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ONE SWEET RUSH REMEMBERING WALTER PAYTON’S GREATEST RUN

NFC NORTH

4-0 Packers return to Green Bay to take on tough Rams ‘D’ 12

TAKE 2

Kevin Fishbain and Patrick Finley discuss Alshon Jeffery’s injury 15

BUILDING MOMENTUM Jay Cutler and the Bears try to build off their first win of season at tough Arrowhead Stadium 4

Containing Charles vital for Bears ‘D’ It’s amazing what one win can do for an NFL team.

At 0-3 and returning home from an embarrassing performance in Seattle, it was hard to argue the Bears weren’t the worst team in the NFL. Right now there are 11 teams in the league that are 1-3, and it really should be 13 with the game the officials stole from the 0-4 Lions and gifted to the 2-2 Seahawks.

As one of a group of 13 clubs, 41 percent of the league, you can now argue the Bears are much closer to the middle of the pack than they are to the bottom.

We’ll know a lot more when the Bears get to their bye week after visits this Sunday to the 1-3 Kansas City Chiefs and a week from Sunday to take on the hapless Lions.

I spent my Monday night the day after the Bears’ nightmare in Seattle on the sidelines at Lambeau Field covering the Packers’ win over the Chiefs.

I came away thinking the Chiefs are probably the best of the league’s bottom-feeders.

After opening the season with a

FROM THE EDITOR

By HUB

ARKUSH

harkush@chicagofootball.com @Hub_Arkush

win at Houston, the Chiefs gave one away to the 4-0 Broncos just four nights later at Arrowhead, and then went on the road to get beat by the 4-0 Packers and 4-0 Bengals.

While the Bears’ schedule hasn’t been easy by any stretch, the Chiefs’ has been torturous, and they are much more talented than the Bears.

What continues to impress me about Kansas City is that Jamaal

Charles, Travis Kelce, Ben Grubbs, Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson and Eric Berry all continue to be among the best players in the league at their positions.

Who on the Bears other than Matt Forte, Kyle Long and maybe Martellus Bennett can you say that about?

This game will offer us one of the best individual matchups we’re going to see all season.

Houston was just a ½ sack short of the NFL single season record last year with 22 and he rushes almost exclusively from the left side of the defense, off the right tackle’s outside shoulder.

He and Kyle Long should battle for most of the game, a pairing I’d buy a ticket for even if there weren’t going to be 20 other players on the field.

Long can and just might win it, but where will that leave the rest of the Bears’ rebuilt offensive line against Hali and a handful of other outstanding rushers, including Dontari Poe, Mike DeVito and Johnson?

Most of the Chiefs’ problems

Jamaal Charles

BY THE

NUMB3RS

6-5 The Bears’ all-time record vs. the Chiefs.

31-3 Final score the last time the Bears played at Arrowhead Stadium, on Dec. 28, 2003, a Kansas City win.

18 Number of times Chiefs QB Alex Smith has been sacked through four games, a 4.5-per-game average.

AP photo

have been on the offensive line, but another matchup to fear is Charles challenging Shea McClellin and Christian Jones in the middle of the field.

Charles is quick as a hiccup, has the speed to go the distance, and can run 15 yards in a phone booth when cornered.

He will break the line of scrimmage repeatedly. What the Bears’ ILBs and rookie safeties Adrian Amos and Harold Jones-Quartey can do about it probably will dictate the outcome of the game.

6Number of sacks the Bears’ ‘D’ has to date, a 1.5 average.

Chicago Football Weekly is produced by Shaw Media, the Daily Herald Media Group and the Chicago Sun-Times in partnership with other Illinois daily newspapers.

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ChicagoFootball.com • Thursday, October 8, 2015

| CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY

2

2008

Dave Toub

HESTER IN SUPER BOWL

As a rookie on the biggest stage in professional football, Devin Hester made an imme-

VASHER’S FG RETURN

Bears defensive back Nathan Vasher broke several cardinal rules of football against the 49ers, but ended up with a league record.

After catching Joe Nedney’s 52-yard field goal, which had fallen short, Vasher took the

ball out of the back of the end zone. Then, when he ran into a sea of San Francisco tacklers, he ran backwards, then vertically, until he saw daylight and took off down the sideline 108 yards for the touchdown. He had the league record for longest field goal return until ...

HESTER’S FG RETURN

One day short of a year later, Hester took a field goal

back for a touchdown, going 108 yards against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. Hester caught Jay Feely’s 52-yard field goal attempt that fell short, hesitated as if he was going to kneel, then took off and was untouched as he blazed down the sideline for the touchdown. This changed the game from the Giants getting within one point to the Bears going up 31-20 with just over 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

2012

AP file photo

2006

2007

From 2004-2012, Dave Toub led the Chicago Bears as special teams coordinator before moving to Kansas City in 2013, where he presently runs the Chiefs’ special teams. In those seasons, the Bears had some significant special teams plays with topranked special teams units.

Here are five of the most memorable plays from the Toub era in Chicago.

diate impact. Already with two touchdown returns in his debut year, Hester took the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI at the 8-yard line, found a hole in the wedge down the middle and took off down the sideline, scampering 92 yards for the score. Hester made a name for himself as a prolific returner, but this was his biggest.

2005

BEN GARTLAND

bgartland@chicagofootball.com @BemG_Sports

BLOCKED PUNT / TD

Toub’s final season with the Bears still saw a special teams unit that changed games. In a 51-20 rout of Tennessee, the Bears got on the board with a blocked punt.

Sherrick McManis was untouched as he ran around the edge and blocked the punt.

Corey Wootton picked up the loose ball and rumbled five yards into the end zone for the touchdown.

