CHICAGO _ The question came in early October during Vic Fangio's weekly waltz with the media. A surprising Bears season had come alive with Fangio's defense propelling a 3-1 start. In the previous game _ a 48-10 drumming of the Buccaneers _ the Bears had recorded four sacks, three interceptions and a forced fumble.
On six of 10 possessions, the defense forced either a three-and-out or a turnover. So here was Fangio, the mastermind of an emerging unit, standing at a lectern in one of his trademark gray sweatsuits with his trademark hard-to-impress tone, trying to articulate his perspective on the Bears' sudden rise.
Fangio was asked if he was allowing himself to get at least a little excited.
"No," he answered quickly, in the most Charlie Brown of tones.
The room broke into a chuckle.
"Sounds like you guys knew the answer to that one," Fangio added, fully aware of his hard-to-satisfy reputation.
Still, Fangio had to be feeling some bursts of exhilaration as he watched this group's ascent, right?
At that time, the Bears had just put together their first three-game winning streak in five years. Wouldn't a run like that have Fangio waking up with a little extra pep in his step?
"Unfortunately, no," he asserted. "I wish I did. Trust me. The pain of losing does not equal the excitement of winning."
Four weeks later, with the Bears still in first place, the defense still dominating and Fangio's unit coming off a blowout win in Buffalo in which it scored two touchdowns while allowing just one, the topic resurfaced. After the defense collected four sacks and four takeaways; after Eddie Jackson and Leonard Floyd had visited the end zone; after the Bears had taken poor Nathan Peterman and given him a three-hour panic attack, what exactly was Fangio feeling as he boarded that return flight from New York?
"Relief," he insisted. "I mean, I enjoy it. Don't get me wrong. But there's a (deep exhale). ... I'm not doing cheetah flips and cartwheels. But I'm glad we won."
Three-quarters of the way into a feel-good season, it's possible the only person in Chicago not doing cheetah flips over the resurgence of the Bears defense is the man entitled to enjoy this the most.
Instead, Fangio insists, after big wins and dominant defensive performances, his prevailing emotion is relief. And occasionally satisfaction _ if he allows it.
