At least the Bears don’t have to look around the league and see ex-Bears pouring salt in their wounds.
In fact, the Peyton Manning Tournament is shaping up as an intramural affair among ex-Bears. The loser gets a shot at the Tennessee quarterback in the draft. An early showdown between the Bears and Mike Ditka’s New Orleans Saints will put one team behind. The Indianapolis Colts play neither the Bears nor Saints, so they might have a clear shot at the prize.
Ditka’s Saints look worse than any ‘Aints team in recent memory. Quarterback Jim Harbaugh and Colts director of football Bill Tobin aren’t living happily ever after in Indy. Vince Tobin and Dave McGinnis and Kevin Butler are coaching and kicking well in Arizona, but are 1-2.
Coach Shula exception: One of the few ex-Bears coaches or players with no complaints is Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Mike Shula, who is accomplishing what some thought an impossible task. He has turned Trent Dilfer into a quarterback more dangerous to opponents than to himself.
Dilfer has yet to throw an interception, more than coincidental to the undefeated record of the amazing Bucs. The quarterback who threw only four touchdown passes all of the 1995 season has four in three games and sits alone atop NFC passer ratings, not including Monday night’s game.
With the instant help of runaway rookie-of-the-first-three-games Warrick Dunn and the pile-driving of second-year fullback Mike Alstott, Dilfer finally has the help he needs to refrain from throwing the ball up for grabs.
Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy credits the offensive line for giving Dilfer protection. In the Bucs’ wipeout win at Minnesota, Dilfer was able to step up in the pocket time after time and deliver, completing 15 of 20 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns to complement Shula’s conservative and efficient attack.
More Top Picks Wyze Handheld
“The key is the offensive line,” Dungy said. “When you can run and protect, you stay away from turnovers and control the clock.”
As for the role of Shula, who coached tight ends for the Bears, Dungy said: “Mike has played the position (quarterback) and understands what a quarterback has to go through. We were able to hang in with Trent and add things to the arsenal that help him succeed.”
Ditka doldrums: The Bucs are following the blueprint Ditka preaches but can’t practice at the moment. His hand-picked quarterback, Heath Shuler, has thrown zero touchdown passes and eight interceptions for a team that was 30th in running last year and looks like it’s getting worse.
The Saints are minus-15 in turnover ratio, nine worse than any other team. With a defense that is respectable, this is a miserable turn of events for Ditka and offensive coordinator Danny Abramowicz, another ex-Bear, who hoped to mold a simple, efficient attack that would keep games close.
Suddenly, the three-year contract Ditka wanted, instead of a five-year deal, makes sense. Already, three years away from the golf course looks longer than he might be able to stand.
Colts stalled: Coach Lindy Infante’s offense is predicated on deeper pass drops by the quarterback than most teams now prefer. This requires very good protection by the tackles. But Harbaugh has been sacked 15 times in three games–eight times against Seattle–and the wheels are coming off a team that was one pass from the Super Bowl only two years ago.
With two rookies–Adam Meadows and Tarik Glenn–in the offensive line, Harbaugh feels under siege and the Colts’ offense has yet to dent the end zone. Their failure Sunday against the Seahawks came at home against a defense that had given up the most points in the league the first two weeks.
“We’re a sick football team,” Bill Tobin said. “He’s (Harbaugh) not executing and the offensive line is not totally executing. It’s a little of (poor protection) and a little of him not throwing the ball when he has to throw it. We need confidence. Nothing good happens. But we’re still playing hard. We’re not in disarray.”
Patriots awake: Bill Parcells might as well have been Paul Revere riding through Foxboro, Mass., to alert the Patriots that all is not well despite their undefeated start.
Unfortunately for the Bears, the Patriots’ lucky overtime win Sunday night over Parcells’ Jets reduces the chances for the Bears to sneak up on them this week between their emotional match against their former coach and their bye week.
“I asked everybody if they knew who we play this week and they all said Chicago,” said Patriots coach Pete Carroll. “So that’s good.”
Their 11 penalties, two interceptions and a fumble came after eight penalties against the Colts the previous week.
“It should serve as a wakeup call,” quarterback Drew Bledsoe said. “It should tell the team, `Listen, if we want to do what we set out to do, we’ve got to play smarter and better.’ “
Defensive end Willie McGinest will miss the Bears game with a knee injury. Tight end Ben Coates is “day-to-day” with sore ribs.
More Packers down: Gilbert Brown’s knee injury is a “strained kneecap” that leaves the Green Bay nose tackle “day-to-day,” coach Mike Holmgren said Monday. Safety LeRoy Butler tore a bicep but should be ready to face Minnesota on Sunday. Injuries and depth concerns continue to haunt the Packers. Brown is the team’s chief run-stuffer and the Packers face the NFC’s top rusher in the Vikings’ Robert Smith.
Injury update: Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce aggravated a hamstring injury and may miss the next two games. . . . Giants rookie receiver Ike Hilliard will have spinal surgery and is out for the season . . . Receiver Muhsin Muhammad, who is tied for the Panthers’ lead with 12 receptions, has a broken left wrist.