Reasonable doubts: emerging from a regular season in which nothing was certain, questions abound in this year's playoffs field

Sporting News, The, Jan 14, 2002 by Dennis Dillon

The offense functions methodically but efficiently. The defense yields points and running yards grudgingly. The team minimizes its mistakes.

No doubt, the Bears are built for playing January football in Chicago, where the cold wind blowing off Lake Michigan and into Soldier Field can feel like an icicle slicing through your rib cage. But they aren't equipped for a track meet against the top-seeded Rams in a dome in St. Louis, where the NFC championship game seems destined to be played.

Each of the NFL's playoff teams faces a critical concern heading into the postseason, a question whose answer will largely determine how long that team will dance. For the Bears, the query is: How can they beat the Rams, who never ease up on the throttle? They can't if they try to get into a score-fest.

"I give (Bears offensive coordinator) John Shoop credit," says Les Snead, the Falcons' director of pro personnel. "He's done a heck of a job taking the personnel he's been given and making the best of it. But if he came out trying to run the Rams' offense, you'd look at him like he didn't know what he was doing"

The Bears don't have a quick-strike offense. It revolves mainly around rookie running back Anthony Thomas and a dink-and-dunk passing attack. Marty Booker is the only playmaking wide receiver on whom quarterback Jim Miller can rely consistently. Rookie David Terrell still struggles running some routes, Dez White stalled after a strong start, and D'Wayne Bates has emerged only recently.

The receivers are big and physical--the 6-3 Terrell, 6-2 Bates, 6-0 White and 5-11 Booker all are at least 215 pounds--and that gives them a matchup advantage against smaller defensive backs. They also are good blockers on running plays. They are particularly effective when they line up in a bunch formation (three receivers grouped tightly on one side). From that alignment, the Bears like to run a toss play with each of the receivers blocking a defender and one of the offensive tackles, either 6-7 James "Big Cat" Williams or 6-4 Blake Brockermeyer, pulls out to lead Thomas or James Allen.

If the offense takes time off the dock, and if the defense allows no big plays and forces some turnovers, and if the game is close in the fourth quarter and the Rams go into a conservative mode, maybe the Bears can compete. But there are too many ifs to expect them to win.

The Bears are not the only playoff team with uncertainties.

Will the Rams give it away?.

They have the NFL's past two MVPs (quarterback Kurt Warner, 1999, and running back Marshall Faulk, 2000), a plethora of receivers, the best defense in the NFC and home-field advantage. It looks like an invincible combination.

In their only two losses this season, both at home, the Rams imploded. They had eight turnovers against the Saints on October 28 and five against the Buccaneers on November 26. But they have taken measures to improve their ball security, including replacing erratic punt returner Az-Zahir Hakim with Dre' Bly.

Another potential chink would be if Warner reinjured his thumb and was unable to grip the ball tightly. That could lead to some errant passes and, possibly, interceptions.

But ask the question of any NFL expert or an 8-ball, and the answer will be the same: Can the Rams be beaten? "Signs point to no"

"The Rams are in a class by themselves;" says an NFL pro personnel director. "There's nobody in the NFC who can beat them. If there's no turnovers on either side, the Rams win going away. So what if the other team scores 28 points? The Rams are going to score 42."

Will Tom Brady's star continue to shine in the postseason?

One reason for Brady's success is that the wunderkind quarterback hasn't had to carry the Patriots' offense on his shoulders. Running back Antowain Smith has rushed for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns.

If the Patriots can maintain a balanced attack and Brady gets sufficient protection, he will have time to stand in the pocket, diagnose defenses and find open receivers such as Troy Brown (101 catches for 1,199 yards and five TDs).

Another element in New England's arsenal is coach Bill Belichick's proficiency at designing potent defensive schemes. Brady, Smith and Belichick make the surprising Patriots a legitimate threat to be the AFC's Super Bowl representative.

Can the Packers' count on any of their wide receivers?

Antonio Freeman has lost his speed, quickness and ability to separate from defensive backs. Bill Schroeder has speed, but he can't get off jams, is not a good option across the middle and doesn't get a lot of yards after the catch. Corey Bradford does one thing: go deep.

If the receivers can't make plays, opponents will focus on stopping running back Ahman Green and shut down the Green Bay offense. The Titans crowded the line and held Green to nine yards on nine carries in a 26-20 win on December 16. Two weeks later, the Vikings limited Green to 31 yards on 16 carries.

Quarterback Brett Favre has tried to buy his receivers time to get open by running more sprintouts and bootlegs. Favre sometimes is most dangerous when he does that. But the Packers can't thrive on a steady diet of improvisation.