Bears finding more ways to get Anderson on field

Bears backup defensive end Mark Anderson is at least 50 pounds shy of your average NFL nose tackle, but he made an impact playing there in passing situations last week.

The 6-foot-4, 255-pounder had 4 solo tackles and a tackle for loss, and his pass-rush pressure helped the Bears sack Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers four times. Not bad for a guy who had never lined up at nose tackle until the Wednesday before the game.

"The coaches told me to go down there with the 1-on-1 pass-rush (drill), and I worked out a little bit," he said. "We ended up using that package for the game, and it worked pretty good. We wanted a lot of pass rushers on the field, and it worked for the most part."

Anderson burst onto the scene with 12 sacks as a fifth-round rookie in 2006, but he had just 5 sacks in 2007 and 1 in '08. Under new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, he's hoping to regain his pass-rush touch, and the initial indications are promising. Despite a toe injury, Anderson should be a presence in passing situations tonight against the Steelers.

"You're looking for your best pass rushers, and Mark is one of our best pass rushers," coach Lovie Smith said. "We haven't used him a lot inside, but if a guy can rush (from) outside, it's a different look for an inside offensive lineman who's used to blocking a little bit different type athlete."

Anderson is glad to line up anywhere, as long as he's on the field, but he says it's a different game in the land of the giants.

"Everything's quick," he said. "On the end, you get a little time to work moves and stuff. But there's no space inside. Right when the ball is snapped, their hands are coming quick. You've got to be ready to get their hands off you and try to make a play."

Not that easy: Offensive coordinator Ron Turner says there's one simple solution to making the offense run more smoothly.

"We've got to be able to run the football, make plays in the passing game when the opportunity is there and take our shots at the big play," Turner said. "We talked about being physical and didn't (do it last week). That's what we want our identity to be, and it will be."

The Bears rushed for 86 yards on 31 attempts last week, and Matt Forte managed just 55 yards on 25 carries. The Steelers were No. 2 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed last season.

Staying healthy: Cornerback Zack Bowman suffered a season-ending torn biceps in the first NFL game he played last season as a rookie. In college, a pair of knee surgeries caused his draft stock to plummet.

"It is what it is," Bowman said. "I have a track record of getting hurt, but there are injuries that I cannot control. Obviously, if I could control them, I wouldn't get hurt. It's football; it's a physical game. You go out there and you play hard. Things happen. You pick yourself up and keep going."