Bears News and Notes - 11/21/2008

*** If one wanted to look at our defensive woes, one could summise that once some of our defensive players got their off season money they may be mailing it in.  It is safe to say that one guy who is definitely not mailing it in is Lance Briggs, who looks to be our defensive MVP this year, and he doesn't believe anybody else is.

Briggs was asked in a roundabout way if marquee players have not played as hard after getting paid.

"I've heard it happens," Briggs said. "I can only speak for myself. I've always played the game the same way. Been no changes, never going to be a change.

"I've played with the guys here for a long time. There's no way you can convince me that these guys are playing satisfied. Until I believe it with my own eyes, there's no way that I would say that."

*** You can expect the Bears to get more looks at returnable punts and kickoffs this week as the Bears are likely to use Danieal Manning as their number 1 returner.  The hope is he can provide a spark.  I wonder though if the Bears should wait one more week on this move.  The last time the Rams saw Hester he ran back 2, they would probably just give us the ball at the 50 to keep it out of his hands.

"Devin has set the bar so high that people expect every time he touches the ball, he needs to score … every time," Manning said. "Sometimes I expect him to score, and I'm his teammate.

"If he's tired or down or anything like that, I'm the next guy in line. And I'm just trying to do my job. I try not to let my team miss a beat."

*** Speaking of Hester, HOFer Gale Sayers thinks Hester is running scared.

"He's running everything up the middle. [ The Bears return team] might have a middle return on, but if every [defender] is going to the middle, he has enough speed to go outside. He's not doing it.

He's running straight up the field and everybody is tackling him. He looks like he's afraid to go out on his own.

"A couple of times the other team would kick to the right and [Hester] would run to the right and run out of bounds. It's like he doesn't want to run the kickoffs back. Run to the left … you have the whole field!"

*** Terrence Metcalf returns to practice after a four game suspension.