Defensive end Alex Brown received his ceremonial, autographed helmet from Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long, marking his selection last season as one of Howie Long’s Tough Guys. Brown enjoyed showing the helmet around, but his message to Long? “To get a Super Bowl ring like yours, Howie, I’d give it back to you.”
If he’s going to take the next step toward a ring, Brown will have to go through a familiar face and old adversary: Bills left tackle Mike Gandy, the Bears’ left tackle in Brown’s rookie season (2002) who was with the Bears into 2004. The time was a harsh learning experience for Brown, who recalled how Gandy “would body-slam me.”
“Gandy’s a lot better player [now],” Brown said. “He plays a lot different and seems a lot better on film. He’s not the Gandy I played against when he was here.”
Name game
It may be the Tampa-2 or Cover-2 or whatever-2 scheme, but linebacker Brian Urlacher had a different label Wednesday when asked what he thought of coach Lovie Smith’s defensive system. “The `Bear Two’?” Urlacher said to Buffalo reporters. “It allows us to get downhill, run through our gaps. I don’t like `Cover-2.’ I’ve said that since I’ve been here, because I’m running down the middle every play.”
Honor roll
Defensive tackle Tommie Harris earned his second defensive player of the week award in four games for his two-sack, five-tackle performance against Seattle. Harris edged out teammate Ricky Manning Jr., whose two first-half interceptions set up 10 Bears points. . . . Receiver Bernard Berrian (3 catches, 108 yards, TD) was a finalist for offensive player of the week and kicker Robbie Gould was a special-teams finalist with his three field goals.
Bills quarterback J.P. Losman, who completed a career-high 23 passes for 222 yards in Sunday’s 17-12 home victory against Minnesota, was a finalist with Berrian for the offensive honor, won by the Redskins’ Santana Moss. Losman threw one TD pass and no interceptions for a 101.3 passer rating.
Extra points
The Bears have yielded one touchdown or fewer in eight straight home games, the longest current streak in the NFL . . . In their second year of working together, quarterback Rex Grossman and offensive coordinator Ron Turner are developing a comfortable rapport. “To have a relationship,” coach Lovie Smith said, “my wife tells me that you have to spend some time together”…. Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye left the locker room Sunday with a sore hamstring and was held out of practice Wednesday along with defensive tackle Tank Johnson. Receiver Mark Bradley (ankle) missed all last week and was out again, along with tight end Desmond Clark (foot).
