Bears leary of rejuvenated corner Woodson

After eight years with the Raiders, the reputation of former Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson had become a bit tarnished, and he was considered by some to be on the downside of his NFL career when the Packers signed him in 2006.

"I heard that a few years ago, that he didn't have much left," Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "He was saving it or something, because he's as good as I've ever seen."

It's been some "downside." Woodson picked off 19 passes in his first three years in Green Bay, and he already has 7 this season to go with 4 forced fumbles and a reputation as one of the premier shut-down cornerbacks in the league. He's returned 6 of his 26 picks with the Packers for touchdowns.

"I don't remember the last time, if ever, I've seen someone have the year that he's having," Turner said. "He's all over the field. He's playing corner, he's playing the nickel, he's playing strong safety. He's coming up on tight ends, going head to head on tight ends. He's making tackles, he's causing fumbles, he's intercepting balls. He's all over the place, and it's unbelievable to watch."

Woodson held Bears tight end Greg Olsen to 1 catch for 8 yards in the season opener. The former Michigan Wolverine insists he's the same player in Green Bay that he was in Oakland, it's just that he's getting more opportunities to make big plays. He had a modest 17 interceptions in eight seasons in the City by the Bay. And playing for a winner helps, too.

"When you make interceptions, people watch," Woodson said. "I made a lot of tackles in Oakland. I never had a lot of interceptions, so people just wrote me off. Now, the interceptions have come, and now, all of a sudden, I (can) play the game again."

He plays so well, even at the age of 33, that opponents try to avoid him, and the Bears are no different.

"Woodson is one of the best players around," coach Lovie Smith said. "You would rather take your chances somewhere else."

Besides superior athleticism, Woodson has the guile of a 12-year veteran.

"He's very smart," Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said. "I'm sure he watches a lot of film. He reads route concepts very well. If you run the same thing on him twice, it's probably not going to be very successful. He baits you a little bit because he's so smart. He has good awareness, and he's got great football instincts. His athletic ability alone doesn't make him as great as he is. It's his mind and his ability to mess with the quarterback a little bit."