The Chicago Bears’ secondary was of primary concern as the team headed back to the practice field on Monday.
Coming off a preseason-opening loss in which Buffalo Bills quarterbacks completed 29 of 34 passes, the Chicago defensive backfield was still a topic of conservation as the team opened its final week of training camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais.
With Charles Tillman still on the mend following back surgery, cornerback Nathan Vasher is the Bears’ most experienced defensive back.
But Vasher has struggled at times during training camp, and he was beaten twice by Bills receiver Lee Evans on Saturday.
“(That’s) not as well as he needs to play,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said of Vasher’s performance against the Bills. “But I’ll say that about a lot of them. We didn’t perform the way we will later on. Some guys need to pick it up, and of course, Nate is one of them.”
Smith singled out third-year cornerback Trumaine McBride for playing well in the opener. McBride recorded a team-high seven tackles against the Bills.
Afalava stepping in
Rookie safety Al Afalava also played well against the Bills, Smith said.
Afalava, a sixth-round pick out of Oregon State, has emerged as the starting strong safety in the Bears injury-depleted secondary.
In his first game as a professional, Afalava was caught off-guard by the speed of play, he said.
“Oh yeah, I was surprised,” Afalava said. “The first couple plays, I was kind of nervous. (But I) got a couple tackles, got it out of my system and just played on from there.”
Afalava missed almost all of the Bears’ organized team activities while still in school, but has made up for the missed time by putting in extra work studying the playbook.
With the regular season opener in Green Bay less than a month away, bringing Afalava along quickly is important, and Afalava’s performance thus far has given the team a reason to be confident in him, Smith said.
Smith also said Afalava has the special look in his eyes that a good safety needs to have.
“To play safety, you need a different look,” Smith said. “I won’t say odd or strange, but you need a different look. He definitely has that. At the same time, he’s confident in his ability. After you’ve gone through some practices and now you’ve got a game under your belt, it even picks up more.”
The secondary could have more help on the way soon in second-year cornerback Zack Bowman, who was having a strong training camp before going down with a hamstring injury.
Even being off the field, Bowman has been trying to improve.
“It’s all been mental reps,” Bowman said. “I’ve been watching practice closely.”
Bennett making strides
He may have lost his shorts, but Earl Bennett held on to the ball. Bennett’s diving catch – one of two diving catches he made in team drills Monday – momentarily left him without all of his practice apparel.
Bennett’s strong play throughout training camp earned him a starting receiver spot for the preseason opener, but he had only one catch against the Bills.
Still, the experience was valuable, said Bennett, who didn’t have a catch as a rookie last season.
“I think it’s very important, going out and playing the preseason, (getting) as many reps as possible leading up to the season,” Bennett said, “Any time I’m in there, I’m trying to make the best of it, learning (and) trying to make plays.”
Injury Notes
* Linebacker Nick Roach and defensive tackle Matt Toeaina each sat out practice Monday after suffering slight concussions against the Bills.
* Defensive tackle Tommie Harris, running back Matt Forte and tight end Greg Olsen all returned to practice after sitting out Saturday’s game.
* Zack Bowman practiced some Monday, but sat out of team drills as he returns from a hamstring strain.
* Danieal Manning is day-to-day with a hamstring injury.
