Bears' Allen should see action against Packers
Merry Christmas, Armando Allen.
Your wish is coming true.
With Marion Barber (calf) listed as “doubtful” after not practicing all week, Allen will likely see his first NFL action as he backs up Kahlil Bell when the Bears take on the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday night.
“If there was one thing I wanted on my Christmas list, I got it,” said the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Notre Dame product. “Just having the opportunity to go out there and at least have a chance to be in the game plan, that's probably what I'm most excited about.”
Allen was undrafted out of Notre Dame despite finishing fifth in school history with 4,337 all-purpose yards. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but picked up by the Bears on Sept. 5, three days after he was waived by the Bucs.
With Devin Hester questionable at best for and Johnny Knox already on injured reserve, Allen could also be the Bears' No. 1 kickoff return man against the Packers, a role he filled for the Fighting Irish.
“We like him a lot,” coach Lovie Smith said. “We've had a chance to see him primarily on our ‘look squad' (scout team), but what we've seen is a guy with a lot of quickness and speed, a bright-eyed guy who's just excited about this opportunity.”
Asked if he could be the next Devin Hester, Allen smiled and said: “I only can be me.”
If Hester is unavailable, Earl Bennett will likely return punts.
Because I said so: Even though the Packers have won five of the last six meetings with the Bears, linebacker Lance Briggs still considers it the premier rivalry in the NFL.No two teams have played each other as often as the Bears and Packers, who will be meeting for the 184th time in a rivalry that goes back to 1921.#8220;I notice it the most when I look at other teams' rivalries and how long some of those rivalries have been going on,#8221; Briggs said. #8220;I've heard some comments that Pittsburgh and Baltimore was the biggest rivalry in the NFL, and that's false. The greatest rivalry in the NFL is, has been, and always will be, the Packers and the Bears.#8221;Big-time weapon:In Week 3, tight end Jermichael Finley caught 3 TD passes in the Packers' 27-17 victory at Soldier Field.#8220;That's just something we've got to obviously be very aware of, where he's at and what his abilities are,#8221; Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. #8220;He's special. And we've got to execute and we've got to coach better. They executed very well. They did a heck of a job.#8221;Finley is third on the Packers with 45 catches, 683 yards and 6 touchdowns. His 15.2-yard average per catch is third among tight ends behind the Giants' Jake Ballard and the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski.Health report:In addition to Marion Barber (calf, doubtful) and Devin Hester (ankle, questionable), Jay Cutler (thumb, out) and Matt Forte (knee, out) did not practice all week.#8220;It's not looking real good,#8221; coach Lovie Smith said of Barber and Hester. Lance Briggs (ankle) practiced for the first time this week, but he was limited and listed as #8220;questionable,#8221; although he will play. Henry Melton was also limited and questionable. Kellen Davis (back) is probable.For the Packers, four starters are out: offensive tackles Bryan Bulaga and Chad Clifton, wide receiver Greg Jennings and defensive end Ryan Pickett.FBN27852005Chicago Bears running back Kahlil Bell (32) picks up yardage as offensive tackle J'Marcus Webb (73) blocks Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Clinton McDonald (69) in the first half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) FBNFBN40002860Chicago Bears running back Kahlil Bell (32) runs the ball against Denver Broncos outside linebacker D.J. Williams (55) and defensive end Ryan McBean (98) in the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011, in Denver. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney) FBN