Mike Nadel: And what if Bears didn't know Vikes would run?

The truly incredible thing about the Bears giving up 311 rushing yards to the Vikings was that Minnesota has a bad quarterback throwing to perhaps the worst set of receivers in recent NFL history.

<p class="MsoNormal">Knowing Tarvaris Jackson had no prayer of directing any kind of passing attack, the Bears used eight-man fronts and set up a defensive scheme designed to stop Minnesota from running.

<p class="MsoNormal">And the Vikings still ran for 311 yards!

<p class="MsoNormal">This speaks to the basic problem with the Bears' defense: Their front seven is quick but can be pushed around by a big, physical offensive line. This is especially true of the heart of the Bears' defense: Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher.

<p class="MsoNormal">Harris was such a non-factor in Sunday's 34-31 loss to Minnesota that we only knew he was in the game because he was penalized twice for being offside.

<p class="MsoNormal">Urlacher was asked if he had been shoved aside by Vikings blockers. All he would say is he had to look at the film. We don't have to look at the film. We saw the game live -- and we hardly ever saw Urlacher.

<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, Adrian Peterson was sensational, but he often had cavernous holes through which to start his runs.

<p class="MsoNormal">By the time he hit the secondary, he had such a head of steam there was no catching him.

<p class="MsoNormal">He had 224 yards on 20 carries -- all with absolutely no passing threat to keep the Bears' defense "honest."

<p class="MsoNormal">Honestly, this does not bode well for the rest of the season.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Bears' latest setback was one of many topics featured recently in my blog, The Baldest Truth.

<p class="MsoNormal">Following are a few more excerpts. Read more at www.thebaldesttruth.com.

<p class="MsoNormal">Juice squeezed

<p class="MsoNormal">No matter what Illinois coach Ron Zook tells reporters, he said all he needed to about Juice Williams with 8:55 to play in Saturday's loss at Iowa.

<p class="MsoNormal">That's when Zook pulled his starting quarterback in favor of "finisher" Eddie McGee with Illinois trailing 10-6.

<p class="MsoNormal">Zook says it's part of his regular strategy, a change-of-pace option. Zook has made the move in several games this season and says he might do so again this Saturday against Michigan.

<p class="MsoNormal">Strategy? Any longtime observer of winning football programs would be more likely to use words such as: "desperation" ... "foolishness" ... "indecisiveness" ... "lack of confidence in the starter."

<p class="MsoNormal">That McGee threw the loss-clinching interception in the end zone was beside the point. Also beside the point was that McGee threw an apparent go-ahead TD pass that was called back by penalty.

<p class="MsoNormal">The point was this: Zook didn't believe Williams -- his supposed leader and No. 1 QB -- could get the job done at crunch-time.

<p class="MsoNormal">There is a reason very, very, VERY few successful teams in the history of football at any level regularly have used two healthy QBs in games: It doesn't work!

<p class="MsoNormal">Records schmecords

<p class="MsoNormal">It's hard to believe the Bears are 2-4 and the Vikings are 2-3. After all, they are so good they can afford to employ Devin Hester and Peterson in part-time roles.

<p class="MsoNormal">Three questions

<p class="MsoNormal">Were there really six players better than Peterson in last April's draft?

<p class="MsoNormal">Were there really only three players better than Cedric Benson in the 2005 draft?

<p class="MsoNormal">If Benson is supposed to be the Bears' workhorse tailback, why do Smith and offensive coordinator Ron Turner keep forgetting he's on the team for long stretches of every game?

<p class="MsoNormal">Stats fib

<p class="MsoNormal">Statistics say Brian Griese kept the Bears in the game, passing for 381 yards. I won't say the stats lied, but they did fib a little.

<p class="MsoNormal">Griese had more than a third of his yards on the Bears' final two possessions, when the Vikings got so careful on defense they almost gave away the game.

<p class="MsoNormal">Until that point, Griese had led only one touchdown drive, had fumbled while running a quarterback sneak and had thrown two interceptions. Unsurprisingly, there were more than a few shouts for Kyle Orton.

<p class="MsoNormal">Look, Griese obviously is better for the Bears than Rex Grossman was this season. But he remains what he has been for most of his career: a middle-of-the-road quarterback on an underachieving team.

<p class="MsoNormal">Perfect cub?

<p class="MsoNormal">No wonder Cubbieland wants Alex Rodriguez. The way A-Rod hits in the postseason, he'd fit right in.

<p class="MsoNormal">Mike Nadel (mikenadel@sbcglobal.net) is the Chicago sports columnist for GateHouse News Service.