Bears

With the season opener less than a month away, Bears Pro Bowl safety Mike Brown will not be in the backfield for the foreseeable future after injuring his right Achilles' tendon during Friday night's loss to San Francisco. Some fear the injury to be serious, but Brown has downplayed what he calls a "twinge."

Brian Griese was the lone light spot in the Bears preseason opener against the 49ers Friday night, throwing for 134 yards and two touchdowns. His heroics in the meaningless game weren't enough as the Bears fell, 28 - 14.

As TV Bears analyst and former wide receiver Tom Waddle prepared to cover tonight's preseason opener at San Francisco, he couldn't believe his eyes when he looked at the depth chart.

Injuries to running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson will give Bears fans a good look at an unfamiliar face this preseason. Undrafted rookie running back P.J. Pope is expected to get the majority of the carries in the preseason opener Friday against the San Francisco 49ers.

Jerry Angelo wasn't planning on picking up a new quarterback this off-season. One just happened to fall in his lap.

Success for the 2005 Chicago Bears came despite long odds. The team lost starting quarterback Rex Grossman to a major preseason injury, and the shaky play of rookie Kyle Orton was just enough to help the defense-minded team win the NFC North crown.

The vaunted Chicago defense did their best to preserve their honor by stating they would, one week after games actually matter, lead the NFC to victory in the Pro Bowl. Embarrassed on their home turf by Carolina's offensive outburst nearly one month ago, led by wide receiver Steve Smith, in the divisional playoff round, the Bears All-Pros have decided to draw a line in the sand of the beaches of Hawaii.