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With 18 seconds to go in a crucial Monday Night Football game against Green Bay, Mason Crosby stepped up for the field goal with the score tied 17-17. The Bears’ special teams, however, broke through the line and Alex Brown blocked the field goal to keep the game tied. It went to overtime, where Robbie Gould would hit a game-winning field goal to keep the Bears in contention for the NFC North title, although they would fail to make the playoffs that season.

Bears’ special special-teams’ plays during Dave Toub’s tenure By

BLOCKED CROSBY FG

GAME PREVIEWWK 5

ChicagoFootball.com • Thursday, October 8, 2015

| CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY

4

CHIEFS

VS.

BEARS

GAMEDAY: NOON SUNDAY, OCT. 11, 2015 / ARROWHEAD STADIUM, KANSAS CITY, MO By

KEVIN FISHBAIN

Martellus Bennett

kfishbain@chicagofootball.com @kfishbain

BEARS RUSHING OFFENSE vs CHIEFS RUN DEFENSE

After holding the Broncos to 61 yards rushing in Week Two, the Chiefs have allowed more than 120 yards on the ground in back-to-back weeks. The Bengals rattled off 4.8 yards a carry and scored four times last Sunday via the running game. The Bengals had some similar zone-read run plays that we could see from the Bears. Matt Forte has 367 yards rushing this season at 4.4 yards a pop. The Raiders did as good a job as any team has done for four quarters, limiting Forte (3.6 yards per carry). The Bears will enter Sunday’s game with at least two players at different positions than their original starting offensive line because of Will Montgomery’s injury and Jermon Bushrod’s status. That will make things more difficult for Forte against a 3-4 Chiefs defense with a very stout nose tackle in Dontari Poe, who can occupy two blockers to create tackle lanes for inside linebacker Derrick Johnson. Defensive tackle Jaye Howard leads the Chiefs with four tackles for loss this season.

EDGE EVEN

BEARS PASSING OFFENSE vs CHIEFS PASS DEFENSE

This is where the Chiefs have struggled of late. Let’s start with the pass rush, which should be a K.C. strength. Instead, after eight sacks combined in the first two games, the Chiefs have brought the quarterback down only once in the past two games.

Andy Dalton picked apart soft parts of the zone up the seam and beat the Chiefs deep. He averaged 13.4 yards an attempt,

H. Rick Bamman – Shaw Media

the second-highest total for any QB in a game this season, and completed 70.8 percent of his passes. In terms of personnel, rookie Marcus Peters has been the best corner with seven passes defensed, and the Chiefs just got long, physical corner Sean Smith back from suspension.

Eric Berry is back in center field and has great instincts. Jay Cutler may not have that kind of protection, but he has the footwork and the wherewithal to unload the ball early in the play in

Adam Gase’s offense. Assuming Cutler feels more comfortable this week, even in a hostile environment, the Bears get a slight advantage against a Chiefs ‘D’ that has given up a league-high 11 passing touchdowns.

holding Latavius Murray to 49 yards on 16 carries. However, Jamaal Charles is not Latavius Murray. I know, big shocker.

Charles is an electric back in the open field and had 75 yards on only 11 carries vs. the BenEDGE BEARS gals (6.8-yard average). He’s averaging 5.2 yards a carry every time he touches the ball, while CHIEFS RUSHING the Bears are allowing 4.4 yards a OFFENSE vs BEARS touch.The Chiefs will work to get RUN DEFENSE Charles outside the tackles, and The Bears had their best game the team is averaging 10.2 yards of the season defending the run, a carry off left tackle. Pernell

McPhee has been key against the run, along with Jarvis Jenkins.

Eddie Goldman was stout at the point of attack last week against former Chiefs center Rodney Hudson. The issue for the Bears’ run defense through four games is that inside linebackers Shea McClellin and Christian Jones aren’t shooting the gaps to make big plays in the backfield. The Bears have been able to stay in games with good run defense in the first half, but this is a much stiffer test against one of

Alex Smith

THIS WEEK IN THE NFL

AP photo

COLTS @ TEXANS 7:25 p.m. Thursday, CBS AP file photo

the league’s most dynamic backs.

EDGE CHIEFS

CHIEFS PASSING OFFENSE vs BEARS PASS DEFENSE

The Bengals’ defense hit Alex Smith 10 times and sacked him five times last Sunday. There is your Chiefs weakness – the offensive line. They lost Hudson in free agency and Eric Fisher has been a bust, among other issues. It’s also a concern considering that Andy Reid’s offenses are all about quick passes from the shotgun, letting the receivers do the rest in the open field.

Smith has two great weapons to utilize in Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce, who will be matchup issues for the middle of the Bears defense, especially one that likely will be missing starting safety Antrel Rolle.

Charles is also a threat as a pass catcher. Opposing quarterbacks have a 112.1 passer rating against the Bears, the second-highest in the league, and are completing 68.2 percent of their passes. Tracy Porter played very well last week, but can that continue? Who will cover Maclin when he lines up

in the slot, and how will McClellin handle Kelce up the seam? This is a Chiefs team that has speed and will test the Bears both East-West and North-South.

EDGE CHIEFS

SUNDAY’S OVERALL EDGE

Both teams are 1-3 in different ways. The Chiefs lost a heartbreaker to the Broncos and haven’t recovered, struggling mightily in the trenches. The Bears should have some confidence after their first win, but they also needed a game-winning field goal to beat the Raiders and did not look good in the second halves of their first three games. Arrowhead Stadium provides a strong home-field advantage and this is a desperate Chiefs team. Third down could be the key to this game, as the Chiefs have the worst third-down defense, but the fourth-best thirddown offense. Both teams have struggled to score touchdowns on offense and they’re both at the bottom of the league in points allowed on defense. In a shootout, the more veteran team with the home field has the advantage.

