Despite missing two starters, Bears defense roars to life

DETROIT - The Bears were missing two of their best players on defense.

It was difficult to notice.

Defensive tackle Tommie Harris and cornerback Nathan Vasher were both out Sunday, but the Bears still put together one of their best defensive performances of the season in a 34-7 rout of the Detroit Lions.

While Harris was serving a team suspension and Vasher was inactive due to a wrist injury, the Bears limited the Lions to 171 yards of total offense and registered the most-lopsided victory in Detroit since winning 42-14 in 1948.

"Defensively, from the start, from the first drive, shutting them down and making them punt, really kind of got it started for the day," said Bears coach Lovie Smith. "The defensive line put pressure on the quarterbacks all day. We were able to shut down their run and just make plays."

The tempo was set early as the Bears held the Lions to minus-4 yards in the first quarter. Lance Briggs sacked quarterback Jon Kitna for a 13-yard loss on the first series and Alex Brown pummeled the QB on the fourth drive, forcing a fumble at the Detroit 24. Marcus Harrison, who was filling in for Harris, also had a sack in the second quarter.

The Bears finished with 4 sacks for minus-40 yards.

The Lions managed positive yardage on only nine of their first 21 plays. Even Charles Tillman, who was questionable coming into the game, came up with a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter.

"It was great," Brown said. "The whole thing was a lot of fun to play in. You really don't get a lot of opportunities to play in 34-7 games. It's rare. There are usually a few plays that decide a game, like the games we lost."

Brown said the defense easily remembered last year's pair of losses to the Lions, especially in Detroit where they gave up 34 fourth-quarter points.

"No one needed to show us a videotape or remind us," Brown said. "We knew what happened here and we knew what happened at our place. They beat us twice last year. But that didn't give us a point nor did it take away a point.

"You learn from it, but you've got to let that go."

Brian Urlacher said, however, he would like one part of recent history to repeat for the Bears. That history occurred in 2006 when they went 13-3 in the regular season en route to the Super Bowl.

"We're trying to get on a roll," said Urlacher who finished with 4 tackles. "A couple of years ago we got eight or nine in a row. We need to do that again and put ourselves in a good position and try and get in the playoffs."

Brown pointed out that Urlacher's goal is not so far-fetched.

"We're a veteran group and we know what needs to get done," Brown said. "If everybody does their jobs we can be pretty tough to beat. That's what we want to do, keep getting better.

"We did it a few years ago and many of the same guys are here."