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Happy Wednesday, folks. Here are some Bears Essentials to help you get the day started.

-- Detroit Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. called the Chicago Bears “thugs” during a charity dinner, and then a team spokesman called the media to inform them he was “joking.” Not sure what to say about this one, but having covered this team for a few years they’re certainly not a “bunch of thugs” as Ford said.

Here’s the story.

-- ESPNChicago.com’s Jeff Dickerson delivers this week’s Stock Watch feature, and he’s pretty high on receiver Alshon Jeffery.

Dickerson writes: “Jeffery did a little bit of everything in the Week 4 loss in Detroit. He came up with a tough touchdown catch despite blanket coverage (he dropped a sure touchdown the play before), showed the ability to beat a defense deep with a 44-yard reception, and proved he can also be a weapon in the run game with a 27-yard end-around. With the exception of the Bears' win against the Vikings on Sept. 15, Jeffery has been a reliable target for Jay Cutler the entire season. Jeffery figures to reach 60 catches in 2013 if he continues to avoid injury -- he missed six games his rookie season. Jeffery's confidence seems to be growing every week.”

-- Melissa Isaacson does a very thorough feature story on Bears linebacker D.J. Williams. If you haven’t already, check this one out. It’s good.

-- John “Moon” Mullin takes a look at the defense at the quarter mark of the season.

The Chicago Bears made it clear Tuesday they want more production from punter Adam Podlesh.

According to two league sources, the club worked out six punters at Halas Hall on Tuesday, just two days after Podlesh finished with a 28.8-yard net average on five punts in a loss to the Detroit Lions, including one 40-yard punt returned by Micheal Spurlock for a 57-yard gain to the Chicago 22.

An NFL source pointed out that Podlesh has "struggled all year," "has lost strength" and "can't hang the ball at all." The team was still discussing the situation as of Tuesday afternoon, and the source indicated the Bears have considered moving in another direction with the team desperately needing more production at the position. But no definitive decision had been made.

Chicago worked out punters Drew Butler, T.J. Conley, Chris Kluwe, Mat McBriar, Brian Moorman and Tress Way along with long-snappers Charley Hughlett and Kyle Nelson, in addition to defensive tackle Ra'Shon Harris.

Kluwe played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2005-12 before moving on to Oakland, where he lost out in a punting competition during training camp. Moorman has spent time with Buffalo and Dallas, and like Kluwe came out on the losing end of a training camp battle in Pittsburgh.

McBriar played for the Cowboys from 2003-11 before joining the Eagles in 2012, only to be cut in March.

A former fourth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Podlesh signed a five-year contract with the Bears in 2011 worth $10 million.

Going into Sunday's game at Detroit, Podlesh had a 42-yard average on 14 punts, with six attempts being downed inside the opponent's 20.

A weekly examination of the Bears’ ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 13 | Last Week: 4 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

Chicago fell from the top five of ESPN.com’s Power Rankings but remained in the top 10 at No. 9 after Sunday’s 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Interestingly, the Lions check in at 10th, moving up six spots from 16, while the Green Bay Packers stayed at 12th and the Minnesota Vikings rose from 26th to No. 24 after their 34-27 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in London.

The Bears rank below the 49ers, Dolphins, Colts and Chiefs, who are eighth, seventh, sixth and fifth, respectively.

Chicago deserves to stay in the top 10. The Bears committed four turnovers, including a fumble returned for a touchdown. With 47 seconds left to play, remarkably, they still held a sliver of hope for tying the game when Robbie Gould lined up for the onside kick.

All but one of ESPN.com’s panelists voted for Chicago to remain in the top 10. The club received two seventh-place votes, one for No. 6, two for No. 10 and one for 12th.

The panelists put the Bears in the correct spot here. They overcame a horrid start, and too many turnovers in difficult circumstances on the road, yet had a chance at the end.

RISING

1. Alshon Jeffery, WR: Jeffery did a little bit of everything in the Week 4 loss in Detroit. He came up with a tough touchdown catch despite blanket coverage (he dropped a sure touchdown the play before), showed the ability to beat a defense deep with a 44-yard reception, and proved he can also be a weapon in the run game with a 27-yard end-around. With the exception of the Bears' win against the Vikings on Sept. 15, Jeffery has been a reliable target for Jay Cutler the entire season. Jeffery figures to reach 60 catches in 2013 if he continues to avoid injury -- he missed six games his rookie season. Jeffery's confidence seems to be growing every week.

