Chicago Bears DT Henry Melton remembers last year, so he and the team are hoping there is more to come this season than just his performance in the season opener.

Melton, who is in a contract year, emerged from Sunday's season-opening 41-21 win over Indianapolis with two sacks, three tackles for loss and five tackles overall. He also had a couple of hits on QB Andrew Luck. 

"I have the same goal as I had last year," Melton said Monday. "Coming in, I wanted to go for double digits in my sacks and that’s just a personal goal." 

Melton got off to a similar start last year. He had two sacks in the season-opening romp of Atlanta but only recorded five sacks the rest of the year. He became such a nonfactor even coach Lovie Smith talked about his struggles to the media. 

"That is the thing I am going to try to work on this year," Melton said, "to keep going back-to-back instead of one amazing game and then kind of falling off and then a good game and then falling off. I am going to try to work on my consistency."

A former college running back at Texas who converted first to defensive end and now tackle with the Bears, Melton is planning to focus more on maintaining his conditioning this year as a means of remaining consistent. 

Melton will get a chance to show he is up to the task Thursday night against the Packers. Another strong pass rush out of the under tackle spot would be huge against QB Aaron Rodgers.

If the Bears contain the Packers rushing attack, that would be a first sign Melton may live up to expectations. Stopping the run was definitely not one of Melton's strength last year. His stuff of Colts' RB Donald Brown for a four-yard loss Sunday effectively killed one drive, and was a good sign of the improved play Melton expects to provide this year.

"A lot of people kind of just have me as a one-dimensional player, that all I can really do is pass rush," Melton said. "I want to be more than that." 

At this point, it's better for Melton that Smith is singing his praises rather than calling him out in front of the media. 

"He does everything you ask him to do," Smith said Monday. "There's reason to think that just with maturity he'll make that step."

Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.