Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010
7:55 PM
By John Mullin
CSNChicago.com
Very good quarterbacks are not a new experience for the Bears in 2010. When they faced the Philadelphia Eagles, they were going against the NFL's No. 1 passer in Michael Vick, now No. 2. They have seen Aaron Rodgers, now No. 4.
This is different. Tom Brady is different.
Brady is now the NFL's No. 1-rated passer (109.5). But Brady is also arguably the NFL's No. 1 quarterback as well.
Vick is having the finest year of his NFL career. Brady does this sort of thing every year. Five of Brady's last seven seasons have been better, passing, than Jay Cutler's best-ever year prior to 2010. And Brady has come up in Halas Hall conversation long before New England became next-up on the Bears' schedule.
"We've talked about it many times this year," Cutler said. That's the mark of a good team or good player is being consistent. He's been very, very, very consistent throughout his career. So he's fun to watch. We watched the Monday night game when Brady destroyed the New York Jets. Just seeing how much in command he is of that offense, you can tell that everything is going to go through him.
NFL
Everything except opponents, that is.
Maybe it's the focus. Brady was just named AFC offensive player of the week for the second time this season and was asked about how he felt this season was going for him. It was as if the question simply didn't even register.
"I think the Chicago Bears are a good team, and we got to play well this week," Brady said, not even attempting to transition from question to answer. "I'm excited for the challenge. It's a short week for us. I think we've really got to prepare well. We're quite a few days behind the Bears after playing Monday night. That's individual statistics really the last thing on my mind."
He is, to be very sure, not the last thing on the Bears' minds.
Oh, really?
Cutler rarely exhibits excessive emotion off the field and Wednesday was no exception.
In perhaps and indication that Cutler was not as inclined as some to write off Ndamukong Suh's forearm to the back of Cutler's head in last Sunday's Detroit game, he made exactly zero attempt to excuse the Detroit defensive tackle's actions as just part of the game. So when the NFL hit Suh with a 15,000 fine Wednesday, "I'm not surprised by that," was all Cutler had to say.
And out in Denver, the Broncos reversed course and fired head coach Josh McDaniels after a recent declaration by ownership that McDaniels would be in place this year and next. Daniels was the one at the heart of the issues that saw Cutler traded to the Bears but Cutler had no even superficial concern for McDaniels.
"You know," Cutler said, "none of my concern. I'm worried about the Patriots."
He apparently is not worried about the Bears' quarterback, and hasn't been. Listing reasons for the recent 5-0 turnaround from a 4-3 point, "the offensive line is playing well," Cutler began. "The receivers are on top of it. I think everyone's a lot more comfortable with the system. Mike Martz has done a good job of dialing stuff up for us. So there's a lot of things that go into it."
Sick bay
Linebackers Nick Roach (hip) and Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee) did not practice Wednesday and running back Chester Taylor (knee) was also held out of practice. Tinoisamoa had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee two weeks ago and is not being ruled out of the New England game.
"Ideally we would like for Pisa to practice but we know a little bit about what he can do," Lovie Smith said. "If he can practice by Friday a little bit, or if he gets up Sunday and says, 'I can go,' we'll look at our options and go from there."
Quarterback Brady (shoulderfoot) and nose tackle Myron Pryor (back) were limited in practice for the Patriots. Cornerback Jonathan Wilhite (hip) and defensive lineman Mike Wright (concussion) did not practice.
Rostering
The Bears signed offensive lineman Herman Johnson off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad and onto the active roster, replacing defensive end Barry Turner who was waived. The Bears also added linebacker Marcus Buggs to the practice squad along with wide receiver Jeff Moturi.
To make room the Bears terminated the practice-squad contracts of tackle James Marten, wide receiver Freddie Barnes and defensive end Ervin Baldwin, who was re-signed to the practice squad late Wednesday.
Johnson was a fifth-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2009 draft, coming out of LSU at 6-7, 364 pounds. He was an All-SEC first teamer at guard but projects as a right tackle, where JMarcus Webb has won the starting job but has continued to have difficulties in pass protection.
John "Moon" Mullin is CSNChicago.com's Bears Insider, and appears regularly on Bears Postgame Live and Chicago Tribune Live. Follow Moon on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bears information.