Tommie Harris benched for poor play
Tommie Harris, who started the first two games, was one of the Bears' eight inactives Monday night, and he sat out due to a coach's decision based on lack of performance rather than because of any injury.
Harris appeared healthier this year during training than at any time in the past couple years, as he suited up for every practice and played in every preseason game. But the 2004 first-round draft choice had a total of 1 tackle in the first two games.
Harris was replaced in the starting lineup by Matt Toeaina, while underachieving Marcus Harrison, a third-round pick in 2008, was active for the first time this season. Harris was benched for one game last season and suspended for one game in 2008 for missing treatment sessions on his injured knee along with multiple team meetings.
"We have 45 guys that you go with (on game day)," coach Lovie Smith said. "We have everybody healthy right now. Just felt like we wanted to get a look at Marcus Harrison and Henry Melton inside a little bit. Just performance based. Tommie's been doing everything we've asked him to do, (but) you have decisions."
Wide receiver Devin Aromashodu, who was targeted a team-high 10 times in the season opener and caught 5 pass for 71 yards but also dropped 3 and was hesitant to go over the middle, was also inactive Monday night. Aromashodu played just one snap a week earlier against the Cowboys.
"We have good players on the sideline right now," Smith said. "We'll go to practice next week and see who gives us the best chance to win."
Earl Bennett, who missed most of training camp and all of the preseason with a hamstring injury, has taken Aromashodu's place as the third receiver. Bennett caught 5 passes for just 29 yards last week, but is willing to make catches over the middle. He had 3 catches for 21 yards Monday night.
Long time gone: Even Devin Hester said it had been a long time since he took a punt or kickoff to the house.
In his first two years in the league, Hester returned 4 kickoffs and 7 punts for touchdowns, leaving him just 2 shy of the career NFL record for kick-return touchdowns. But he was blanked in each of the past two seasons.
"My first two years it was like once every three weeks or so," Hester said. "It's been a long time, but I'm happy with what happened (Monday night), and I'm glad that I can give my teammates confidence in me that I'm still capable of taking it the distance.
"My biggest goal is to not let them doubt me and start second-guessing themselves about me. I hope that I proved to them that I'm still capable of doing it."
Hester was asked if he felt some doubt creeping in over the past two-plus years.
"If I was out there blocking, I would feel that way," he said. "But then again, I work hard every day, and those guys see me at practice, and they see the determination that I have when I'm out there practicing."
New leader: Monday night's game was the 192nd in a Bears uniform for long-snapper Patrick Mannelly, the most in franchise history; one more than defensive tackle Steve McMichael and two more than Walter Payton.
Among active players, center Olin Kreutz is second to Mannelly with 178 games played for the Bears. Mannelly has also played in 124 straight games, tops on the team, and has missed just three games in 13 seasons. Kreutz has started 121 straight games.
Juggling the lineup: With left tackle Chris Williams still out with a hamstring injury and inactive, right tackle Frank Omiyale moved over to that side and was replaced by Kevin Shaffer at right tackle.
Rookie J'Marcus Webb, as planned, played the first series of the second quarter in place of Shaffer and saw additional time in the second half. Starter Zack Bowman was benched in the second quarter in favor of Tim Jennings.