"Brian Urlacher caught a glimpse of last Monday night's Eagles- Redskins matchup, but the Bears linebacker didn't need to study the game closely to figure out what to expect from Michael Vick.

"I'm not amazed with anything he's doing. He's Michael Vick,'' Urlacher said of the Eagles' superstar. "He was doing that before. I think it's just now, he's back in full shape and fully healthy. He's an elite athlete.''

And probably the most dangerous threat this Bears defense will face all season, provided the Giants don't knock Vick out of action during Sunday night's NFC East showdown.

"It's not hard to see what he's doing. He's the MVP, in my opinion,'' defensive end Julius Peppers said of Vick. "It will be a good challenge for us.''

Going into the Giants game, Vick stands as the league's top-rated passer with a 115.1 rating. He has completed 96 of 153 passes (62.7 percent) for 1,350 yards and 11 touchdowns without an interception. And he's accomplished all that despite starting just five games at quarterback. Kevin Kolb began the season as the starter, and then Vick missed three games because of a rib injury.

"He's a quarterback now,'' Urlacher said of Vick. "When he was with Atlanta, they said he was a dangerous runner. Now he's throwing the ball. He runs because he has to, not because he wants to.

"He's sitting back there waiting for his guys to get open, then taking off. He's got a cannon. We've all seen his arm. Just phenomenal.''

The Bears' defense hasn't been too shabby, either, particularly against the run. Urlacher, Peppers, Lance Briggs and crew boast the league's second-best run defense after Thursday's 16-0 shutout of the Dolphins. The 7-3 Bears have allowed a mere 70.8 rushing yards per game.

But it's a different story when a guy is capable of beating you with his arms and legs, as Vick has done all season. Plus he has dangerous weapons in receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, running back LeSean McCoy and tight end Brent Celek."