‘Monsters of the Midway’ back and ready to sack their way into the playoffs

AP Photo by Ric Feld Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher looks to annihilate Falcons QB Mike Vick.

The Bears started the season in Champaign, Ill. continuing their winning ways. Late-game heroics remain their No. 1 asset. But injuries to key players like Ted Washington beg the question: Has the team’s luck run out?

The fact that the Bears play their first 11 games on artificial turf could contribute to the team’s injury woes. The Bears’ first game on natural grass is Dec. 1, when they travel to Green Bay, Wisc. Many Bears players complained about the AstroPlay surface in Champaign and it will be interesting to watch how they adjust to the change.

With a win in Atlanta, Jim Miller improved his record to 2-0 and 15-5 as a starter. In the home opener versus Minnesota, Miller was 27 of 33 pass attempts and passed for 297 yards. He would have easily broken the 300-yard mark, but Marty Booker and Dez White dropped key passes.

Since the season opened, White has been plagued with butterfingers-which has not helped his case with a receiver crew as deep as the Bears’. David Terrell had only two receptions in the first two games, but each was for six points.

Despite a couple of dropped passes, Marty Booker remains Jim Miller’s No. 1 guy. Against the Vikings, Booker had eight receptions for 198 yards and one touchdown. The Atlanta win brought his total to 265 yards. The Bears’ tight ends still get very few passes. Even with two very big catches from Fred Baxter and John Davis in the win over Atlanta, the Bears will probably look into showing them the ball a bit more.

Running back Anthony Thomas started slowly in the first two games-with only 84 yards-rushing against the Falcons. The Bears have no plans to abandon the running game and will continue to hand the ball to Thomas, the 2001 NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Bears have been excelling in the red zone. In their five chances inside the 20-yard line, they have scored four times. This places them in second in the NFC.

The Bears’ defense still remains strong, despite some lackluster first halves against the Vikings and the Falcons. The Bears’ defense is giving up about 129 yards of rushing per contest. The secondary is allowing 200.5 yards per game and Mike Brown continues to be in the right place at the right time with his big interception against the Vikings, which set up a late fourth-quarter touchdown.

Unlike Bears’ offensive coordinator John Shoop, who was under the microscope last season, defensive coordinator Greg Blache is getting all the attention. Blache was accused by Falcon quarterback Mike Vick of dirty play. Vick said that after the loss he heard Blache command his players to ‘take his knees out.’ Blache admits telling his players to tackle low, but he denies he wants to play dirty.

"That’s bull," Blache said. "I said, ‘Don’t dance with him; cut him.’ The dude wants to run, and he wants people to dance with him. It’s unbelievable."

Brian Urlacher continues to be the Bears No. 1 defender. He collected 11 tackles and two sacks in the win over the Falcons. In week one against the Vikings, he piled up 17 tackles.

Rosevelt Colvin, the Bears’ leading sacker last year, sacked Mike Vick twice last week-bringing his total sacks to three. He is currently tied for the sack lead in the NFC and second in the league overall.

The Bears have started 2-0 for the first time since 1991. The Bears started 2-0 for eight consecutive years before 1991-a streak that started with the 1984 season. Perhaps more importantly, the Bears won their first road game for the first time since the 1995 season.

The Bears have won eight of their last 10 road games. The St. Louis Rams are the only team with a better road record in their last 10 games.