2. Julius Peppers, DE: The Bears' failure to sack the quarterback is still alarming, but Peppers had his best game of the year on Sunday, by far. According to NFL statistics, Peppers finished with six tackles and the Bears' lone sack and quarterback hurry. Peppers also dropped Reggie Bush for no gain on the Lions' first offensive play from scrimmage, and overall, the defensive end appeared to be moving better than in previous weeks. With the Bears' depth on the defensive line tested due to injuries, it's vital Peppers contribute some impact plays to the defensive effort moving forward.

3. Earl Bennett, WR: Bennett's role in the offense is expanding. The wide receiver participated in 49 plays and caught a late fourth-quarter touchdown from Cutler, Bennett's second score in the past two weeks after hauling in the Week 3 game-clincher versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bennett isn't targeted often, he has seven catches on the season, but when the ball does come his way, the wideout generally makes a play. Bennett is clearly the fifth option on offense, but he is sure-handed and dependable.

FALLING

1. Jay Cutler, QB: The Bears lost to the Lions for two reasons; (1) Cutler turned the ball over four times, and (2) the defense failed to tackle Bush. Cutler will throw interceptions. That is a fact. Sunday marked the seventh time since 2009 that Cutler tossed three or more interceptions in a game. The Bears claim Cutler's mistakes were all physical, that his decision-making was sound in the 40-32 defeat. If that's the case, then all of Cutler's miscues are correctable. But these performances are always a concern with Cutler. The Bears might be able to beat a bad Minnesota team at home when the quarterback turns the ball over three times, but on the road against a quality opponent, the Bears have no shot to win if Cutler gives the ball away at such an alarming rate.

2. Entire defense: The whole group gets the nod for Bush rushing for 112 yards on 11 carries in the first half alone. The Lions seemed to have a solid gameplan for how they wanted to attack the Bears, but that does not excuse the poor tackling. Bush was making Bears defenders miss all over the field. The Bears have allowed way too many big plays on defense this season. The turnovers and defensive touchdowns are great, but this group is expected to produce better results. Even without Lovie Smith, Rod Marinelli, Brian Urlacher and now Henry Melton, there are enough Pro Bowl-caliber defensive players on the roster to prevent these kinds of breakdowns. And where is the pass rush? This all better improve in a hurry with Drew Brees coming to town on Sunday, otherwise the Bears' 3-0 head start to begin the season could evaporate over the next month.

3. Adam Podlesh, P: He had a rough afternoon at Ford Field, there is just no other way to put it. Despite punting in a controlled climate, Podlesh averaged only 40.2 yards per kick with a net average of 28.8 yards. Heading into Week 4, Podlesh had been averaging 44.6 yards per punt with a 42-yard net average. Punters will have bad games from time to time. Podlesh had a mild slump last year but finished the season exceptionally strong. The hope is he puts the Lions game behind him and bounces back against the Saints. Field position figures to be at a premium against the high-powered Saints' offense, so Podlesh pinning the Saints deep in their own territory whenever possible will be an important key to victory.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The expectation was for Chicago Bears No. 2 running back Michael Bush to have a larger role in the offense during the club’s Week 4 game against the Detroit Lions.

However, the Bears sent Bush on the field for just two of the team’s 72 offensive snaps in their 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions. In stark contrast, starting tailback Matt Forte played 71 of the 72 snaps and carried the ball 14 times for 95 yards and one touchdown. Forte also caught the ball five times for 22 yards.

The Bears signed Bush to a four-year, $14 million contract in the spring of 2012 to serve as Forte’s primary backup. Bush will earn a total of $2.550 million this season ($1.5 million base salary, $1 million roster bonus and $50,000 workout bonus), but has run the ball just 16 times for 24 yards in four games.

Bears coach Marc Trestman explained that Bush’s role was limited on Sunday because the Bears fell behind by 20 points in the first half.

“I think it was the kind of game it was more than anything,” Trestman said. “It was a two-minute drill more than anything else. We want Michael to be part of our football team and hope to get him in the mix during the course of the game. We have to grow in that area. We just have to find more ways to get him out there. It’s just difficult because we don’t want to take Matt off the field, either.”

