. He ran out of bounds to kill the clock when the Broncos had no timeouts left in regulation, giving them time for a game-tying field goal. And then Barber fumbled in overtime and the Broncos moved in behind Tim Tebow for the winning kick.

At 7-6 with a three-game losing streak, Chicago is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs after making it to the NFC championship last season.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

LAKE FOREST — With Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, the short passing game keyed the Bears five-game winning streak. But with Caleb Hanie, and now Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell out there, that short passing game has been missing.

As have the victories.

“There’s definitely a huge sense of urgency, and no choices but to go get a win right here,” Hanie (0-2 as a starter) said of Sunday’s game at Denver (7-5).

Hanie has yet to find a rhythm, going 18-for-36 for 254 yards with two TDs in Oakland and 11-for-24 for 133 yards against the Chiefs in two games since Cutler broke his thumb. Hanie threw three interceptions in each game.

Forte, out for 2-4 weeks with a sprained MCL, has been up and down, but still heads into his first week “off” as the league’s No. 3 rusher (997 yards) and tops the charts in yards from scrimmage (1,487). He has just 71 yards receiving in his last five games after having 287 in his first three.

But Forte is still easily the team’s top pass catcher, hauling in 52 receptions for 490 yards. Johnny Knox (33-675), Devin Hester (25-355) and Roy Williams (24-335) are way behind Forte when it comes to targets and yards after the catch.

“Matt was unusual, he was very unusual. Putting him out as a wide receiver and some of the things we’ve done in the past, it’s a little different,” offensive coordinator Mike Martz said. “But each one of those other players, both Kahlil and Marion, have different strengths … Between the two of them, we can get what we need, to be able to do what we do on offense.”

The numbers tell a different story.

Barber had 174 receptions for 1,280 yards in six seasons with the Cowboys, with fewer than 300 yards in his best season.

“He’s not that type of player. He’s more of an in-the-tackles type of runner,” coach Lovie Smith said. “Kahlil can probably do more of the things that Matt Forte can do.”

Barber, who has three catches for 18 yards this year, would not stop to discuss his receiving abilities after practice Wednesday. He has refused to talk to reporters on all but two occasions since signing with Chicago in July.

When Bell was asked if he could get Barber to make a couple of comments, Bell replied: “Good luck; good luck with that one.”

As for Bell’s pass-catching skills, he has caught one ball for four yards in his two-plus years in a Bears’ uniform. He had 196 career yards receiving at UCLA and only 160 receiving yards in high school.

“I feel like I can catch the ball. If they need me to do that, I’m going to do that to the best of my abilities,” Bell said Wednesday. “I just think as you get older, you see what an every-down back in the league has to do. I didn’t really catch a lot of balls coming out of college. Since I’ve been here, we’ve worked on it every day.

“As you get older, the coaches get more comfortable with you and you earn their trust.”

Bell has definitely earned Hanie’s trust.

“Kahlil does a great job catching the ball. He’s only got one catch, but I’ve had a lot of work with him on the scout team in the last two or three seasons, and I feel very comfortable with him,” Hanie said. “I’m confident in his ability. He’s a good receiver, and he can make plays on the edge.”

Denver’s speedy defense will test that theory on Sunday afternoon.

Bears reporter Jay Taft can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

LAKE FOREST — The Chicago Bears look to bounce back from their first loss in a month and a half when they face the Kansas City Chiefs at Soldier Field on Sunday.

And to do that, there’s a good chance they will need to stop one of their old teammates: quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton was released by Denver late last month, and though the Bears put in a waiver claim for him, it was Kansas City that was awarded the eight-year veteran.

That has led to a lot of talk this week about which quarterback the Chiefs would play against the Bears.

“We don’t know who we’re going to face,” Chicago defensive tackle Matt Toeaina said. “But if it’s (Orton), we’ll be ready.”

According to Chiefs head coach Todd Haley: “As I said, Tyler (Palko) is our starter. We’ve got to get Kyle ready to play. He might have to play, and he might not.”

But Bears all-pro linebacker Brian Urlacher expects to see Orton in the game Sunday.

