Corey Graham
owned up Sunday night to getting a bit of
Jarrett Bush’s
shoulder pad as the Packers gunner made an inside release on the wild Johnny Knox punt return.
A little tug and a little shove was all it took to draw a penalty flag on something that had no bearing on Knox’s 89-yard punt return as the Bears outfoxed the Packers when special teams coordinator Dave Toub guessed Green Bay would kick to the right and
Devin Hester
faked out the coverage team.
“You’re not happy about it,” Bears coach
Lovie Smith
said. “But officials made a call, it really hurt us at the time, didn’t think that that penalty had a whole lot to do with the play.
“It’s a play that we had kind of set up earlier with a few things that we did. Worked out perfectly. That play really could have gotten us back in. We’re onside kicking and have a chance on a game that we didn’t really play well.”
Smith didn’t want Graham to be singled out for the 10 penalties the team had. He said he was particularly disappointed with the rash of pre-snap penalties and made reference to the unnecessary roughness penalty
Devin Hester
received.
Big target: The Bears have already taken notice of Panthers quarterback
Cam Newton
, who stands 6-foot-5, 248 pounds and has the athletic ability in the pocket of a much smaller passer.
“He will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come,” Smith said. “You have to be impressed. I see a big guy in the pocket, he has a strong arm, he has great agility, he is mobile in the pocket and all that. But, I think he has been accurate, feels like he is pretty comfortable playing in the NFL. It will be a challenge for our guys. We don’t play many teams who get off the bus and their quarterback looks like
Julius Peppers
, so we’re excited about that.”
Extra points: The Bears could get two starters back this week with right guard
Lance Louis
(ankle) and safety
Chris Harris
(hamstring) healing up. Running back
Marion Barber
(calf) could be in the mix a month after being injured. … Panthers coach
Ron Rivera
said he will not be able to make the Super Bowl XX reunion Oct. 7 at the White House. “Unless I get them to send me Air Force One to pick me up, I don’t think I’ll make it,” Rivera said. “I’d love to go, believe me.”
