If there’s anything more valuable to an NFL team than good players, it’s healthy ones. It is a sport of attrition as much as ability.
The Bears think they’re good; they know they’re healthy. Six games into the season, Lovie Smith has much more to celebrate than a 3-3 record and a first-place NFC North showdown Sunday in Detroit.
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If he were superstitious, Lovie might change his name to Lucky Smith and start searching for wood to pound. “I’m not superstitious at all, period,” Smith said Monday. “What injuries?”
Since an injury-plagued first season in 2004 and the broken left ankle suffered by quarterback Rex Grossman in August, the NFL gods of pain have lightened up on Smith and taken flight elsewhere, particularly Green Bay, Detroit and Minnesota, which happen to share the NFC North Division with the Bears.
Because one team’s pain is always another’s gain, this is propitious for the Bears, although Smith knows better than to spend one second gloating.
The Lions lost receiver Kevin Johnson for the season Sunday with an Achilles’ injury. Receiver Roy Williams already was inactive with a quadriceps injury, kick return specialist-receiver Eddie Drummond was inactive with a knee injury, and receiver Charles Rogers is under suspension for a substance-abuse violation.
Defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, the Lions’ best player on defense, sprained a medial collateral knee ligament and is week to week. Cornerback Dre’ Bly could miss several weeks if he needs surgery to repair a dislocated wrist.
To the rescue? Ex-Bear R.W. McQuarters, who is filling in for both Drummond and Bly and even volunteered to play receiver.
“When I came here, I knew that Dre’ and Fernando Bryant were the starting corners, and that Eddie was a Pro Bowl kick returner,” McQuarters said. “But in this league, you always know that you are one play away from being in the game. I’m ready, and I’m going to just keep trying to make plays.”
Coach Steve Mariucci hopes Drummond and Williams might return for the Bears game, but Williams didn’t sound as positive.
“I’m not sure right now,” Williams said. “I’ve got a Grade 3 pull, which is the worst grade, and you don’t just go out there and do what I do with a pull like that.”
The Lions are playing Jeff Garcia at quarterback and he reported only minimal soreness in his left leg and ankle, which he injured in the final exhibition game.
Compared to the Packers, the Lions are in good shape.
After already losing top receiver Javon Walker for the season, the Packers lost running back Ahman Green for the season Sunday while dropping to 1-5.
Coach Mike Sherman said Monday that Green will undergo surgery this week to repair his right thigh tendon, which was torn in the fourth quarter of the Packers’ last-second 23-20 loss at Minnesota.
Receiver Robert Ferguson will miss up to a month with a torn lateral cruciate ligament in his left knee, which he injured in the first quarter Sunday.
As if losing Walker and Green weren’t enough, backup receiver Terrence Murphy (neck) and backup running back Najeh Davenport (ankle) already are out for the season, meaning quarterback Brett Favre is operating without three receivers and two running backs.
Here are the Packers’ next five games before playing the Bears for the first time Dec. 4: at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, at Atlanta, Minnesota, at Philadelphia.
“If you can’t handle that part of the game, then you’re in the wrong game whether you’re a player or a coach,” Sherman said. “Against a very good Cincinnati team we have to find a way, and it’s not going to be easy but we have to find a way.”
The Vikings have lost defensive end Kenechi Udeze for the season and receiver Nate Burleson just returned to the roster.
Meanwhile, the Bears played without left guard Ruben Brown on Sunday but got left tackle John Tait back.
“We didn’t really get any more injuries during the game,” Smith said Monday. “Tommie Harris had trouble with some cramps and Lance Briggs and Hunter Hillenmeyer had some bumps, but nothing serious.
“We should be pretty much at full speed once we get started back Wednesday.”
Not many other coaches can say the same.
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“If injuries happen, they’re just a part of the game,” Smith said. “We’ve had, I guess you could say, good luck this year. We have a 53-man roster. If we do have one, someone else will step up.”
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