Sunday marked the beginning of the end of the Hunter Hillenmeyer era for the Bears defense, and it can’t come soon enough for many fans.
Brian Urlacher returned to practice and his rightful spot at middle linebacker, knocking Hillenmeyer back to a backup role the Bears hope he occupies all season. Nothing against Hillenmeyer, but the Bears defense without Urlacher is like the Chicago skyline without the Sears Tower–nice, but unlikely to make people rave across the nation.
Practicing with his teammates for the first time since pulling a hamstring on the opening day of training camp July 28, Urlacher looked as fluid as ever working with the starting defense and making reads during the 90-minute non-contact session.
Tight end Desmond Clark also practiced for the first time in four weeks, a return as significant to the offense as Urlacher’s is to the defense, but the first words out coach Lovie Smith’s mouth addressed his relief to see Urlacher back in the middle.
Smith has yet to see Urlacher make a tackle or shed a block as a Bear, but already noted a difference in the tenor of the defensive huddle Sunday with the so-called new guy in charge.
“It’s good to get No. 54 back out there running the defense,” Smith said.
It put some of his teammates in a good mood too. During one break in practice, defensive tackle Bryan Robinson yelled across the field, “Welcome back, Ur-slacker.”
The razzing should continue Monday as the Bears give Urlacher a day off to rest and evaluate how his hamstring handled the stress of his first practice in a month. Smith said Urlacher also will miss the exhibition finale Friday night in Cleveland as a precaution but should be at full strength when the Lions visit Soldier Field on Sept. 12.
That will give Urlacher the entire season to pursue his stated objective of becoming the NFL Defensive Player of the Year–a goal he says hasn’t changed due to the injury. Urlacher declined interview requests on his way off the field.
Clark, reacting buoyantly to being back in the mix, looked forward to playing against the Browns for as long as he can last to adapt his body to the pounding tight ends endure during the regular season. It has been eight months since Clark’s last hit.
“It’s not so much the cardiovascular, it’s taking the beating I need to get used to again,” Clark said. “I probably won’t be in the best tip-top condition, but I think I’ll be ready to play in the season opener.”
The Bears need Clark to invigorate a passing game that, in theory, will feature the tight end the way Kansas City utilizes Tony Gonzalez. Clark’s absence in the offense has been more noticeable lately given the way the Bears’ young receiving corps has struggled with the complexity of the passing game.
De facto tight end starter Dustin Lyman has improved, but the Bears’ new offense needs two quality tight ends to function at its highest capacity. Clark fears it will take longer than fans would like for him to feel comfortable in that new offense.
“I need a whole lot of time,” he said. “There are a lot of things you can’t duplicate on the practice field that you get in game situations.”
The Bears were just thrilled Sunday to see Clark and Urlacher preparing for game situations again, instead of their next treatment.