“Kyle is a good quarterback, and he knows where to go with the football,” Urlacher said. “He knows our defense, that’s for sure, and it will be fun to play against him again.”

If it is Orton, who the Chiefs are paying $2.6 million for the remainder of the season, the Bears have plenty of familiarity. Orton played for the Bears in 2005, 2007 and 2008, throwing for 30 touchdowns and 27 interceptions in 30 games.

Haley hinted he may be worried the Bears know too much about Orton.

“They have a pretty good feel for Kyle, and his strengths and weaknesses,” Haley said. “But I don’t think there is a great strategic advantage, either way.”

Orton, who has 79 touchdown passes and 55 interceptions in his career, was the starter for the Broncos for 2 1/2 seasons before losing his job to Tim Tebow earlier this year. Now he’s trying to take away a job from someone else — Palko.

So who will be working against the Bears on Sunday? They say they’re ready for anything.

“One’s lefty (Palko), one’s righty. That’s it,” linebacker Lance Briggs said. “As far as we’re concerned, we have to go out and play good Bears defense no matter what.”

Bears reporter Jay Taft can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears placed special-teams contributor Brian Iwuh on the waived/injured list and promoted linebacker Patrick Trahan from the practice squad on Tuesday.

The Bears announced the moves two days after Iwuh hurt his hamstring in a loss at Oakland.

Being waived/injured means Iwuh can be claimed by another team. If he clears waivers, he reverts to the Bears’ injured-reserve list. Chicago could then reach an injury settlement with him.

Iwuh had 32 special-teams tackles in two seasons with Chicago, including a team-high 14 this year. He spent his first four seasons with Jacksonville. Trahan, undrafted out of Mississippi, has spent the past two seasons on the practice squads with the Bears and Tennessee Titans.

LAKE FOREST — Even without Jay Cutler, the Bears believe they are good enough to get by.

With perennial Pro Bowl picks such as Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers and Lance Briggs, not to mention Devin Hester and Matt Forte, it might be premature to write off Chicago.

“Our football team is not based on one player,” coach Lovie Smith said.

Losing Cutler to a broken thumb on his right throwing hand is a big blow for a team contending in the NFC, but the Bears (7-3) believe they have enough to make a postseason run. With a favorable schedule, a 3-3 finish is not out of reach. That would get them to 10 wins and put them in good position to make the playoffs.

Smith said the injury Cutler suffered against San Diego on Sunday was not season-ending, but with the unproven Caleb Hanie filling in, they’ll have to pick up the slack in other areas.

With a sturdy defense, a record-setting return specialist (Hester) and a running back having a career year (Forte), the Bears might not be in such bad shape.

There are tough games at Oakland this week and Green Bay on Dec. 25, but there are also less daunting home matchups against Kansas City and Seattle and trips to Denver and Minnesota.

The Packers (10-0) are the only team in that group with a better record than the Bears. The Raiders (6-4) are above .500, but the rest are at or below that mark.

“I wish it wasn’t the issue, but I think you look at the way we’re set up, in my mind, we’re still a defensive team and (on) special teams, we can score at any time, which is a good thing,” Urlacher said. “We run the ball this year better than we have in years past, I think, so that helps our whole situation when you can do that and turn to a guy like Matt and your offensive line and say, ‘Hey, we need to run the football. Run the football’.”

They’ll need to get more from their defense and more from Forte than they did last week in a 31-20 win over San Diego.

Caleb Hanie, left, with Jay Cutler at training camp this year, is a former CSU quarterback awaiting his first NFL start with the Bears. Cutler has a broken thumb, so Hanie will be a starter Sunday against the Raiders.
(Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images
)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears are confident quarterback Jay Cutler will return this season from a broken thumb on his right (throwing) hand, so there was a glimmer of hope to go with the big chill that just blew through Chicago.

Even so, this is a major blow for the red-hot Bears.

Cutler needs surgery and will be out “for an extended time,” coach Lovie Smith said Monday. He would not say when the operation will take place, just “hopefully fairly quick,” and provided few details about the specific nature of the injury.

Smith did make one thing clear, though.

“Is it a season-ending injury? No,” he said. “From what I’ve been told right now, we can expect him back at the end of the regular season.”

