No position group has played better in the last month than the Bears’ starting cornerbacks. Jerry Azumah and rookie Charles Tillman have challenged receivers with confidence that has grown each week since Azumah replaced R.W. McQuarters in the lineup Oct. 26. Azumah has 57 tackles, eight pass breakups, two interceptions and a sack, while Tillman has 55 tackles, 10 pass breakups, three interceptions and a sack. It’s a long way from the beginning of training camp when Tillman was a two-day holdout whose head was spinning and Azumah was still a relative newcomer to the position trying to find ways to create takeaways.
“For both of them, it’s a question of seeing more snaps, seeing more plays , seeing more patterns and things develop, and unfortunately getting hurt by something and the next time playing it the right way,” coach Dick Jauron said. . . .
Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis says that Emmitt Smith will play Sunday but not start. Smith has been out since Oct. 5 with an injured shoulder. Starter Marcel Shipp has averaged 24 carries a game in the last five games and has been slowed by swollen bursa sacs in his elbows. . . . The Bears signed linebacker Marcus Reese to their practice squad. Reese, a 6-foot-1-inch, 233-pounder from UCLA, was an undrafted free agent released by the 49ers on Sept. 16. . . .
The Bears lead the NFL in fourth-down conversion percentage at 84.6 percent, making good on 11-of-13 attempts. In the last two games, the Bears have scored on 1-yard runs on fourth downs. . . . Desmond Clark is within striking distance of becoming the first Bears tight end since Mike Ditka in 1964 to catch 50 passes. Ditka caught 75 in 1964, and Clark has 32 catches for 313 yards. . . . A coaches’ review of the game film showed linebacker Brian Urlacher made a season-high 13 tackles against Denver, five more than game statistics gave him Sunday.
