Urlacher on Roach: He's awesome

December 15, 2012, 8:49 pm

	JIM MILLER
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When Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Bears, many were quick to criticize Brian Urlacher’s replacement, Nick Roach.

Nothing could be further from the truth, as Roach had a solid game finishing with 9 tackles. Even former Bears linebacker and CSNChicago colleague Hunter Hillenmeyer said Peterson’s 51 yard run on the first play from scrimmage was Geno Hayes' gap responsibility.

Peterson gained 104 yards in the first quarter alone on 12 carries with 2 touchdowns. He was regulated to 50 yards the rest of the game.

Brian Urlacher talked about his replacement, Nick Roach, on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week and felt his play was solid.

“He’s awesome…there is no drop off in my mind," Urlacher said. "He knows the defense just as well as I do. The more he sees, the better he will get.”

Trust is a huge factor for any team in the NFL. It’s hard to imagine Lovie Smith does not trust Roach considering he has to make all the defensive calls.

Urlacher knows the defense better than anyone and responded saying, “I trust him, the coaches trust him or he would not be in there. He does a great job, has a great attitude, is a great teammate and just really loves football.”

Urlacher: How to play Green Bay

Urlacher commented on how the Bears historically have played Green Bay by saying, “In the past we have always played Cover 2 against them and we’ve been pretty successful. They are always going to be able to move the ball, but when in the redzone, we’ve stepped it up a little bit and stopped them.”

Urlacher may have provided a window into how the Bears must take advantage of Green Bay’s pass protection of quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.

“No. 12 makes them go," Urlacher said. "They are having a hard time up front protecting him.”

Urlacher also provided what the Bears defense cannot afford to do when facing the Packers when he said, “If they get the running game going, it’s going to be a hard game for us.”

Tags: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Brian Urlacher, Nick Roach, Aaron Rodgers