Bears' Briggs tackles day off controversy
Seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs did his best to summarize his reaction to the overblown coverage of his decision to miss Monday's shortened practice so that he could attend the grand opening of a restaurant he co-owns in his home state of California.
“Over 12 years (with the Bears,) I've poured my heart out on the field every game and every play,” Briggs said. “If you're questioning whether I care more to be there than to be here, my history has always spoken for me. You can take that how you want to.”
Briggs requested to be excused for a personal day months ago from coach Marc Trestman. The coach granted it and didn't ask for a reason. And Briggs did not offer one.
Trestman was asked if he would have granted the excused absence had he known the reason, but he declined to answer.
“I'm not going to comment on that because there have been a lot of different reasons why players have asked for personal time,” Trestman said. “It's about the best interest of the team. It's all a part of the encompassing decisions that are made, and I'll just leave it at that.”
The Bears' coach said he doesn't, as a rule, press for details when a player asks for personal time.
“I listen to what they have to say,” Trestman said. “I always call it a personal decision because I don't think it's my business or anybody's business. We give great thought in everything we do. We just don't shoot from the hip and make decisions at the spur of the moment.”
Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker was more succinct.
“Lance is going to be ready to play on Sunday,” he said, “and that's really the bottom line.”
Someone special:
Asked to name his seven or eight “core guys,” on special teams, coordinator Joe DeCamillis came up a little short, partly because he didn't want to provide information for his Bills counterpart Danny Crossman. But DeCamillis did single out one player.
“I think the biggest one is (cornerback Sherrick) McManis,” DeCamillis said. “He's the guy that has done the best job of anybody so far. He's really had a good camp both for me and on the defensive side. He's one; the rest of them we'll see on Sunday.”
So what is it about the five-year veteran from Northwestern?
“He's very explosive,” DeCamillis said. “He's a great kid. He knows this is his ticket, this is how he's going to get to the next step for him. He's been a joy to be around, and I'm glad to have him.”
Stability is good:
During Jared Allen's last few years with the Minnesota Vikings, he experienced the revolving-door situation the team had at the quarterback position, so he was asked the importance of stability at the game's most important position.
“It's huge going to a place where you know who the guy is,” Allen said. “Even when Brett (Favre) came in '09, we didn't know who the guy was. He showed up a week after camp and we gave him a helmet.
“Coming to a place that is stable at that spot (is huge), but not only stable, (there's) a high quality player at that spot.”
Injury report:
Three players were limited at Wednesday's practice: safety Chris Conte (concussion), fullback Tony Fiammetta (hamstring) and center Brian de la Puente (knee). No. 3 quarterback David Fales is out with a sore right shoulder.
For the Bills, No. 1 cornerback Stephon Gilmore (groin) was limited.