My Friends,

The Bears (and their fans) are back from a much-needed bye weekend, rested and ready to begin the final ten game stretch run to determine playoff venues and opponents. While we slept the defending NFC champs Seattle saw MVP Shaun Alexander do some light running as their starting QB was knocked out for four weeks with a knee injury, the Eagles managed to lose their third game (this time to the 1-4 Bucs), Carolina and Dallas also got loss number three (the Cowboys changing starting QBs in the process), and the biggest shock of all, the packers won their second game to remain firmly behind at least five teams for the top pick in the 2007 draft.

While the rest of the NFC was losing and beating each other up, our treat this week has been the horde of media jackals entering the Bears locker room and stirring up trouble where there isn't any. Like the kid who constantly pokes his sibling and then bawls when his brother hauls off and belts him, both local and national reporters again felt compelled to ask Cedric Benson his thoughts about his lack of playing time and then portray him as a malcontent when he gave his usual response. Surprise! Cedric wants to play, and in so many words said he's upset that he hasn't played more.

These writers are picking over old bones trying to come up with a fresh angle to present. This week it's the lack of a running game on a 6-0 team, so why not go back and stir up a reliable beehive? Benson wasn't the disgruntled employee here, seeking out a forum to voice his displeasure; he was merely responding when questioned during Wednesday's open locker room period. Maybe he could have coached his responses a little better, but why should we be shocked that he wants more carries?

The fact is Benson is only in his second season, and while he may be well behind the production of the other backs selected in the first round last year the Bears have the luxury of a solid Thomas Jones playing in front of him. And as long as Rex Grossman continues to do things with the offense we haven't seen in decades (Arizona performance notwithstanding) Jones will continue to spend the bulk of the time as the starting tailback. Nobody on the Bears staff wants to see Grossman's season end again as a result of Benson missing a block. Hell, veteran Edgerrin James missed an audible last week, and the result was Mark Anderson jumping on Matt Leinart like a boogie board, stripping the ball with Mike Brown carrying the fumble into the endzone. When you see things like that happen, you understand why Jones will continue to get the majority of the snaps.

Benson will (and should) eventually play - his contract dictates that - but not until the playoff picture gets more settled. That comes later, when the regular season is winding down and the Bears can afford to run the ball down their opponent's throats without worrying about losing the top seed in the NFC. And who knows, maybe a fresh Benson will combine with an offensive line that knows it just has to tee off and open holes to provide the running game the Bears haven't yet shown. It was there last year, when Kyle Orton was struggling to complete 13 passes a game and opponents loaded the box with eight defenders, and there's no reason to think it vanished this season because the Bears can't do it anymore. They just haven't wanted to.

End of story. Not that there ever was one to begin with.

As for this Sunday, I pity the 49ers after the way the Bears played in the desert. I'll be surprised if they score.

LBF

10/27/2006