Stout defense will always be a defining characteristic of the Chicago Bears. It is typically indicative of their overall team success and it is their best weapon come Winter. Once a week, every week, we’ll look at a different position of their 2009 assemblage.

Defensive End — Pretty simply, in 2008 this defensive group did not get to the quarterback with their usual frequency. For example, from 2005-2007, the defensive ends were responsible for, on average, 18.83 sacks; compare that to only 12 last year. (more…)

Depending on whose version of events you believe, Bucs tackle Jeremy Trueblood either acted like a dick, or was grabbed near his during overtime of the Bears 27-24 loss on Sunday.

Trueblood was visibly atop Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, throwing elbows to his head, immediately after a third-down play turned up unsuccessful for the Bucs midway through OT.

The obvious infraction went uncalled, but led to a skirmish that resulted in a shoving match between Charles Tillman and Bucs wide receiver Michael Clayton. Tillman was subsenquently, and unfairly, called for unecessary roughness, giving the Bucs new life and eventually the game. (more…)

No one ever accused defensive end Adewale Ogunleye of not being smooth. Some may have questioned his consistency. The Nigerian Prince — not a nickname; dude really is a prince — proved he can be a ladies man and play good football in being awarded the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

O-Gun racked up six tackles; three of them for a loss in Sunday night’s 29-13 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts. He dropped Joseph Addai in the endzone for a safety late in the first half and stopped Dominic Rhodes on a fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter. Both plays seemed critical to maintaining the Bears’ momentum.

If you remember correctly, it was after this game that Ogunleye stated Peyton Manning “didn’t know what the hell was going on” in reference to his uncharacteristic play. (more…)