The regular-season finale is Jan. 1 at Minnesota.

With Cutler out, the Bears will turn to backup and former Colorado State standout Caleb Hanie against Oakland this weekend. They also will look to bring in a veteran quarterback.

Hanie has thrown just 14 regular-season passes in four years. He made some plays in the NFC championship game against Green Bay last season after Cutler was injured and Todd Collins struggled, helping keep the Bears in it, but Chicago ultimately lost to the Packers.

Cutler was injured trying to help tackle Antoine Cason on an interception return in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 31-20 victory over the San Diego Chargers, and Smith was unaware of the extent of the injury until after the game.

Cutler stayed in and finished with 286 yards passing. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another TD while leading the Bears (7-3) to their fifth straight win, but his injury is a hit for a team that made a big leap into contention in the NFC.

“It’s devastating,” linebacker Brian Urlacher said. “It’s horrible, and I felt worse for him than I did for us. It stinks for us because he’s having such a great year. He’s our leader. He’s the guy we turn to for pretty much everything.”

The Bears travel to play the Broncos on Dec. 11.

LAKE FOREST — Defensive end Julius Peppers has been spotted shifting to the inside a little more of late, throwing offenses off for brief stretches, while helping a struggling defense grow back into a weekly threat.

And as it turns out, the decision of when to slide in and change things up during a game has settled onto the broad shoulders of Peppers, not his coaches.

“Whenever he feels like it, he’s like: ‘Hey, let’s switch. Let me go inside this play.’ I just go, ‘OK’,” defensive tackle Anthony Adams said. “We’ve got a lot of unselfish players on this team. We work on it in practice, in walk-throughs. It’s not anything new, but he’s just making it work a little more nowadays.”

Peppers, who practiced Thursday for the first time in nearly a month, has battled a knee injury most of the season, but it hasn’t slowed him down. The six-time Pro Bowler and 10th-year pro now has six sacks, tied for 13th in the league. He has four of them during the team’s four-game win streak.

“You never know when it’s going to start working for you. You’ve just got to keep at it and they’ll come,” Peppers said after Thursday’s practice. “It’s no particular one thing that’s making it happen right now. We’re all working well together, and we’re making it work.”

In Sunday’s 37-13 win over Detroit, Peppers switched spots with the defensive tackle five times, four coming on third-down plays. He charged in for a sack on one, and had a quarterback pressure on another. He also finished with a forced fumble, a tackle for a loss and a pass defense.

“You can’t ever lose track of Julius Peppers,” Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said.

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers, the Bears’ next foe, knows that all too well. He has known all about Peppers since his college days.

“He’s a great player,” Rivers said. “Back in 2000, I faced him for the first time. It was N.C. State against North Carolina, and obviously he was a great player then.

“He’s obviously all over the field. Some of the plays you see him make … he rushes, rushes, rushes, and then he runs from one side of the field to the other to make a tackle for a 2-, 3-yard gain. He’s obviously a big impact player for them.”

And Rivers’ coach, Norv Turner, knows you have to account for Peppers on every play, whether he’s inside or out.

“I think they’re giving offenses a lot of different looks and problems with different fronts and the movement up there,” Turner said. “That defense is playing extremely fast, and you can tell they’re playing with great confidence.”

Chicago defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli stressed the fact that they do work on the shifts in practice while game-planning for a team. However, he also admitted he trusts Peppers to pick the right times on game day.

Not everybody is a big fan of the shifts up front. Bears down-lineman Henry Melton, who had the team’s other sack last week while playing inside, has had to adjust to life on the outside on occasion. A switch he insists is not easy to make.

“The only thing is I get pushed outside. It’s a whole ‘nother ballgame when I get to rush from the outside. I get tired, and he gets to go have fun in there,” Melton said with a smile. “I get chipped. I get all the blocks he’s supposed to get because they don’t think he’s going inside. I’m like: ‘Can I go back inside, please?’ ”

He usually gets to soon enough. But he never knows when Peppers is going to decide to change things up again. As long as it’s working, he’ll just have to deal with it.

