Center Olin Kreutz, strong safety Al Afalava and defensive tackle Tommie Harris were all removed from the injury report for the Bears, meaning it's a go for them to start Sunday night against the Eagles.

In Philadelphia, starting cornerback Sheldon Brown was deemed questionable with his pulled hamstring. He was limited in practice for the third consecutive day and there is considerable speculation that he will be sidelined. Dimitri Pattersonis the likely replacement for Brown if he cannot go.

With safety Quintin Demps out, rookie first-round pick Jeremy Maclin will likely servce as the kick returner for the Eagles.

Also, as we reported was likely, running back Khalil Bell was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster by the Bears. He takes the place of Garrett Wolfe.

Here is the official injury report.

Bears

OUT

LB Pisa Tinoisamoa, knee--OUT.
RB Garrett Wolfe, kidney--OUT. (has been moved to injured reserve)

DOUBTFUL

TE Desmond Clark, neck--DNP, DNP, DNP.
S Kevin Payne, back--DNP, DNP, DNP.

REMOVED FROM INJURY REPORT

C Olin Kreutz, back/rib--DNP, FULL, FULL.
S Al Afalava, shoulder--LIM, FULL, FULL.
DT Tommie Harris, knee--LIM, FULL, FULL.

Eagles

OUT

RB Brian Westbrook, concussion--OUT.
WR Kevin Curtis, knee--OUT.
LB Akeem Jordan, knee--DNP, DNP, DNP.
S Quintin Demps, ankle--DNP, DNP, DNP.

QUESTIONABLE

CB Sheldon Brown, hamstring--LIM, LIM, LIM.

PROBABLE

S Macho Harris, eye--DNP, FULL, FULL.
LB Akeem Jordan, knee--DNP, DNP, FULL.
DE Victor Abiamiri, knee--FULL, FULL, FULL.
LB Chris Gocong, hamstring--FULL, FULL, FULL.
WR Jeremy Maclin, foot--FULL, FULL, FULL.
DT Mike Patterson, wrist/toe--FULL, FULL, FULL.
LT Jason Peters, ankle--FULL, FULL, FULL.
RB Leonard Weaver, ankle--FULL, FULL, FULL.

Chris Williams has more penalties than any other player on the Bears with five, and his most recent cost him.

The right tackle was fined $5,000 for unnecessarily striking an opponent late in the loss to San Francisco last week. Williams jumped over the pile to hit a 49er after the play was over at the start of what the Bears hoped would be the game-winning drive.

Can't get enough of the Philadelphia Eagles?

Well, I've got good news for you.

They'll be back.

The Bears host the Eagles on Sunday night at Soldier Field for the second consecutive year, and the Bears will invite them back to Soldier Field again in 2010 in an odd twist of the schedule. The Bears play the entire NFC East next season. This year, they drew the Eagles because they finished in corresponding positions in their division last season. So, the teams are meeting for the third straight year and next season will make the fourth straight year they will face Donovan McNabb and the gang.

Here is how the Bears will wind up playing the Eagles four straight years:

2007, at Philadelphia--Played the entire NFC East.

2008, at Soldier Field--Both finished in last place in their divisions in 2007.

2009, at Soldier Field--Both finished in second place in their divisions in 2008.

2010, at Soldier Field--Bears will play the entire NFC East.

No move is official yet, but running back Khalil Bell said he expects to be signed from the practice squad to the 53-man roster before Sunday's game with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bell has been on the practice squad for more than two months, and he's up to speed on the offensive playbook and as importantly the role on special teams he would play, if he is active for the game.

"If the opportunity comes for me, I'm comfortable,'' he said. "I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on everything. Special teams-wise, we have a high standard here, and I think I'm pretty good in that area. Whatever they ask me to do, if I get that opportunity, I am just going to try to help the team.''

Tight end Desmond Clark is expected to miss his third game of the season as he will be sidelined Sunday with a neck issue.

That means more playing time for Kellen Davis, and it's not a good sign for the already struggling 30th-ranked rushing offense. Clark missed two games earlier this season with fractured ribs.

Coach Lovie Smith said that Clark and safety Kevin Payne (back) will be listed as doubtful for the game. Neither practiced today or this week. Doubtful, in Bears' terms, means out.

The Bears made it official and have placed running back Garrett Wolfe on season-ending injured reserve.

Wolfe suffered a lacerated kidney Nov. 8 vs. Arizona. Wolfe is expected to make a full recovery and he is signed through 2010.

Running back Garrett Wolfe is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a lacerated kidney.

Wolfe was hospitalized for three nights following the Arizona game on Nov. 8, and while the hope was that he would be able to return before the end of the season, that's not a possibility. Wolfe is expected to make a complete return, though, and general manager Jerry Angelo expressed a desire to see him receive more opportunities last week.

"He's a great kid and it's unfortunate,'' Angelo said. ``I was hoping he would start integrating more into the offense and [offensive coordinator] Ron [Turner] was using him more in practices, and he's done a good job on special teams. I wanted to see him take another step as a runner.''

The Holy Cross and Northern Illinois product had 22 carries for 120 yards this season, ranking him second behind Matt Forte. He caught two passes for 12 yards, but his most prominent role was on special teams. He's tied for third with nine tackles, eight of which are solos.

NBC-5 WMAQ caught up with announcer Bob Costas today to speak with him about being turned down by the Bears for a story Sunday night on "Football Night in America.'' The team was asked to supply quarterback Jay Cutler, coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo and was denied.

