Angelo confident Harris will turn things around

DETROIT - Jerry Angelo said the suspension of Tommie Harris was meant to get the three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle's attention.

And the Bears' general manager is confident it will have the desired effect.

Harris, who has been a shell of his former self, with just 2 tackles in the first three games, was suspended for Sunday's game against the Lions because of repeated tardiness. He missed the Week 4 victory over the Eagles with pain in his surgically repaired left knee.

"Everybody has to be held accountable, and he just lost his focus," Angelo said before Sunday's game. "What we tried to do is get his attention. He had made the statement that he felt like this was a little bit harsh.

"He's going through some things not unlike a lot of people go through in their lives. But we've talked to Tommie, and we've helped Tommie in everything like we do every player in anything they deal with both on and off the field."

Harris partially blamed his state of mind on the birth of his out-of-wedlock child in the summer. Angelo said he and Harris have talked and have a better understanding of each other's mind set. The Bears' GM said he expects both sides to move past the situation.

"We're not going to treat it as a big deal because it isn't a big deal," Angelo said. "It's just something that we are going to be consistent with for all our players. Tommie and I had a very good talk before I left (for Detroit).

"He's very understanding and very upset about the whole situation, and he's looking forward to getting back this week and showing us the best of what he can be."

The Bears rewarded Harris for his performance the previous three years with a four-year contract extension that could be worth up to $40 million. Angelo still believes the Bears will get their money's worth from the 6-foot-3, 295-pounder.

"He's shown that he is sorry," Angelo said. "He's not making any excuses about anything other than the fact that he's going through some things. I feel very positive about going forward."

Angelo agreed that Harris hasn't played up to his past performances this season, but denied that the lingering effects from his off-season arthroscopic knee surgery are a major concern.

"He's not done the things that we're used to seeing him do," Angelo said. "But there are certain pockets of his play that he looks just like (the old) Tommie. We just haven't seen a consistent Tommie for 60 minutes. That's what we're looking for, and that's what I feel we're going to see starting this week. ...

"He's got plenty left in the tank to be the special player that we paid him to be, and that we know he can be."