“It’s OK,” Melton said. “Once the play gets going, there’s a lot of panic because all of a sudden, here’s this disruptive force, and he’s inside there.

“He just does what he’s supposed to be doing: Making plays to help this team win.”

Bears reporter Jay Taft can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

LAKE FOREST — Just when the Bears’ offensive line was gelling, an injury could now throw everything out of whack — again.

Bears center Roberto Garza doesn’t think guard Chris Williams’ wrist injury, and subsequent visit to the injured-reserve list, will have that kind of effect on the unit. That’s because he has faith in another Williams, the third-year guy who was benched at midseason last year, Edwin Williams.

“Ed will step in, we know what he can do, and we’ll set that tone in practice to make sure we don’t take that step back. Keeping that intensity up and knowing who to block every play, that’ll carry over,” Garza said. “We’ll just continue to do what we’ve been doing. If he couldn’t handle the plays that we run, then he wouldn’t be here.”

But quarterback Jay Cutler and others realize that if it’s to be Edwin Williams filling in for Chris Williams from here on out — and head coach Lovie Smith implied as much Wednesday — it will be a challenge for the team to stay on a roll. The same five linemen started four games in a row, and Cutler was sacked just five times in that span. He also threw just two interceptions in those games.

Oh, and the Bears (6-3) won all four contests as well. But now they’re faced with the dilemma of fixing an offensive line that has been broken (inept early on), fixed (Lance Louis was benched at guard), broken (Gabe Carimi’s injury), and fixed again (Louis stepped up at tackle); all in the first half of this year.

“It’s not going to be easy. Edwin’s going to step in there and do a really good job, but Chris was playing at a high level, and we can’t miss a beat; especially not in November and December,” Cutler said. “Our offense, I think we’re headed in the right direction. But with Chris going down, we have to have somebody step in there and really fill that role. We just have to keep moving on.”

Chicago’s offense was in a groove after the line alignment of Garza at center, Chris Williams and Chris Spencer at guards and J’Marcus Webb and Louis at tackles began to come together. The Bears have averaged 340 yards of offense per game during their win streak, and that includes last week’s 216-yard output when the offense wasn’t needed much.

The Bears scored twice on defense and once on special teams, and punched it into the end zone only once on offense, and that was with a short field of 30 yards after a defensive takeaway on the game’s first possession.

And at some point late in the first half — as the Bears were building a 20-6 halftime lead — Chris Williams dislocated his wrist. He was rushed into surgery, and was replaced by Edwin Williams. Chicago’s offense did not finish as strong as it started, and the Bears had three three-and-outs and scored just three points on offense in the second half with the other Williams in there. But Garza and his coaches expect that to change quickly.

“We had some trouble making our blocks and we weren’t as crisp as we’d been in the weeks past. It’s up to us to correct that and get our technique down. That’s more on us,” Garza added. “He’s a strong guy, he can move, he’s an athletic player, and it’ll be up to all of us to go out and get the job done.”

Edwin Williams and offensive line coach Mike Tice refused to speak to reporters after practice Wednesday, but Smith and offensive coordinator Mike Martz both admitted that, although he may not have been ready last year, he is now, when he’s needed the most.

“We played him last year, and, of course, he started for us, so he did some good things. But, we went a different direction. So he wasn’t ready, completely, but that was a year ago,” Smith said. “And since then, he has made a lot of progress … He’s just been ready now.”

Smith and Bear fans will all find out Sunday when they host the Chargers (4-5) at 3:15 p.m.

Bears reporter Jay Taft can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

LAKE FOREST — The Chicago Bears seem to be a little extra motivated for this weekend’s game. It’s no wonder after they were embarrassed by their NFC North division rivals in Detroit the last time the two teams met.

“It was a tough loss up there early in the season. They beat us pretty good,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said. “But we’re playing a little better right now.”

Not only was it the last time Chicago lost, but the Oct. 10 road game included a franchise-record nine false-start penalties, 14 total penalties and the Lions outscored the Bears 17-3 in the second half. Since that debacle, the Bears have really straightened up.

“Not just that game, that whole first quarter was a wake-up call,” added linebacker Lance Briggs. “The last three games have been … well … we’re making progress.”

