Bears' defense aims to bounce back vs. Bucs

For most of the young season, the Bears' defense has been outstanding, even downright dominant during long stretches.

The Bears rank in the top 10 of most defensive categories, but the defense is comprised mostly of veterans, and they don't kid themselves into believing they're content with what they've achieved so far. Considering the team's 1-1 record, that's not enough for them.

"You've got to make plays coming down the stretch, and last game we didn't do that," strong-side linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer said of last week's 20-17 loss to the Panthers. "When the game was on the line there in the fourth quarter, they came up with the big plays and we didn't."

The defense can take another step today, starting at noon, in the home opener against the 1-1 Tampa Bay Bucs (Fox TV; WBBM Radio 780-AM ). Jon Gruden's team is averaging a respectable 22 points a game, and it leads the NFL in average gain per run and is eighth in rushing yards. The Bucs, however, have played the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons so far, and neither one of those defenses compares to the Bears.

The Bears allowed just 216 yards last week, 109 less than the league average last season, but they lost a game they appeared to have in hand.

"Honestly, I think we played well," defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said. "But I think we're disappointed in the fact that we weren't able to completely turn the tables on everybody and prove everybody wrong. But that's good because it keeps that chip on our shoulder, and we can try to go ahead and be 2-1 after this game."

To do that, the Bears will first have to shackle the Bucs' thunder-and-lightning backfield of Earnest Graham (thunder) and Warrick Dunn (lightning). But they're also wary of quarterback Brian Griese, who was their teammate the past two seasons before being traded in the off-season.

"We want to get after Brian," Ogunleye said. "We want to be aggressive and make sure he's not comfortable back there because I know he thinks he knows us and what we're about. And he does.

"He's been playing with us for the last couple of years, (facing) the same scheme as he's going against in Tampa. We've got our (work) cut out with him, but we're going to be up for the task."

It seems shocking that Griese, unappreciated by the Bears and swapped for a sixth-round draft pick, has unseated Jeff Garcia as the Bucs' quarterback after one game. Garcia made the Pro Bowl last season, but Gruden is going with Griese, at least for now.

While Garcia is much more mobile, Ogunleye said it won't be any easier for the Bears to play against the less mobile Griese.

"I like Griese because he's calm," Ogunleye said. "He doesn't get flustered a lot. Garcia, you know that if you get to him he's going to run around and maybe try to make a play. But Griese is going to give you that consistency that you hate to see in (opposing) quarterbacks."

The Bears' defense will be focused today on avoiding the disaster that befell them in Week Three last season.

After two games last season, the Bears were also in the top 10 of most defensive categories. But in their third game, also at Soldier Field, they were shamed 34-10 by the Cowboys in front of the home crowd. They were never considered an elite defense after that. They finished an embarrassing 28th in total yards allowed, 27th in pass defense and 24th in run defense.

"Last year was just the pits," Ogunleye said. "Losing isn't fun. Not making the playoffs isn't fun because we've been to that pinnacle and almost won the whole thing. So last year was a little depressing, and I don't think the guys that were here want to do it again, so we have a little bit added incentive."