"When he was introduced as a Bear, Julius Peppers admitted double-digit sacks would be a logical goal.

The standout defensive end concluded the regular season with eight — the third time in nine seasons he has finished with less than 10.

Is he disappointed? Not exactly.

"I feel great with eight sacks, a division title and a first-round (playoff) bye,'' Peppers said. "And I'm even more excited to be closer to the ultimate goal. That's the main reason I came here … to have that (Super Bowl) opportunity. And I feel good about my contributions to this defense.''

Teammate Brian Urlacher lobbied for Peppers as NFL's defensive player of the year, and Peppers received a nice $200,000 bonus for being selected to his sixth Pro Bowl. Yet the individual accolades mean little in the grand scheme.

Same goes for the sacks.

"I know I've said it a thousand times, but sacks are overrated,'' Peppers said.

And sacks don't measure the true impact he had on the defense. Peppers' presence allowed fellow defensive end Israel Idonije to have a breakout season with eight sacks of his own. The addition of the $91.5 million man helped the Bears boast the league's second-ranked run defense. And Peppers' relentless pressure no doubt contributed to the Bears increasing their interception total by eight from last season — from 13 to 21. He also had three forced fumbles and two interceptions."