The Lions lost two straight following the win over Chicago, but they whipped the Broncos 45-10 last weekend as they appeared to get back on track. That doesn’t matter to the Bears, who feel they are back on track as well.

“We’re ready for them this time,” defensive back D.J. Moore said.

The numbers agree. Chicago surrendered 181 rushing yards to Detroit, but have given up 202 total in three games since. The Bears’ offense had one touchdown and was 4-for-13 on third-down conversions against the Lions, but has averaged 30 points and has gone 15-for-38 on third downs since.

The defense insists its gap presence has been better, thus opponent’s big plays have stopped. On offense, the biggest improvement has been on the line.

“I think that we’re playing better as a unit right now, better than we played in Detroit,” offensive line coach Mike Tice said. “That just comes with the guys playing together.”

The Bears expect to start the same offensive line for the fourth game in a row Sunday, and they hope to avenge their ugly loss to the Lions with their fourth win in a row.

“We respect them, and they got after us pretty good up there in Detroit,” tight end Matt Spaeth said. “And now we have to try and do the same to them right here.”

This doesn’t surprise the Lions.

“They’re just playing really good football. They played good against us except for a couple big plays and that was the difference in the game,” Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “But it’s still the same old Bears defense. These guys are playing at a very high level, stopping the run, getting after the passer.

“They’re playing at a high level right now; but so are we.”

Note: Rookie tackle Gabe Carimi underwent arthroscopic surgery Friday to further repair his injured knee. There is no timetable on his return, though he has been ruled out for Sunday; return man and wide receiver Devin Hester is questionable.

Bears reporter Jay Taft can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP)—Jay Cutler(notes) could get used to this.

The Chicago Bears’ often-sacked quarterback dropped back to pass 32 times
without being sacked in Monday night’s win at Philadelphia. It was the first
time Cutler had gone without being sacked in 30 games, and just the second time
since he became a Bear in 2009.

Cutler and the team think this kind of pass protection is just what’s needed
to upgrade the offense.

“It’s nice,” Cutler said. “I was thinking about halfway through the game,
I was like, `Let’s not jinx this yet,’ I didn’t want to say anything but it was
looking pretty good.”

Cutler said his offensive line is getting better and are playing more
relaxed. He also credited offensive coordinator Mike Martz with calling plays
“and helping them out,” praise that hasn’t always been there between
quarterback and coach.

The Bears have won three straight games and their offense is now to 10th in
scoring (25 points a game) heading into Sunday’s rematch against the Detroit
Lions at Soldier Field. The biggest difference has been the performance of that
line, giving Cutler a whole new perspective on life in Chicago.

“It’s so much more fun, just going out there and playing with those guys
and being able to execute the offense and have some fun and be creative,” he
said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

The line came together out of necessity late in the second half of the
Bears’ loss to Detroit earlier this season. They benched right tackle Frank
Omiyale(notes), who had been starting for injured starter Gabe Carimi(notes). Then right guard
Lance Louis(notes) went to right tackle and backup center Chris Spencer(notes) moved in at
right guard.

In the three games since, the line has given up just three sacks and Cutler
has dropped back to throw 98 times.

The other big move came before the season when the team decided to put
veteran guard Roberto Garza(notes) at center to replace Olin Kreutz(notes). No one knew how
effective Garza would be, but he’s done well enough that the team gave him a
two-year contract extension this week.

“You just have to go with what you feel and what you know,” coach Lovie
Smith said. “And what we knew about Roberto is that he’s a steady player, he’s
been around here, he’s smart, he had played a little bit of the position before.
So you just went with those things.

“Everything that we knew about the situation and about Roberto said that he
would be able to handle it and he was our best option, and that’s what we look
for each week, you look at the team and see what is your best option.”

Martz’s switch to shorter, five-step pass drops and an emphasis on running
back Matt Forte(notes) in the running and passing game have helped open up the offense
even more. As a result, the Bears have risen to 17th in total yards—they
haven’t finished higher than that since they were 15th when they reached the
Super Bowl after the 2006 season.

