Playing games 4 days apart can be a reward
Q. Your first season in the NFL (1985) came on the heels of a full season with the USFL. How many games did you play in that one year, and can you describe how difficult it is physically, especially for older players, to have games four days apart?
A. It was over 40 games. And I've played in a bunch of Thanksgiving Day games. It's not physically difficult because one thing you know is that you're not going to have full-pad practices in between the games. You have to look at it as a reward because you're playing on Thursday, you prepare, it's an easy week of preparation physically, then you play the game, (hopefully) you win the game and you have a reward, you have a weekend off. I always looked at it as a positive.
Q. How much of an advantage is it for the Bears the following week when they have an extra three days' rest before playing the Vikings in Minnesota?
A. It should be a big advantage in terms of freshness, but a lot depends upon the Vikings and what they did the week before and where they're at in regard to the playoff picture. The team with the playoffs in front of them is always going to be more motivated. They better be more motivated.
Q. In the final four games, who are the young players on the roster you'd like to see get more playing time to evaluate them for the future or to possibly help out immediately?
A. I think Garrett Wolfe is one of those guys, (wide receiver) Mike Hass, and I would like to get a clear-cut evaluation of what Mark Bradley means to this team. Defensively you don't have the same luxury because you always have to keep special teams in the back of your mind in consideration of who gets playing time or not.
I don't see this as a roster where you have to go out there and rediscover (where) all your talent (is). You have to make the talent on the field play better, so I'm still interested in watching guys play better, as far as some of the veterans on the team.
But I want to see (rookie guard/center) Josh Beekman play. I think he's ready to come up and contribute and contend for a starting position. I think it's important to get him some reps somewhere.
Q. There seems to be some difference of opinion on Bradley. Is he running out of time with this organization?
A. He's going to compete in the coming off-season, but would I like to have more than 3 catches to evaluate him on? Yeah, but Mark Bradley's going to have to earn more opportunities on the field, and it's not going to be something that's just given to him.
Mike Hass has shown enough in practice that manipulating the ball down the field can be done (with him in the lineup). When you look at guys like the Bobby Engrams and the Wes Welkers, Hass has a lot of that same kind of talent and those same kinds of traits. He's a guy that should be given a little bit of a look-see.
Q. Is Bradley's lack of production (3 catches for 33 yards) more the result of not being given enough playing time or not earning enough playing time?
A. Not earning enough playing time. You want him to be a complete player. You want him to be a blocker, you want him to be able to get open, you need him to stay healthy.
You just have to produce. When you get practice opportunities, you have to practice at a high level. You have to play and perform at a high level. You have to be a blocker as much as a catcher. You have to do something to catch the coaches' eye.
Yeah, they see flashes of it; they saw it in the Hall of Fame (first preseason) game his rookie year, but then you never have had consistency because of injuries.
Q. When do we see Kyle Orton, and does he need to be evaluated in game situations before this season ends after sitting for two years?
A. Do the Bears really need to see him? No, because they know what he's got, what his capabilities are. Would it be of interest to watch him play? Yeah, it would be fun to watch him play to see how he makes use of the receivers and the game plan and everything.
But they're in a real peculiar position at quarterback with still trying to identify what they have in Rex (Grossman).