Bush appeared in 13 games for the Bears last season, carrying the ball 114 times for 411 yards and five touchdowns. He rushed for a career-high 977 yards for the Oakland Raiders in 2011.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert checked in Monday after the latest slate of games with his Week 4 Quarterback Report, and here’s what he had to say about Jay Cutler.

"Bad Jay" reappeared after three weeks of good behavior (i.e., sound play) under new coach Marc Trestman. Flustered by the Detroit Lions' heavy pressure, Cutler forced the ball downfield too often. Almost half (45 percent) of his passes traveled more than 10 yards downfield, up from 29 percent over the first three games, and his average pass traveled 12.3 yards downfield -- up from 7.0 yards in Weeks 1-3. Cutler accounted for four turnovers and converted only one third down via passing. The Lions surely played a role in that performance, but Cutler seemed to forget the safety nets built into this offense.

After the game, Bears coach Marc Trestman said Cutler made good decisions, but failed to execute. By choosing to attempt longer passes, Cutler definitely increased the level of difficulty with his throws. During the first three weeks of the season, Cutler opted for more high-percentage attempts (shorter throws), which definitely increased his completion percentage.

“I felt good about my decision making. I just missed the throws,” Cutler said. “They made a great play on the first (interception), and then I underthrew (Brandon Marshall) and overthrew Alshon (Jeffery). They are throws I’m accustomed to making. I just have to make them.”

Trestman agreed.

“It wasn’t about decision making,” Trestman said. “I think it was more about the fundamentals of finishing the two throws (on two interceptions) that were both high.”

After the game, Trestman and Cutler spent some time in front of the quarterback’s locker discussing things each could’ve done better before breaking the meeting with a handshake.

This one bad performance shouldn’t shake Cutler’s confidence or Trestman’s belief in the quarterback.

They’ll recover.

ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson takes your Chicago Bears questions in the wake of their 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions during a live chat at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT) Monday. Click here to submit your questions.

DETROIT -- Here are five things we learned in the Chicago Bears’ 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions:

1. High turnover games remain a reality for Jay Cutler: Cutler deserves some credit for not calling it quits when the Lions led 40-16 late in the fourth-quarter, but his four turnovers were a major reason why the Bears lost. There isn’t a coach alive that can permanently eliminate these types of games from Cutler’s resume. When interceptions happen, they tend to happen in bunches with Cutler. That’s part of the package. It will never change. However, Cutler has been clutch for the Bears in three games this season, and certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt that he can bounce back with a stellar effort against the New Orleans Saints next Sunday. And I liked the fact Cutler and the offense kept fighting until the bitter end, even when the game was painfully out of reach. But the reality is that Cutler will always be a high-risk, high-reward quarterback, no matter the team, coach or system.

2. The defense has dropped a notch: The Bears still have a knack for forcing turnovers on defense, but Reggie Bush became the third opponent (A.J. Green and Antonio Brown) to have a monster game against the defense in the past four weeks. With the exception of Adrian Peterson's crazy game at Soldier Field in 2007, Sunday might have been the worst tackling display that I’ve seen from the Bears’ defense in recent memory. Bush is a talented multipurpose tailback, but he’s hardly considered one of the best runners in the game. However, Bush looked all-world against the Bears at Ford Field. In the span of four games, we’ve witnessed the Bears’ defense suffer multiple breakdowns on multiple fronts. And the pass rush continues to be nonexistent. The Bears sacked Matthew Stafford one time on 35 passing attempts. The individual talent is still present on the roster but, collectively, there is something missing from the Bears’ defense.

3. Alshon Jeffery is on the rise: Jeffery’s five catch for 107 yards and a touchdown performance in Week 4 would have been one of the top stories if the Bears had won. Although Jeffery’s day at Ford Field kind of gets lost in the shuffle of the bitter defeat, it is worth noting that Jeffery has responded well after a so-so game in Week 2 versus the Vikings. Jeffery showed great hands on his 14-yard touchdown reception. And even though he’s not viewed as the fastest wideout on the field, Jeffery can beat a defender deep down the field. The great thing about Jeffery is that because of his size and wingspan, he is skilled at coming down with those 50-50 jump balls that can go either way. The Bears don’t seem to be lacking in the skill position department, and after Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte; Jeffery is having one of the Bears’ most productive seasons on offense.

