Lovie asks fans for a little quiet

Coach Lovie Smith backed up Jay Cutler’s plea for Bears fans to “tone it down’’ when the team has the ball in the red zone so the offense can communicate better with the opportunity to score a touchdown.

“First off ... I thought [the fans] were outstanding on ... all the downs,’’ Smith said Monday at Halas Hall. “The general rule is when our defense is out there — that’s the beauty of having the home crowd. When our defense is on the field and their offense is trying to get the different communications that they have to go through.

“When we have the ball offensively, yes, we would like our crowd to be as quiet as possible. Of course we would love you to cheer at the end of the play, but in between when we’re trying to communicate, yes, we definitely need them to be quiet then.’’

Peanut hobbling

said. Urlacher had two tackles and a pass defense against the Colts and sat out most of the second half.

‘‘I’m pleased with the way he played, first time out — you have to look at it like that, his first action [since last season],’’ Smith said. ‘‘When they’re cutting you live, having to take on blocks, I thought he did a decent job with that.’’

Rookie moving up

You didn’t even need to watch the film to notice rookie Evan Rodriguez’s impressive debut in the H-back role. Rodriguez, a fourth-round draft pick from Temple, had several key blocks, particularly in the running game. Eventually, he will be a used as a downfield threat in the passing game.

‘‘If you continue to play well, you’ll become a bigger part of the offense,’’ Smith said of Rodriguez. ‘‘He made a couple of good plays, not just as a blocker. We’ll do more with him.’’

Roster moves