Bear Essentials

As speculated here a couple hours ago, the Bears elevated running back Kahlil Bell from the practice squad to the active roster after placing running back Garrett Wolfe on injured reserve.

Bell entered the NFL this season as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings. The 5-foot-11, 212-pound UCLA product was signed to the Bears’ practice squad Sept. 16 after being waived by the Vikings a month earlier.

Bell rushed for 1,741 yards and 17 touchdowns on 395 carries (4.4-yard average) in 35 games at UCLA and caught 29 passes for 196 yards (6.8-yard average) with 1 touchdown.

With RB Garrett Wolfe being placed on injured reserve Friday with a lacerated kidney, the Bears could decide to promote running Kahlil Bell from the practice squad.

Wolfe was injured early in the 41-21 loss to the Cardinals on Nov. 8, and since then the Bears have gone with Adrian Peterson as the only backup to Matt Forte. Before his injury, Wolfe had rushed for 120 yards on 22 carries, a 5.5-yard average. He also caught 2 passes for 22 yards and had 9 special-teams tackles.

The third-round pick from Northern Illinois missed the final three games last season when he was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

Since the offensive line has been unable to create much running room for Matt Forte this season, the Bears should take a page from the Eagles' playbook and use the scheme to get him the ball in space by continuing to throw it to him.

Over the past two games, Forte has 14 receptions for 194 yards, a 13.9-yard average, which is exceptional for a running back. He had gains of 37 and 31 yards against the 49ers on screen passes, when he was able to create in space, a chance he hasn’t gotten in the run game for most of this season.

Center Olin Kreutz (back) returned to practice today, but tight end Desmond Clark (neck), safety Kevin Payne (back) and running back Garrett Wolfe (back) remain out.

Even though Frank Omiyale finished last week's game at left guard in place of starter Josh Beekman, it looks like Beekman will get his fourth straight start Sunday night. Omiyale started the first six games.

"I don't think there's going to be any changes," Omiyale said, "so I would say Josh still is getting the job done."

Omiyale is considered the better pass protector, which is why he was on the field last week for the final series, when the Bears threw on all 11 plays. Beekman gets the edge as a run blocker.

Center Olin Kreutz (soreness), tight end Desmond Clark (neck) and safety Kevin Payne (back) did not practice with their teammates Wednesday afternoon inside the Walter Payton Center.

Kreutz, who has started 111 consecutive games and missed just one game in the past eight years, is expected to be back at practice on Thursday and in the starting lineup Sunday night. Clark and Payne are expected to be questionable for the prime-time game at Soldier Field against the Eagles.

The Bears got back to practice Monday morning, with the exception of center Olin Kreutz, tight end Desmond Clark (neck) and safety Kevin Payne (back), who were held out, in addition to running back Garrett Wolfe, who still hasn’t returned from the lacerated kidney he suffered on Nov. 8 against the Cardinals.

The team hasn’t been required to list a specific injury for Kreutz yet, and he may just be getting a day off because of “general soreness.”

Offensive tackle Orlando Pace (head), safety Al Afalava (shoulder), guard Josh Beekman and cornerback Zack Bowman (back), all of whom did not finish the game in Thursday night’s loss to the 49ers, were at practice. But it remains to be seen how much any of them were limited.

Thanks to the mediocrity of the NFC so far this season, the Bears are still very much in contention for a wild-card berth, although that would require that they raise their level of play significantly.

Despite four losses in their last five games, including a couple of tremendously embarrassing performances, the Bears are only a game away from the sixth and final playoff spot. Winning the NFC North is out of the question at this point considering the Vikings’ 8-1 record.

But, after eliminating the four current NFC division leaders, the two wild-card spots are up for grabs among the Packers, Eagles, Giants and Falcons, all of whom are just 5-4.
The Bears, Panthers and 49ers are all a game back at 4-5.

As soon as the Bears “go back to the drawing board,” and “look at themselves in the mirror,” and “refuse to quit,” and “watch the film to see what they can do better,” they should consider a few things.

First, they need to keep throwing screen passes. It seems the Bears have never been able to execute that play, but against the 49ers, Matt Forte had pickups of 37 and 31 yards on screen passes. Since the offensive line doesn’t appear capable of slowing down the pass rush, the Bears have to find alternatives.

With the top two strong safeties inactive because of injuries tonight – starter Al Afalava (shoulder) and Kevin Payne (back) -- five-year veteran Josh Bullocks will get his first Bears start.

Bullocks was inactive the past two games, but he started 49 games the previous four seasons with the Saints.

Tonight’s other inactives are wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias, running back Garrett Wolfe (back/kidney), linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee), guard Lance Louis and defensive tackles Matt Toeaina and Jarron Gilbert.

Rookie cornerback D.J. Moore is active for the first time this season.

Most of the games are ancient history, but it’s pretty depressing looking back at the Bears’ last six games against the 49ers in San Francisco.

The Niners have outscored the Bears 229-36 in those games, an average whipping of 38-6, but only two of those games have been played in the past 15 years.

Just for the record, here are the results: 49ers 49, Bears 7 (2003), 49ers 17, Bears 0 (2000), 49ers 44, Bears 15 (second-round playoff game 1994), 49ers 52, Bears 14 (1991 Monday night), 49ers 26, Bears 0 (1989), 49ers 41, Bears 0 (1987 Monday night).

On a more positive note, the Bears have won each of the past three meetings, all at Soldier Field. The Bears won 41-0 in 2006, 17-9 in ’05 and 23-13 in ’04.