KEY
– K.C. Johnson’s selections in shaded boxes
— Starters at each position designated with photographs
THE LINEBACKERS
— LB Brian Urlacher
54
Season: The NFL defensive player of the year. His second season in the one-gap system was a big step up from 2004.
Playoff plan: He had six sacks in the first four games, then none. Postseason is the time for impact plays.
Did you know: His younger brother Casey played at Lake Forest College and was in camp with the Bears.
– Team MVP
If Brian Urlacher is the league’s defensive player of the year, he has to win this award. With apologies to Kyle Orton, Thomas Jones and a rock-solid offensive line, this team won with defense. And Urlacher makes the most impact on that unit. If he didn’t make the play, he at least had a factor in helping whoever did more often than not.
LB Brendon Ayanbadejo
94
Season: He had at least one special-teams tackle in every game, earning a spot as a Pro Bowl alternate for his coverage skills.
Playoff plan: Field position could be a huge factor, and Ayanbadejo is the Bears’ best weapon on kick coverage.
Did you know: His older brother Obafemi plays running back for Arizona.
— LB Lance Briggs
55
Season: The No. 2 tackler to Brian Urlacher, he helped refine spirit-building “freestyle walking” competition before practices.
Playoff plan: He must help the Bears shore up late-season shoddy tackling. His ability to play third downs against the pass and run is crucial.
Did you know: A renowned dancer, he was featured in a Tribune “how-to” dance story.
LB Leon Joe
53
Season: He started one game and stepped in when Hunter Hillenmeyer was injured. He had nine tackles at Minnesota.
Playoff plan: A major contributor on special teams, he needs to be ready if Hillenmeyer’s thumb is still a problem.
Did you know: A criminal justice major, he’s a serious fan of TV’s “Law and Order.”
— LB Hunter Hillenmeyer
92
Season: He played primarily on rushing downs as the strong-side linebacker, but his all-around play was an underrated part of the overall defense.
Playoff plan: A thumb injury cost him the last three games. His ability to be physical is a necessary part of stopping tough running backs.
Did you know: His father owns a chain of Nashville restaurants. He played on his high school tennis team.
LB Jeremy Cain
58
Season: On the practice squad for 13 weeks, he stepped in for Brian Urlacher at middle linebacker and made eight tackles at Minnesota.
Playoff plan: He can’t expect much playing time behind the NFL’s top defensive player.
Did you know: His uncles John and Ron played at Kentucky, and Ron played for the Denver Broncos.
THE DEFENSIVE LINE
— DE Alex Brown
96
Season: Six sacks is not a true measure of Brown’s all-around impact. He matured into one of the NFL’s top defensive ends.
Playoff plan: Playoff teams typically run well. Brown will be tested and needs to be stout at the point of attack.
Did you know: He is active with wife Karimar in Bears Care and other charitable endeavors.
— DT Ian Scott
95
Season: The heart of the Bears’ run defense, he took on double teams to free up his teammates.
Playoff plan: Holding the point against strong rushing teams is the key to forcing the opposing offense to become one-dimensional.
Did you know: The high school valedictorian majored in industrial and systems engineering at Florida and was the starting center for his high school basketball team.
— DT Tommie Harris
91
Season: Pro Bowl disrupter inside, he started every game for the second straight season. He emerged as a prototype defensive tackle with speed and power at 300 pounds.
Playoff plan: He cannot be single-blocked consistently. His ability to shoot gaps is a key to blowing up opponents’ plays.
Did you know: Two of his cousins play in the NFL–Lions guard Stockar McDougle and Eagles defensive end Jerome McDougle.
— DE Adewale Ogunleye
93
Season: A second alternate for the Pro Bowl, he had 10 sacks, becoming the first Bears defensive end to reach double digits since Richard Dent in 1993.
Playoff plan: He simply needs to continue his consistently elite play.
Did you know: He descends from a family with royal Nigerian bloodlines. His first name means “the crown comes home.” His last name means “iron god.”
DT Alfonso Boone
70
Season: A tackle, Boone moved to end when the Bears went to a jumbo run-defense line.
Playoff plan: Part of one of the NFL’s best defensive line rotations, he will fit in multiple roles.
Did you know: Despite being 6 feet 4 inches and 315 pounds, he drives a Mini-Cooper.
DT Tank Johnson
99
Season: The third tackle, he developed into a pass-rush threat under the Bears’ conditioning program.
Playoff plan: He can provide game-altering sacks as part of the nickel pass rush.
Did you know: He turned down Division I scholarship offers to play volleyball. His real name is Terry.
DE Israel Idonije
71
Season: He started the last game in place of Adewale Ogunleye. He’s a force on kick coverage and in the pass rush.
Playoff plan: He will be used to give Ogunleye and Alex Brown relief on the edges.
Did you know: A native of Manitoba, he didn’t play football until his senior year in high school.
DE Michael Haynes
97
Season: A forgotten man at times, the former first-round draft pick was inactive for five games.
Playoff plan: Numbers on game days will dictate his role.
Did you know: An aspiring veterinarian, he’s working on a master’s degree in zoo and aquarium management.
DE Jamaal Green
67
Season: Added to the practice squad Oct. 19, he fills the spot of safety Brandon McGowan, who was put on injured reserve.
