LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears defensive
end Julius Peppers is doubtful for Sunday's home game against the Minnesota
Vikings.
Peppers, the team's top pass rusher, has a sprained
left knee and did not practice at all this week after getting hurt in Monday
night's loss at Detroit.
"I don't know if they'll completely change the
game plan, but I'd say you'll have an entirely different attitude not having
Julius Peppers on the football field," Bears coach Lovie Smith said of the
Vikings. "Great player, you have to deal with him. Especially on passing
downs, you have to think about putting two guys on him. We need other guys to
step up."
Nick Reed will likely see time as Peppers'
replacement. The Bears signed Reed, a seventh-round 2009 Seattle draft pick,
after he had been released with an injury settlement last year. Reed is the
all-time sacks leader at Oregon.
"He's a tough guy to replace," Reed said
about Peppers. "There's not a lot of people who could just come in and
fill his shoes. We've got a great D-line and a great defense and no one man is
going to win this game. It's going to be a team effort."
The Bears (2-3) and Minnesota (1-4) are both in
need of wins to stay close to Green Bay and Detroit, the league's last two
undefeated teams, in the NFC North.
Peppers has two sacks on the season and had eight
last year after signing a $91 million free agent contract to leave Carolina,
one that included $42 million in guaranteed bonus money.
"I broke it, so it's tough for a D-lineman to
play with one hand," Wootton said.
Rookie Mario Addison is available as a backup, and
Amobi Okoye can move from tackle to end after doing it several times in
preseason.
The Bears' other defensive changes come at safety,
where rookie third-round pick Chris Conte will make his first start and
second-year player Major Wright will also start with veterans Chris Harris and
Brandon Meriweather moving to the bench.
Conte played some in the first two games, was deep
on a 79-yard touchdown pass against New Orleans, and then dropped out of the
first four safeties. Now the former California player is back and starting for
a Bears defense that has been besieged with big plays the last four games.
"I think as long as we make them grind it out
and make them beat us then that's the best thing we can do," Conte said.
"So, as long as we keep the ball in front of us and really guard against
the big play, I think we'll be all right."
Tackle Gabe Carimi (knee) and defensive tackle Matt
Toeaina (knee) are out, while wide receiver Earl Bennett is questionable after
missing the previous three-plus games with a bruised chest.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
(AP
Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
