LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Flip-flopping linebackers Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach seemed to have a positive impact on the Bears defense in Sunday’s 30-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Hunter Hillenmeyer tackles running back Jamal Lewis in the Bears' 30-6 win over the Browns at Soldier Field.

With Hillenmeyer moving back to middle linebacker and Roach lining up at the strongside position, the two swapped spots from the previous week and returned to where they had started in Weeks 2 and 3 before Hillenmeyer was sidelined with a rib injury.

“That’s the way we wanted to go before Hunter went down,” said coach Lovie Smith. “Both guys have done a good job. Whenever you can start the following week at a different linebacker position, that is saying a lot about those guys and the coaching they are getting. Bob [Babich] is doing a good job with them.”

The switch was made in part because the Bears had some alignment issues in their embarrassing 45-10 loss to the Bengals a week earlier. Against the Browns, Hillenmeyer registered four tackles and a quarterback hit, while Roach had eight tackles and forced two fumbles.

Hillenmeyer downplayed the significance of replacing Roach at middle linebacker, a position that entails relaying play-calls to teammates.

“I don’t want to make too much of that at all,” Hillenmeyer said. “We were both still on the field. I haven’t seen the film yet, but it seemed like Nick had a great game. Always the coaches’ idea is to keep the players out there that they think can help  them win, and Nick is definitely one of those guys. Obviously we had Cleveland kind of on the run on that side of the ball, so good things happened.”

Tommie’s back: After being held out of the Bengals game a week earlier, defensive tackle Tommie Harris recorded four tackles in his return to the starting lineup against the Browns.

“[I was] pleased with how Tommie played, as I was the entire defensive line,” Smith said. “I know the sack total (one) wasn’t what you would like it to be, but I thought we had good pressure. They maintained their gaps. Tommie was disruptive with his play, which he can be.”

Harris’ teammates were happy to have him back on the field.

“He makes us a lot better,” said defensive end Alex Brown, who registered four tackles, one sack and one tackle-for-loss. “He requires a double-team. When he’s on, a double-team doesn’t even work. He’s amazing. He’s a great athlete. He’s different. He’s a special type of player.

“When you have that type of player on your team and you have him out there on the field healthy, it makes your defense a lot better. It makes it, I don’t want to say easier, but it gives myself and [fellow defensive end Adewale Ogunleye] and even the nose a one-on-one, and that’s all you can ask for in this league.”

A different animal: One week after facing one of the NFL’s weakest passing offenses, the Bears will be challenged by one of the best Sunday when Kurt Warner leads the Arizona Cardinals into Soldier Field.

Warner, a two-time league MVP, will be attempting to rebound after throwing five interceptions last Sunday in a surprising home loss to the Carolina Panthers.

“All quarterbacks have games like that from time-to-time, all offenses go through things like that from time-to-time. But Kurt is a Hall of Fame quarterback,” Smith said. “He played in the Super Bowl last year. He has done everything you can ask a quarterback to do in this league.

“All of our players know who Kurt Warner is, along with their receivers and their entire offense. It will be a big challenge for our defense to hold down their offense this week.”

Looking up: The Vikings (7-1) maintain a two-and-a-half game lead atop the NFC North over the Bears (4-3) and Packers (4-3). But Smith isn’t spending much time worrying about Minnesota given that the Bears and Vikings don’t meet for the first time this season until Nov. 29 at the Metrodome.

“We’ll be excited when we get a chance to play them,” Smith said. “They are far down the road, but of course we keep up with what’s going on in our division. 

"We feel like we’re still in good position. We’re doing the things we need to do. We’re taking care of business at home. We have lots of division games coming up later on. But right now the best thing we can do to put ourselves in position to contend with the defending champions in our division, the Vikings, is to win the games we have right now, and Arizona is coming up.”