EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Bears return to the site of last Sunday night’s comeback win over the New York Giants looking for the same result today when they battle the New York Jets at the Meadowlands.

Trying to improve to 9-1 for the first time since 1990, the first-place Bears enter today’s action with a four-game lead in the NFC North and a two-game cushion atop the NFC over the other three division leaders, the Giants, Saints and Seahawks.

Rex Grossman and the Bears look for their fifth straight road win today against the Jets.

Quarterback Rex Grossman rebounded from a slow start against the Giants, throwing three touchdown passes in a nine-minute span as the Bears turned a 13-3 deficit into a 24-13 lead.

The 2003 first-round draft pick from Florida is tied for second in the NFL with 17 TD passes, just one behind leader Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts. Grossman, whose career record as a starter is 12-4, also ranks eighth with 2,095 yards and 12th with an 83.6 passer rating.

Registering season-highs against the Giants, Thomas Jones rushed for 113 yards and 1 TD on 30 carries and Muhsin Muhammad caught seven passes for 123 yards and 1 TD.

Jones has three 100-yard games this season and 12 in three years with the Bears. He has already rushed for more yards in his first three seasons with the team than anyone except Walter Payton. Jones, who ranks 10th in the NFL in rushing with 725 yards, is 37 yards shy of passing Roland Harper for sixth on Chicago’s all-time rushing list.

Muhammad has posted three 100-yard performances in four road games this season. He leads the Bears with 41 catches for 566 yards and is tied with Bernard Berrian and Desmond Clark for the team lead with four touchdowns. Muhammad has caught a TD pass in three straight games for the first time since he reached the end zone in his final five contests with the Panthers in 2004.

Berrian hopes to play today after missing last Sunday night’s game with sore ribs. The 2004 third-round pick practiced throughout the week and remains questionable on the injury report.

Inactive the previous five games, Mark Bradley filled in admirably for Berrian against the Giants, catching four passes for 79 yards including his first NFL touchdown on a 29-yard pass play from Grossman that drew the Bears to within 13-10 late in the first half.

The Bears defense enters today’s game ranked first in the NFL in total yards and second in points allowed. Against the Giants, Charles Tillman registered his second interception of the season and broke up two passes while shadowing receiver Plaxico Burress.

Defensive end Alex Brown forced two fumbles while recording both Chicago sacks and now has six sacks in two career games at Giants Stadium, site of today’s game. 

The Bears run defense has allowed three straight opposing running backs to rush for 100 yards for the first time since early in the 2004 season. The 49ers’ Frank Gore (12 carries for 111 yards), the Dolphins’ Ronnie Brown (29-157) and the Giants’ Tiki Barber (19-141) have all topped the century mark.

After yielding an average of 74.5 yards rushing in their first six games, the Bears have permitted 127, 161 and 150 yards on the ground in their last three outings.

With three combined kick returns for TDs, Devin Hester enters today’s game one shy of the NFL record that’s shared by nine players. The dynamic rookie was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after tying teammate Nathan Vasher’s record for the longest play in league history when he returned a missed field goal 108 yards for a TD against the Giants.

Hester ranks second in the NFL in punt returns with a 13.1-yard average and leads the league with 32 returns, 420 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Kicker Robbie Gould has made all 23 field goals and 29 extra points he has attempted this season. With a 49-yarder against the Giants, the second-year pro set a Bears record with 25 straight field goals dating back to last season. Gould is the most accurate kicker in NFL history among those with at least 50 attempts, having converted 44 of 50 tries (88 percent).