Brown could be done

The Bears' locker room did not look like one that had held the highest-scoring offense in football to 14 points, less than half its 2006 average.

Or to 263 yards, 102 less than its average last season.

The 14-3 loss had a lot to do with the overall mood, but the loss of inspirational leader Mike Brown and run-stuffing nose tackle Dusty Dvoracek -- both to knee injuries -- didn't help either.

Brown, who moved to free safety from strong safety this year, has already spent the end of the last three seasons sidelined with injuries (Achilles, calf and foot in chronological order), missing 28 of 48 games.

But each time he's worked his way back to the starting lineup, and he even made the Pro Bowl in 2005. But this one might be the worst, even though the Bears were calling it a sprain Sunday evening. Browns' tearful postgame reaction said it was more than that.

"The prognosis, right now, doesn't look too good," the eight-year veteran said. "It's another sad day in the chapter of my playing career it looks like. I don't know what else to tell you guys. We still have a little bit of hope.

Before the injury, Brown, who has made a career of being around the ball and making big plays, already had an interception to set up the Bears' only points, and he also recovered a fumble that stopped a Chargers drive a yard short of the end zone.

But with less than 10 minutes left in the game, the sight of him sitting on the ground with a concerned Brian Urlacher hovering above him, was unsettling.

"It's a shame. It hurts my feelings really bad," Brown said before breaking down. "And, uh, it's just life, though."

Last year the Bears were giving up an average of 234 yards through six games -- a league low -- with Brown in the lineup. But by the end of the season, after 10 games without him, that average had climbed to 294.

The loss of Dvoracek, who was limping badly after the game but didn't discuss his injury, could be just as crucial. After missing his rookie season in 2006 with a foot injury, Dvoracek had stepped up into the starting lineup and filled the gap created by the loss of Tank Johnson. Now the Bears' defensive tackle rotation is minus one of its best players.

On the positive side, defensive tackle Tommie Harris looked like the Pro Bowl player of the past two seasons, despite last year's torn hamstring that required surgery and had many questioning his fitness. But he played more snaps than expected and saved the Bears a touchdown when he forced a fumble by Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers a yard from the end zone. Rivers and his teammates argued that Harris jumped before the ball was snapped, but no flag was thrown.

"The line judge and head linesman just didn't rule on the play as the defender being offsides," referee Pete Morelli said. "That's it, basically. I explained to (the Chargers) that that is not a reviewable play."

Harris credited his quickness and film study for the big play.

"If you watched me in the past, I always get off the ball," he said. "I get off the ball the same way every day. I study film. I can't tell you (what I saw) or everyone will watch out for it."

When it was mentioned that it looked like Harris moved too soon, he said: "Well, they didn't call it. Good play for the Bears."