Sixty-five seconds into today’s 41-21 drubbing courtesy of Arizona, Tommie Harris decided the best way to right his increasingly uncertain situation in Chicago was to punch a man in the face. The defense then proceeded to give up touchdowns on four straight possessions and the rest was awful, cursory history. Sounds like the worst game plan ever! (more…)

Give a guy a four-year, $40 million dollar contract extension and you expect some things. Not part of those expectations: routinely missing one practice a week, chronic knee problems, sliding production, and an increasingly awkward relationship with the coaching staff. And now … the inevitable talk of Tommie Harris’ last days. (more…)

Sitting out while most of your teammates run, jump, and play can’t be too fun. So, naturally, Tommie Harris isn’t too pleased with missing practices during training camp while he nurses a sore knee. By the same token, learning that your star defensive tackle underwent super-secret knee surgery in March isn’t too fun either. (more…)

The last post of the week: something to ponder as you await the certain couch slouch and booze binge of this weekend.

Dear Mr. 91,

This city would absolutely go bonkers if were you to return to your form pre-second half of the 2006 season. It would really make everything easier on all of us Bears fanatics. We aren’t asking for much here, just a season of seeing 91 in navy and orange in the offensive backfield. Heck, you can even keep the sacks to a minimum. In fact please do, we don’t seem to perform well when you’re making the opposing gunslingers eat grass. (more…)

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan — seen here sort of smiling –won’t find any joy in the tons of pressure he is gonna face this Sunday when the Bears hit the road to face Atlanta.

Both teams are 3-2 and a Falcons victory could push Atlanta to contender status. Standing in Ryan and the rest of the team’s way is the Bears’ top-notch defense. And uh, safety Lawyer Milloy.

The carried away Milloy rocked wide receiver Roddy White during practice earlier in the week, making White questionable for Sunday’s contest. With Chris Houston and Brent Grimes set to start at cornerback, Milloy’s bad day inevitably won’t end until Monday morning. (more…)

While we’re not quite ready to compare Tommie Harris’ character to misfit and surplus gun owner’s Tank Johnson’s, his recent behavior does seem out of sorts for a man who is generally regarded in the league as a good guy.

Harris has been plagued by a left knee injury for the better part of a year now and it’s starting to show, along with his frustration and irritability toward the matter.

He has been nearly non-existent this season with only two tackles, and was literally non-existent last week due to injury. Well, now thanks to violating team policy, Harris will be out this Sunday against Detroit too. And that earns him one comparison to Johnson: the latest Chicago Bear to be suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. (more…)

If the Bears continue the trend of the last two weeks, they’ll absolutely stomp Donovan McNabb and his Eagles counterparts into submission and the score will show it. That is until the fourth quarter when the Bears defense implodes and the Eagles sneak away with a late-minute win.

In order for that not to happen, the Bears offense must convert on third down opportunities — something they have not done recently. Controlling the clock is always important for an offense that lacks big play ability, but it will be more important for the Bears in order to keep their defense fresh.

The Eagles will come out throwing, hoping to recreate the success Brian Griese had against the team last week. While I don’t see McNabb throwing 67 times, he will throw often and how well the defense contains him will be the biggest indicator of the team’s success. (more…)

You have got to wonder if the pressure isn’t starting to get to defensive tackle Tommie Harris. Through three games this season — his first being the highest-paid DT in the NFL – Harris has produced only two tackles and one for loss.

Thus, it is completely understandable why he might employ sarcasm as a method of dealing with any potential ridicule. Or at least that’s what I might think if I were into that psychology bullshit. Which I’m totally not… I’m not. (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…)

Whatchu lookin’ at Tommie?! Could it be the prospect of sitting out Sunday night’s opener versus the Indianapolis Colts?

Harris hasn’t practiced with the team since August 21, reportedly due to soreness in his left knee. I would have bet it was the left, since that’s the one he sprained last year, and subsequently, felt bothered by for the majority of the season. Hence, he was only able to rack up a career-high eight sacks in ‘07. Everybody knows that a real man could reach double digits blindfolded and on a crutch. Freakin’ pansy.

In today’s injury report, the first released by the Bears this year, Harris is said to have partially practiced with the team and is listed as the equivalent of probable.

Even if Harris is out on the field Sunday night, why is he having so much trouble with his knee(s)? I fully understand that football is a contact sport and players play through discomfort and pain all of the time, but it doesn’t bode well for a 25-year old franchise stud whom earns his money in the brutalness of the trenches. (more…)