Head Coach Mike Smith
Q: Do you think it went well today and were the guys focused?
A: “The guys were very focused. Wednesday can always be a tough day because you are putting a whole lot into the game plan. This is the first exposure for our players and I thought it went well.”
Q: Could you talk about the Bears defensive unit? Do you think that (Brian) Urlacher and (Lance) Briggs are the anchor of the Bears defense?
A: “No doubt those two linebackers are very good players. I think their front seven is very strong. They have a number of defensive linemen who you can’t tell the difference from one to the other. They all play very well and it obviously speaks for the strength of their defense.”
Q: What do you think about the rookie (Matt) Forte?
A: “He has done well out there. I believe he has had 107 carries in the first five games. He is also their leading receiver and has had almost 30 touches in the first five games. They feel very comfortable with Matt. He is a guy that can run the football out of the backfield, but he can also catch the ball as well.”
Q: They also feel very comfortable with Devin Hester returning kicks. Are you going to punt to him?
A: “We can’t divulge if we are going to punt to him or not. Over the past few years, he has become one of the most dynamic punt returners in the league. We are going to definitely have a plan to try to neutralize him. It will be a challenge for our special teams units to get him under control.”
Q: How is (Devin Hester’s) development as a receiver?
A: “He has been able to get a few more catches because they are putting him in at a few different spots.”
Q: Did you feel an excitement and a buzz after being around the guys and hearing about all the community service that was accomplished yesterday around Atlanta?
A: “Speaking with the players, I feel like they really enjoyed it. They had an opportunity to go to a number of businesses throughout metro Atlanta. We split our players into seven different units. I think they had a good day. They also had the opportunity to go to the schools and work with some young kids. I know there were some three-point contests. Some of the guys were talking about who won those this morning in the locker room. I think it is great for our guys to give back to the community and go out and interact with their fans.”
Q: Keith Brooking said earlier that he considers Chicago a very physical team. Do you see that as well?
A: “Most definitely. This is going to be one of those very physical football games. We like to say that we are a physical football team and they are as well. It will be a battle. There will be a lot of one-on-one battles. It will be a good 15-rounder.”
Q: How are the guys health-wise?
A: “We have some guys out today. Grady (Jackson) did not participate. (Jason) Jefferson and Laurent (Robinson) have not been participating for the last few weeks. We held out Todd McClure. Ben Wilkerson had limited participation. During practice, Roddy (White) had a pretty good collision and we held him out for part of the practice. John Abraham was at the hospital because his second daughter should be arriving soon.”
