August 15, 2007
Veteran safeties already forming a bond
By Larry Mayer
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Mike Brown and Adam Archuleta have only been Bears teammates for a few months, but it seems like the veteran safeties have played together for years.
“Communication-wise we don’t have to make it obvious with things we’re doing,” Brown said. “We can just look at each other and pretty much know what each other’s doing. That’s the good thing about teaming up with someone who knows the system. We know each other’s body movements already.”
Adam Archuleta gives the Bears defense another talented and experienced veteran.
Acquiring Archuleta in a March trade with the Washington Redskins allowed the Bears to form one of the NFL’s top safety tandems. A converted college linebacker, Archuleta is a hard-hitting strong safety who excels in run support close to the line of scrimmage.
With Bears coach Lovie Smith serving as Rams defensive coordinator during Archuleta’s first three NFL seasons, the Arizona State product started 12 games and helped St. Louis reach the Super Bowl as a rookie in 2001 before recording career highs with 116 tackles in 2002 and five sacks in 2003.
With Archuleta’s arrival, Brown has moved back to free safety, a position he played early in his career. The 5-10, 207-pounder is one of the Bears’ most irreplaceable players—he’s a team leader who holds the franchise record with seven career defensive TDs.
“They’re both experienced players and they understand what it takes to win,” said defensive coordinator Bob Babich. “When one of them does a good thing, the other one feeds off it, and they’re just in a groove right now playing together.”
Archuleta teamed with perennial Pro Bowl free safety Aeneas Williams in St. Louis from 2001-04 but has been seeking a regular partner ever since.
“I’ve had a lot of free safeties line up next to me in the last few years,” Archuleta said. “I’ve never really had a steady guy. It’s always been a guy who’s been plugged in. But [Brown] is a pro. He can do it all.”
Archuleta is excited about playing with Brown, who possesses the ability to both blitz and defend the run at strong safety and the range and ball skills to excel at free safety.
“Mike is different because he can do a lot of stuff,” Archuleta said. “He can go in the box and blitz whereas in the past I played with free safeties in St. Louis that weren’t able to do that. When I played with Aeneas, he always stayed back. Mike’s different. He’s very well-rounded. He played my position for two years and played it very well. We’re very interchangeable.”
Teaming with Archuleta has made Brown’s job easier.
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Veteran safeties already forming a bond - Chicago Bears
Veteran safeties already forming a bond
Veteran safeties already forming a bond
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