EDGE CHIEFS

On short week, Hasselbeck to Colts’ rescue again? Bill O’Brien’s Texans appear unsaveable.

BEARS @ CHIEFS Noon Sunday, FOX

Top players

OFFENSE /QB Alex Smith, RB Jamaal Charles, WR Jeremy Maclin, TE Travis Kelce, LG Ben Grubbs DEFENSE / DT Dontari Poe, ILB Derrick Johnson, OLB Justin Houston, CB Sean Smith, S Eric Berry

Schemes

OFFENSE / Smith has taken a ton of hits and uncharacteristically has failed to protect the football, compounding regular slow starts. Charles remains as dangerous as ever (5.2 YPC), though he’s getting less than 15 carries each week. Maclin and Kelce are mismatch pieces who’ve yet to be maximized due to poor protection and Smith’s hesitance to attack downfield.

DEFENSE / With Houston and Tamba Hali burning the edges, they get after opposing quarterbacks with the best of them. The Chiefs are tied with the Bears as the NFL’s worst scoring unit, but reinforcements have arrived in the secondary with Smith back from suspension. Poe has yet to regain his Pro Bowl form coming off offseason back surgery.

Weaknesses

Their 19 sacks surrendered lead the NFL by a wide margin, putting the NFL’s worst third-down offense routinely behind schedule. A sieve in the red zone, they’re yielding touchdowns more than 81 percent of the time.

Last time they met

12/4/2011: With Caleb Hanie starting at quarterback, the Bears could muster only a Robbie Gould FG and fell to the Chiefs, 10-3, at Soldier Field.

Chiefs ‘D’ hemorrhaging points during three-game slide; Bears notch first win but lose center in process.

SEAHAWKS @ BENGALS Noon Sunday, FOX NFC North, referees helped Seattle right ship; Dalton, Bengals haven’t needed help yet.

WASHINGTON @ FALCONS Noon Sunday, FOX

Who said RBs aren’t worth top-10 picks? Packers can win with defense, too.

BILLS @ TITANS Noon Sunday, CBS 17 penalties, poor tackling to blame – not Tyrod – for Bills loss; Mariota sensational but better ball protection is paramount.

CARDINALS @ LIONS 3:05 p.m. Sunday, FOX Arizona uncharacteristically inefficient in first loss; Lions no time to wallow following sham in Seattle.

PATRIOTS @ COWBOYS 3:25 p.m. Sunday, CBS

Big-boy drive by Cousins gets Washington on track; Freeman-led run game helping Falcons soar.

Early bye unlikely to slow Patriots’ roll; Greg Hardy’s debut comes as Dallas seemingly at rock bottom.

JAGUARS @ BUCCANEERS

BRONCOS @ RAIDERS

Noon Sunday, CBS

3:25 p.m. Sunday, CBS

If only the kickers were the only problems for these two hapless, stagnant Florida franchises.

DeMarcus Ware, Denver ‘D’ remain dominant; Oakland secondary could be remedy Peyton needs.

SAINTS @ EAGLES

49ers @ GIANTS

Noon Sunday, FOX

7:30 p.m. Sunday, NBC

Few TDs bigger for Brees’ Saints than game-winning No. 400; Few answers in sight for Chip Kelly’s Eagles.

Niners going nowhere fast with Kaepernick; Eli’s Giants alive and well in muddled NFC East.

BROWNS @ RAVENS

STEELERS @ CHARGERS

Noon Sunday, CBS

7:30 p.m. Monday, ESPN

The Justins – Forsett and Tucker – bail out Baltimore; the Browns still finding new ways to lose.

This game has to come down to last-second field goal attempt, right?

RAMS @ PACKERS

• Minnesota, Carolina, Miami and the N.Y. Jets are on bye weeks.

Noon Sunday, CBS

WEEK 5 BYES

CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | Thursday, October 8, 2015 • ChicagoFootball.com

Michael Vick

5

ChicagoFootball.com • Thursday, October 8, 2015

| CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY

6

BEARS

VS.

CHIEFS STAFF PREDICTIONS

Wednesday spread: Bears +9½

Hub

Kevin

Arthur

Nate

Bob

ChicagoFootball.com

ChicagoFootball.com

ChicagoFootball.com

ChicagoFootball.com

Daily Herald

Bears 20 Chiefs 30 At end of the day, Chiefs just a more talented team, and Arrowhead’s a miserable place to visit.

Bears 27 Chiefs 30

Bears 20 Chiefs 23 Chiefs aren’t great, but trying to block Hali, Houston with a makeshift line at Arrowhead is tough.

Bears 16 Chiefs 24

Bears showed a lot of positives last week ... against the Raiders.

Chiefs desperate for a win, and at home.

Bears 21 Chiefs 24 Bears match up well with reeling Chiefs but O-line in disarray; due for setback at rowdy Arrowhead.

Season Record: 2-2 Versus Spread: 2-2

Season Record: 3-1 Versus Spread: 2-2

Season Record: 2-2 Versus Spread: 2-1-1

Season Record: 3-1 Versus Spread: 3-1

Season Record: 4-0 Versus Spread: 4-0

Jon

Adam

Jay

Kyle

Wes

Northwest Herald

Chicago Sun-Times

Rockford Register-Star

Kankakee Daily Journal

Peoria Journal Star

Bears 24 Chiefs 28 Last week, we saw how big of a difference Jay Cutler can make.

Competitive with him, terrible without.

Bears 20 Chiefs 24 The Bears have a lot to feel good about, but Arrowhead Stadium is a tough environment.

Bears 27 Chiefs 20 With WR Alshon Jeffery and DT Jeremiah Ratliff returning, the Bears will be better on both sides of the ball.

Bears 21 Chiefs 27 Even with a 1-3 record, the Chiefs are a far more dangerous opponent than the Oakland Raiders.

