Three mellow fellows
The Bears have had a lot of problems this season, but an aging defense is not one of them.
The advancing age of key members of that defense has been an issue as far back as the first week of training camp, but the performance of the 30-somethings has remained strong.
All three Pro Bowl picks from the defense are on the “wrong” side of 30, including 33-year-old middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, 31-year-old outside linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Charles Tillman, who will be 31 in February.
Tillman believes he’s had better seasons than the current one, but he’s never been selected to play in the Pro Bowl before.
“I guess it just wasn’t my time,” he said. “Obviously there were other corners who were doing bigger and better things than me in years past. That’s why I wasn’t able to go, I suppose. Everything happens for a reason. They called me this year. I got in. So I’m grateful for the honor.”
Interceptions are often a key statistic for cornerbacks when it comes to Pro Bowl voting, but Tillman has just 2 of his 29 career picks this season. He had 5 interceptions in 2005, 5 in ’06 and 5 more last season.
He’s also forced 27 fumbles since he came into the league in 2003, as a second-round pick out of Louisiana-LaFayette. No defensive back is even close to him in that category. Only six players in the NFL have more — including teammate Julius Peppers — who has 31 and, coincidentally, is 31.
Peppers was not voted to his seventh Pro Bowl this season, but he does lead the team with 10 sacks and 53 quarterback pressures. The Bears’ other defensive end, 31-year-old Israel Idonije, did not reach the next level as a pass rusher this season as the Bears had hoped for. He has just 4 sacks, but he’s second with 34 QB pressures and leads the Bears’ defensive linemen with 51 tackles.
Briggs was selected for the seventh straight time, but he seems just as happy for Tillman as he is for himself.
“I’m really proud of him,” Briggs said. “Charles should have been in years before now, but I’m proud of what he has been able to accomplish. When guys talk about the Bears, they talk about (No.) 33, and they’re just amazed at how he’s about to get the ball out. He’s the best in the game at it. But he’s also a great corner. He’s an all-around heck of a football player.”
The Bears’ linebacker duo isn’t bad either, and it has the awards to prove it.
“Between me and Brian, that’s 15 (Pro Bowls),” Briggs said. “I think we can pretty much compete with any pair of linebackers in the league. But it’s also a big credit to (linebackers coach) Bob Babich and (head coach) Lovie Smith, all those guys who help guide us, help stay on us no matter how many people are there to pat us on the back.
“Those guys are in there to be a jerk to us and tell us what we’re doing wrong,” Briggs said with a smile.
Urlacher says the fun factor and camaraderie are essential to the success that he and Briggs have enjoyed as individuals and as members of a group. Maybe that’s what keeps them playing young.
“He’s my best friend on the team,” Urlacher said of Briggs. “We have a good time. I think that’s the No. 1 thing. We have fun on the field; we have fun off the field.
“But when it’s time to play football, we play football. We play fast. We have a good time out there. We’re lucky I guess. For the most part, we’ve both been pretty healthy throughout our time together here, so hopefully we can keep it going for a few more years.”
Smith has insisted from training camp through Week 17 that he doesn’t see any deterioration in the production of his “old-timers.”
“We have some players that have been to the Pro Bowl eight times, been to the Pro Bowl seven times,” he said. “That’s just how it is. They’ve played a little bit, but I feel like they have a lot more football left to go.”
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