Bears teammates giving Roach an earful of advice

Lance Briggs, the Bears' four-time Pro Bowl weakside linebacker, has a problem with Nick Roach at middle linebacker.

Not with the way the three-year veteran from Northwestern has played. The 24-year-old Roach has a team-best 20 tackles in the past two games according to Bears statistics. But Briggs still has one complaint.

"Nick does well," Briggs said. "Nick recognizes everything. He's a smart guy, a very smart player. He recognizes all the formations. He can get us in all the checks."

But? There has to be a but.

"He's got the Lovie voice box," Briggs said. "He doesn't enunciate like say a Brian Urlacher or a Hunter Hillenmeyer. When Nick talks, we've got to make sure we've got our ears on and we're echoing, so everyone can hear. But he's working on it. He's going to get better."

The middle linebacker has the radio receiver in his helmet, so he gets the calls from head coach Lovie Smith, relays them in the huddle and makes any checks after the huddle break.

That was Urlacher's job for years. Then it was Hillenmeyer's, after he took over in the second half of the season opener when Urlacher suffered a season-ending fractured wrist. But when Hillenmeyer went down with a fractured rib, Roach stepped in.

Now he has to sound off.

Told of Briggs' complaint, Roach laughed and then shouted: "I don't know what he means by that. Wherever he might be."

Then, switching back to his inside voice, Roach said: "I know, it's something I'm conscious about, I try to work on it everyday and yeah, they remind me of it - from time to time. I feel like I'm yelling, but the guys are like, 'Huh?' (with their hands cupped to their ears). That's a bad sign."

Told that Briggs said Roach "emotes," as he does, coach Lovie Smith was amused.

"He emotes like I do?" Smith said. "Hopefully he'll talk a little bit louder this week and they can hear him."

Whoever has called signals this season, they've been coming through clearly enough for the Bears' defense to rank ninth in rushing yards allowed and eighth in passing yards allowed.

As No. 3 middle linebackers go, Roach has been impressive, borrowing on the experience he picked up in nine starts at strongside linebacker last season. He's tied with Briggs and Alex Brown for the team lead with 4 tackles for negative yardage, tied with cornerback Charles Tillman for second in tackles with 29, is second in pass breakups with 3 and has 1 sack.

Roach was back on the strong side after two plays this season when Pisa Tinoisamoa suffered a sprained knee in the opener. Then when Hillenmeyer was hurt, Roach moved over to the middle. Either spot is fine with him.

"Both of them are on the field," Roach said, "so you get in where you can fit in."