Bears need to stop inspired Benson
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CINCINNATI – Every time Cedric Benson takes a handoff, he'll be carrying a grudge along with the ball.
The defense that Benson practiced against for two years in Chicago will have to stop him when the Bears play Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. Benson has moved on from his tumultuous time in Chicago, developing into a topflight running back with the Bengals.
It's gone well for him in Cincinnati (4-2), which has revamped its offense to feature his power running style. The Bears (3-2) expect the reunion to be very personal.
"I know he's had this date circled for a long time," Bears linebacker Lance Briggs said. "When he was back in Chicago, he was a little worried we were cheap-shotting him. Now he can get revenge on everyone he thought cheap-shotted him in our training camp."
The Benson vs. Bears matchup will be more than personal; it'll go a long way in determining the outcome. He's going to get the ball a lot.
"He's had a lot of success in a number of areas," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "We just need to keep getting him the ball and keep blocking for him because when you get him the ball, good things happen."
Benson was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft, an indication the Bears viewed him as their running back of the future. It didn't work out that way. Benson sensed the organization was divided, with some supporting incumbent Thomas Jones.
The end came in Chicago after two arrests involving alcohol. When a grand jury declined to indict Benson, the Bengals gave him another chance. He did so well the rest of the season that they kept him around and made him a cornerstone.
"I definitely feel more accepted here," Benson said. "I found a way to make things work with what's given to me here. Just feel more accepted."
Benson ranks third in the NFL in rushing with 531 yards. His 127 carries lead the league and demonstrate how much the Bengals have put their offense into his hands. They got away from the running game in the second half of a 28-17 loss to Houston last Sunday, and the offense bogged down.
Benson finished with 44 yards on 16 carries — only four of them in the second half — and the Bengals came away realizing he's got to get the ball more against the Bears, who have the sixth-best run defense in the league this week.
"The running game, for the large part, controls football games," Benson said. "You set the tempo and send a message when you run it."
Despite injuries to its linebackers, Chicago has been able to stop teams on the ground. No opponent has had a 100-yard rusher. Only two teams have run for 100 yards overall: Pittsburgh had 105, Seattle had 103.
"It's an emphasis," coach Lovie Smith said. "Football 101 says you've got to stop the run first. We buy into that philosophy. We want to stop the run and try to get into third-and-long situations. Our guys have been disciplined in their gaps, but there are no secrets."
The Bears' offense appears to be settling in behind Jay Cutler, who was obtained from Denver in a trade and had his first 300-yard passing game for Chicago last week during a 21-14 loss at Atlanta. Last week, the Bears gave him a two-year contract extension through 2013.
"There's a few quarterbacks in the league who can really do some things, take your team to places it hasn't been, and that's what we're getting from Jay," Smith said. "Great arm, great mobility, brings a lot of confidence to our team. He's made a lot of plays for us, and we're excited about having a long future with him."
He'll have one advantage against the Bengals, because Cincinnati's defensive line was depleted by injuries last week. Sacks leader Antwan Odom tore his right Achilles' tendon, and Domata Peko severely sprained his left knee. With those two out in the first quarter, the Texans' offense had one of the best games in franchise history.
"When someone falls down, someone's there to carry the load," Peko said. "That's what happens with good teams. They're able to do that. So we've got to show the world we can do that."
Benson would like to show everyone that the Bears made a mistake in how they handled him. Although he insisted he wasn't trying to get revenge — he says he's beyond that — this one is clearly special for him.
"It has a bit of significance for me personally," Benson said, "with the kind of history I had and the way things finished there."
They're not really finished yet.
