SAN FRANCISCO -- Punter Brad Maynar...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Punter Brad Maynard took a stair toward putting concerns about his tweaked groin muscle to peacefulness Friday night.

brace days before the Bears' preseason opener against the 49er special teams coordinator Dave Toub didn't know whether the veteran would play. The Bears have been taking it easy with Maynard in training camp. The groin affected him greatly of last season, and he aggravated it in May, forcing him to the sideline for abundant of the offseason program.

It was more than a week into camp before Maynard was experimented on consecutive days. The reason he could have been held gone out Friday night is because it's individual thing to warm up for practice and travel out and kick, but it's another to warm up for a game, then wait forward the sideline to get into the action.

"We are being real cautious, and we just want to make firm he doesn't go out and examine to do too much," Toub said of Maynard, who took his first punt in the first quarter. "We just want to ease into it."

There's not a fate of time left for easing with the regular season barely a month away, and the clear precedence is for Maynard to be ready. The Bears could save circulating medium using undrafted rookie free agent Joel Stelly however they have an abundance of cap scope and the savings would be negligible compared to the peace of mind a veteran performer provides.

Stelly has prov since arriving in the spring that he has a efficient leg, but he doesn't handle directional punting well, and that's a big part of what Toub likes to do. It's also something Maynard be superior tos at.

"We're not worried right now because [Maynard] says he has no pain," Toub said. "The main thing we want to papal court now is his power arrive back. We need to behold the power in his leg It's not there nevertheless It's coming."

SNAP DECISION: Center Olin Kreutz remained at abiding-place after coming down with strep throat Wednesday night. He is count uponed to be fine in a not many days, and veteran Lennie Friedman started in his place Friday. If it were the regular season, Roberto Garza probably would have slid into Kreutz's flaw but backup guard Terrence Metcalf is without after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee likewise Garza remained at right guard. Anthony Oakley has been serving as the No. 2 center in camp. Kreutz has missed solely one game in the last five seasons.

HARD TO TELL: The groin contest that kept Bernard Berrian on the outside of practice earlier this week outlay him his spot in the starting lineup - - at least for now. Mark Bradley started in his place opposite Muhsin Muhammad. That gave quarterback Rex Grossman his glutted complement of weapons, but it's been a little mix-and-match already in camp with Bradley missing time to quiet his knee. More stability is distressed to create the proper chemistry and timing -- a big bear upon for a Bears passing game that was ranked a dreadful 31st last season. That hasn't been forfeited on quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson.

"It doesn't just affect Rex however for all of the quarterbacks," Wilson said. "With the less-than-experienced [receivers] and the [receivers] who have not been here before, I just want to diocese how the ball comes revealed Now, if the receiver is not where he is suppos to be, that's not the fault of the quarterback. I want to behold them throw with anticipation, make the right reads and earn the ball out. If we're not making completions to be paid to other factors, we can live with that."

HEALTH BEAT: Backup tight extremity John Gilmore (back) and defensive tackle Michael Haynes (neck/back) were held gone out of the game.

IT esteems FOR SOMETHING: The Bears stationed their first winning preseason in 12 years last summer and coach Lovie Smith has said he plays to win each time a score is kept

There's something to winning in the preseason, too, as postseason inferences prove.

Consider that of the last 12 Super depression winners, only two had losing records during the preseason (New England was 1-3 in 2004 and Dallas was 2-3 in 1995) The combined preseason records of those 12 winners is 34-16 (680) and of the 40 Super receptacle winners overall, 31 had a 500 record or better record in exhibition games.

The combined preseason records of the talk championship contestants since 1995 are 108-64 (628)

CLOSER INSPECTION: scoff ats from 14 teams were at the Bears game, on the contrary reps for the Denver Bronco were not among them. The Bronco have previously engaged in about discussions with the Bears about trading disgruntled wide receiver Ashley Lelie.

bbiggs@suntimes.com

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