4. Special teams hardly were special: For the second time this season, the Bears’ coverage units were burned for a big return. This time it was Detroit’s Micheal Spurlock taking a punt back 57 yards to set up an easy Lions’ scoring drive. Special teams are held to a high standard around Chicago, and fans aren’t used to seeing that phase of the team struggle. The Bears also had issues with their punting game, which is odd considering Ford Field is an indoor stadium with a controlled climate. Devin Hester didn’t help the cause much when the Bears had opportunities to return the ball, and Hester almost fumbled on one occasion. This really was a complete team loss. All three phases of their game contributed to the Bears’ defeat in Detroit.

5. Future is bright at right guard: Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is a monster on the interior of the Detroit defensive line. The smart money was on Suh making a couple of plays lined up against Bears rookie right guard Kyle Long. As expected, Suh was a disruptive force in the Bears’ backfield with two sacks and a forced fumble that got scooped up for a touchdown. But Long didn’t do anything to embarrass himself. He more than held his own during his individual battles with Suh. Consider this a learning experience for the rookie. Smart money also suggests Long does a better job against Suh when the teams meet at Soldier Field on Nov. 10. Call it a hunch.

DETROIT -- Observed in the locker room after the Chicago Bears’ 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions:

Stunt issue: Reggie Bush busted big gains almost every time the Bears used what they call a “power” stunt. A stunt is when defensive linemen alter the path of their rush in a coordinated fashion to confuse offensive linemen, which, in turn, makes them more difficult to block. According a player in the locker room, the Lions capitalized nearly every time the stunt was called, and that caused Chicago to abandon the call entirely.

The player suspected that former Bears defensive end Israel Idonije, now with Detroit, tipped off the Lions about what they were doing.

“He totally knows our defense,” the player said.

Paea in boot: With the Bears recently placing Henry Melton on injured reserve, the sight of Stephen Paea wearing a walking boot seemed shocking. Paea wore the boot as a precautionary measure, he said, and characterized the injury as “minor turf toe.”

Paea could show up on next week’s injury report, but he’s doesn’t anticipate missing time.

Bennett makes rounds: Tight end Martellus Bennett walked around shaking hands with all his teammates after the game and telling them “good job.” Bennett said he does it after every game to enhance camaraderie in the locker room.

DETROIT -- The Chicago Bears released their list of inactives for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, and as expected, cornerback Charles Tillman wasn’t on it, which means he’ll try to play despite nagging knee and groin injuries.

Tillman practice missed time in the week leading up to the team’s 40-23 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 22, and also sat out of two workout sessions on Wednesday and Thursday heading into the matchup against the Lions.

Other inactives include receivers Marquess Wilson and Joe Anderson, cornerback Sherrick McManis (quadriceps), offensive tackles James Brown and Jonathan Scott, defensive end David Bass and defensive tackle Zach Minter, who was expected to take on a more significant role with the team placing starting defensive tackle Henry Melton recently on the injured reserve.

Provided Tillman can play effectively, the Bears should benefit from the cornerback’s presence. In the past six meetings between these teams, Lions receiver Calvin Johnson has produced only one 100-yard outing against the Bears (Oct. 10, 2011), while scoring just two touchdowns with Tillman as the primary defender covering him.

Johnson averages 4.5 receptions per game against the Bears since 2010 for an average of 71.3 yards. Tillman, meanwhile, has racked up 37 tackles, broken up eight passes and intercepted two in addition to forcing two fumbles in his last six games against the LIons.

With Tillman banged up, how long he’ll be able to play comes into the equation, and more importantly, whether he can be effective enough to slow down Johnson.

CHICAGO BEARS (3-0) at DETROIT LIONS (2-1)

Noon CT Sunday at Ford Field on FOX

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman returned to practice Friday after missing the first two days of preparation for Sunday’s matchup against the Detroit Lions due to a sore right knee and a strained groin, and is officially listed as questionable.

Tillman participated during Friday's session in a limited capacity.

“He worked today, looked good,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. But I still would have to say he’s questionable. We’re reasonably optimistic that he’ll be playing. He’ll work out the next couple of days and continue to get treatment.”

In addition, cornerback Sherrick McManis missed his third workout due to a quadriceps injury, and is officially listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game.

Trestman called Tillman “day-to-day” earlier in the week, but stressed on Friday there’s no need to rush the cornerback into action if he’s not ready to play.

