Byline: Fred Mitchell
CHICAGO _ Humility is not a word often associated with Bears wide receiver David Terrell.
But the first-round pick from Michigan acknowledged being humbled Sunday when he dropped two potential touchdown passes in the Bears' 13-10 victory over the Lions.
"I don't make excuses. I dropped the football," Terrell said. "I can't do that. There is no way you can explain it. The wind? The sun? ... You just can't explain it."
With the Bears trailing 7-3 early in the third period, quarterback Jim Miller spotted Terrell wide open down the middle of the field. But Terrell, who had beaten the safety, bobbled then dropped the perfectly thrown pass.
"When you have the opportunity to make great catches, you have to make them," Terrell said. "I am real upset at myself right now because I had a great week of practice. Then to come out and play like that is not in my characteristics. I don't go out like that."
Terrell would have another pass sail through his hands at the back of the end zone that literally sent him climbing up the goal post in frustration.
"I just can't put my team in a situation like that," Terrell said. "Both (of the drops) were touchdowns. I haven't ever played like that. Ever. But you've got to live and learn. I'm cool with it."
Miller completed 17 of 34 passes for 124 yards. Terrell, Dez White and Marty Booker held down his numbers with several drops, although Booker wound up with a team-high nine catches for 74 yards.
He also empathized with Terrell. "I've been through it. I dropped the ball a lot last year," Booker said. "The thing is, you just can't go in the tank. It's all about how you rebound from it. He has five weeks left to improve. I think he'll go out and bounce back tremendously."
Bears offensive coordinator John Shoop remains confident in his receiving corps.
"Drops are part of the football game and nobody is going to panic," he said. "Our wideouts are some of the toughest son-of-guns who are going to put on a uniform. They're our guys and we love them and we're going to keep playing them.
"There were a lot of drops? They're still our guys. I'm going to keep calling their number and they're going to come through for us. There's a lot of peer pressure on this team. His teammates expect him to make those catches. Nobody is putting more pressure on David than David."
Terrell wound up with just one catch for nine yards.
"The main thing is to come out next week ready to play because Green Bay is going to be ready to play," Terrell said.
Miller tried to reassure Terrell that he still has confidence in him.
"There really is nothing you can say," Miller said. "He's going to be a great player. He was very frustrated with himself. He came up to me and said: `Jim, don't not throw to me.'
"Those receivers are harder on themselves than anyone. There are going to be times when I throw a bad ball and they make a great catch. It all evens out."
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(c) 2001, Chicago Tribune.
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