When former Cowboys linebacker Vinson Smith faces his old teammates for the first time Friday night, he won’t have to worry about tackling two-time defending NFL rushing champion Emmitt Smith, who remains unsigned.
“I always wanted to play against Emmitt,” Vinson Smith said. “Emmitt is a great back, and anytime you can play well against a great back, you get the credit you deserve. If you can stop Emmitt, you can stop anybody.”
Defense has been the most impressive aspect of the Bears’ 0-3 preseason.
“Playing against my friends is a big challenge,” said Smith. “I know they are going to play hard because they are getting ready for the Redskins (in the opener).”
Definitely out: While a few previous casualties such as Tom Waddle are expected back Friday night, coach Dave Wannstedt said Curtis Conway (ankle) and Neal Anderson (hamstring) won’t play and that he’ll probably hold out John Mangum (hamstring) and John Wojciechowski (ankle).
“But these guys practiced this week,” he said. “If this were a regular-season game, we might be looking look at this differently.”
The big hurt: Anderson’s injury is not a mystery, said Wannstedt. “Neal and I talked the last two days, and he is doing everything possible to get healthy. There is nothing I can do except get Darren Lewis ready to play, and whoever else is healthy.”
Anderson’s injury first was believed to be only slightly tender hamstring. Then it was revealed through a magnetic resonance imaging test to be a small tear.
“It was bleeding and swelling,” said Wannstedt. “We were both optimistic when he came back to camp the first time. Then the relapse slowed things up.”
Asked if Anderson might play in the opener against the Giants, Wannstedt said, “I hope so.”
Seeing Green: Mark Green or even fullback Bob Christian could play tailback in addition to Lewis. “Mark will be the second tailback in the game, and it’s important he plays well,” said Wannstedt.
For starters: With the cutdown to 47 on Monday, several roster spots and starting jobs remain up for grabs, with the coaches still assessing the offensive and defensive lines, said Wannstedt.
Deja vu: Offensive coordinator Ron Turner is not surprised at the excellent preseason showing of wide receiver Terry Obee, who had previous NFL trials.
“I remember Terry from Kennedy High School in Richmond, Calif., and I saw him when I was in college (coaching at Stanford),” said Turner. “I followed him in his college career (at Oregon). When I saw his name on the wires, I said, `I remember this guy. He is a return guy with some speed. He is a very good athlete and worth looking into.’ “
