“The Mike and Minie Show. There you go.”
Coach Dave Wannstedt knows that angles are tough to come by this late in the season. So he was being helpful Monday when he proposed this, alluding to fullback Mike Faulkerson and cornerback Kevin Miniefield.
Faulkerson and Miniefield received game balls for their strong performances in Sunday’s 31-10 victory over Tampa Bay. Miniefield had two interceptions, three passes defended and three tackles. On special teams Faulkerson had three tackles and what Wannstedt called “two pancake blocks.”
Miniefield’s success is making it a little easier for Wannstedt to keep calling cornerback Donnell Woolford (partially torn hip tendon) doubtful, which he is again this week against Philadelphia.
Faulkerson may get a chance to do more Sunday against the Eagles if Tony Carter’s strained left shoulder muscle holds him out.
John Thierry’s strained knee isn’t expected to stop him from playing in the last regular-season game, Wannstedt said. And while fellow right end Al Fontenot’s shoulder popped out again Sunday, a seasonlong problem, Fontenot should be OK to play too.
Mind games: For the first time, Wannstedt pointed to the stadium speculation as a problem for his players. “They heard that Arizona thing last week and had some questions,” he said of rumors that the Cardinals would replace the Bears in Chicago if the Bears hop to Gary. The Cardinals have denied interest in moving into Soldier Field.
He understands: Wannstedt said he knows exactly what Erik Kramer means when he said after Sunday’s game that there were too many Bears sitting back and waiting for a coach to direct them. Wannstedt noted that without players who have experienced much success, leadership in the locker room can lag.
“Now that we’re having some success, especially on offense, that is starting to come out and it’s needed,” he said of players trying to take charge in the locker room.
Three of a kind: Rashaan Salaam needs 48 yards to reach 1,000 rushing as a rookie. The Bears have two 1,000-yard receivers (Jeff Graham and Curtis Conway) this season for the first time. The only other time in team history they’ve had a 1,000-yard runner and a 1,000-yard receiver in the same season was 1956, when Rick Casares led the NFL with 1,126 rushing yards and Harlon Hill added the receiving sum of 1,128 yards.