Bears focused on Niners, not potential 0-2 start
If history is any indication, a Bears victory in Santa Clara on Sunday night against the 49ers is crucial to their playoff chances.
Since the NFL switched to a 16-game schedule in 1978, the Bears have started 0-2 seven times. They failed to make the playoffs in any of those seasons and never even finished with a .500 record.
The Bears never started a season 0-2 in Lovie Smith's nine years, and they haven't started 0-2 since 2003, Dick Jauron's last season, when they finished 7-9.
But that can't be the team's focus when it takes the field in the 49ers' new Levi's Stadium, according to offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer.
“First off, you can't worry about 0-2,” Kromer said. “You have to focus on what it takes to win the play, what it takes to win the quarter, what it takes to win the game.
“The record, the score, those kind of things have to take care of themselves. If you're worried, if you're concerned and just thinking abut what your record is going to be at the end of the game when it's the first play of the game, that's when you're going to fail.”
Give me more:
Even though they won 28-17, the 49ers allowed the Dallas Cowboys 5.5 yards per carry last week, which might be bad news for the Bears and running back Matt Forte.
“They're always going to be tough to run against,” Forte said of the Niners' defense which was No. 4 in rushing yards allowed last season. “I bet they're probably harping on stopping the run this week because they gave up a (118-yard game) last week with DeMarco (Murray).
“You could say it's encouraging but you know they're going to go work on stopping that. So we have to work a lot harder this weekend establishing the running game so that we don't let them pin their ears back and rush the passer on us.”
Forte rushed for 82 yards last week on just 17 carries, but the Bears might have to depend a lot more on him considering the unhealthy state of their wide receivers. He also caught 8 passes for 87 yards.
“I want the ball on every play,” Forte laughed. “Seventeen carries, that's not a whole lot, but when you get catches like that, it's kind of like an extended hand-off sometimes with screens and stuff like that. It was a good mix, I would say.”
Making it official:
Team Chairman George H. McCaskey issued the following statement regarding the events surrounding Ray Rice's year-long ban for physically abusing his then-fiance and now wife in the elevator of an Atlanta City casino.
An independent investigation has begun into when and how much of the incident the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell were aware of before Rice was initially suspended for just two games.
“We welcome the independent investigation to understand the handling of evidence in the Ray Rice domestic violence case,” McCaskey's statement read. “It is important to know the facts. NFL fans deserve them.
“Our family has complete faith in the Commissioner. He is a man of integrity and has acknowledged the initial response to Mr. Rice's situation was inadequate.
“We agreed with his assessment and were encouraged he took measures to take a much stronger stance on domestic violence,” the statement continued. “We believe in the importance of the NFL's position as a leader in the community and expect the League, and its teams, to meet the high standards that come with this responsibility.”
Injury report:
Wide receivers Alshon Jeffery (hamstring), Brandon Marshall (ankle) and Josh Morgan (groin), center Roberto Garza (ankle), guard Matt Slauson (ankle), fullback Tony Fiammetta (hamstring) and quarterback David Fales (shoulder) did not practice Thursday.