Rhythm, pace, purpose.
That’s the Erik Kramer influence on the Bears’ offense.
“I just wanted to come out and have a good start. I didn’t want to have a bad start right out of the chute,” said Kramer, who completed 11 of 18 first-half passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 24-21 preseason victory over the Miami Dolphins.
His 83-yarder to Curtis Conway gave the Bears a 12-0 lead.
“It was a long run down the field to go congratulate him, I’ll tell you that,” Kramer said. “I’m a little out of shape.”
The Bears’ offense looked sluggish in a preseason loss at Carolina as veteran backup Dave Krieg struggled.
“We’re not ones for making any types of excuses, but when we have Erik Kramer out there, it just makes everything flow so much smoother,” said running back Raymont Harris. “E.K. is the man. He has that type of appeal.”
Catching up: Kramer, Steve Stenstrom and Krieg completed 31 of 46 passes for 318 yards. Tony Carter (eight receptions), Harris (three), Robert Green (three) and Rashaan Salaam (one) caught nearly half of the passes.
“Catching passes is almost like my forte,” said Harris, who dislocated a finger on his right hand. “We are utilizing our backs a lot more coming out of the backfield. There are a number of formations where they will have me and Robert Green split out.”
Conway’s only reception was the 83-yarder.
“The backs are getting more passes than us (wideouts),” Conway said. “I’m getting kind of upset about that–naw, I’m just kidding. We have a lot of weapons coming out of the backfield, so the defense can’t just worry about stopping certain guys.”
Hustling mistakes: Offensive lineman Marcus Spears was whistled for four penalties, including one for hitting Miami defensive back Terrell Buckley out of bounds after an interception.
“I didn’t see the out-of-bounds line,” Spears said. “And if I had let him run for a touchdown, I would have been a jackass. You can’t say I’m wrong for trying to hustle.”
Mental toughness: Cornerback Donnell Woolford, who recently received a letter from the league informing him of a heavy fine for his DUI conviction, is becoming accustomed to playing preseason games under stress.
Last August, Woolford played a game against Carolina the day after his niece, Denise Holden, was killed in an auto accident.
“She was responding to a police call from a fellow officer and she turned the car over,” said Woolford.
“It’s tough, but you have to put things behind you. You know things are in the back of your mind, but you have to let them go sometimes. With all of this stuff going on right now, I have to do the same thing with that. I don’t want to let it affect my performance.”
Extra points: There were 16,183 no-shows Sunday. . . . Olympic softball gold medalist Dani Tyler of River Forest will appear at Aurelio’s Pizza in Homewood on Aug. 23. . . . Olympic tennis gold medalist Lindsay Davenport will enter the Ameritech Cup at the Illinois-Chicago Pavilion from Oct. 28-Nov. 3. . . . Mayor Daley and Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan are supporting a team of youth boxers from disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland who will fight Chicago area boxers Tuesday at the Irish Heritage Center (4622 N. Knox). The $10 admission benefits Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern Ireland.
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Send e-mail to Fred Mitchell at Kick3485@aol.com
