The defending NFC champion Chicago Bears have lost two defensive starters, free safety Mike Brown and nose tackle Dusty Dvoracek, to season-ending knee injuries sustained in the team's opening-day defeat at San Diego on Sunday afternoon.
Follow-up MRI examinations on both players confirmed on Monday that both have suffered ligament damage to their left knees. Bears officials had feared as much on Sunday evening.
The loss of Brown is particularly devastating since this will mark the fourth year in a row in which the star-crossed defensive back will miss significant playing time, and the third time in four seasons that his campaign ended prematurely with him on the injured reserve list. It will increase to 43 the number of games that Brown has missed in the past four years.
Fearing the worst, Brown, 29, was emotionally distraught in the Chicago locker room on Sunday evening, after injuring his knee with 10 minutes remaining in the game. He called the injury "another sad day in the chapter of my football career."
Said Brown, who is recognized as the emotional leader of the Chicago secondary, and a safety who specialized in big, game-altering plays early in his career: "It's a shame. It hurts my feelings really bad."
Brown missed 14 games in 2004 with a ruptured Achilles tendon, four in 2005 because of a severely strained calf, and 10 last season with a Lisfranc foot sprain. The former Nebraska star never missed a game the first four seasons of his NFL tenure (2000-03), but has not played a full season since 2003.
The former Pro Bowl performer (2005) moved from strong safety to free safety this spring to accommodate the Bears' acquisition of Adam Archuleta in a trade, and had a strong training camp. Before the injury on Sunday, he was authoring an excellent game, with four tackles, an interception that set up Chicago's only score, two passes defensed and a fumble recovery that rebuffed a San Diego scoring opportunity.
For his career, Brown, a second-round choice in the 2000 draft, has 304 tackles, four sacks, 15 interceptions, 22 passes defensed, and four forced fumbles.
Chicago coaches likely will choose between Danieal Manning and Brandon McGowan as his replacement at free safety. Manning started 14 games as a rookie in 2006.
Dvoracek, 24, missed his entire 2006 rookie season when he was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury sustained in preseason. His starting assignment on Sunday represented the first appearance of his career, and he had two tackles before his injury.
A third-round choice, the former Oklahoma standout won the starting job in training camp this summer, filling the void left by the Bears' release of suspended nose tackle Tank Johnson.
6 comments:
Joe,
Great game for the COLTS. If their D plays like that for 16 games LOOK OUT. They would be #2 in my power rankings behind Brady and Moss. I think NE is still the team to beat this season but the Colts are the Kings until someone knocks them off.
Any RB looks good with Manning and Co. Sorry not super impressed... He is a good RB on a great O.
C
CK,
Concerning RB's...there never has, and never will, be a great RB that doesn't have a great O line and / or QB, but particularly an O line.
Walter "Sweetness" Payton had an All-Pro O line.
Tony Dorsett had a All-Pro O line.
Jim Brown had a All-Pro O line.
Emmitt Smith had a All-Pro O line.
Marshall Faulk, Edge James and Addai all had / have a great O line.
What impresses me most about any RB is their ability to see the hole and run through it in the right timing. So the ONLY way any good or great RB will be good or great is IF he is surrounded by a great team.
MT
Mark,
How about Barry Sanders?
Caleb,
You just don't want to admit that stats wise, record wise, and talent wise, that the Indianapolis Colts are better than the Chicago Bears. The are a couple of reasons that the Bears got to Super Bowl XLI last year. 1. they are in the easier of the two conferences. 2. they had the easiest schedule in the NFL last year. and 3. they have a pretty good defense. You know, sometimes the best defense is an offense. Peyton Manning is the best quarterback that has ever played the game. By the end of his career, he will hold most, if not all, of the passing records. Addai is a up-and-coming STAR. Our receiving core has depth. We are filling our holes in the defense nicely. Whether you want to admit it or not, the Colts are better than the Bears. Sorry. End of story. Period. And don't resort to the Patriots this time, cause they just got punished for cheating. CHEATING! Brady has too many girlfriends to handle...not a role model at all.
Go Colts!
Joe
Joe,
My new power rankings
1. NE
2. San Diego
3. Indy
4. Chicago
Tom Brady is just as classy as Peyton Manning on the field. I would say even classier.
The Pat's did cheat and will be punished for it (1st round draft pick next year).
The Colt's played a GREAT game last week. If their D plays like that every game they can def. make a return trip to Super Bowl.
The Bears D was AMAZING last Sunday. I watched the game when i got home from church. The way they manhandled LT was unbelievable. When healthy they have the BEST D in the league. The offense needs to step it up this week. I think we'll beat KC by 21.
CK
2-0.
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