Getting the running game going remains one of the Bears’ biggest August projects. And there were some signs of life in Friday night’s game against Arizona.
Anthony Thomas looked better than his stats–12 yards on three carries–indicated.
While the offense struggled early, Thomas ran with some of the elusiveness the Bears had hoped to see. On a first-and-10 from the Bears’ 28, Thomas took a pitchout and went for 9 yards.
On the next play, he ran for 9 again, although a holding penalty wiped out the gain.
Thomas, slowed by back spasms early in training camp, had 15 yards on six carries in his exhibition debut last week against Denver.
Best run by future Hall of Famer: Emmitt Smith bounced off a couple of tacklers for a nifty 4-yard run off right tackle for the game’s first touchdown.
Least timely drop: David Terrell, trying to take a starting job from Dez White, didn’t help himself early Friday night, dropping a pass on the first series.
Happy returns: Ahmad Merritt appears to have the No. 4 receiver job nailed down, and he only helped himself Friday night. His 39-yard kickoff return gave the Bears the field position they needed for their first score, Paul Edinger’s 51-yard field goal, which cut Arizona’s lead to 7-3.
Happy homecoming: Bears rookie Bobby Wade, a native of the Phoenix area who played at the University of Arizona, got to show off for the hometown fans. Wade saw some duty as a punt returner, a skill that probably will help him land a roster spot.
Best game for surprise pick: The Cardinals were criticized by some for taking Wake Forest defensive end Calvin Pace in the first round. But against the Bears, he certainly looked like a first-round pick.
He sacked Kordell Stewart for a 7-yard loss and forced an Adrian Peterson fumble at the Bears’ 12. It set up Jeff Blake’s touchdown pass, which gave the Cardinals a 17-3 lead.
About those uniforms: As if playing in 101-degree temperature wasn’t enough, the Bears had to wear their navy blue and orange home uniforms Friday night. By NFL rule, the home team gets to pick which uniform it wears, and the Cardinals almost always choose white.
Remember him? The question on the floor is this: Was Russell Davis a wasted draft choice for the Bears or wasn’t he?
The defensive tackle was the Bears’ second-round pick in 1999, the year they chose Cade McNown No. 1. Davis started right away, then faded. The Bears cut him in his second training camp, which is quick, considering how high he was drafted.
Now Davis is ensconced with Arizona. He has started every game the last two seasons.
