Israel Idonije

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP Browse more photos » It's always a good thing when we can find things to smile about during such a tortuous season, and now is one of those times.   Announced today, Israel Idonije has been nominated by the Bears for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The award recognizes a player...  

For anyone figuring the 4-6 Bears have given up hope of making the playoffs, cornerback Charles Tillman put the team's mindset in perspective Monday. "If you had cancer, are you going to be doubtful the whole time saying, 'I guess I'm going to die ...  

Asked Friday if he envisioned himself as the Bears' future at the three-technique defensive tackle position, Marcus Harrison paused. "I don't know, because I can play both that and nose tackle," Harrison said. "But right now, I'm not thinking that far ahead. I'm just having so much fun playing the game. "I think Double-A (Anthony Adams) got this out of me. I'm just crazy out there right now. Double-A's silly, so he just makes me be silly...  

Losers of eight of 10 and playoff spectators for the third straight year, the Chicago Bears insist they can find motivation for their final two games. That would be a big change for a team that's shown little the past few months. As a disappointing season winds down, the Bears meet a team jockeying for playoff position when they host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.  

Chicago Bears rookie Johnny Knox injured an ankle while returning a kickoff in the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night and had to be taken off the field on a cart. Knox, a fifth-round draft pick from Abilene Christian who has also played wide receiver, made a 31-yard return and was injured on the tackle.  

Chicago Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye will miss the rest of the season because of a fracture in his lower left leg. The team leader with 6 1/2 sacks, the 32-year-old Ogunleye was injured during the third quarter of the Bears' 31-7 loss at Baltimore on Sunday. Coach Lovie Smith said Monday that Ogunleye won't need surgery.  

Over and over, coach Lovie Smith kept pointing out that the Chicago Bears are 5-9. If he's trying to keep his job, he might want to use a different approach. Smith said the poor performance "is on all of us" and he's simply focusing on the upcoming Monday night game against Minnesota -- not his future.  

The starting time of Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears has been moved back to 4:15 p.m. EST because of an impending heavy snowstorm. The game was originally scheduled to start at 1 p.m. The city of Baltimore originally recommended the move, and the NFL approved the change on Friday.  

The Baltimore Ravens are starting to look more like a playoff team, although it was difficult to judge for certain Sunday given the woeful performance of the Chicago Bears. Joe Flacco threw a career-high four touchdown passes, and the Ravens capitalized on six Chicago turnovers in a 31-7 rout. Baltimore (8-6) led 14-0 after 13 minutes and 31-7 after three quarters.  

Chicago Bears receiver Devin Hester is questionable to return Monday against the Minnesota Vikings after missing two games with a strained left calf. Hester practiced on a limited basis this week for the first time since he was injured against St. Louis on Dec. 6. Punter Brad Maynard did not practice Saturday and is also questionable with a left groin injury.  

Wide receiver Devin Hester is inactive for the Chicago Bears against the Baltimore Ravens. Hester, who leads the Bears with 54 receptions, has been nursing a calf injury. Baltimore's inactives Sunday include safety Ed Reed, who missed a third straight game with groin and foot injuries. The Ravens are also without offensive tackle Jared Gaither (foot) and wide receivers Mark Clayton (knee) and...  

Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo on Sunday said the fate of coach Lovie Smith has not yet been decided. Before the game against the Ravens, Angelo shot down a report from Comcast SportsNet/Chicago on Friday that cited unnamed sources saying Smith would return for the next to last year of his contract in 2010.  

Chicago Bears defensive back Charles Tillman suffered a rib injury making a tackle in the fourth quarter of Monday night's game against the Minnesota Vikings and had to be wheeled off the field on a stretcher. Minnesota's Visanthe Shiancoe went high to catch a pass and Tillman and teammate Craig Steltz both went through the air to hit Shiancoe at about the same time.  

Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith knows he'll be on the sideline this weekend against the Detroit Lions. Beyond that? He isn't making any predictions. Smith deflected questions about his job security Tuesday, saying he's only thinking about the Detroit game and "that's about as far as you need to go." The Bears are 6-9 and out of the playoffs for the third straight year.  

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