The Chicago Bears are getting healthier, although it could be too late to matter.
With a playoff berth and possibly the future of the coaching staff riding on a win over Detroit and a Minnesota loss to Green Bay, the Bears got LB Brian Urlacher back at practice Friday and also had RB Matt Forte confirm he'll be ready to go after a second straight day of practice. However, Urlacher is listed doubtful for the game.
Urlacher merely went through a limited practice, his first since suffering a pulled hamstring against Seattle on Dec. 2.
“I was encouraged that he was finally able to get on the practice field, and it’s not like we had a full-padded practice today, though," coach Lovie Smith said. "But he was able to move around, which we thought he would be able to do.
"The normal progress we hoped he would make, he has made. Brian doesn’t have to necessarily practice a full practice before we would play him, but we’re not to that point. We’re just going to look at how he moved around and see how he feels after today.”
Pressed further on the possibility of Urlacher playing against Detroit, Smith said, "He had a limited practice today, so it’s not like he went full speed."
Unless there is a drastic improvement in Urlacher's condition, it would seem his return would have to occur in a wild card playoff game next week, if there is one for the Bears. They can only get into the playoffs with a win over Detroit and a Packers win at Minnesota.
Smith said it's obvious Urlacher wants to play in a game that means so much.
"Pretty bad, I’d say, like they all want to play," Smith said.
Nick Roach, who has moved from strong side linebacker to the middle to replace Urlacher the past three games, said Urlacher took some plays in full squad scrimmage.
"He had probably a handful just to get going," Roach said.
Forte is probable and had a full practice for the first time this week after spraining his ankle early in the second half of Sunday's 28-13 win over Arizona. It's the third time this year he sprained the right ankle, and he threw just about everything known to medical science and beyond at the injury to get ready.
"I’ve done this stuff before: acupuncture, chiropractic stuff, soft-tissue work, hyperbaric chamber ... same stuff," Forte said. "It seems to work better. I think since I sprained it the first time, it’s gotten all the way healed, so it’s not a lot more damaged than the first time."
Forte expects the injury to cause some problems Sunday against the Lions at Ford Field.
"I know it is going to be painful, especially when you get tackled and hit on," he said. "It will be just like the Dallas game, when I got hit on the first play and I just had to get re-taped."
Safety Chris Conte (hamstring) and linebacker Blake Costanzo (calf) did not practice Friday and are listed as out for the game. Armando Allen (knee) also missed practice and is questionable. Also questionable is defensive tackle Henry Melton (collarbone), but Melton had a full practice Friday.
Anthony Walters would make his first NFL start in Conte's place.
Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.
