Todd Sauerbrun knows he still has to make Bears fans forget his dismal rookie year. He needs more days like Sunday to do that.
“I owed this one to the Bears,” said Sauerbrun, who averaged only 37.8 yards per punt a year ago. “I owe them a lot more. Last year I didn’t contribute anything.”
Sauerbrun was one of the Bears who stood out in a positive manner in Sunday’s 10-3 loss.
“It doesn’t matter,” Sauerbrun said. “We lost. I sincerely feel I can play a big role to help us win games. It didn’t happen today.”
Sauerbrun punted seven times, averaged 47.4 yards per kick and boomed one from the Bears’ 1-yard line 72 yards to the Redskins’ 27. He’s averaging 49.2 for the season.
But more importantly, Sauerbrun’s high, booming punts shut out Washington’s Pro Bowl return man, Brian Mitchell.
Mitchell didn’t get to return a single punt. His lone kickoff return was for 29 yards, eight below his NFL-leading average.
To top things off, Sauerbrun engaged in a brief exchange of words with Mitchell.
“I don’t back down to anybody,” Sauerbrun said. “I think he was just frustrated because he was being shut out.”
Did Sauerbrun ever dream he would blank Mitchell on seven kick returns?
“Yeah,” he said. “You always have that goal. I hit the ball well, and our guys covered kicks like you wouldn’t believe.”
Mitchell said: “I told Sauerbrun, `Kick me the ball.’ Sometimes it works.”
Sauerbrun’s biggest kick of the day came after Washington had taken a 10-3 lead and backed the Bears to a fourth-and-20 situation from their own 1-yard line. A short kick or one that produced a long return by Mitchell could have broken the game open.
“That one was tough,” Sauerbrun said. “But a lot of kickers don’t have the leg to kick 60 or 70 yards. I really caught that one.”
The kick, lower than previous ones, sailed and bounded past Mitchell and rolled to a stop on the Washington 27.
“I’m back,” Sauerbrun said. “I’m going to help us win games.”
