Being hefty generally matters more than being heady to an NFL defensive lineman like Bryan Robinson. But to hear Robinson tell it, if the Bears ever want to stop the run between the tackles, they have some work to do between the ears.
“I won’t take anything away from the Vikings’ offensive line, but a lot of that was us,” the defensive tackle said after Minnesota manhandled the Bears for 202 rushing yards in Sunday night’s 24-13 loss.
For the second straight game, the defensive line’s new upfield philosophy might be more aptly described as uphill.
“Our defense in general has yet to play smart football,” Robinson said. “That’s the difference, why we’re not where we need to be.”
The Bears not being where they needed to be contributed, but so did their being where defensive coordinator Greg Blache put them.
Intent not to let wide receiver Randy Moss beat anybody deep, Blache devised a scheme that dared the Vikings to run the ball by staying away from eight-man fronts and staying in low-risk zone pass coverage. At times, safeties Mike Brown and Mike Green were 20 yards deep.
Moss caught only four passes for 27 yards, but overall it was the Bears’ game plan that didn’t turn out to be worth much, unless Minnesota running back Moe Williams signed it afterward and auctioned it off.
“We wanted to make sure that we made them bleed, to take the long road if they were going to score,” coach Dick Jauron said.
But Williams posted only his third 100-yard rushing effort in 106 NFL games with 108 yards on 21 carries. As a team, the Vikings averaged 5.2 yards a carry.
“We’re not a very detailed team, and that’s coaching,” Blache said. “The blame’s right on my shoulders and we will address that.”
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Edited by the Sports staff of RedEye
