Both Brown and Dvoracek on IR

The Monsters of the Midway came up with a Herculean defensive effort in Week 1 against San Diego, but their worst fears were realized Monday as safety Mike Brown and defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek will both miss the rest of the season with knee injuries.

Per the Chicago Bears:

LAKE FOREST, IL – The Chicago Bears placed defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek and free safety Mike Brown on injured reserve today after they both suffered ACL ruptures in the 2007 season opener at San Diego (9/9). Dvoracek was selected by the Bears in the third round (73rd overall) out of Oklahoma in the 2006 NFL Draft. He started at defensive tackle in his first game as a Bear this past Sunday after missing the 2006 season with a foot injury.

Brown is the Bears all-time franchise leader with seven career defensive touchdowns and is second among current Bears leaders with 15 career interceptions. In the season opener at San Diego, the defensive captain had an interception and a fumble recovery. The eight-year NFL veteran was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2005 season and has appeared in 85 career games with 84 starts – all with the Bears.

JC's Take: This news is nothing short of devastating for the Bears on defense. Brown is the emotional epicenter of the entire team in addition to being one of the premier safeties in the NFL, but this will be the third time in four seasons he'll finish the year on injured reserve. Dvoracek had worked so hard to come back from last year's foot injury and was in the best shape of his life, yet he'll be relegated to cheerleader duties the rest of the way. Danieal Manning will step in at free safety, and then look for Antonio Garay to be activated from the practice squad and Anthony Adams to see his first action in a Bears uniform this Sunday. Just horrible news with no way to sugarcoat it.

John Crist is the Editor in Chief of BearReport.com and a member of the Professional Football Writers of America. To read him every day, visit BearReport.com and become a Chicago Bears insider.