Some valuable lessons to be learned from Bears' victory

Bears coach Lovie Smith talked to his team last week about using the final two games of this lost season as a springboard for 2008.

If he's serious, Smith should take some valuable lessons from Sunday's 35-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Two things were especially noticeable in the Bears' exceptional defensive effort against one of the NFL's best offenses: They didn't miss linebacker Lance Briggs or defensive end Mark Anderson.

Alex Brown replaced Anderson and had the Bears' only sack, plus an interception, a quarterback hurry, a pass defensed and 6 tackles, a total that Anderson reached once in the 14 games he started this season.

"The starting lineup seems to be a big deal as we talk about Alex Brown, but Alex has been a three-way starter as we've seen it all along," Smith said. "He got about the same amount of reps, a few more reps yesterday, than he normally does, but he was very productive.

"Whenever you talk about a defensive end getting an interception is good."

Keep that in mind when the 2008 season actually starts. Brown should get more reps than Anderson, not the other way around.

Briggs, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season, already has one foot out the door -- although he didn't have any feet on the field Sunday, sitting out with a hip injury.

Second-year player Jamar Williams started in Briggs' spot and, although he came out of the game in passing situations, played well enough when he was in there that nobody noticed the absence of the three-time Pro Bowler.

"I think he only had 16 plays or so," Smith said of Williams, who also has been one of the team's top special-teams players. "But out of the 16 plays, on half of them he was involved in the play, had an opportunity to make a play, which is showing quite a bit of production. I thought Jamar did a good job stepping in for Lance."

On the offensive side, Kyle Orton turned in an impressive performance under difficult situations. Regardless of what the Bears do in the off-season at the quarterback position, and especially if they don't make any major improvements, Orton proved he deserves a shot to compete for the job.

Orton's 103.6 passer rating was the second best by a Bears quarterback all year, and it was achieved in the worst weather conditions the team has faced all season.

Most important, Orton didn't turn the ball over once in the minus-18-degree wind chill and intermittent snow. Orton has just 1 turnover in two games, whereas Bob Griese had 12 in seven games and Rex Grossman had 10 in seven games.

"That was big to see him do that," Smith said. "He had that look about him before the game. He's really excited about this opportunity. Kyle made all of the throws. Normally you can look at quarterback play to tell whether you won or lost the game, and he had a lot to do with our win."

Smith repeatedly has said he will play whoever gives the Bears the best chance to win.

If Smith follows that rule, defensive tackles Matt Toeaina and Israel Idonije should play key roles Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, even if Darwin Walker (elbow) decides he's healthy enough to play for the first time in three weeks.

Toeaina, who has been with the team less than two weeks after being plucked off the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad, and Idonije, who's more at home at end, both have been more productive the past two weeks than Walker was when he was healthy.

In the last 10 games, four of which he missed with injuries, Walker has a total of 4 solo tackles.