Bears 17 Chiefs 24 Chicago’s offense looks much better with Jay Cutler in charge.

But not that much better.

Season Record: 3-1 Versus Spread: 2-2

Season Record: 2-2 Versus Spread: 1-2-1

Season Record: 4-0 Versus Spread: 3-1

Season Record: 3-1 Versus Spread: 2-2

Season Record: 3-1 Versus Spread: 3-1

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ChicagoFootball.com • Thursday, October 8, 2015

| CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY

8

By ADAM

JAHNS

ajahns@suntimes.com @adamjahns

It’s obvious that the Bears’ offense is better with Jay Cutler under center. But what can it be with Alshon Jeffery finally healthy outside at receiver?

One quote from Jeffery from last week stands out as the Bears’ No. 1 receiver works his way back to health from a strained hamstring with the Chiefs on tap Sunday.

“I feel like once we’re all together, [the offense is] going to be something scary,” Jeffery said.

We’ll see about that.

Coordinator Adam Gase’s game plans have been methodical and efficient, especially with Cutler involved. They’ve featured plenty

THE WAY WE HEAR IT

By Hub Arkush

Jeffery’s return could bring vertical threat Bears need

Who’s next?

of underneath routes and quick screens to receiver Eddie Royal and tight end Martellus Bennett. Cutler has played well minus his Cutler-esque interceptions. But he also has been missing his best receiver. Jeffery played in the opener against the Packers, but he had missed the whole preseason with a strained calf. He wasn’t himself.

The Bears and Jeffery sided with caution for the Raiders game.

The Bears knew they could hang with Oakland without him. But if Jeffery returns now, it will be a meaningful boost against two beatable teams, the 1-3 Chiefs and 0-4 Lions, before the bye week.

The Bears’ offense has featured new wrinkles every week. Gase is creative, and Jeffery’s return would only enhance that inventiveness. A dormant downfield attack could be awakened with Jeffery back and Marquess Wilson coming off a breakout game against the Raiders.

Two of Cutler’s longest comple-

According to our sources, the Cleveland’s Mike Pettine and Detroit’s Jim Caldwell have now ascended to the top of the NFL coaching bubble following Joe Philbin’s firing in Miami.

Changes this early in the season are rare in the NFL, but the massive expectations in Miami are what buried Philbin.

Caldwell has faced a brutal early schedule and clearly got robbed Monday night in Seattle, but the Lions have appeared lost on both sides of the ball this season, Matthew Stafford appears to be regressing, and Detroit is a playoff team that was supposed to contend again this year.

The problem in Cleveland is more the organization than the head coach, but the Browns are as dysfunctional as any team in the league. Pettine was a surprise choice in the first place, and there’s no predicting what will happen.

tions this season have been short passes turned into big gains by Wilson (a 50-yarder vs. the Packers) and running back Matt Forte (a 38-yarder vs. the Raiders). Cutler’s 48-yard touchdown pass to receiver Josh Bellamy against the Cardinals was aided by a blown coverage.

In his two full games this season, Cutler has averaged 6.3 and 6.5 yards per completion. Jeffery averages 14.8 yards a reception in his career.

“It’s a long season,” Jeffery said recently. “There’s a lot more games left.”

Bears offensive line coach Dave Magazu deserves special mention for his work this season and especially for the first win against the Raiders.

Kyle Long gets better at right tackle every week after minimal time spent at the position during training camp and the preseason.

After a rough preseason, Charles Leno Jr. didn’t look overmatched in his first start at left tackle and against Raiders pass rusher Aldon Smith.

Longtime guard Matt Slauson was able to handle the calls just fine at center after Will Montgomery broke his leg and against a formidable Raiders front.

Magazu has a lot to do with all that.

Trade Forte? Never say never.

But the veteran running back continues to be one of the most consistent performers in the league.

Forte is second in the league with 367 rushing yards, which have come on a league-high 84 carries, which are nine more than Vikings star and NFL leading rusher Adrian Peterson. Forte also has 133 receiving yards.

In other words, Forte is still really good.

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By Hub Arkush

Is Beckham a cheap shot artist?

Odell Beckham Jr. may be the toast of New York and he is clearly one of the best young receivers to come along in some Odell time, but Beckham Jr. members of the Buffalo defense came away unimpressed and angry.

Several Bills defenders told the Buffalo News that Beckham was throwing punches behind the officials’ backs and cornerback Stephon Gilmore said his teammate Sammy Watkins, who he practices against every day and was selected in front of Beckham in the first round last year, is the better player.

The scouting report is obviously biased, but if Beckham is taking cheap shots, that is sure to catch up with him.

Potential or production? Bears must choose At what point does a team with only unrealistic playoff hopes sacrifice the present for the future?

With a 1-3 record, Bears coach John Fox and his staff might already be asking themselves that question this week. And chances are it will be a recurring theme throughout what is a rebuilding season whether its acknowledged or not.

This week, Fox and Co. must decide what to do to replace 10-year veteran center Will Montgomery, who suffered a fractured fibula in the Bears’ 22-20 victory over the Raiders.

That morale-boosting win, Fox’s first as the Bears’ coach, has infused some enthusiasm after a slow start. And no one could blame the Bears for looking ahead at their next two games and envisioning a .500 record heading into their Week Seven bye.

The Bears have back-to-back road games, but their opponents are the 1-3 Chiefs and the shellshocked 0-4 Lions. Shell-shocked?

Did you see Jim Caldwell’s face after Calvin Johnson, inches shy of

OPINION

By BOB

LeGERE

rlegere@dailyherald.com @BobLeGere

the goal line, had the ball punched out of his hands and through the back of the end zone Monday night. It looked like he ate some bad clams.

