Alex Brown stopped the question in midsentence. How important for the defensive line, he was asked, was the play Sunday of the backups in …
“We don’t have ‘backups,'” Brown said. “We have other starters who come in.”
The “other starters” provided one break after another and were nothing short of pivotal as the Bears beat Baltimore and held their first opponent of the season to fewer than 200 yards of offense.
Tank Johnson, inserted on passing downs, collected his first two sacks of the season. Alfonso Boone, playing frequently at defensive end in the Bears’ scheme to throttle the power running of Jamal Lewis, had two tackles and shared a sack with Michael Haynes. Six Bears defensive linemen have had at least a partial sack this season.
Haynes, stunned when told he would be inactive for last week’s win over the Vikings, played extensively and stood strong against the Ravens’ offensive tackles.
His confidence may have received a much-needed boost despite the initial disappointment at his inactive status last week. He met Monday with coach Lovie Smith and came away with the message he needed.
“After talking to coach about where I stand and what I need to do to play, I think it really got me confident, even though it was a little bit of a reality check, a little harsh,” Haynes said. “What I got from all that was confidence, knowing that the coaches aren’t trying to write me off.”
Johnson was credited with five solo tackles, tops among defensive linemen. He also applied pressure that forced Ravens quarterback Anthony Wright out of the pocket and to throw away two passes.
BEARS BITS
– For just the second time this season, Muhsin Muhammad didn’t lead the Bears in receptions. Orton found tight end Desmond Clark and rookie Mark Bradley four times each.
– The Bears honored the 1985 Super Bowl champion team during a halftime ceremony. Coincidentally, a plane trailing an advertisement for the Chicago Rush flew overhead before the game. In other words, Mike Ditka was in the house–even if he wasn’t in the house. He spoke on a videotaped segment.
– The late Walter Payton received a standing ovation during a second-quarter video tribute and again when Dan Hampton invoked his name during the ceremony.
