Bears' defense looking healthy, hoping for return to '06

The Bears' offense faces many uncertainties, but on defense the team believes all it needs is good health to return to the championship level of 2006.

"That was a good defense," coach Lovie Smith said of the unit that allowed an average of just 16.0 points a game. "(We have) the same players and more experience. We think we can be that type of defense. That's our goal."

The only player missing last year from the '06 group was defensive tackle Tank Johnson, and that wasn't much of a factor.

The big difference was an injury epidemic that deprived the defense of safety Mike Brown and nose tackle Dusty Dvoracek for 15 games, cornerback Nathan Vasher for 12 games, linebacker Lance Briggs for two games and hindered the effectiveness of defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who played through injuries much of the season.

Players and coaches don't like to use injuries as an excuse because every team has them to some extent, but it was a legitimate factor in the demise of last year's defense that yielded 93 more points than a year earlier and was partly to blame for a 7-9 season on the heels of Super Bowl XLI.

"We haven't played good defense for the most part because we've had injured players," Smith said of last season. "That's the biggest reason why we haven't played the same type of football.

"Once we have our group out on the field, we're a pretty good defense. We have our core still in place, and they're all healthy and ready to go and we expect to play that type of defense again."

Everyone is back, and Harris, Dvoracek, Vasher and Brown all are healthy again and expected to be starters. They're especially eager to prove that last year was an aberration rather than a deterioration, starting with this afternoon's first training-camp practice.

"We have the opportunity to do something special," Vasher said. "The same guys are out there this year. I think everybody's going to have a new focus and a new intensity. You can watch us during the course of this camp just to see how we improve and get ready to play our game. It's going to be a different attitude this year."

Brian Urlacher officially signed his $18 million extension Tuesday, keeping him under contract through 2012, along with Harris, who got a four-year $40 million extension in the off-season, and Vasher.

Fellow cornerback Charles Tillman is under contract through 2013, as is Briggs, while defensive linemen Alex Brown (2011) and Anthony Adams (2010) also should be Bears for a long time.

"Last year we had a little letdown on both (sides of the ball)," said Harris, who made his third straight Pro Bowl despite his injuries. "I feel like we get another chance."

Smith might not admit it, but he knows of the Bears' best chance of returning to the playoffs is with a dominant defense carrying an offense in transition.

"On the defensive side of the ball we plan on playing the way we've played it for the most part when we've been healthy around here, and that's being one of the top defenses in the league," said Smith, whose 2005 defense was even stingier, allowing just 12.6 points a game.

"It's good to get Tommie Harris signed for the long haul, it's good to get Brian Urlacher signed up for the long haul. With some of the other signings - Vasher, Tillman, Briggs - we think we can get back to playing good, dominating defense, which we'll have to play to achieve (our) goals."

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