But win or lose in Kansas City and Detroit, the Bears will have this bigger-picture issue to deal with all year: Do they play to win now or develop young talent for the future?

This week, the position in question is center, but there will be others in the weeks to come. Veteran left guard Matt Slauson stepped in after Montgomery was injured on the third play from scrimmage in Week Four, and he did a more-than-admirable job. There was a botched exchange between Slauson and Jay Cutler, which was recovered by the Raiders, but Slauson’s play was, in Fox’s opinion, “tremendous.”

But what happens now? Slauson is the best option at center right now, certainly from a physical standpoint, where his size and strength are far superior to rookie Hroniss Grasu. But Grasu was drafted in the third round (71st overall) to be the center of the future. So, is the future now, even though Grasu isn’t a better center right now than Slauson?

Choosing potential over production is a dangerous path for a coach to navigate.

In one breath he asks his veteran players to ball out every week.

In the next breath, he doesn’t put his best lineup on the field be-

cause he’s getting experience for younger and less effective players and building for the future.

Not the best way to win over a locker room.

On the other hand, if Grasu is adequate, it would allow Slauson to remain at left guard, where he is the second-best member of the offensive line behind right tackle Kyle Long.

If Slauson remains at center and struggles, and if Pat Omameh isn’t the answer as the fill-in for Slauson at left guard, it makes the Bears weaker at two O-line positions rather than one.

Grasu was a four-year starter at Oregon and an exceptional college player. But he lacks size and strength as an NFL starter. Maybe he can make up for it with technique and coaching. Maybe not.

It’s worth noting that Olin Kreutz, who also was a third-round draft pick, went to six straight Pro Bowls with the Bears and started 187 games at center.

But he didn’t start his first game until Week 17 of his rookie season.

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9 CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | Thursday, October 8, 2015 • ChicagoFootball.com

THE WAY WE HEAR IT

ChicagoFootball.com • Thursday, October 8, 2015

Photo provided by Chicago Sun-Times

| CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY

10

TBT:

THE SUDDEN STEPS OF

Sweetness

A LOOK BACK AT WALTER PAYTON’S SIX BROKEN TACKLES ON ONE RUN AGAINST THE CHIEFS NATE ATKINS

ever. … I don’t even know what No. 2 would be,” said retired ABC7 anchor Brad Palmer, who did colSome pull up the play to re- or commentary for the game on member. Some never had to forget. WBBM Radio. “… You talk about What they see is from 38 years making something out of nothing. ago on a nondescript Sunday at That epitomized Walter Payton.”

Soldier Field. It’s when Walter When people pull up the play Payton reeled off perhaps the now, they see it in the context of greatest run of his career. a Hall-of-Fame career, knowing It came against the Chiefs, the outcome and how it saved the whom the Bears will play this season. But maybe to best appreciSunday at Arrowhead Stadium. ate the spontaneity of such a play, Today’s Bears sit at 1-3, desperate you have to go back to the moment like that ’77 team, which was 3-5 on Nov. 13, 1977, or at least the and down 17-0 in the third quarter next-closest thing. when Sweetness decided to create So start with the radio call: It’s magic.

by Joe McConnell, Palmer’s partActually, there was little deci- ner at WBBM. sion to it. Nothing could script a “They give the ball to Payton run like this, which started in the on a sweep to the right side…” center and bounced to the right The phrase could be seared hash, then back inside, then up the onto archived Bears playbooks middle, through six would-be tack- from 1975 to 1987. In a run-first lers on the way to an 18-yard gain. era, the always-churning Payton “That was his greatest run became the Bears offense on the By

natkins@chicagofootball.com

way to nine Pro Bowls, the Hall of Fame and top-five all-time finishes in carries, rushing yards, all-purpose yards and rushing touchdowns.

But this was before anyone knew about any of that. Payton was just in his third season and second as a feature back. After he broke out with 1,390 yards and 13 scores the year before, the Bears understood Payton enough to know that giving him the ball was a good idea.

They had no idea he’d do this.

“… He gets a block from Revie Sorie, spins back inside…”

This is the part where everything veers off-script. The play as it was designed was over, at least in Payton’s mind. He spotted defenders crashing down from the outside and turned back inward, where he’d face even more tacklers as well as the space to run through them.

Photo provided by Daily Herald

Bears Hall-of-Fame running back Walter Payton runs vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1985 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

This was Payton understanding himself. He never saw himself as a breakaway back, but he’d later forge an icon as a tackle-breaking, churning, fighting-for-every-inch

rugger suited for a cold Midwestern city like Chicago.

Payton always weighed in at 207 or 208, said Clyde Emrich, who has coached strength and

conditioning with the Bears since the ’50s.

But he was fierce, dating back to his days at Jackson State, when he’d wrap his forearms in cardboard for practice so he could smack defenders in their facemasks whenever they got near. Payton’s favorite phrase was “Never die easy.” He was a chiseled rock, and while he couldn’t have known if his 207-pound frame could power through linemen and ’backers, he knew he had to try.

11

It wasn’t just any man. This was Emmitt Thomas, a defensive back who now joins Payton in the Hall of Fame. The Chiefs also had Hall-of-Fame linebacker Willie Lanier, as well as a three-time Pro Bowl tackling machine at safety in Gary Barbaro.

Payton ran through them all.

“I didn’t give up because it was well known that you couldn’t get him down with ease, and he was an escape artist,” Chiefs defensive tackle John Lohmeyer said in the 2011 book, “Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton.”

“I tried tackling him,” Lohmeyer said.

“We all did.”

“… still on his feet…”

Payton lived on the balls of his feet, making him difficult to bring down. That balance drew from his strength, which he harbored away from the team facility.

As a Bear, Payton worked out at a nearby health club. Emrich never saw what he did there, but he OK’d the alternative when he saw the results. At 207 pounds, Payton could deadlift around 600 and bench press close to 400, Emrich recalled.

