Vikings' Peterson impressive
The Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson isn't just the third-leading rusher in the NFC, the rookie also is averaging 18.4 yards on 9 receptions and 30 yards on 4 kickoff returns.
The Bears have already shut down two of the NFL's best running backs -- the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chiefs' Larry Johnson -- so coach Lovie Smith was asked to compare Peterson to those two stars.
"It's early to start comparing him with arguably the two best running backs in the league," Smith said. "But I'll just say he's been impressive the little bit we've seen him on video. I'll be able to tell you a lot more after we play them. Just watching him on tape, averaging 5 yards a carry, and how he's gotten the yards, he's making you take notice for sure."
The Bears have had some poor games defending the run. They allowed 131 rushing yards against the Cowboys and 121 vs. the Packers.
"When you play a good back, you try to keep him contained," Smith said. "Turn him inside to our pursuit. We preach getting a lot of guys to the ball carrier anyway, and that's what you need against a guy like that. And he's not only a good runner, he can catch the ball.
"It will be a good challenge to our special teams, too, if he continues to return kickoffs."
Still waiting: Muhsin Muhammad, who led the Bears in receiving in each of his two previous seasons, is at a loss to explain his lack of production this season (10 catches, 102 yards).
"I don't know what's going on, but for whatever reason I haven't been seeing a lot of balls," the 12-year veteran said. "I had the ball thrown to me twice last week, and I caught 1 of them (for 17 yards, his longest gain of the season). That's kind of how it's going. That's what happens in the course of a year. You can hit a dry spell or you can get 10 or 15 balls in a game. You never know."
Good luck: With the Vikings' defense ranked No. 1 in the league against the run, and the Bears' run game 27th in yards and 30th in average gain, it doesn't look favorable for Cedric Benson and the ground attack, but the Bears insist they'll try.
"They're very good," Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner said of Minnesota's defense. "It's going to be tough, but we're going to have to come out and stick with it."
Benson is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry. Among 49 NFL runners with more than 125 yards, only two have worse averages -- the Texans' Ron Dayne and the Saints' Reggie Bush, both of whom are at 2.9 yards per carry.
In the plans: Rookie running back Garrett Wolfe got only 1 carry last week and picked up just 2 yards, but the Bears picked up an extra 15 yards when Packers linebacker Nick Barnett tackled Wolfe by his face mask.
The 5-foot-7 rookie has been limited to 5 yards on 4 carries so far, but Ron Turner hasn't forgotten about him.
"We had a couple of other things in the game plan for Garrett that we didn't get to use," Turner said. "A couple of them, (we) had opportunities and didn't do it.
"We'll continue to try to get him involved. He has great speed and great quickness, and when he gets out in space, he's tough to bring down."
Injury update: While cornerback Nate Vasher (groin) and defensive tackle Darwin Walker (knee) remained off the practice field Friday and were listed as doubtful for Sunday, defensive tackle Tommie Harris (knee), offensive tackle John Tait, wide receiver Bernard Berrian (toe) and linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo (foot) all went through a full practice. Harris and Ayanbadejo are probable, while Tait and Berrian are questionable, although Berrian said he expects to play.
Linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs (hamstring) and cornerback Charles Tillman (ankle) also did not practice. Urlacher's Friday absence is routine to combat general soreness, and he was listed as probable and is expected to play. Briggs and Tillman are both questionable, but they played last week with the same injuries.