Look for more Olsen, Hester

During training camp, it seemed that every other pass was thrown to cornerback-turned-wide receiver Devin Hester or rookie tight end Greg Olsen.

Players and coaches gushed over the big-play potential the two newcomers brought to the offense.

But Olsen played just 10 snaps Sunday at Detroit and didn't catch a pass one week after grabbing 2 passes for 28 yards in his NFL debut that was delayed two weeks because of a sprained knee.

Hester caught his first NFL pass -- for 3 yards -- and played just a handful of snaps.

"We did what we thought we had to do to win the game and sometimes that happens," Olsen said of his lack of playing time.

The rookie wore a brace on his knee Sunday but said it was strictly a precautionary measure.

"My knee is fine," Olsen said. "I had to wear the brace just because of the (artificial surface). I've been practicing full speed and everything, so as far as that is concerned, I'm fine."

With the offense struggling to move the ball, it could use Olsen's wide receiver-like speed and pass-catching ability and Hester's big-play dimension to stretch the field.

"We need to get the ball to Greg Olsen more," coach Lovie Smith said. "Our running game isn't exactly what we would like for it to be, so any of our offensive guys who haven't played, we have to look at them.

"We have to say we need to get the ball to Olsen more, (and) you'll see Devin Hester more on the offensive side of the ball."

Asked if there were factors that limited Olsen's playing time against the Lions, Smith said: "No, just him coming back from an injury. (We're) working him back into the mix."

Finishing school: In the second halves of the last two games, the Bears have allowed 65 points after permitting just 6 in the first halves. They gave up an NFL-record 34 points in the fourth quarter Sunday.

"We talk about finishing the game, and for whatever reason we haven't been able to," coach Lovie Smith said. "Up until late in the third quarter (against the Lions), I thought we were playing pretty good defense.

"I didn't picture that many points being put up on the board in the fourth quarter, but you can't let your guard down at all. You have to give Detroit a lot of the credit. They forced action. They finished the game and we didn't."

Another chance: Brian Griese will remain the starting quarterback, but Lovie Smith didn't toss around any superlatives when discussing the performance at that position in the first game since Rex Grossman's benching.

"We threw the ball a lot," Smith said. "I just think it's hard to find a lot of good in anything you do if you lose the game. That's not the type of effort we need to have from any of our team, me on down. To talk about good things really is pretty hard on a day like today."

Brother act ends: The Bears on Monday terminated the contract of fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo, who was eligible to return to the team after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on steroids and related substances.

Ayanbadejo, whose younger brother Brendon is one of the Bears' top special-teams players, was signed in the off-season.

In eight previous seasons, Obafemi Ayanbadejo rushed for 513 yards and 5 TDs on 123 carries and picked up 885 yards and 3 TDs on 130 receptions.

In Ayanbadejo's absence, the Bears signed fullback Lousaka Polite as the backup to starter Jason McKie, but he has been inactive in all four games.