If the Bears (2-7) do one thing well this season, it's play defense.
Currently, the Bears are eighth in total sacks (24), just six behind the league-leading Buffalo Bills. In their most recent DVOA rankings, Football Outsiders has Chicago's defense a surprising 16th -- much better than expected for a two-win team.
The point? When Pernell McPhee threatens a quarterback from the opposing team, it's still important to listen. It just might happen.
"We gonna tear their ass up," McPhee said of Eli Manning and the Giants (6-3), via ESPN.com. "I don't care what everybody else did. We gonna sack him. He can throw the ball as many times as he wants -- we gonna sack him. I'm gonna make sure of that."
McPhee has been a breath of fresh air for John Fox and the Bears since his return on Oct. 20 from offseason knee surgery. In his first three games, most with a modified or limited snap count, McPhee already has two sacks and a forced fumble. His performance against the Vikings scrambled their shoestring offensive line, leading to the stunning loss.
While the comments might be eye-roll worthy to some, McPhee is helping the Bears remain watchable down the stretch. He's also providing Fox with evidence that his scheme can work moving forward. The argument might be that Jay Cutler and the rest of the operation are dragging the team down.
Good for a player already sure he'll miss the playoffs for trying to inject some life into the remainder of the season. If the Giants aren't careful, they might prove him right. Of course, the woefully underrated Giants offensive line that has allowed just 13 quarterback sacks all season doesn't seem to care.
"I don't play that game, so I'm not going to provide any bulletin board material," center Weston Richburg told NJ.com of McPhee. "My job is to play football on the field, and that's what I focus on."
Added offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse: "To me, that's wasted emotional energy. There's one thing to want to play with your teammates, and we all have pride, yeah. But that kind of jawing and stuff, some people can do it, some people enjoy doing it. Me personally, I'm not really into it. To me, there are better uses of my time and energy."
