Snowstorm cancels Bears' flight to Baltimore

The Bears tried to beat the snow in Baltimore, but they got sacked by Mother Nature.

With 10-20 inches of snow expected to fall this weekend, the team moved its flight from Saturday afternoon to Friday night. But the Bears never made it to Baltimore.

They boarded their charter at O’Hare at 10:30 p.m., and then sat on the plane before the flight was canceled at 12:30 a.m. because the snowstorm had arrived earlier than expected. The Bears bused back to Halas Hall, arriving at 1:15 a.m., and will attempt to fly to Baltimore late Saturday.

Bears-Ravens game pushed back to 3:15 p.m. start

With heavy snow predicted in Baltimore this weekend, the start of Sunday’s Bears-Ravens game has been moved back from noon to 3:15 p.m. Chicago time.

In anticipation of the storm and as a public safety concern, the City of Baltimore urged the change to accommodate fans and allow more time for city and stadium personnel to clear streets and walkways in and around the stadium.

The latest weather forecasts are calling for 10-20 inches of snow to fall from late Friday night through Sunday morning. As a result of the storm, the Bears moved their charter flight from Saturday afternoon to Friday night.

Injured Hester unlikely to play Sunday against Ravens

Wide receiver Devin Hester (calf) sat out practice for the third straight day Friday and was listed as doubtful for Sunday’s road game against the Baltimore Ravens.

“He’s making progress, but he has a ways to go still,” said coach Lovie Smith.

Five other Bears practiced without restrictions and are questionable for Sunday’s game: Cornerbacks Charles Tillman (back) and Zackary Bowman (illness), defensive tackle Tommie Harris (knee), offensive tackle Orlando Pace (groin) and linebacker Jamar Williams (ankle).

For the Ravens, offensive tackle Jared Gaither (foot) and defensive tackle Brandon McKinney (back) are out; receiver Mark Clayton (knee) is doubtful; safety K.J. Gerard (thigh), linebackers Tavaras Gooden (groin) and Jarret Johnson (knee/back), defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (ankle), safety Ed Reed (groin/foot), tight end L.J. Smith (ankle) and receiver Kelley Washington (ankle) are questionable; and center Matt Birk (neck), receiver Derrick Mason (finger) and linebacker Terrell Suggs (knee) are probable.

Even without playoff hopes, Bears still motivated to win

The Bears will step on the field Sunday in Baltimore for the first time since officially being eliminated from playoff contention, but coach Lovie Smith isn’t worried about his team’s motivation.

“I think I know how they will [respond],” Smith said. “We’ve been in this situation before. We have a lot of competitors here. We want to finish with a good taste in our mouth, so I know we’re anxious to play. I would say we’re going to have a good showing. That’s what we need to do.”

Even with the Bears playing only for pride, right tackle Kevin Shaffer doesn’t expect any of his teammates to give anything less than their best effort.

“We’re still going to battle,” Shaffer said. “Whenever you put that film on, people don’t look at what was your record, or was that person hurt, or how did they feel. When you evaluate a guy, you look at the tape just like any other game. You don’t know what time of year it was or if you have a shoulder injury or anything. Any chance you get to get on that film, you have to give the best you’ve got.”

With a 7-6 record, the Ravens are battling for their playoff lives. But ruining Baltimore’s post-season chances isn’t much of an incentive for Jay Cutler.

“It’s about playing well,” said the Bears quarterback. “This is not going to be our motto; that we want to be a spoiler. We want to go out and do our jobs and win football games.

“Even though we are out of it, there is a lot of character in that room, a lot of professionalism, a lot of veterans that have been successful and have been in situations like this. Most of us know how to handle it. We’re going to go to Baltimore with every intention to win the game.”

Difficult challenge looms for Bears in Baltimore

The Bears (5-8) will face a hard-nosed opponent that has excelled at home Sunday when they battle the Ravens (7-6) at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore has won 12 of its last 13 home games against NFC opponents and has permitted a league-leading 11.2 points at home in 2008-09.

“We know what type of football team they are, but we feel like we’re the same type of football team,” said coach Lovie Smith. “We’re playing a physical football team that’s fighting for a playoff spot.

“Each week is hard in the National Football League. They have a lot of good players. We have good players. It should be a heck of a game. We’ve played them in the past, so we know a little bit about what they bring to the table.”

The Ravens have rushed for an NFL-high 158 tackles in December games since 2007. Defensively, they’ve dominated at home, leading the league in points (14.7), total yards (270.5) and interceptions (85) since 2003.

“You better be confident in what you’re doing because they’re confident in what they’re doing,” said defensive end Alex Brown. “They don’t change. They’re going to run the ball, they’re going to play great defense, and they’re going to take the ball away if you make mistakes. You’ve got to do your job every play.”

With heavy snow predicted, Bears change travel plans

With 6-10 inches of snow expected to fall tomorrow in Baltimore, the Bears have moved up their flight out of O’Hare from Saturday afternoon to Friday night.

“It’s better to be there early than try to leave on Saturday and we get there at three in the morning [Sunday] and then we’ve got to go play a game at noon or one,” said defensive end Alex Brown. “So it’s better for us to go ahead and get there.”

According to coach Lovie Smith, the schedule change won’t affect the Bears’ preparation that much.

“You have to be flexible always,” he said. “This time of the year things can come up like this. For the most part, we’ll just do our regular routine, but do it up there.”

While the brunt of the storm is expected to hit Saturday, there’s a 50 percent chance of snow showers Sunday morning. Temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-30s with wind gusts up to 25 miles per hour.

Smith said that it’s difficult to say who has the advantage in adverse weather conditions.

“You can make a case on any given day who it favors,” he said. “The receivers know where they’re going to plant and break on their routes; the DBs don’t. On the other side of the football the ball is a little bit harder to secure with the conditions.

“I don’t know if one side of the ball really has a big advantage. I think a lot of it has to do with your mindset going out there. Our mindset is that it’s going to help the Bears as much as anything.”