Tillman, 32, has fought through multiple issues over the first three weeks of the season, playing with the knee injury in the first two contests, before missing time last week against the Steelers to rest the sore groin.

“It’s all up to trainers and to the doctors. If the doctors and the trainers say he’s ready to go, then he’s ready to go. I won’t be making this decision,” Trestman said. “It’ll be made with Charles’ best interests at heart. This game isn’t the most important game if he’s not ready to play for him. I expect that he will. I’m optimistic that he will.”

In other injury news, cornerback Zack Bowman practiced fully on Friday and is officially listed as probable.

Hopefully, everyone is pumped up about Sunday's matchup between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Here are a few Bears Essentials to get you going:

• ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released another list of his top rookies after three weeks on Thursday, and Chicago Bears offensive linemen Jordan Mills and Kyle long made the top 20.

Mills checked in at No. 10, while Long was 18th.

Breaking down Mills, Kiper wrote: “If you asked who has been better in total performance, you might pick the rookie to Mills' left on the right side of the Bears offensive line. And guard Kyle Long has been good. But let's put Mills' performance in context. Not only is he a rookie protecting Jay Cutler, he's also played his first three games against Cincinnati, Minnesota and Pittsburgh. All of those teams have an idea of how to create pressure off the edge. He's also got a rookie as his inside help. And so far he has given up exactly zero sacks from the tackle position, and he also hasn't taken a single penalty. He belongs here.”

Mills played his best game in the season opener against Cincinnati, surrendering no sacks, quarterback hits or pressures. In 194 snaps on offense, Mills has allowed two hits and nine hurries.

Long, meanwhile, has surrendered only one hit and seven hurries in 194 snaps.

“Maybe he deserves to be higher,” Kiper wrote. “But I gave Mills a little more credit based on position.”

That’s fair, considering Mills takes on more bona fide pass-rushers than Long over the course of a game.

Certainly, Jay Cutler and head coach Marc Trestman aren’t complaining about the performances of either player.

Here's the entire list.

• ESPNChicago.com’s Jeff Dickerson and Jon Greenberg debate four topics in the weekly Four Downs feature.

Dickerson writes that he doesn’t think the Bears will be able to neutralize Suh.

“I'll never understand why Suh behaves the way he does,” Dickerson wrote. “He is one of the most athletically gifted defensive tackles in the game. He doesn't need to take cheap shots. So why go down that road? All the negativity surrounding Suh makes people forget how good he really is. He had 8.0 sacks last season. The Bears offensive line has done a terrific job protecting Jay Cutler, but Suh is expected to be a tough assignment on Sunday. When the Lions are good, which isn't often, the indoor atmosphere at Ford Field is a tough venue for road teams. Expect the crowd to make it difficult for the Bears to hear Cutler at the line of scrimmage. That little extra edge for Suh could make a big difference in the game. Suh enters Sunday with zero sacks on the season. My best guess is he probably doesn't finish the game with zero sacks.”

This certainly will be a major test for Chicago's offensive line. Based on what I've seen so far, I think the Bears can get the job done. But I see Dickerson's point, too. The statistics don't show it, but Suh is playing great football right now.

The key for Chicago will be to get Detroit's crowd out of this thing early. If the Bears can do that, I think Cutler stays clean all night and lights up the Lions.

• Bears guard Matt Slauson played with Suh in college at Nebraska. So he’s got a little insight into how Suh plays. Adam Jahns gets into it right here.

- John “Moon” Mullin takes a look at the pending matchup between Long and Suh.

- Former Bears great Gale Sayers sues the NFL.

 

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler calls it merely “circumstance” that he seems to light up the Detroit Lions every time the teams meet, but a look at the numbers suggest otherwise.

Having come out victorious in five of his past six games against Detroit dating to 2010, Cutler has completed 63.4 percent of his passes against the Lions for six touchdowns and one interception and a passer rating of 96.1.

“I don’t think we can pin it down or anything,” Cutler said of his success against Detroit. “They’re getting better and better on defense and offensively. So they’re becoming a team that you’ve got to take seriously. Where we’re at in our season, especially offensively, we’ve got to get to work this week. We’ve just got to finish up tomorrow and be ready for a pretty big challenge, because offensively, they’re capable of scoring a lot of points. Defensively, they’re playing well, especially on third down.”

