Urlacher Tired of Criticism

Star linebacker Brian Urlacher has stayed relatively quiet this season amidst biting criticism of his once-lauded defense. Urlacher recently spoke up and chastised those on the outside pointing fingers at the Bears defense. He said, “I’m tired of criticism that is unwarranted. People who say stuff about me, they don’t know our defense. They don’t know football. Yes, I wish I would have made a lot more big plays. Obviously, everyone could say that on our defense. I wish I was around the ball more, but I wasn’t. Just the way things worked out this season.”

Although he may be correct in his assessment of the season, many Bears fans will only see the stats. The Bears went 9-7 this year and missed the playoffs. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Urlacher tallied 171, 185 and 158 tackles, respectively. He was also named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2005. This year, he had 107 tackles, and finish third on the team. General manager Jerry Angelo has already voiced faith in Urlacher, so he will inevitably have a chance to prove everyone wrong in 2009. Bears fans are undoubtedly hoping he does just that. Get your Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.

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