A former Olympic weight lifter, Emrich has built a career on the idea that power is strength in motion. The ability to break tackles relies more on strength than some vague ideal of inner will.

Payton’s best strength lied in his legs. He built it on uphill runs, pounding and pounding on those limbs so they could drive defenders when he moved them.

Emrich got to see that strength pour out on the hill and later in runs on a football field each week. He always looked on from the sidelines.

“I was there watching,” Emrich said, “because I knew Walter would do something.”

“… struggles away at the 20, still battling…”

The entire play was a battle, and so was the game.

A couple plays after Sweetness happened, the 3-5 Bears were down 10, and then they were down three after another Payton run, and then they were trading scores, and suddenly Bob Avellini was hitting Greg Latta down the seam for a 37-yard scoring strike with three seconds remaining to win 28-27.

The Bears wouldn’t lose again in the regular season on their way to a 9-5 record and the first playoff appearance of Payton’s career. They could thank the NFL MVP, who finished the year with career bests of 1,852 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns and 5.5 yards per carry.

“Let’s combine everything here: No quarterback, no wide receivers, average of-

Chicago Bears rookie running back Walter Payton during a scrimmage in 1975 in Lake Forest.

H. Rick Bamman

Watch the sensational run To view the play, visit http://shawurl.com/ payton

fensive line, three great defensive players,” Jeff Pearlman, the author of the biography, “Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton,” told Chicago Football.

“Take all this into account, the score of the game, the situation ... I don’t know what more you could ask for.”

And maybe only Payton himself would disagree.

“… breaks away at the 15, the 10, the 5 and down at the 4-yard line…”

This is the stage that’s easy for the outsider to overlook – the one tackle he didn’t break – but Payton never did.

Decades after the play, after Payton fathered a son named Jarrett and a daughter named Brittney, he collected VHS tapes of his games that Jarrett would watch in a loft upstairs. When Jarrett would put this run on, Payton would stare in silence, his face cringing with the guilt he’d confided in Jarrett plenty of times: He thought he should have scored.

What if he’d picked up his feet with that pony step he made so famous? What if he’d just kept moving with that Chiefs linebacker around his waste, the way he did on that 1980 run with the poor Lions defender riding for five yards on his back?

How memorable would this run be then?

“He always expected more,” Jarrett Payton said. “He was always expecting greatness in everything he did.”

The play was greatness, though. Last year, ESPN.com readers voted it the best

Bears play in history, beating out two other finalists – Devin Hester’s 92-yard kickoff return and William “The Fridge” Perry’s touchdown rumble – both of which came in Super Bowls.

Jim Brown has called it Payton’s best run. Emrich, Pearlman and Palmer all said the same. Jarrett Payton seems to be one of the few who is torn, influenced by years of watching his dad cringe at the replay.

After 38 years, the play lives on in memories and videos and radio calls for people living different agendas – the strength coach in his ‘80s who continues to work for the Bears, the retired color commentator who chronicles the plays on a YouTube account, the son who collects the faded photos as a way to remember his lost dad.

They all seem to conclude like the radio call did.

“… A sensational run by Walter Payton.”

CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | Thursday, October 8, 2015 • ChicagoFootball.com

“… rips by one man…”

ChicagoFootball.com • Thursday, October 8, 2015

| CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY

12

NFC NORTH REPORT By

ARTHUR ARKUSH

aarkush@chicagofootball.com @ArthurArkush

CARDINALS @ LIONS

Overview

The infamous missed batting call in Seattle makes the pass interference no-call in Dallas last postseason look like a small whiff. Calvin Johnson’s fumble out of the back end of the end zone and LB K.J. Wright’s subsequent illegal bat that was overlooked left the Lions, following a 13-10 loss to the Seahawks, as the NFL’s only winless club, on short rest and facing a Cardinals team licking its self-inflicted wounds following their first loss, 24-22 to the St. Louis Rams. Worse, the injuries keep mounting for Detroit, which lost DT Tyrunn Walker to a season-ending broken ankle and TE Eric Ebron to a knee ailment, leaving the Lions woefully thin at tackle and tight end.

Though the offense in Seattle remained in-

effective until an impressive last-gasp drive that concluded catastrophically, the defense flashed its menacing 2014 ways with six sacks and three fumble recoveries. However, it appears to be too little too late for Jim Caldwell’s club, which now needs a miracle to become just the second team ever to reach the postseason after an 0-4 start.

Matchup to watch

Larry Fitzgerald, not Calvin Johnson, will be the best receiver on the field Sunday, and Lions CBs Darius Slay, Rashean Mathis and slot Josh Wilson will all have their hands full slowing the future Hall of Famer who is averaging 108 receiving yards and a touchdown per game. Fitz’s 14.4 yards per reception is his highest since 2011, a bad sign for a Detroit secondary surrendering 8.55, 30th in the NFL. Detroit needs DE Ezekiel Ansah to continue his rushing terror against LT Jared Veldheer to help prevent QB Carson Palmer from dialing up Fitzgerald deep.

By the numbers

Talk about bittersweet: Johnson’s fum-

ble, his first-ever in the red zone, came on his 630th career catch – which tied Herman Moore for the most in franchise history.

Calvin Johnson

RAMS @ PACKERS

Overview

What’s wrong with Aaron Rodgers? He threw only one touchdown and posted just a 99.0 passer rating in the Packers’ 17-3 road triumph against the Niners. It’s OK – Dom Capers’ ‘D’ could afford a rare modest outing from their quarterback in what was easily their best performance to date. With six more sacks, the Packers have 13 over the past two weeks. The run defense has improved steadily as reinforcements have arrived. CB Sam Shields has been lights out since his rocky start at Soldier Field.