Detroit’s defense currently ranks first in third-down efficiency, allowing opponents to convert just 26.5 percent (9 of 34) on third downs. The Lions also rank No. 12 in defensive drive kills, where they hold opponents to three-and-out drives, or force a takeaway (7).

With five interceptions, the Lions are also tied for third in the NFL in that category, and tied for second with the lowest touchdown-to-interception margin allowed (2 TDs, 5 INTs).

But Detroit’s defensive line receives most of the recognition because of its duo at defensive tackle in Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. In 2012, the Lions forced 123 negative plays (sacks, tackles for lost yardage on running plays, and tackles for lost yardage on pass completions), and the front four played a huge role in that.

“Each week we’re facing a different style of front,” Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer said. “This one will be different with the wide-nine technique that the Detroit Lions choose to play, and their two first-round tackles inside. They put an extra safety inside the defensive ends, which is a little unusual; so another challenge for a new group of linemen and a fullback.”

But Cutler thinks his revamped offensive line can handle it. In his past six games against the Lions, Cutler suffered 20 sacks, including 7 in two games in 2012.

With better protection and a playbook more conducive to getting the ball out of his hands quicker, Cutler thinks his comfort level should only improve, and Detroit’s front four might provide the perfect test.

“I feel good about the guys we have up front,” Cutler said. “They have some really good players, (Suh) and Fairley both. The ends are playing well, too. We’re gonna have to be mindful of them. We’ve been really good operating before the snap of the ball, the first three games. We’ve got to continue that. We’re probably not going to see as many blitzes as we saw last week. That being said, those front four are good. So we have to take care of that. I’ve got to be on time. The receivers got to get to their spots. Everyone collectively, we can’t let down this week. We’ve got to stay on it. We’ve got to stay focused.”

But Detroit’s wide-nine alignment presents a challenge, according to Bears coach Marc Trestman, who mentioned that on occasion guards Kyle Long and Matt Slauson will be “on an island a little bit more at times because the tackles are going to have to leave them early,” which basically means they’ll see several one-on-one snaps against Suh and Fairley.

Cutler is comfortable with that, though, because he knows players such as Long have his back.

“Yeah, you want a guy like that,” Cutler said of Long. “I’m not saying those other four (Bears offensive linemen) wouldn’t come to bat, but they’d have to beat Kyle because he’s going to be the first one in line.”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Use a skeptical eye when perusing information gleaned from football analytics, but according to the website Pro Football Focus, Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers graded out highest of the club’s defensive players Sunday against the Steelers.

The hope now is that Peppers can take that momentum into Chicago’s NFC-North showdown Sunday at Detroit.

“In terms of individual grades, I like to leave those in-house,” said Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker when asked about Peppers. “But overall, I felt good about what he did in the game. We got more pressure this week than we got the week before that, and the week before that. So we got more hits on the quarterback.”

Peppers accounted one tackle, recovered a fumble, and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown against the Steelers. Peppers also contributed four quarterback pressures, playing in 47 of the club’s 66 snaps on defense.

In the first two games, Peppers generated just two pressures to go with one tackle. But it’s worth noting that in the Sept. 15 meeting with the Vikings, Peppers was slowed by flu-like symptoms.

With defensive tackle Henry Melton lost for the season with a torn ACL, there’s a chance Peppers could play some snaps inside at tackle as could defensive end Corey Wootton.

“They’ve both been inside and it gives teams a different look, different matchups, finding weaknesses in fronts and utilizing these guys inside because of their motors and size,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “That’s all part of scheme, working through it each and every week. Whatever Mel and the guys decide are the best matchups, we have the capability with those two guys.”

The Bears registered three sacks against the Steelers, but those came from blitzing linebackers.

Through the first three games, the front four has logged just two sacks, which has caused Tucker to try to manufacture pressure through blitzes with linebackers. That doesn’t mean Tucker no longer believes in the team's defensive line.

“I have great faith in our defensive line and our linebackers and our secondary to go out there and play hard for us, start fast and finish strong; give us everything they have,” Tucker said. “We’ll live with what we need to live with (in terms of blitzing). Again, it’s week to week. It’s game to game. It’s within a game. We’ll do what we feel like we need to do to get them stopped, and then we’ll move on to the next play.”