Backup quarterback Peter Tom Willis became dizzy and ill during the Bears` team meeting Friday night and sat out Saturday night`s game.
Willis, who will be examined, sat in the press box and communicated with offensive coordinator Greg Landry, who was along the sideline.
Defensive lineman Trace Armstrong also did not dress Saturday because of a hyperextended elbow suffered late last week.
– Former Bears punt returner Johnny Bailey says he has found new life with the Cardinals, who signed him as a Plan B free agent last March. Although he returned a punt a club-record 95 yards for a touchdown against Kansas City, Bailey`s two-year career with the Bears was marked by bobbled balls and inconsistency.
”It happened; I want to let that go and I want everyone else to let that go,” said Bailey, who scored a touchdown Saturday night. ”That`s the past. No one`s perfect. Everyone drops one here and there. I`ve got to go on with my career. I can`t worry about what I did last year.”
Cardinals coach Joe Bugel would rather accentuate Bailey`s positives. He feels Bailey could challenge running backs John Jackson and Anthony Thompson as a backup to unsigned starter Johnny Johnson.
”What separates Johnny Bailey is he`s a home run hitter,” Bugel said.
”John Jackson and Anthony can hit the doubles, maybe go for a triple. The other guy (Bailey) can hit it over the fence.”
– Mike Ditka is trying to be patient with his young tackles-Troy Auzenne and Stan Thomas.
”It`s not going to be perfection,” said Ditka. ”We don`t have (Jim)
Covert or (Anthony) Munoz or (Art) Shell or somebody like that. We just have some guys who are trying to become good tackles.”
– Former Bears safety Dave Duerson, now with the Cardinals, told the Arizona Republic that Ditka once ordered him to ”take out” former Detroit Lions kicker Eddie Murray after Murray had taunted the Bears along the sideline following a fake field goal.
”So on the kickoff, I dislocated (Murray`s) shoulder and everybody in a Lions uniform wanted to get a piece of Dave Duerson,” said Duerson.
”The game ended and we go out the tunnel into the locker room, and I`m getting attacked by all these Lions. Then I notice someone has their arm around me. I look to my left and it`s Ditka. He`s taking on all comers. I`ve got a lot of respect for him.”
Asked if he felt Ditka has mellowed over the years, Duerson said: ”Oh, he has mellowed quite a bit from what I`ve seen. I`d say he`s trying to get to heaven.”
– Former Bears defensive back Lorenzo Lynch, recuperating from an injury, is being challenged for his starting cornerback job by the Cardinals` Robert Massey.
– Phoenix linebacker Eric Hill, who entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor assault charge Thursday, was excused from Friday`s practice but played Saturday night.
Hill paid $3,500 in fines and court fees and was given one year of unsupervised probation.
He was arrested Aug. 2 and jailed on suspicion of three counts of felony sexual abuse and two counts of misdemeanor public sexual indecency in Flagstaff, Ariz.
– The 110-degree heat did not deter Chicago`s true golf lovers in Phoenix. Mike Ditka shot a 76, media relations director Bryan Harlan checked in with a 77 and former Bear safety Gary Fencik, now with WGN radio, shot a 79.