And after being held below 20 points for just the third time in the past two seasons, the offense is getting healthier with RT Bryan Bulaga ahead of schedule just three weeks removed from arthroscopic knee surgery and Davante Adams bent on returning soon from a high ankle sprain. The Rams, buoyed by their chippy, opportunistic ‘D,’ a tidy Nick Foles and a scintillating breakout from first-round RB Todd Gurley, pulled off a shocker in the desert.

Matchup to watch

Aaron Donald, the NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year, meet Aaron Rodg-

AP photo

ers, reigning NFL MVP. At the quarter-pole, Donald has been one of the NFL’s more singular destructive forces, and he’ll give Packers OGs Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang all they can handle with his outstanding power, quickness and leverage. Of course, no one in football is more creative navigating the pocket than Rodgers, though he’s more accustomed to facing pressure outside than in his face. Rodgers was sacked three times last week, all coming off the right edge.

By the numbers

Packers OLB Julius Peppers’ sack Sunday gives him 3.5 this season (second in the NFC) and 129 for his career, which moved him ahead of Saints great Rickey Jackson for 14th in NFL history and fourth among active players.

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FOOTBALL Solid plays from unlikely sources in Week 5 By

J.C. TALON

ChicagoFootball.com fantasy writer

We are only four weeks into the regular season and one NFL head coach (Joe Philbin, Miami) has already been shown the door.

His ouster is no mystery to owners of Ryan Tannehill and Lamar Miller.

Although fantasy owners generally have job security, no one wants to see their season slip away this early. If you are 1-3, or even 0-4, don’t lose faith.

Injuries happen, players emerge and things can change quickly.

Here’s our advice for those in need of a “W” in Week Five:

MATCHUPS TO EXPLOIT RAVENS (vs. BROWNS) Noon Sunday Cleveland has been competitive thus far this season, but that’s despite a league-worst defense that is giving up 406 yards per game.

Because the Ravens are decimated at receiver, this matchup is perhaps not the cakewalk it appears to be. Steve Smith will miss this game, which makes Kamar Aiken an intriguing pickup.

Solid play: Justin Forsett, Justin Tucker Worth a look: Joe Flacco, Aiken, Ravens D/ST Last resort: Buck Allen, Marlon Brown, Maxx Williams

EAGLES (vs. SAINTS) Noon Sunday Regular readers of this column might be surprised to see the Eagles as a recommended play. We’re not big fans of the inconsistent Philly offense. Last week, Sam Bradford threw for 270 yards and three TDs, but no receiver threatened the 100-yard mark and no rusher reached even 40 yards. But if you did invest in the Eagles, this would be

a week to roll the dice. The Saints come to town with the NFL’s 24thranked defense. They rank 20th against the pass and 27th against the run.

Solid play: Bradford Worth a look: DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Jordan Matthews, Caleb Sturgis, Eagles D/ ST Last resort: Nelson Agholor, Zach Ertz Stay away: Riley Cooper, Miles Austin

The Broncos’ backfield is a tough call for fantasy owners.

C.J. Anderson has four more carries than Ronnie Hillman, but Hillman averages 4.9 yards per carry while Anderson is at 2.9.

Last week, both backs carried the ball 11 times. Hillman reeled off a 72-yard TD, but averaged 3.1 yards on his other 10 carries. Anderson averaged 3.9 yards. Both backs are probably OK plays in larger leagues, but neither is a must start, at least until one emerges.

Must start: DeMaryius ThomBUCCANEERS (vs.JAGUARS) as Noon Sunday Solid play: Manning, EmmanThis might be the week that the Bucs and their No. 23 offense uel Sanders, Brandon McManus, get things rolling, at least to Broncos D/ST Worth a look: C.J. Anderson, some extent. They have decent talent on offense, especially at re- Ronnie Hillman, Owen Daniels ceiver. Jacksonville’s defense is ranked 18th in total yards allowed PATRIOTS (@ COWBOYS) and is 27th against the pass. Tam- 3:25 p.m. Sunday The Dallas defense is curpa waived kicker Kyle Brindza.

Solid play: Doug Martin, Vin- rently ranked in the middle of the pack (No. 14 overall, No. 19 cent Jackson, Mike Evans Worth a look: Jameis Winston versus the pass). They should Last resort: Charles Sims, be just good enough to bring out the best in a Patriots offense that Brandon Myers has been on fire through the first Stay away: Connor Barth three weeks of the season. The over/under in this game is hovBRONCOS (@ RAIDERS) ering around 49, near the top in 3:25 p.m. Sunday There has been much debate Week Five.

Must start: Tom Brady, Rob about Peyton Manning’s arm strength. The debate should end Gronkowski, Stephen Gostkow– he has no arm strength. If he ski Solid play: Julian Edelman were a pitcher, he’d be considWorth a look: Dion Lewis, Leered a rag-arm junk thrower.

Garrette Blount That said, he is still one of the Last resort: Danny Amendola, gutsiest, and perhaps the smartest, QBs to ever play the game. Patriots D/ST Stay away: Aaron Dobson He’ll get you some points each week, just not a ton of them.

He likely will not finish as a top-10 fantasy QB in 2015, and it’s possible he’ll slip to around No. 15 … which means you might need to consider other options.

But the Broncos should roll in this game, and Manning has a chance to put up reasonable numbers against the NFL’s second-worst defense.

ALSO CONSIDER CHIEFS (vs. BEARS) Noon Sunday The Bears’ defense looked pretty good against Oakland, but expect to see a desperate and fired up KC team, playing at home for the first time since Sept. 17.

AP photo

STEELERS (@ CHARGERS) 7:30 p.m. Monday Michael Vick had – at best – a mediocre debut for the Steelers.

