The Bears are 3-0 for just the third time in the last 22 seasons. But as they prepare for Sunday’s NFC North showdown in Detroit, they’re not wasting any time admiring themselves in a mirror.
“It’s just three wins,” said linebacker Lance Briggs. “Three wins isn’t going to get you into the playoffs, so for us we need to keep etching away. This is a divisional opponent and when you play somebody in your division, you can continue to separate yourself from everybody else.”
Coach Marc Trestman certainly won’t let anyone at Halas Hall rest on their laurels. Asked what he tells his players to ensure that they don’t get too satisfied with their quick start, he said: “We’re not 3-0; we’re 0-0 and this is Game 1 of 13. That’s really the reality of it all.
“We’ve got to focus on getting better each day, and on Sunday we play Game 1 of the season. That’s how it is. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel here. There are no guarantees at the end of the tunnel, that 3-0 is getting us anywhere.
“It’s giving us a chance. That’s what it’s doing. Just like hard work each week doesn’t guarantee us we’re going to win, but it gives us a chance, and that’s all we’re trying to do on Sunday. That’s really the reality of it. That’s how we’re approaching it.”
The message has clearly been received by Bears players.
“We’re not even thinking about being 3-0,” said center Roberto Garza. “We’re thinking about trying to win this football game. Coach Trestman talked about it—what happens in the past is in the past. We’ve got to worry about this week.”
