Pass-rushing to judgment

Rookie Anderson might give 'D' line a shot in the arm

Amid the quarterback hysteria surrounding the Bears' loss to the New England Patriots, perhaps it's time to ask what's going on with the defensive line. It has been quite some time since that unit dominated a game. While you can argue that pressure on the quarterback has led to interceptions, the fact is the line is not creating as many negative plays as it did earlier in the season.

Tackle Tommie Harris' campaign for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award has lost its steam. He hasn't had a sack in seven games and is stuck on five for the season. End Adewale Ogunleye leads the Bears with nine quarterback hits but has only 3½ sacks after missing time with a hamstring injury. End Alex Brown is fifth on the team with 55 tackles but didn't make a play against the Patriots. Tackle Tank Johnson finally broke into the starting lineup, but he hasn't been making any impact plays lately.

The line as a unit has combined for 24 of the team's 25 sacks and is only four off the 2005 total of 28 sacks by linemen. But the Bears are five sacks off their pace of last season, when they finished with 44.

Are they relying too much on the front four in rushing situations to compensate for coverage issues, or are the guys up front simply failing to make enough plays? What can be done to light a fire under that unit?

While the problem is more on the interior, the only move that makes sense is more playing time for rookie end Mark Anderson, particularly in rushing situations. Brown and Ogunleye are proud men, and rotating them out more in passing situations might send the necessary message for them to pick up their games.

Also, Anderson has played well enough to get on the field more. The fifth-round pick out of Alabama leads the Bears with eight sacks and has tied Brian Urlacher for the team's rookie record, despite losing a half-sack last week after the NFL reviewed film. He's one off the unofficial team rookie record of nine set by Wally Chambers in 1973.

Doesn't the consistency of Anderson's production warrant more playing time?

''It warrants playing time, period,'' Bears coach Lovie Smith said. ''There are enough reps for all of them. He has eight sacks playing [the way they have used him]. He's fresh. It's a long year.

''We will continue to play all three. Not just three -- four, really, since Israel Idonije plays, too. Anyone who has proven he can help us win. There are enough reps to do that and keep guys fresh.''

Anderson is a natural pass rusher, but at 6-4 and 255 pounds, he's probably not going to hold up consistently against the run, though it's difficult to gauge that because he hasn't been given the chance. Still, he has been the surprise of the rookie class, especially considering he fell to the fifth round. He might be the best pass rusher the Bears have drafted since using an eighth-round pick in 1983 on a kid from Tennessee State named Richard Dent.

''It's still going to take awhile to see how good he turns out, but it looks like he could turn out to be a pretty good ballplayer,'' Dent said. ''He has some speed. He still needs to work on his run skills. But he does have a little movement, working his hands, and he has some foot movement. That's nice to have your first year in this league. He can only get better, hopefully.''

Dent stands 6-5 and came into the league as a 228-pounder in need of dental work and a better diet. He built himself up to a playing weight of about 263. Dent had three sacks as a rookie, increased that number to 17½ in his second season and had 17 in 1985 en route to being named the MVP of Super Bowl XX.

Dent says Anderson is more than a guy who uses a lightning first step to outsprint larger but slower offensive tackles to the quarterback. Dent says he has seen flashes of imagination and understanding of the game from Anderson.

''The objective these kids need to understand is a lot of guys make contact [with offensive linemen] four or five steps upfield,'' Dent said. ''Then you are fighting for three or four, and the next thing you know, you are eight steps deep.

''You have to make contact or make that guy touch you or do something within three steps. If it ain't happening in three steps, it ain't going to happen in six, seven or eight. You will be pushed around [the quarterback] every time.''

FUN RUN For the second time this season, Thomas Jones came within a hair of a 100-yard outing, finishing with 99 yards against the Patriots after getting 98 against the Seahawks. If he's bothered by failing to hit the century mark, he's not saying. In fact, Jones is averaging 95.5 yards in his last eight games, and that includes a season-low 43 against the Cardinals.

"We're just trying to win a game, and we didn't," Jones said when asked if he was disappointed by falling just short of 100 yards. "It was the third [consecutive] game on the road, and we won the first two. A lot of people have said bad things about us on the road. It would have been great to win all three, especially in a tough environment. ... We have five games left, and we have to build on the good things.''

The running game suddenly is one of those good things. Jones is on pace for 1,374 yards -- 39 more than he had last season -- and he's just 55 short of 1,000. His younger brother, Cowboys running back Julius Jones, needs 147 yards to reach 1,000. They would become the first brother tandem to pull off that feat.

TARGET MAN The Bears had more rushing yards (153) and carries (36) than any team has had against the Patriots in 22 games. Jones put up great numbers, but it was also the best outing for second-year pro Cedric Benson, who carried 10 times for 46 yards and a touchdown. Benson was pumped up enough about his performance to announce yet again that he's after Jones' job.

"Much more to come," Benson said with a wink. "Maybe not this year, but definitely next year."

QUICK PICKS Ricky Manning Jr. returns from his one-game suspension having been caught for the team lead in interceptions with four. Charles Tillman picked off Tom Brady twice, both on batted passes, and is one off his career high of five set last season.

"It might look good on the statistics sheet, but I was just in the right place at the right time," Tillman said. "I got lucky. I have to give credit to Todd [Johnson] and Danieal [Manning] for tipping those passes."

The first popped into the air off Johnson's helmet as he made a vicious hit. The second came after the Patriots' Troy Brown tipped a ball behind him and Manning kept it alive with a volleyball-style set.

ROSTER MOVES The Bears waived defensive back Andre Lott to make room for Ricky Manning Jr. to return from the suspended list. As reported by the Sun-Times on Tuesday, tight end Richard Angulo was signed to the practice squad, replacing linebacker/safety Dwayne Slay. Angulo was released last week by the Vikings.

Contributing: Brad Biggs