Webb, Williams still battling to start
Coach Lovie Smith says most of the Bears' starters will play into the third quarter in Friday night's third preseason game — in what is traditionally the most serious tune-up for the regular season.
But, since there isn't a clear-cut starter yet at left tackle, that position will be a job share, as J'Marcus Webb and Chris Williams continue to battle for the starting job. Webb will again start, but both players will get snaps with the first team, as was the case in the second preseason game.
“That's about the only really fair way to get a great evaluation, when you have a chance to let guys play against the same guys early in the game,” Smith said. “I've been pleased with Chris Williams, as we have been with J'Marcus Webb. (Williams) has done a good job.
“As I see it, we have two good football players just making each other better, and eventually the guy we end up with there is going to be a pretty good football player.”
The Giants' best pass rusher, Jason Pierre-Paul, is not expected to play for “precautionary reasons,” according to coach Tom Coughlin. But the Super Bowl champions will still provide a stern test with Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck, and at the end of the night, Bears coaches may be able to make a final decision on the opening-day starter.
Little big man:Unrestricted free-agent wide receiver Eric Weems got off to a slow start, suffering a sprained ankle during training camp. But the 5-foot-9 Weems is starting to look like he could be one of the Bears' biggest off-season additions.Weems missed the preseason opener, but he flashed his overall talent in Saturday's second preseason game, catching 2 passes for 38 yards, returning 2 kickoffs for 71 yards and 1 punt for 14 yards. And that was on an ankle that he estimated is still only at about 80 percent. Weems will contribute heavily in all special-teams phases, including kick coverage #8212; which is why special teams coordinator Dave Toub targeted him in the off-season. Weems was a Pro Bowl special teams player for the Falcons in 2010, when he averaged career bests of 27.5 yards on kickoff returns and 12.8 yards on punt returns and had a team-best 16 tackles on coverage teams.Filling the void:Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli isn't lamenting the loss of Chris Conte (shoulder) and Brandon Hardin (neck), his top two free safeties, even though Friday night's opponent is two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning.#8220;It's football,#8221; Marinelli said. #8220;You never look at it that way. Next man up. That's what this league's about, being resilient. You work the next man. That's why you have all the off-season work you do and the long training camps. You develop depth. Every day you're trying to develop a younger veteran, a younger player. It doesn't matter. You keep developing players.#8221;In addition to Conte and Hardin, who was still wearing a cervical collar at Halas Hall on Wednesday, defensive tackle Stephen Paea (ankle), linebackers Brian Urlacher (knee) and Dom DeCicco (groin), and punter Adam Podlesh (hip) will not play.