Big bonus: Bears will have all hands on deck

The Bears have been incredibly fortunate all season in terms of health, and their good fortune appears as if it will carry into the postseason.

Safety Chris Harris suffered a stinger near the end of the regular-season finale. Wide receiver Earl Bennett sat that game out, more as a precautionary measure, and rookie safety Major Wright suffered a minor leg injury last Sunday.

But everyone is expected to practice next week and play in the divisional-round game on Jan. 16.

“Next time we play, we'll have everyone ready to go as far as injury-wise,” coach Lovie Smith said. “What more can you ask for this time of the year than to have a healthy football team that's eager to play, (and) getting a chance to play a home game?”

Among the starters, and including significant backup or situational players, only two missed more than two games. Left guard Chris Williams missed three games early in the season with a hamstring, and linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa missed four games with a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery.

Thirty players on the roster played in all 16 games.

Greater later:

Running back Matt Forte played the best football of his three-year career in the second half of the season, getting stronger as time went on.

“In the last five games, I don't know if there's a back playing any better than he is right now,” Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz said. “He's always been really good, been very impressive. But about five weeks ago, something happened, maybe it was six weeks ago, but he just all of a sudden took it over.”

Forte averaged at least 4.9 yards per carry in five of the last six games. He finished with 1,069 yards and a career-best 4.5-yard average.

Rookie of the year:

Rookie right tackle J'Marcus Webb, a seventh-round pick from West Texas A&M, has been by far the team's most valuable rookie, starting 12 games.

“He played a great game last week against one of the premier pass rushers in the league,” Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said after Webb was instrumental in holding Clay Matthews to 1 sack and 2 tackles. “You can see he's getting better and better each and every week. He still has a lot to learn. That's the fun part about that big guy. He's playing at a really high level, but you can see how much better he can play.”

Same as ever:

Coach Lovie Smith doesn't agree with the notion that the game gets faster in the postseason or that the playoffs call for more quick thinking from coaches.

“I'm not one that buys into that argument at all, ‘The speed of the game,'” Smith said. “The later you get into the season, a lot more is at stake and things are starting to clear up a little bit more.

“We played tough games, and I don't see the game improving that much more, and I would like to think that coaching-wise that we've been making the same type of decisions. I don't see a lot changing.”