Getting third-down receiving threat Earl Bennett(notes) back has helped Cutler,
too. His 95 receiving yards Monday included a touchdown pass. He hadn’t played
since Week 2 due to a chest injury.

“It comes down to chemistry and just working together at practice,”
Bennett said.

Bennett and Cutler had played together at Vanderbilt one season, and Bennett
quickly developed as Cutler’s favorite target in a pinch after the two were
reunited in 2009. It’s a rapport Cutler admits isn’t there yet with other
receivers.

“It takes time,” he said. “I’ve been with Earl for a long time, thrown a
lot of balls to him. I’m getting there with a lot of those guys: Johnny (Knox)
and Devin (Hester) and even Roy (Williams) and those guys. We’re getting there.
It doesn’t happen overnight.”

Bennett called the better blocking and better understanding of the offense’s
capabilities the biggest factors in the Bears scoring 93 points during their
streak, their biggest three-game output since 2008.

“We’ve grown to know what type of offense we are,” he said.

Notes: The Bears did not practice Wednesday. WR Devin Hester(notes) (ankle) was
nonetheless listed as being unable to practice,, as was DE Julius Peppers(notes)
(knee). … the Bears placed TE Kyle Adams(notes) (hamstring) on injured reserve,
elevated TE Andre Smith to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and agreed
to terms with TE Draylon Ross on a practice squad contract.

LAKE FOREST — The Chicago Bears failed their first two true road tests this season, and failed them miserably. They will get a retake, of sorts, Monday night when they head to Philadelphia, and they’re looking to bounce back, coming off a bye and some well-needed rest.

Quarterback Jay Cutler, however, sounded far from confident that his team can make a complete turnaround after its performance during the first two inner-continental road trips.

“I hope we can. That’s all you can do, at this point,” Cutler said, shrugging his shoulders. “There’s going to be some problems, some glitches, like in any game.”

They did knock off Tampa Bay 24-18 in an official road game in London on Oct. 26, but it was much closer to a neutral-site game than an away contest for the Bears.

They are 0-2 in their two American-held road games, and their flaws (or glitches, as Cutler called them) really jumped out in both the trip to New Orleans and the one to Detroit.

“It’s a lot of different things. Not executing. Missed assignments. Missing throws. Missing hots. Lining up wrong,” Cutler said. “At the end of the day, we’re not executing like we should, when we get down there.”

In a 30-13 Week 2 loss at New Orleans, Chicago’s offense managed a season-low 246 yards, and Cutler was sacked six times while completing just 42 percent (19-for-45) of his passes. The Bears defense, on the other hand, allowed the Saints to march up and down the field, chewing up 36:14 (compared to 23:46 for Chicago) on the clock while converting 8 of 17 third-down tries. The Saints even had three touchdown passes on third down.

And then the next time they headed into a hostile environment, the Bears looked abysmal again. The Lions rolled to a 24-13 win in Detroit on Oct. 10, one that was marred by nine false-start penalties for Chicago’s offense as the Bears’ defense surrendered two touchdown plays of 70-plus yards.

“We never want the same situation that we had in Detroit,” injured offensive lineman Gabe Carimi said. “Is it going to happen? Who knows.”

Carimi has been out of the mix for more than a month, and doesn’t appear to be ready to return after missing practice Friday. But his teammate Roberto Garza seems to think the Bears’ offense is way more ready for a road test this time around.

“We’re aware of what we’re going into now. We had rough start in Detroit and New Orleans, but we’ve learned from that,” the first-year center, Garza, said. “We’ll be ready for another tough challenge in an environment like that this time.”

The crowds at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia are generally considered to be one of the craziest and loudest in the league. Just ask Bear linebacker Lance Briggs.
“There are a couple of stadiums that rank up there with the rowdiest,” Briggs answered. “Philly’s right up there.”

So it won’t be an easy place for the Bears to find out how much they learned from their prior mistakes. The Bears coaching staff is hoping it will suffice.

“We had Monday Night Football in Detroit, and I don’t know if we got caught up in the moment, or the moment caught us, but it wasn’t very good,” offensive line coach Mike Tice said. “We just hope that we can learn from that and not have a repeat performance. I’m sure that we’ve learned from that experience. That was tough duty.”

