Brian Urlacher becomes snarling face of Bears franchise

The Bears will be exactly the kind of team they have always been, one whose Super Bowl aspirations hinge on a ferocious defense anchored by a menacing All-Pro linebacker.

There were questions about what kind of team the Chicago Bears would be this season and Brian Urlacher provided the answer in a season-opening 30-12 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Urlacher had an interception to set up the Bears' first touchdown then scooped up a fumble and returned it for another score while the defense hounded Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan and pounded any Falcons players daring to go near the ball.

Going back to the 1940s and the days of the "Monsters of the Midway" -- as the team was widely known -- gritty defense has long been a source of pride for Chicago sports fans who take pride in their blue-collar work ethic and demand the same effort from players.

"You just had a chance to talk to our franchise player Brian Urlacher," praised Bears coach Lovie Smith. "We talk a lot about taking the ball away around here as you know."

Chicago has long owned the mold for producing snarling, scary linebackers and Urlacher is the latest in a long list of greats that includes Pro Football Hall of Famers Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary.

"It's not a good defensive game for us if we can't take the ball away. Normally if you are plus-two on the turnover ratio, you're going to win 80 percent of those games. Our players understand that," said Smith. "They weren't turning it over. We were taking the ball away."

Since arriving in Chicago as the ninth overall pick in the 2000 National Football League draft, Urlacher has epitomized those qualities and has earned seven trips to the Pro Bowl while becoming the face of the franchise.

While Urlacher is the headliner on the Chicago defense, the unit is not just a one-man show.

Julius Peppers anchors an improving defensive line that kept Ryan under pressure all afternoon. Defensive lineman Henry Melton was singled out for praise by Smith while linebacker Lance Briggs provides a nice compliment to Urlacher.

"It was great to have everyone pitch in," said Peppers, who jarred the ball loose from Ryan that Urlacher turned into a touchdown. "Guys get hungry and want to get to the quarterback."

"If (the Bears offence) give us 30 points we're going to be tough to beat."