October 19, 2007
Bears face stiff test against Eagles' Westbrook
By Larry Mayer
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – After getting gashed by the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson, only Dr. Kevorkian would prescribe a date with the Eagles’ Brian Westbrook to cure what ails the Bears run defense.
But that doesn’t mean the embattled unit—which ranks 26th in the NFL—is backing down from the challenge as it prepares for Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
“Adrian Peterson was a long time ago,” said coach Lovie Smith. “Just concentrating on Westbrook is in itself a chore. He’s a great back, and it starts with that.”
The Bears will attempt to rebound after allowing Peterson to rush for 224 yards—the most by an individual opponent in team history—including TD runs of 67, 73 and 35 yards.
“When you don’t play as well as you know you can play, you want to get back out there and play against a good back, and we’re getting our wish this week because we’ll have the same challenges,” Smith said.
“He can do it all. [He has] great hands, he can make you miss, he can run with power. So we’ll see if we have a great week of practice and we’ve fixed some of these problems we’ve had.”
Westbrook has picked up where he left off last season when he rushed for a career-high 1,217 yards and 7 TDs while also leading the Eagles with 77 receptions for 699 yards and 4 TDs.
On the ground, the 5-10, 203-pounder is averaging 102.8 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry, increasing his rushing total in all four games he’s played this season from 85 to 96 to 110 to 120 last Sunday against the New York Jets.
In the air, Westbrook leads the Eagles with 25 receptions, ranks second on the team with 259 yards and is the only NFL running back with a 100-yard receiving game this season.
“He’s a great back,” said linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer. “A lot of times the backs you have the hardest time with like him or [San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson] are the guys who can run the ball and catch the ball coming out of the backfield.
“You always have got to know where he is. They do a great job of sort of funneling their offense through him. It was the same thing when we played them three years ago. He’s a guy that you always have to be aware of where he is. It will be a good challenge.”
Westbrook led the Eagles to a 19-9 win over the Bears Oct. 3, 2004 at Soldier Field by rushing for 119 yards on 22 carries—both season-highs that year—and catching nine passes for 63 yards.
“We think that Westbrook is one of the best backs in the league,” said defensive coordinator Bob Babich. “Not only can he catch the ball and run with it, but he’s a good blocker and a tough guy. He presents a lot of problems.”
“He’s great in the open field,” said defensive tackle Darwin Walker, who was Westbrook’s teammate with the Eagles for five seasons from 2002-06. “You’ve got to get to him and get him down fast and not let him get in the open field. That’s when he makes a lot of plays is when he gets out in the open field or out in the flat.”
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Bears face stiff test against Eagles' Westbrook - Chicago Bears
Bears face stiff test against Eagles' Westbrook
Bears face stiff test against Eagles' Westbrook
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