Rib injuries to Neal Anderson and Jim Harbaugh were only a test.
Had it been an actual alert, the Bears would have been advised to delve into their enriched talent pool to continue their trek toward a National Football Conference Central Division title.
That seems to be the major physical difference between the 4-1 Bears of 1990 and the 4-1 Bears of 1989: strength in numbers.
Quality in their quantity.
The Los Angeles Rams (1-3), whom the Bears play Sunday night at Soldier Field, have suffered from injuries, particularly on defense.
The Bears were forced to deploy 23 different defensive starters last season because of injuries. This season, to avert injury disaster, the Bears have been rotating players on defense purposely.
”I don`t like to see anybody get hurt on any team,” said Bears coach Mike Ditka. ”But if we did lose some people, it would depend on where. That would be the biggest question. But we are much better (at defensive line and linebacker) where we lost people last year.
”The backup people, that is, primarily the defensive line, the defensive secondary and even the linebackers spot . . . we are much deeper. We have better people who can back up and come in and play, and I don`t think we will drop off.”
While veterans Ron Rivera and Jim Morrissey continue to start and excel at outside linebacker, for instance, the Bears say they are equally comfortable inserting rookie Ron Cox and second-year man John Roper for extended chunks of playing time. In the last two games, Roper was credited with three tackles, Morrissey grabbed an interception, Rivera registered a season-high eight tackles, one pass deflection, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery against the Raiders, and Cox earned a sack.
Everybody is happy.
Because of injuries last season, the Bears had to force-feed young linebackers such as Roper, Troy Johnson and Mickey Pruitt-when they weren`t on the injury list themselves.
Perennial All-Pro middle linebacker Mike Singletary, once considered indispensable-even on third-and-long ”nickel” situations-finally is allowed to take an occasional breather because of the Bears` new-found confidence in other players. The Bears also have found new and productive deployments for defensive end Richard Dent, who rushes occasionally from a linebacker spot.
Cornerback Vestee Jackson, talented enough to finish second in the NFL in 1988 with eight interceptions and a starter since 1986, is now a valuable reinforcement, while brash Lemuel Stinson enjoys his year in the sun and leads the team with four interceptions. The Bears thought enough of rookie free safety Mark Carrier, who had the benefit of a full training camp, to dump former All-Pro Dave Duerson. Last season, cornerback Donnell Woolford missed most of his rookie training camp and it showed.
The defensive line also has benefited from wider talent. Trace Armstrong is coming into his own with five sacks in five games. Last year, he never recovered from missing most of his rookie training camp in a salary dispute. While rotating with veteran tackles Steve McMichael and William Perry has relieved much of Dan Hampton`s physical burden on the defensive line, he finds it more difficult to regulate his emotions on the field with spot duty.
”Emotionally, it is a little bit harder. You don`t have as many spots. So much of the time in my career I would get most of my pressure and my sacks in run-down situations where I knew how to make something happen. I miss some of those 60-some-odd plays,” said Hampton.
Perry is off to the best start of his career.
”Everybody is fresh and having a good time with the rotation,” said Perry. ”You can save players this way and get ready for the playoffs. Everything works as one.”
Offensively, where injuries aren`t quite as critical, Ditka concedes problems could develop.
”In the line or at receiver,” said Ditka. ”That would be the biggest area. But we have running backs, I think, who can play. I think the quarterbacks are fine. I think we`re OK at tight end. The line bothers me a little bit. Although I believe in the people we have behind them . . . (Jerry) Fontenot, (Kurt) Becker or (John) Wojciechowski. But we are better off with the regulars.”
The Bears probably least could afford to lose Anderson for any extended period, although Mark Green is eligible to come off injured reserve when the Bears resume play Oct. 28 at Phoenix. And rookie Johnny Bailey and reserves Lars Tate and James Rouse have shown talent.
Harbaugh, whose name was taken off the injury list Thursday even though he suffered a broken rib against Green Bay, has Mike Tomczak and unproven rookie Peter Tom Willis as backups. Last season, he backed up Tomczak.
The Rams have talent aplenty in the likes of quarterback Jim Everett and receivers Henry Ellard and Willie ”Flipper” Anderson. But lack of quality backups, especially on defense, has turned this into a must-game for them.
Everett completed 25 of 46 passes for 372 yards and 2 touchdowns last Sunday. It was the 12th 300-yard passing day of his career. But he couldn`t lift the Rams past the Bengals, who prevailed 34-31 in overtime.
”If a guy hits two home runs, you say, `If he had hit four home runs, we could have won the game.` You can`t put those kind of burdens on an individual,” said coach John Robinson.
After chasing the Packers` elusive Don Majkowski around the field last Sunday, the Bears` defenders should find Everett an easier sack target.
”(But) they have All-Pros up front. It is not going to be any walk in the park,” said Perry.
It might be too early in the season for the Rams to declare a state of disarray, but team morale has to be a concern if the losing continues. The team picked by many to contend for a Super Bowl title is ranked first in the NFL in offense but last in defense.
”I think our morale is fine. It is like anything. When you are not winning, you have to face those problems. You have to keep your confidence up,” said Robinson, who is 4-2 against the Bears since becoming Rams head coach in 1983.
”If we get going again, we are capable of putting a lot of wins together. This is a tough league, and I don`t think we have played very well. I think Cincinnati is one of the better teams, and we had a lot of chances at the end of the game to win it and we didn`t.”
An all-too-familiar refrain of the 1989 Bears.