Costas and NBC will continue with plans to do a story on the quarterback and his struggles of late for the Bears leading into the network's broadcast of the game with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here is a transcript of the interview supplied by NBC-5. We thank them for the heads up.

Q: Did you see the Sun-Times article today and what were your thoughts on it?

Bob Costas: Well, I'd rather that I and NBC not be the center of the story and I don't think that we are. And I don't think this is particularly a big deal. If let's say Jay Cutler had been removed as the starting quarterback and Lovie Smith had refused to talk about a specific move or something comes up with the commissioner of the league won't address a certain issue, then I think you have reason for complaint. In this particular case, I certainly don't take it personally. It's obvious that they have decided that there is nothing that they can add to it. What else can they say? The team has been playing poorly. Cutler had an especially bad game last time out. There isn't that much more that can be said about that, so they've decided that anything that they say just adds to the noise and they'll just out there and play on Sunday and let that be their answer. So, I understand. I don't have any particular problem with it.

Q: Did it bother you that the Sun-Times seemed to put you out in front of the story?

BC: I certainly don't take it personally. I think the answer would've been the same if it was Monday Night Football or if the request had been made by CBS or by FOX or whomever made the request. It's just the particular point in the Bears' season. I don't know Jay Cutler that well, but I've talked with him before and interviewed him a couple of times, seems like a nice young guy. I don't have any problem with him whatsoever and I'm sure at a different juncture either this season or next season, we'll sit down and talk again when the circumstances are different.

Q: Does it make you uncomfortable to be part of the story? I know broadcasters like to describe the story, not actually be a part of it.

BC: Yeah, you'd prefer not to be, but occasionally it happens because you can't control how other people decide to view it, but I don't think it's a terribly big deal.

Lovie Smith says the Bears just want to get to Sunday night's game with the Philadelphia Eagles, and that they're ready to circle the wagons after fulfilling media obligations Friday following practice. (Or as Alonzo Spellman famously once said, "circle the horses.")

The Sun-Times reported today that Smith, general manager Jerry Angelo and quarterback Jay Cutler will not be made available for NBC's "Football Night in America'' show, the pregame program that leads into the game with the Eagles.

"I'm trying to figure out where that all came from,'' Smith said. "We try to do whatever we can for anyone that's coming in. We've played quite a few Sunday night games. There's not a whole lot more to talk about. We're making our players available right up until game time. But as far as participating an awful lot right now it's kind of time for us to play football. We try to do as many interviews as we can during game week but once you get a little bit closer to it you're kind of reeling things in a little bit.''

Tight end Desmond Clark remained out with his neck injury and at this point will have to be considered iffy for Sunday night's game. We'll have to wait until tomorrow afternoon to get an official designation for him.

Bears

LB Pisa Tinoisamoa, knee--OUT.
RB Garrett Wolfe, kidney--OUT.
TE Desmond Clark, neck--DNP, DNP,
S Kevin Payne, back--DNP, DNP,
C Olin Kreutz, back/rib--DNP, FULL,
S Al Afalava, shoulder--LIM, FULL,
DT Tommie Harris, knee--LIM, FULL,

Eagles

RB Brian Westbrook, concussion--OUT.
WR Kevin Curtis, knee--OUT.
S Quintin Demps, ankle--DNP, DNP,
S Macho Harris, eye--DNP, FULL,
LB Akeem Jordan, knee--DNP, DNP,
CB Sheldon Brown, hamstring--LIM, LIM,
DE Victor Abiamiri, knee--FULL, FULL,
LB Chris Gocong, hamstring--FULL, FULL,
WR Jeremy Maclin, foot--FULL, FULL,
DT Mike Patterson, wrist/toe--FULL, FULL,
LT Jason Peters, ankle--FULL, FULL,
RB Leonard Weaver, ankle--FULL, FULL,

Center Olin Kreutz (ribs/back) is expected to return to practice this afternoon after missing the last two days.

Coach Lovie Smith said on Wednesday that he expected Kreutz to be able to start Sunday night. The veteran has missed just one game, in 2002, since the start of the 2001 season. That means Josh Beekman will likely be in place at left guard for the meeting with Philadelphia.

Donovan McNabb entered this season with the lowest interception ratio in the history of the NFL, so it's tough for him to relate to what Jay Cutler called the toughest patch he's had to go through in his entire career.

"Uhh, no, not to the extent,'' McNabb said when asked if he'd ever had a Cutler-like streak of picks. "But I mean I've had games where you just don't play as well as you expected or what you prepared to. Every quarterback goes through it. The thing about it is that you just have to have confidence that you're going to pull yourself up, that things are going to turn for the better, but I think with the group of guys that he has around him, everybody is trying to elevate their game to take a little bit of pressure off him and give him an opportunity to get things going.''

McNabb has been his accurate self again this season. He's thrown four interceptions in 219 attempts as compared to Cutler's league-high 17 in 338 attempts. In the last three seasons, McNabb has 22 picks in 1,262 attempts.

"There's a lot of different things that go into it,'' McNabb said. "As far as Jay's play, he's an aggressive guy, he always has the confidence that he can get the ball into tight situations and giving guys opportunities to make plays. Sometimes that's costly for you, sometimes that's great for you. A lot of it could be decision making, some could be just poor judgment, and the list goes on, but I think overall you want your quarterback to be aggressive and play aggressive, to have the confidence that they can make every throw.''

McNabb said that quarterbacks have to be more cautious when they get to the red zone, knowing that a field goal will be a chip shot. But there is a fine line with remaining aggressive and needing to make a play to get in the end zone.