Smith's expectations are high for Harris

After watching Tommie Harris practice without restrictions for the second straight day, coach Lovie Smith said that he thinks the defensive tackle is getting closer to returning to his Pro Bowl form.

“At Tommie’s peak, he was as good as there was,” Smith said Thursday. “I just feel like he’ll get back to that. It’s still early in the year right now. As much as anything, this is probably as healthy as he’s been in a while. I’m anxious to see him play this week. Hopefully we can see that Tommie again.”

Harris’ teammates are equally excited about having him back in the starting lineup Sunday when the Bears host the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field. The sixth-year pro, who did not play in last weekend’s loss in Cincinnati, has recorded nine tackles and no sacks in five games this season.

“Tommie’s got to be playing at a high level for us to do well in the long run, and hopefully this will be one of the weeks where he gets back to the level of play that we know,” said defensive end Adewale Ogunleye. “He’s trying to get right, and I think he’s just waiting for that breakthrough game.

“I know a lot of times in this league you go through years where you’re just waiting for that one big play that might spark your season. I think that’s what he’s waiting for, and I think the sooner it happens the better for us as a team because we do sense [his] frustration.

“But we do have some good coaches and some veterans on our defensive line to keep us focused. We’ve been playing OK in the beginning of the year without some big plays from him, so if we can get on that same level and then get his added presence, it’s going to be good.”

Bears healthier than Browns heading into Sunday's game

The Bears are relatively healthy heading into Sunday’s home game against the Cleveland Browns.

Defensive tackle Matt Toeaina (calf) did not practice Thursday; defensive end Adewale Ogunleye (ankle) was limited; and linebacker Lance Briggs (shoulder), defensive tackle Tommie Harris (knee), defensive lineman Israel Idonije (knee), safety Danieal Manning (foot) and running back Adrian Peterson (knee) worked out without restrictions.

It was a different story for the Browns, who have 18 players listed on their injury report.

Tight ends Greg Estandia (knee) and Steve Heiden (knee) and defensive back Anthony Madison (not injury related) did not practice; linebacker David Bowens (knee), defensive linemen Kenyon Coleman (groin), Shaun Rogers (foot) and Robaire Smith (shoulder), kicker Phil Dawson (calf), offensive lineman Rex Hadnot (knee), defensive backs Brandon McDonald (shoulder) and Eric Wright (shoulder), tight end Robert Royal (hamstring/finger), and fullback Lawrence Vickers (shoulder) were limited; and quarterback Derek Anderson (hip), running back Jamal Lewis (wrist), center Alex Mack (shoulder), defensive lineman C.J. Mosley (back) and punter Dave Zastudil (knee) were not limited.

Cutler focuses on eliminating interceptions

Jay Cutler recently became the first Bears quarterback to register passer ratings of at least 100 in three straight games in 45 years. He’s on pace to break single-season franchise passing records for yards, touchdowns and completion percentage. But Cutler has also thrown 10 interceptions, the second most in the NFL.

“There are some situations where I’ve  taken some chances in ballgames,” he said. “I’ve got to be more aware of that and take care of the ball. As an offense in general we’ve all got to do a better job of that.”

In three Bears wins this season, Cutler has completed 71 percent of his passes for 624 yards with 7 TDs, 1 interception and a 109.7 passer rating. In three losses, he’s connected on 60.3 percent of his passes for 828 yards with 4 TDs, 9 interceptions and a 61.3 passer rating.

Cutler has thrown multiple interceptions in all three losses this season. But his three picks last Sunday in Cincinnati weren’t the main reason for the defeat. With the defense allowing the Bengals to score six touchdowns and one field goal on their first seven possessions, Cutler had to take some risks to try to keep his team in the game.

Asked if high expectations cause Cutler to try to do too much, especially when the Bears are trailing, coach Lovie Smith said: “I can’t say that. There are some other situations where he has brought us back. He brought us back against Seattle and the Packers.

