Bears begin preparation for finale

Players return to Halas Hall this morning with Sunday’s season finale with the New Orleans Saints in clear focus after two off days.

Hopefully, we will get a better idea on the status of WLB Lance Briggs, who has a hip injury and did not play last week. If Briggs sits it will mean more time for Jamar Williams, whose been the heir apparent for a year now.

Williams only got in on 16 plays against Green Bay because the Packers were using so many three- and four-wide looks that the Bears were in nickel more than half the time. He’d likely see more action vs. the Saints.

New Orleans will be fighting to get into the NFC playoffs as an 8-8 team. The Saints need Minnesota to lose at Denver and Washington to fall to Dallas to get in with a victory.

The Saints are banged up. CB Mike McKenzie, who the Bears know well from his days in Green Bay, is out after tearing the ACL in his right knee last week. WR Marques Colston (chest) is injured and the status of RB’s Aaron Stecker (turf toe) and Reggie Bush (knee) remains up in the air. Stecker, the Western Illinois product, spent 1999 in training camp with the Bears before Jerry Angelo and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a hold of him.

Don’t look now, but this is an opportunity for the Bears to win consecutive games for the first time this season.