Similar to the Lions, the Bears have their own defensive lineman that instills fear in opposing quarterbacks: Julius Peppers, and he's been doing it for years. Peppers, also a No. 2 overall draft pick, is the d-end who put a hurtin' on Matthew Stafford last Sunday near the end of the first half. As you know, Stafford will miss tomorrow's game against the Eagles and may miss over a month's worth of games as a result of that hit. But you can't hate on Peppers for doing his job; he didn't have malicious intent when sacking Stafford. In fact, he showed some concern for the young gunslinger after the game by reaching out to him:
"I just wanted to know how he was doing and what happened because he's a great young player, and I don't want to see him out for the whole year," Peppers said. "I was just checking up on him seeing if he'll be back."
It's always good to hear these sort of stories, because it proves that these athletic freaks of nature aren't just barbarians trying to kill each other. Unfortunately, I don't think that'll prevent him from easing up the next time he dominates Jeff Backus and has an open look to put a hit on a Lions quarterback.
(Side note: What did Stafford say when Peppers checked to see if he'll be back!?! Nobody seems to know that answer).