NFC: Bears' Rivera a hot item
By wire services
Published January 5, 2006
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Ron Rivera did such a good job this season molding the Chicago Bears defense and helping the team reach the playoffs that he could be on the verge of a big promotion.
Rivera, the Bears' defensive coordinator, acknowledged Wednesday he'll meet with the St. Louis Rams about their head coaching vacancy this week.
Other teams, perhaps the Packers, also interested in talking to Rivera, who helped develop the league's stingiest defense in just his second season.
"There is one confirmed," Rivera said of interested teams. He mentioned the Rams but wouldn't identify the others. There are eight NFL vacancies.
A linebacker on the Bears' only Super Bowl team of 1985, Rivera spent two seasons in charge of defensive quality control with the Bears, five years as linebackers coach of the Eagles and the past two under Lovie Smith as defensive coordinator.
GIANTS: Tight end Jeremy Shockey practiced on his injured ankle for the first time, and said he is not 100 percent but he'll see how it feels as the week goes on. Shockley denied rumors he was benched for the regular-season finale to save him for Sunday's playoff game against Carolina. "There was no way I could have played last week," he said. "I could barely walk." Meanwhile, linebacker Antonio Pierce, still wearing a cast, sounded doubtful he would return from his high ankle sprain. "How much pressure I can put on it and how much pain I can tolerate, you never know until you're actually out there banging against 300-pound guys," he said.
PANTHERS: With some questions about its ability to stop the run, Carolina must figure out a way to contain New York's Tiki Barber, perhaps the best back the Panthers face this season. Carolina yielded 194 yards rushing to Dallas' Julius Jones, who had been having just an average season before he ran wild against the Panthers two weeks ago. Last week against Atlanta, which had the best running game in the league, Carolina allowed only 26 rushing yards, but it's unclear if Atlanta made its best effort. "(Barber) is making more plays after the first or second hit," defensive end Al Wallace said. "He just squirms out of there. When guys seem to relax, he pops out for 30 or 40 more yards. We're going to have to make sure we get him on the ground."
SEAHAWKS: Safety Ken Hamlin, who has been out since he was attacked outside a Seattle nightclub Oct. 17, was at practice. Hamlin, who had a fractured skull, bruised brain tissue and a blood clot near the brain, razzed his friend Marcus Trufant for leaving their corner of the locker room a mess. "Yeah, pretty junky," Hamlin said. "No, it's hard to get on him. That's my man right there." Hamlin has mainly stayed at his offseason home in Houston, recovering. "Definitely, it hurts not being out there," Hamlin said in his first public comments since the attack, which Seattle police still are investigating. "I'm good. I'm working out. So it's going good."