Status of Vikings' Rice uncertain for Bears' game

By Brad Biggs

Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress wouldn't commit Wednesday when asked about the status of wide receiver Sidney Rice for Sunday's game at Soldier Field.

Paired with quarterback Brett Favre for the first time last season, Rice exploded with 83 receptions for 1,312 yards (15.8 average) and eight touchdowns. That was after making just 46 catches over the course of his first two seasons.

But Rice has been sidelined since having hip surgery this summer, and his absence is one of the primary reasons why the team had a quick marriage and divorce with Randy Moss as it searched for a boost in the passing game. Rice has been practicing and he could be elevated from the physically unable to perform list before playing the Bears.

"He'll fit in the system should he make it back," Childress said in a conference call with Chicago media.

Photo: Sidney Rice works out during Vikings training camp in August. (Andy King/AP)
"He was practicing last week. It's one of those deals, you want to see how the guy comes back to you every time, every day. Because he is going to go through some initial soreness, which he has, and it's quite one thing to practice on an NFL field, it's another thing to absorb the hits and play NFL-speed football.

"Those are kind of the things that he's weighing, that we're weighing, but we'll make the decision whether he can go or not all together."

Given the fact that the Vikings (3-5) are in a virtual must-win situation -- a victory would pull them within one game of the Bears and second place in the NFC North -- the best guess is that Rice will be active Sunday provided he doesn't have a setback this week. That means the Bears will have to consider the 6-4, 202-pound Rice when preparing this week.

Meanwhile, Childress said the Vikings, who have not faced the Bears this season, are still trying to get used to Charles Tillman lining up at right cornerback.

"The Bears' secondary has been) playing off each other pretty well," Childress said. "I know that's been just a little bit in flux. It's different for us. This is our first time around with the Bears this year and it's different to see Peanut Tillman over there on our left-hand side, we've got to get used to that, but I don't think they're playing too terribly bad at all.

"I think that they're being aggressive in terms of the man-to-man that they're playing, they've always played great two-deep. I think D.J. Moore is doing a nice job at their nickel spot. They're playing well-structured defense and still being aggressive with it at the same time."

Childress' background is with Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, one of the most notoriously pass-happy coaches in the league. He was asked about the need for balance in an offense -- something that has been a focal point for the Bears this season -- even when the coach wants to lean heavily on the passing game.

"There are no articles of war, as we say," Childress said. "The thing I always look at coming out of training camp and right now we're halfway through the season, is you have to know who you are. It may not be who you aspire to be as you go forward, whether it's the beginning of the year or five games into it, but who in fact are you?

"There is nobody better to measure that than Mike (Martz) with that offensive group and that's what we do here. We've got to keep a pulse on it. It doesn't mean you don't work at what you're bad at, that you have to get better at, but the important thing is knowing who you are."

Source: http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/11/status-of-vikings-rice-uncertain-for-bears-game.html

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