Willie Gault claims he`s not worried about catching the Los Angeles Rams` Ron Brown on kickoffs.
”I`m not going to have to,” said Gault.
Placekicker Kevin Butler claims the Bears aren`t going to do anything differently against Brown, the Olympic sprinter who has returned three kickoffs for touchdowns this season.
”He`s not the best I`ve seen,” said Butler. ”The guy from Minnesota (Buster Rhymes) gave us the most trouble.”
Coach Mike Ditka sounds happy that his main problem is covering kickoffs in Sunday`s NFC title game.
”It`s a good problem to have. I hope we kick off a lot. That will solve the problem,” said Ditka.
Special teams coach Steve Kazor makes jokes about the kickoff coverage, which ranks 25th in the league.
”We may work out a deal,” said Kazor. ”If we score, we`ll just put the ball on the 50.”
Most of the Bears don`t seem worried about the Rams` very special teams. Linebacker Otis Wilson is an exception. Although Wilson is confident about stopping running back Eric Dickerson, he says the thought of stopping Brown on kickoff returns is ”scary.”
”It`s one of our weak points right now. I don`t want to start on the 40- or 50-yard line,” said Wilson.
Wilson, linebacker Wilber Marshall and Gault are regulars who will run down on kickoff coverage this week. What is more scary to the Bears than Brown`s returns is the possibility of an injury to a starter.
Giants` cornerback Elvis Patterson was injured on the opening kickoff against the 49ers in the NFC wild-card game two weeks ago. Patterson came back against the Bears, but was not 100 percent healthy.
The Bears will activate linebacker Brian Cabral to beef up the coverage team. He will replace receiver Brad Anderson, who will be put on the injured reserve list with a cracked thumb.
Besides Brown, the Rams boast the league`s second-best punt returner in Henry Ellard, the league`s third-best punt coverage teams and the league`s fourth-best kickoff coverage teams.
The Rams also have the league`s best punter for net average in Dale Hatcher and a barefoot field goal kicker in Mike Lansford, who made 22 of 29. Ditka argues that the Bears match up in every area except kickoff coverage. As a team, the Bears lead the Rams in kickoff return average, although Brown leads the league individually.
”We`re first and they`re second, which people forget,” said Ditka.
The Bears rank 12th in punt returns and 11th in punt coverage.
Butler said he will be curious to see how Lansford handles the cold bare-footed. ”If I could wear two shoes, I would,” said Butler.
Butler`s short, low kickoffs have been one of the more obvious causes of poor kickoff coverage. He blamed a lack of concentration and a bruised foot for the problem and said the cold also subtracts 5 yards or so.
”We want to have the kickoffs land between the goal line and the 5-yard line with 3.95 seconds hang time,” said Kazor. ”A deviation can cause problems.
”We`re going to try to kick it in section 33 and make Brown chase it into the stands.”
Gault is one of the few men in football who would have a chance to catch Brown. Both men ran on world record-setting 4×400-meter relay teams anchored by Carl Lewis. Gault ran in 1983 and Brown in 1984.
Gault recalled two races against Brown as a trackman. ”We`re 1-and-1,” he said.
The Rams will test Bear coach Steve Kazor`s special teams. Tribune photo by Ed Wagner Jr.