He’s still not a great play, but Pittsburgh should score in the high 20s or low 30s.

Last resort: Nick Foles, Greg

Zuerlein

Stay away: Rams D/ST RAIDERS (vs. BRONCOS)

3:25 p.m. Sunday The Denver defense is No. 1 overall and against the pass. This game might be fairly close on the scoreboard, but don’t expect big CHARGERS (vs. STEELERS) numbers from Oakland’s offense.

7:30 p.m. Monday Solid play: Latavius Murray, The Chargers are averaging 309 yards passing. They should Amari Cooper Worth a look: Michael Crabkeep things rolling in a high-scortree, Sebastian Janikowski ing affair on Monday night.

Last resort: Derek Carr Stay away: Roy Helu, Raiders MATCHUPS TO AVOID D/ST

SEAHAWKS (@ BENGALS) Noon Sunday Playing on a short week and traveling across three time zones, the Hawks will have their hands full against a Bengal defense that gives up just 19.2 points per game.

Solid play: Marshawn Lynch*, Seahawks D/ST Worth a look: Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham, Steven Hauschka Last resort: Thomas Rawls (if no Lynch), Doug Baldwin Stay away: Tyler Lockett, Jermaine Kearse

RAMS (@ PACKERS) Noon Sunday Only the Jets and Broncos are surrendering fewer points per game than the Packers. Todd Gurley shredded the Cardinals for 146 yards on 19 carries. Don’t hesitate to play the talented rookie; Green Bay is better against the pass than the run. After Gurley, the Rams don’t offer much fantasy-wise.

Solid play: Gurley Worth a look: Tavon Austin

ALSO BEWARE BEARS (vs. CHIEFS) Noon Sunday Kansas City is 1-3 and has the NFL’s 29th-ranked defense. They have played a brutal schedule, however. The Chiefs do not have an elite defense, but they should finish the season in the top 15, at least. The Bears are taking a very conservative approach on offense. Beyond Matt Forte – and maybe Martellus Bennett – the Bears won’t offer fantasy owners much this week.

49ERS (@ GIANTS) 7:30 p.m. Sunday Back in the summer, NBC probably thought they had a pretty good matchup scheduled for Week Five. Unfortunately, the 49ers are absolutely awful on offense. They are averaging 12 points per game and have scored a combined 10 points in their last two contests. You have to imagine that Joe Philbin is saving the bar stool next to him for SF coach Jim Tomsula. *Check injury status

13 CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | Thursday, October 8, 2015 • ChicagoFootball.com

FANTASY

Sam Bradford

ChicagoFootball.com • Thursday, October 8, 2015

| CHICAGO FOOTBALL WEEKLY

14

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Alshon Jeffery injury hurting Bears, Jeffery In this week’s edition of ‘Take Two,’ Patrick Finley and Kevin Fishbain discuss Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, and what his injuries mean for this season and his future in Chicago.

FISHBAIN: Patrick, we usually leave the negative talk for some of the, er, more veteran members of our staff. But here we are, after the first win of the Bears’ season, discussing Alshon Jeffery, who has now missed three games with a hamstring injury. Lest we forget, he missed the entire preseason with a calf injury. Didn’t coach John Fox allude to these soft-tissue injuries back in March as a concern? Did he jinx something?

Is Jeffery just going to be “limited” and “questionable” all year? As good as Marquess Wilson looked on Sunday, the Bears’ offense needs Jeffery.

FINLEY: You bet the Bears need him.

With Jeffery healthy, Eddie Royal can roam the slot and Marquess Wilson can try to win matchups against lesser corners. Martellus Bennett will be open more. Fact is, it’s been hard to nail down anything definitive about Jeffery’s injury. During that time, he was as visible – at least when the media was around – as Sasquatch. The last two weeks, though, he’s practiced and been around the locker room. That’s a good sign. My question for you, Kevin – the Bears need Jeffery to return, but doesn’t Jeffery need Jeffery to return more? There’s a lot of money in it for him.

FISHBAIN: You’re not going to make money as a player standing on the sideline ... unless you have a separate sponsorship deal with those Microsoft Surface tablets. Jeffery’s chances at a big contract

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threat back. Know any good hamstring remedies?

FINLEY: A lot of couch-sitting seems to prevent it on my end. Fact is, Kevin, that John Fox has seen Alshon Jeffery play in person for four whole quarters, ever.

They’ll need more than that for the new staff and front office to evaluate him. The guess here is it starts Sunday, when the Bears might finally unveil their passing attack at (relatively) full health.

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TAKE TWO

in the offseason – either with the Bears or another team – go down every game he misses. We really haven’t seen Jeffery’s full potential as a No. 1 receiver in this offense yet. For a team that is rebuilding, I assume the Bears would prefer Jeffery play at a high level and that’d allow them to either franchise him or sign him to a long-term deal. But how could the front office have the confidence to throw a lot of dollars his way?

FINLEY: Staying healthy is a skill. Cutler has a knack for healing quickly. Jon Bostic, for example, doesn’t. Still, Kevin, you don’t need one of those fancy tablets to calculate that players like Jeffery don’t grow on trees. The biggest problem that GM Ryan Pace faces in his rebuild is that, quite simply, the Bears have a talent deficit. What good does it do to let one of the league’s most skilled – and, yes, most banged up – wide receivers walk for nothing? Or might they consider a trade, if he can string together a few healthy games before the trade deadline?

FISHBAIN: Well, if you read the Twittersphere as much as I do, Pat, everything at Halas is up for sale. They may even trade our cubicles for a sixth-round pick. The Bears should have an idea of how dynamic the offense could be with Jeffery and Kevin White next year, plus Eddie Royal and Martellus Bennett. Right now, if Cutler stays healthy, they could (gasp) rack up some wins if they get that downfield

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