They’re hoping Monday in Philadelphia will be lighter duty.

Reach staff reporter Jay Taft at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Nearly halfway through the season, the Chicago Bears finally got a glimpse of the passing combination they had imagined.

On Oct. 23, veteran Roy Williams hauled in four passes for 59 yards and his first touchdown in a 24-18 victory over Tampa Bay.

Chicago, on a bye this past weekend, signed Williams to a one-year, $2.46 million deal to give quarterback Jay Cutler a taller red-zone target and potential No. 1 receiver threat. But in the first five games, the two hooked up only six times for 81 yards. In the last two games, Williams has one more catch for 28 more yards than he had in the first five.

“We’re getting there,” Cutler said. “It doesn’t happen in one, two games. It takes some time and takes practices and a lot of work and repetition and just getting a feel for what he’s going to do on the field and where I want the ball.”

With slot receiver Earl Bennett returning to play against the Eagles on Monday night, the Bears will have their full wide receiver corps healthy for the first time since the opener.

“So we’ve got some pieces coming back,” Cutler said. “[Bennett] is very stable. He’s going to be in the right spot. He’s going to make plays after the catch.

“He’s an every down receiver that I would love to see back on the field.”

The Bears hope that a full and healthy receiver corps lets the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Williams get open more in the red zone. He still hasn’t made a red-zone TD, and that was supposed to be his strength.

“Roy is a bigger receiver that is really physical with corners that gives you an opportunity in certain routes that are a little bit more difficult for smaller guys, like fades at the goal line, those kinds of things,” offensive coordinator Mike Martz said. “He gives us a little added dimension at the receiver position that’s helpful.”

Before the season, Martz said he thought Williams was capable of 70 catches. Later, Martz revised that to say Williams and backup Johnny Knox were capable of 70 to 80 catches.

The numbers might be irrelevant now, with running back Matt Forte dominating the Bears offense.

Williams battled through a groin strain early in the season. He deemed himself fit to play three weeks ago and has been building momentum.

“Confidence is big in anybody, in anybody in the world, in any occupation,” Williams said. “When you feel good, you play good.”

Dropped passes have plagued Williams at times, and he had one early against Tampa Bay on Oct. 23. However, he recovered for a 25-yard touchdown catch, his first TD in 14 games.

“Improvement – you wanted to see that from Roy,” coach Lovie Smith said. “We knew coming in, a couple of nagging injuries, those things, but he played well. And Roy will tell you he can’t drop that ball. But, you know, it happens sometimes.

“You’ve got to be able to put that behind and finish strong, which he did. He did a good job of blocking, too.”

Williams threw a block that helped spring Forte on a 32-yard touchdown run in the Tampa Bay game.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) – Third-round draft pick Chris Conte has
given the Chicago Bears some much-needed stability in the
secondary.

The rookie free safety is about to get his biggest test of the
season when the Bears play at Philadelphia on Monday night.

“I think they drafted me in the third round for a reason, and
obviously that was to come in and play,” a confident Conte said
Tuesday. “I’m going to continue to do that.”

The Bears turned to Conte when former safety Chris Harris fell out
of favor in a loss to the Detroit Lions. The defense had allowed 12
passes and four runs of 25 yards or longer through five games.
Against Minnesota and Tampa Bay, they gave up one pass and no runs
of 25 yards or longer with Conte as the last line of defense.

“Chris Conte, we moved him into the starting lineup a couple weeks
ago, have been very pleased with what we’ve gotten from him as a
tackler, just a guy in the middle of the field with a lot of
range,” coach Lovie Smith said. “We drafted him to someday be our
safety. That time is now.”

Conte played only one season of safety at California after starting
as a cornerback, but his range and long arms have earned him
instant accolades as well as the nickname “Bird Man” from nose
tackle Anthony Adams.

The Bears have been deploying their free safety at a deeper spot in
the secondary, which has helped.

“I think we just aligned deeper, and it’s not that we’re getting a
lot of depth, we’re just getting our depth initially,” he said.
“And then we’ve been able to play with depth so we can break
downhill instead of being in a rush to backpedal.”