“When we’re in a situation where we’re behind and you have to make plays, I like him being in control. We haven’t been perfect with it. But I still like the position we’re in right now. Jay’s a confident guy. We’ll do some things a little bit better this week and hopefully we won’t be in this position having to answer these types of questions.”

Bears will help turn the lakefront orange on Sunday

The Bears will wear their alternate orange jerseys for the fifth straight year Sunday when they host the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field. Chicago is 3-1 when wearing orange, defeating the 49ers 17-9 in 2005 and 41-10 in 2006 and the Vikings 48-41 in 2008 while losing to the Lions 16-7 in 2007.

The orange jerseys have white numbers with navy blue trim. The sleeves of the jerseys have three navy blue stripes with white trim. The letters “GSH,” in honor of George S. Halas, are on the left sleeve in white with blue trim.

The orange jerseys the Bears have worn each year since 2005 are different than the ones they donned in 2004 on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas. Those were orange throwback jerseys.

Bears fans attending Sunday’s game are encouraged to either wear orange or Walter Payton jerseys on what will be the 10th anniversary of the Hall of Famer's death. A special halftime tribute is planned to honor Sweetness.

Bears not taking struggling Browns for granted

The Cleveland Browns will limp into Soldier Field Sunday with a 1-6 record and an offense that has scored just four touchdowns in seven games this season. But the Bears aren’t taking anything for granted, especially not after last weekend’s demoralizing 45-10 blowout loss in Cincinnati.

“It’s an NFL team. In the NFL any team can win on any given Sunday,” said linebacker Lance Briggs. “Coaches like to say if you let a team stick around long enough they’ll find a way to beat you. What we have to do is fight every play, every quarter, every half and every game. It really is a one-game season for us. Each week is going to be that way.”

While they got pummeled by the Packers 31-3 last Sunday, the Browns took the Bengals into overtime before losing and then defeated the Bills in back-to-back games earlier this month.

“They’ve kept some teams close, even a team like Cincinnati, who shut us down pretty good,” said defensive end Adewale Ogunleye. “They played them into overtime. So if you just look at that game alone, this is a team that we can’t overlook. We’re in no position to overlook anybody right now.”

On paper, the Browns aren't very good. In total yards, they rank 31st in the NFL on offense and 32nd in defense. Their quarterback, Derek Anderson, ranks dead last among 35 qualifiers in the league with a 40.6 passer rating.

"I can only focus on the offensive line," Ogunleye said. "I think they've played very well. They've played hard. [The Browns] are trying to right the ship. They've got some talented players. They're not playing as well as they would like, but definitely they're seeing us as an opportunity to take a step in the right direction."

Bears facing big challenge in defensive tackle

Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers will present an enormous challenge for the Bears—both literally and figuratively—Sunday at Soldier Field. The 6-4, 350-pounder anchors Cleveland’s defense and also is a force on special teams, having blocked 13 field goals and two extra points in nine NFL seasons.

“He’s a huge man who can do everything,” said Bears center Olin Kreutz, who faced Rogers twice a year when the defensive tackle played for the Lions from 2001-07. “He can rush the passer. He can penetrate. He can play the run. He’s an All-Pro nose guard for a reason.”

Voted to the Pro Bowl three of the past four seasons, Rogers has registered 4.5 sacks and one fumble recovery in 12 career games against the Bears.

“He’s a great player,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “Obviously he has great size. He’s also explosive and quick. He’s got quick hands and he’s athletic. He’s a dominating player.”

Two of Rogers’ blocked field goals have come against the Bears. 

The first occurred in Dave Toub’s first game as Chicago’s special teams coordinator in the 2004 opener at Soldier Field. Rogers blocked Paul Edinger’s 27-yard attempt, and Bracy Walker returned it 92 yards for a touchdown. In 2007, Rogers blocked Robbie Gould’s 52-yard attempt in Detroit. 

“He’s dangerous,” Toub said. “He brings it hard, and we’re going to try to do our best against him. He’s so strong, and he has a great get-off inside. He’s tall enough and has long arms. He’s going to get two yards penetration and get his hands up at the perfect time, and we have to deal with him.”