Injury bug hits hard
Unfortunately for the Bears, the shoulder injury to backup quarterback Caleb Hanie wasn't the only one they suffered Saturday night.
With Danieal Manning (hamstring) getting the night off, Craig Steltz got the start at strong safety, paired with Chris Harris at free safety. But midway through the fist quarter Steltz suffered a right ankle injury and did not return.
Long-snapper Patrick Mannelly also left the game with a shoulder injury in the second quarter, and backup middle linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer limped off before halftime with a left knee injury. He was replace by Kevin Malast.
Steltz's injury created additional playing time for rookie Major Wright, and the third-round draft pick from Florida made the most of his opportunity. He slammed 243-pound fullback Mike Tolbert at the line of scrimmage, 6 yards shy of the end zone and allowed Pisa Tinoisamoa to finish the play. Unfortunately for the Bears, a pass interference call against safety Al Afalava gave the Chargers a first-and-goal, setting up Tolbert's 1-yard TD run, which gave the Chargers a 14-10 lead at halftime.
Then, just before the half, Wright suffered a finger injury and left the game. If Wright's injury doesn't keep him off the field for long, he's a contender for a starting spot, but he's not thinking that far ahead yet.
"I'm not looking at that," Wright said. "I'm just looking to go out there and help this team."
Good to be back: Six-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher hadn't played in a game since suffering a dislocated wrist in last year's season opener.
"It felt good," he said. "It was fun to be out there again with my teammates hitting people that weren't my teammates. We were disappointed in the way we played, giving up the touchdown pass and the long run (18-yarder by rookie Ryan Mathews) there in the first quarter, but we'll get better as time goes on."
The hard way: The Bears' 71-yard, second-quarter TD drive was made more difficult by a holding call against Josh Beekman, who replaced Olin Kreutz at center after the first series, while the remainder of the offensive line played until halftime.
That infraction wiped out a 25-yard completion to tight end Kellen Davis. Six plays later, Robbie Gould's 52-yard field goal was wiped out when coach Lovie Smith took the points off the board after the Chargers were called for an illegal formation on the kick, giving the Bears a first down.