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Bears trying to embrace short week

With all the lip service the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell pay to player safety, Thursday night games, with just three days off after a Sunday game, appear hypocritical.

But coach Marc Trestman is making the best of the situation.

“I think it’s something you have to embrace,” he said. “It’s an issue that every team has to deal with. We accept responsibility and accountability to be at our best, just like every team does in the NFL. I can’t stand here and talk about all the different things that go into it and the repercussions and things like that.

“I told the players it counts just as much as Sunday does. So we have to continue to emotionally invest and mentally prepare and learn our assignments and be prepared to play against the matchups we’re going to see.”

If there’s a benefit to the Bears, it’s the opportunity to quickly bury the memory of Sunday’s loss to the Saints.

“It allows us to get back on our feet, back in the game after a very disappointing loss,” Trestman said. “We lived in this world up North. In the CFL, we did it a lot.”

Injury report:

Cornerback Charles Tillman (knee), linebacker Lance Briggs (foot/hip), tight end Martellus Bennett (knee) and defensive tackle Stephen Paea (toe) are all questionable, but coach Marc Trestman is “optimistic” all of them will play tonight.

Had the Bears practiced Wednesday, Tillman and Paea would not have participated, while Briggs and Bennett would have been limited.

The Giants list six players out, including three starters: center David Baas, cornerback Corey Webster and running back/kickoff returner David Wilson. Starting right guard Chris Snee is on injured reserve.

On the fast track:

Defensive tackle Christian Tupou was promoted to the active roster one day after being signed to the practice squad, and defensive tackle Nate Collins (knee) was placed on injured reserve.

By the numbers:

The Bears are 4-4 all-time on Thursday night. ... After playing for the second time in five days tonight, the Bears have one game in the next 24 days. ... The Giants are last in the NFL with 56.8 rushing yards per game and in turnover ratio at minus-13. Their defense is last in points, allowing 36.4 per game. ... The Bears are tied for sixth in turnover ration at plus-4. ... Jay Cutler’s 1,368 passing yards are the most in team history through the first five games of a season.

Don’t get caught:

Early in the second quarter last Sunday, Eric Weems was flagged for unnecessary roughness after Devin Hester’s 17-yard punt return, and the penalty moved the Bears back to their own 12-yard line. Weems is one of the top special teams players and his chippy play has drawn opponents into similar penalties in the past.

“He plays with an edge all right,” special teams coach Joe DeCamillis said. “There’s no question about that.”

Weems is tied for second with 3 special teams tackles, and the Bears need him to keep playing with the same aggressiveness, but they can’t afford penalties.

“You just have to be disciplined,” DeCamillis said. “Eric knows it, and everybody knows it. He’s gotten a couple (penalties) the other way this year, so teams are going to be on the lookout for that. He’s just got to play smart.”

Bears' Jeffery lets his play do the talking

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