Bears' Brown: Last year's downfall defense's fault

Chicago Bear's football player Alex Brown, left , signs Johnathon Brighan's,right, shirt during an autograph session at the U.S. Colliseum indowntown Bloomington Saturday night (06/07/08) before the Extreme game. (Pantagraph/B Mosher)

Saturday, June 7, 2008 10:44 PM CDT

By Douglas Hamm
dhamm@pantagraph.com

BLOOMINGTON -- Most of the blame for the Chicago Bears’ descent from the Super Bowl to the bottom of the NFC North last season fell on the Windy City’s favorite whipping boy, quarterback Rex Grossman. | NFL page

Don’t count Bears defensive end Alex Brown among the finger pointers.

“It wasn’t Rex last year. It was us,” Brown said Saturday before an appearance at U.S. Cellular Coliseum for the Bloomington Extreme’s United Indoor Football game against the Omaha Beef.

“We were ranked 28th in the NFL as a defense, and that’s not Chicago Bears defense,” the seventh-year pro from the University of Florida continued. “I’m not going to make excuses here. We didn’t play well. We didn’t do what we did the year before to make the Super Bowl, and it showed.”

Brown has been an integral part of the Brian Urlacher-led Bears defense since he entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick in the 2002 draft. The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder was a first-team alternate for the 2006 Pro Bowl and a second-team alternate in 2007.

Last season, the 29-year-old Brown extended his streak of consecutive starts to 64, second-most on the team behind center Olin Kreutz, while registering 41 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He was rewarded with a two-year contract.

“I still have a lot of football in me,” Brown said.

Brown couldn’t steer clear of questions about Grossman, who was benched in favor of Brian Griese after a slow start before regaining the job late in the season and leading the team to victories in the final two games. Grossman and Kyle Orton shared snaps during the team’s recent minicamp.

“I believe the team is behind (Grossman),” Brown said. “I think that shows because we didn’t go out on the free agent market and get a big-time player. We didn’t go get a first-round quarterback because we believe we have a big-time quarterback.

“The first time Rex started 16 games in his career we went to the Super Bowl, so it’s kind of hard to say that he can’t play. He can play the game.”

Brown also expressed support for troubled Bears running back Cedric Benson, who was arrested for DUI in Texas earlier Saturday following a similar incident involving a boat last month.

“I did not hear the news today,” Brown said of Benson’s latest woes. “Cedric is a big part of our team and we need him on the field. We stand behind him. We need him here with a clear mind and focusing on football, and I’m sure that’s what we’re going to get.”

Brown is currently participating in voluntary team workouts ahead of the start of training camp on July 23 in Bourbonnais. The Bears open the season Sept. 7 at Indianapolis.

“We know if we play the kind of football were capable of playing as a defense, then we can play with anybody,” Brown said. “It starts with the defense. We’ve got to play better than we did last year.

“If we can get back to where we’re supposed to be and give the offense more opportunities on the field and get them in good field position, we should be fine.”