Playoff plan: The fourth-round pick of the Eagles in 2003 has been hampered by injuries but can rush the passer and contribute on special teams.
Did you know: Green played against Rex Grossman twice while he was at Miami and Grossman was at Florida. The Hurricanes won both times.
THE CORNERBACKS
— CB Charles Tillman
33
Season: He recovered from early-season lapses and made a season-changing interception in Detroit that gave the Bears an overtime victory.
Playoff plan: He must limit big plays by Carolina receiver Steve Smith.
Did you know: As the son of an Army sergeant, the Chicago native attended 11 schools from kindergarten through 12th grade.
— CB Nathan Vasher
31
Season: He made the play of the season with an NFL-record 108-yard return of a missed field goal against the 49ers. The ballhawk also had a team-high eight interceptions.
Playoff plan: The defense will be counted on to make plays, and he’s the most likely candidate to deliver.
Did you know: Nickname in college was “ESPN3” because of his knack for making highlight-worthy plays at Texas.
– Biggest problem the Panthers pose
Steve Smith tied for the league lead with 103 catches and 12 touchdowns and led the league with 1,563 receiving yards. Opponents double-team him and he still gets open. He had a huge game against the Bears in the first meeting, although he didn’t score.
CB Jerry Azumah
23
Season: A hip injury in camp opened the door for Nathan Vasher to take his starting job. Rashied Davis’ play has cost him his return duties.
Playoff plan: Unknown. He’s primarily a nickel back but has zero interceptions.
Did you know: He won the Walter Payton Award as the top Division IAA running back at New Hampshire.
CB Rashied Davis
21
Season: He made the roster as a 26-year-old rookie and won the kickoff-return job with a 23.8-yard average at Minnesota.
Playoff plan: He could play wide receiver, cornerback and special teams in the same game.
Did you know: He kept his job at an electronics store even into training camp while trying to earn a job.
CB Daven Holly
26
Season: Inactive the first 12 weeks, he had seven tackles in the last game at Minnesota.
Playoff plan: He’s a long shot to be active.
Did you know: He switched from wide receiver to cornerback as sophomore at Cincinnati.
CB Chris Thompson
27
Season: Signed four weeks into 2005, he subbed in 11 games and started one.
Playoff plan: He’ll contribute on special teams.
Did you know: He never allowed a touchdown catch by an opponent at Nicholls State.
THE SAFETIES
— FS Chris Harris
46
Season: A surprise starter as a sixth-round pick, he quickly became one of the defense’s biggest hitters.
Playoff plan: He must avoid the tendency to get caught out of position while seeking to make a big play.
Did you know: He was offered a music scholarship for playing the trumpet but switched to football. Now he’s an accomplished pianist.
– They rarely win when …
The defense surrenders big plays or doesn’t tackle well. Three of the Bears’ five losses–Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh–were direct byproducts of these trends. When the defense doesn’t live up to its league-leading stingy ways, it shows.
— SS Mike Brown
30
Season: Produced the season’s most galvanizing scene when he vigorously attacked his team’s performance after it fell to 1-3.
Playoff plan: He must show he’s 100 percent after battling a sore calf down the stretch.
Did you know: He holds the franchise record for defensive touchdowns with six, including a 41-yard interception return against Detroit this season.
– Defining moment of the season
Cutting quarterback Chad Hutchinson to start rookie fourth-round pick Kyle Orton is a close second. But safety Mike Brown’s passionate rebuke of his team’s fortunes the day after a complete collapse in Cleveland set the tone for the Bears to rebound from their 1-3 start. “It’s like, we suck, man,” said Brown, long the team’s emotional barometer. An eight-game win streak followed as teammates responded.
S Todd Johnson
35
Season: A physical tackler, he started two games and finished fourth on special teams with 16 tackles. He made 34 tackles overall.
Playoff plan: Hip pointer is healed, so he can be a force against the run.
Did you know: He’s involved with Habitat for Humanity and various charitable organizations.
S Mike Green
43
Season: Replaced as a starter after the season opener, he had his best game against Atlanta with seven tackles, two pass breakups and an interception.
Playoff plan: With health questions at safety, he could play a significant role.
Did you know: The last player chosen in the 2000 draft, he has started 44 games.
– Revealing statistic
The Bears allowed 61 points over eight home games this season, the lowest total since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. The Bears held seven of their eight opponents to fewer than 10 points at Soldier Field.
THE COACHES
Lovie Smith
Season: Coach of the year after surviving the loss of his No. 1 quarterback and a 1-3 start. He made constant tough personnel calls that worked.
Playoff plan: He must keep the Bears pointed in the right direction, motivate properly and avoid letdowns.
Did you know: Son Matthew faced Ron Turner’s son Cameron in high school football last fall.
Ron Turner
Season: The offensive coordinator managed his unit with a rookie quarterback and rescued it after the John Shoop and Terry Shea eras.
Playoff plan: He must adjust his planning to use Rex Grossman’s strengths without departing from the scheme.
Did you know: He was a junior-college all-American wide receiver.
Ron Rivera
Season: The defensive coordinator brought his unit to elite status in his second year.
Playoff plan: He needs to find ways to neutralize dangerous offenses by attacking without creating vulnerable areas.
Did you know: He and his wife are students of Feng Shui, a Chinese art that maximizes positive life energy.
