Halfway through Sunday’s second quarter, Cedric Benson blasted into the end zone from 1 yard out for his first NFL touchdown. As he trotted to the sideline, still holding onto the football, one Bears teammate was out in front of all the rest to greet and congratulate him.
Thomas Jones.
“I thought that was a neat deal,” Benson said, clearly appreciative. “I know he knew the emotions I was having at the time, being a young guy and remembering his first touchdown.”
Benson’s relationship with Jones, the Bears’ starting running back, had hardly been considered warm. Maybe it’s a case of winning curing ills. Or maybe something else is at work.
After last Sunday’s win over Seattle, in which Benson had a season-high 37 yards, Benson said the Bears don’t have two “good” running backs, they have one “great” one–Jones–and other good ones like himself.
Jones rushed for 109 yards Sunday, his first 100-yard game of 2006, but he was also visibly pleased for Benson.
“We have some really good running backs on this team, and you always want every guy to be successful,” he said. “Especially in our group. We’re all in the same group: running backs.
“We take a lot of pride in what we do, and any time a running back scores, whoever it is, I’m just as excited for them as I am for me. We have a great chemistry on this team.”
Benson finished with 48 yards and two TDs on 14 carries. He also lost a fourth-quarter fumble and had to endure some good-natured head-slapping from fullback Jason McKie, who helped the offensive line get the two tailbacks a combined 157 yards.
Benson’s behavior and relationships with teammates have been scrutinized since he arrived last year, and no one was happier to see Benson in the end zone twice than McKie, a physical part of the escort service for Benson and Jones.
“I’m happy for him,” McKie said. “He works hard and he overcame a lot of things and things that people said about him that weren’t true. He’s a great running back and the ultimate team player.”
Benson told offensive coordinator Ron Turner last week that he was still feeling a little rusty and was “not where he needs to be” after missing most of preseason with a shoulder injury. “But he played well last week, he’s been practicing really well and you can see his confidence growing every week,” Turner said. “He’s getting better all the time.”
———-