Bears push Edge to his breaking point

The Bears' comeback win over the Cardinals on Monday Night Football was reminiscent of the Colts' incredible MNF win over Tampa Bay. The Colts charged back primarily with Peyton Manning and the offense. The Bears, who I thought would dominate, won through defense and special teams. When MNF analyst Tony Kornheiser wondered aloud how Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher could be in so many places at once, I was thinking the same thing. Urlacher wasn't alone by any means, but he controlled the fourth quarter in a way few defensive players ever could.

I feel bad for Matt Leinart. He threw two touchdown passes and set up the Cardinals for their game-choking field goal miss. He deserved the satisfaction of a win. Leinart also showed much more poise and control than Rex Grossman, who could not have played more poorly if he'd tried. But how about Edgerrin James, who carried 36 times for 55 yards, the most carries for the fewest yards in NFL history. Plus, James had the ball stripped from him by Urlacher for one of the Bears' defensive scores.

I'm glad Edge got his money. He deserved it. But this type of situation is exactly why players should weigh whether the money always trumps the non-monetary rewards of playing for a great football team. I have to believe there are times -- probably Monday night -- when Edge would trade the extra millions (upon millions) to still be with the Colts.