MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ The Chicago Bears' newfangled offense is designed to spread out defenses for Curtis Enis to slice his way through. Minnesota's man in the middle can't wait.

Linebacker Ed McDaniel, who tore a ligament in his right knee in the NFC title game, has returned to his Pro Bowl form despite playing just two series in the preseason.

With a team-leading 42 tackles, McDaniel is the leader of a run defense that has stuffed the likes of Jamal Anderson, Dorsey Levens and Mike Alstott.

"What has surprised me is not how well he's played, but that he's played so well so quickly," Vikings defensive coordinator Foge Fazio said.

McDaniel was supposed to ease his way back into things, but he's been through this before, having torn his left anterior cruciate ligament in 1996 and returning to lead the Vikings in tackles a year later.

Only this time, it's been a mere eight months since surgery and here's McDaniel diving around with abandon and apparent disregard for his knee.

"If I injure it again, the doctors will put me back together again," McDaniel said. "As long as you've got doctors, why be timid?"

Timidity? Trepidation? You might as well suggest cowardice.

"That's why I never wore a knee brace," McDaniel said. "When I came around here (Winter Park, where the Vikings practice) I wore it, but other than that, I did what I wanted to do. If I had a knee brace, it would have been like a crutch for me."

McDaniel's rapid return to form hasn't escaped notice around the NFL.

"Ed's a fantastic player," Bears guard Todd Perry said. "He's one of the best linebackers in the league. It looks like he's recovered from the injuries and we expect him to be the kind of player he's always been."

Bears linebacker Rico McDonald, who came back from a torn ACL five years ago, said McDaniel is an inspiration to his NFL brethren.

"The guy has tremendous work ethic and if there's anything that can hinder somebody coming back from a major knee injury, it's their work ethic," McDonald said. "The knee itself is going to heal on its own. Surgery is only an hour now.

"I was just watching the Raider film and the guy was making tackle after tackle for loss. He's always been a tremendous player."

The Vikings (2-2) might be counting on McDaniel more than ever Sunday against the Bears (2-2) if run-stuffer Jerry Ball (hamstring) can't play. That would force John Randle to move back inside to tackle, where he was effectively double-teamed before Ball returned from Cleveland via a trade.

Randle played end against Tampa Bay last week and recorded his first two sacks of the season, the 97th and 98th of his career, and forced and recovered Trent Dilfer's fumble.

"With Jerry Ball there, it just allowed me and Dwayne Rudd to run freely all over the field," McDaniel said.

There's a name the Bears haven't forgotten.

Rudd punctuated the Vikings' 48-22 bashing of the Bears a year ago with a team-record 94-yard fumble return for a touchdown. He stopped a yard shy of the end zone, gazed back at the trailing tacklers and tauntingly wagged a finger at them before tiptoeing across the goal line.

He was slapped with a 15-yard penalty, a $5,000 fine and a chewing out by coach Dennis Green.

"I think that was a little bit unprofessional," McDonald said. "I'm sure guys on the offensive side of the ball -- Edgar Bennett, who was running behind him when he taunted him -- I'm sure those guys haven't forgotten it."

A psychological edge could be the only one the Bears enjoy over the Vikings, who have yet to play a full game or finish off anybody, but are talented enough to win games even when they aren't at their best.

"The difference between Minnesota this year and Minnesota last year is that they went into each game knowing they were going to win, but it was by how much," McDonald said. "Right now, offensively, I think they're trying to find themselves."

The Bears have stayed competitive under first-year coach Dick Jauron by spreading the field with multiple receiver sets and searching for mismatches.

But many expect both teams to return to form Sunday, even if star receiver Cris Carter's streak of 100 straight starts for the Vikings is snapped because of a hip injury.

"It's expected," Bears receiver Curtis Conway said of seeing his team a 12{-point underdog. "We don't really worry about the predictions or the point spreads."

Just about guys like McDaniel.

CHICAGO Season schedule and results

MINNESOTA Season schedule and results

September 12 Kansas City W 20-17 September 19 Seattle L 13-14 September 26 @Oakland L 17-24 October 3 New Orleans W 14-10 October 10 @Minnesota 1:00pm ET October 17 Philadelphia 1:00pm ET October 24 @Tampa Bay 1:00pm ET October 31 @Washington 1:00pm ET November 7 @Green Bay 1:00pm ET November 14 Minnesota 1:00pm ET November 21 @San Diego 4:15pm ET November 25 @Detroit 12:40pm ET December 5 Green Bay 1:00pm ET December 19 Detroit 1:00pm ET December 26 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET January 2 Tampa Bay 1:00pm ET

September 12 @Atlanta W 17-14 September 19 Oakland L 17-22 September 26 @Green Bay L 20-23 October 3 Tampa Bay W 21-14 October 10 Chicago 1:00pm ET October 17 @Detroit 1:00pm ET October 24 San Francisco 1:00pm ET October 31 @Denver 4:15pm ET November 8 Dallas 9:00pm ET November 14 @Chicago 1:00pm ET November 28 San Diego 1:00pm ET December 6 @Tampa Bay 9:00pm ET December 12 @Kansas City 8:20pm ET December 20 Green Bay 9:00pm ET December 26 @NY Giants 1:00pm ET January 2 Detroit 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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