LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Coach Lovie Smith praised Anthony Adams for his performance Sunday against the Giants. But the defensive tackle sustained an elbow injury in the game that will force him to miss Thursday night's contest in Washington. 

The fifth-year pro registered five tackles, recovered a fumble and shared a sack with defensive end Mark Anderson against the Giants. Adams leads Bears defensive tackles with 42 tackles this season.

Anthony Adams signed with the Bears in March after spending his first four NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

“He’s been very good all year,” Smith said after practice Tuesday. “[He’s] played hard. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, so we’ll miss him this week.

“As far as taking up the slack, Antonio Garay is the next guy up and we still have Darwin Walker and Tommie Harris. Israel Idonije can also play a little bit inside and he’s done it, so numbers-wise we’re still OK.”

On the shelf: It appears that Nate Vasher will miss his 10th straight game with a groin injury. The fourth-year cornerback did not practice Tuesday and indicated that he hopes to return to action in 13 days when the Bears visit the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

“After we play this Thursday, we have another 10 days before we have an opportunity to play and go to Minnesota,” said Vasher, who had missed just two games due to injuries in his first three seasons. “Hopefully I’ll be able to have a great week of practice and you’ll see me out there.”

Vasher practiced on a limited basis last week, but was not cleared to play against the Giants.

“We’re just trying to take it a day at a time,” Smith said. “He’s doing more work and then we evaluate him after that and he’s not quite there. The Minnesota game is a little ways off, so he should be ready to go then.”

Vasher is beyond frustrated, but he's trying to remain positive.

“It’s just something that comes along with the territory,” he said. “It’s part of the game and I just have to be resilient with it, have to stay positive and try to help out any way I can.”

In other injury news Tuesday, linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (shoulder) did not practice and tackle Fred Miller (ankle) was limited. The Redskins held a walkthrough and did not practice Tuesday, so they were not required to provide an injury list.

Paying their respects: Tight end Greg Olsen, return specialist Devin Hester and safety Adam Archuleta were back at Halas Hall Tuesday after attending Sean Taylor’s funeral Monday in Miami.

Olsen and Hester played with Taylor at the University of Miami, while Archuleta teamed with the Redskins safety last season in Washington. Taylor was shot and killed last week during a home invasion.

“It was kind of what you would expect,” Olsen said of the service. “It’s not something you enjoy going to, but it’s something you have to do—pay your respects—and I think it was important that a lot of guys did come back and pay their respects to Sean and his family.”

While the Redskins traveled to the funeral en masse, scores of former Hurricanes players also attended.

“I know he touched a lot of different people,” Olsen said. “He played with a lot of different guys in college and the NFL, and when you go to Miami it’s kind of a tight-knit group of people. A lot of Miami guys who didn’t play with Sean just came back just to show their support.”

Say what: Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye didn’t take too kindly to Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s post-game comments that the Bears run defense was slow to make adjustments Sunday. New York rushed for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns on 37 carries.

“You’ve just got to play sound,” Ogunleye said Tuesday. “From watching the film, we just didn’t play good football. Eli, he’s a guy that I really wouldn’t take too much advice from. He’s really lucky that they got away with that win. He’s a guy that’s still learning. What we need to do is just focus on what we need to do and stay in our gaps; stay sound from top to bottom.”