Conte made his first interception against Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman
in the Bears’ final game before their bye week last weekend. He had
the benefit of tapping into Harris’ knowledge of the defense. But
Harris was cut and signed on with Detroit.

Now it’s up to Conte to adapt with Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and
LeSean McCoy up next. The Eagles (3-4) are just two games behind
the division-leading New York Giants and coming off a dominating
victory over the Cowboys. The Eagles scored on their first six
possessions and went 4 for 6 inside the red zone.

“I don’t think there’s any more pressure on me,” Conte said. “I’ll
have the same role I had before. So I think I’ll have the same
amount of pressure.”

Vick’s mobility challenges safeties and cornerbacks.

“It’s real difficult for us as a secondary because he creates a lot
of time for the (receivers) to get open with his legs,” cornerback
Tim Jennings said. “But we believe in our pass rush and our rush is
going to get to him and make it easy for us in the back seven. So
we’ve just got to stay in cover and believe in our pass
rush.”

Jennings called it the key to stopping Philadelphia.

“We know that they’re a big play making team that thrives on making
big plays down the field,” he said. “So we have to be able limit
them and make them drive down the field and make it tough for
them.”

After Vick, the Bears have to face Detroit’s Matthew Stafford and
San Diego’s Philip Rivers the next two games.

• NOTES: The Chicago Bears signed RB Armando Allen to the practice
squad. Allen was originally signed to the practice squad Sept. 5
and was released Oct. 11.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Third-round draft pick Chris Conte has given the Chicago Bears some much-needed stability in the secondary.

The rookie free safety is about to get his biggest test of the season when the Bears play at Philadelphia on Monday night.

“I think they drafted me in the third round for a reason, and obviously that was to come in and play,” a confident Conte said Tuesday. “I’m going to continue to do that.”

The Bears turned to Conte when former safety Chris Harris fell out of favour in a loss to the Detroit Lions. The defence had allowed 12 passes and four runs of 25 yards or longer through five games. Against Minnesota and Tampa Bay, they gave up one pass and no runs of 25 yards or longer with Conte as the last line of defence.

“Chris Conte, we moved him into the starting lineup a couple weeks ago, have been very pleased with what we’ve gotten from him as a tackler, just a guy in the middle of the field with a lot of range,” coach Lovie Smith said. “We drafted him to someday be our safety. That time is now.”

Conte played only one season of safety at California after starting as a cornerback, but his range and long arms have earned him instant accolades as well as the nickname “Bird Man” from nose tackle Anthony Adams.

The Bears have been deploying their free safety at a deeper spot in the secondary, which has helped.

“I think we just aligned deeper, and it’s not that we’re getting a lot of depth, we’re just getting our depth initially,” he said. “And then we’ve been able to play with depth so we can break downhill instead of being in a rush to backpedal.”

Conte made his first interception against Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman in the Bears’ final game before their bye week last weekend. He had the benefit of tapping into Harris’ knowledge of the defence. But Harris was cut and signed on with Detroit.

Now it’s up to Conte to adapt with Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy up next. The Eagles (3-4) are just two games behind the division-leading New York Giants and coming off a dominating victory over the Cowboys. The Eagles scored on their first six possessions and went 4 for 6 inside the red zone.

“I don’t think there’s any more pressure on me,” Conte said. “I’ll have the same role I had before. So I think I’ll have the same amount of pressure.”

Vick’s mobility challenges safeties and cornerbacks.

“It’s real difficult for us as a secondary because he creates a lot of time for the (receivers) to get open with his legs,” cornerback Tim Jennings said. “But we believe in our pass rush and our rush is going to get to him and make it easy for us in the back seven. So we’ve just got to stay in cover and believe in our pass rush.”

Jennings called it the key to stopping Philadelphia.

“We know that they’re a big play making team that thrives on making big plays down the field,” he said. “So we have to be able limit them and make them drive down the field and make it tough for them.”

After Vick, the Bears have to face Detroit’s Matthew Stafford and San Diego’s Philip Rivers the next two games.

Notes: The Chicago Bears signed RB Armando Allen to the practice squad. Allen was originally signed to the practice squad Sept. 5 and was released Oct. 11.