The more things change in the NFC Central Division, the more things seem to stay the same for the Bears.
They continually beat up on their underlings while at least splitting with their non-divisional opponents.
The formula has worked splendidly for head coach Mike Ditka for a decade, and this year figures to be no different.
Why? Because much of the Bears` supremacy must be attributed to coaching stability.
Since Ditka took over the Bears in 1982, the Vikings, Lions, Packers and Bucs each have changed coaches at least three times. The Bucs are working on their fourth coach in that period. And, truth be told, Richard Williamson already must be considered on shaky ground. He succeeded Ray Perkins, who followed Leeman Bennett, who took over for the franchise`s first coach, John McKay.
Winning, of course, begets coaching stability in the National Football League, and losing generally means coaches will be fired.
In pursuit of their seventh division title in the last eight years, the Bears will be clad in their traditional home blue jerseys, though on the road at Tampa Stadium Sunday. They intend to make themselves right at home against the Buccaneers.
It has not been a heated rivalry exactly, except for the fact the temperature is usually in the 90s at game time here. The Bears have won 20 of 26 games against the Bucs, including 10 of 13 in Tampa.
Chicago`s domination of the Bucs, however, is not unlike the team`s pre-eminence over the entire NFC Central Division in the Ditka era.
He`s 49-19 against the NFC Central in this, his 10th season, and the Bears are favored to give Ditka his 50th divisional victory Sunday.
Williamson is in his first season as full-time head coach of the Bucs after serving on an interim basis for the last three games of 1990.
Tampa Bay was 1-2 under Williamson last season and is 0-1 after dropping a 16-13 decision to the Jets last Sunday.
”There is always pressure to win,” Williamson said. ”I don`t care if you have the interim title or whether you have head coach on there. In the National Football League there is always pressure to win. That`s the way it should be.”
The novelty of having to prepare constantly for a new coaching staff has been solved by the Bears in the past.
”Williamson was the offensive coordinator under Perkins,” said Bears defensive coordinator Vince Tobin. ”They have a new offensive coordinator
(Hank Kuhlmann, a Bears assistant from 1976-82). Has their philosophy changed? I`m not sure yet. We have seen a lot of different things out of them. They have only played one game for real, so we still have a wait-and-see attitude.”
Ditka is aware the Bucs have a new defensive coordinator-Floyd Peters from the Vikings-and several other new faces. But he mainly is concerned with his own staff of coaches, three of whom have been with him at least nine seasons and four others at least five seasons.
”I think this will be a tougher test,” Ditka said. ”They have a new coaching staff. They have some new football players, and they are anxious to prove what they can do.”
Under Peters, the Bucs have changed from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3. Second-year linebacker Keith McCants was switched to defensive end, as Peters did with Chris Doleman at Minnesota several years ago.
”I have always liked that scheme of defense, having been here four years and playing against it twice a year,” Williamson said of the 4-3.
”I thought we could put McCants with four down people and give him a little more freedom. I think it fits our people better and lets us be a better football team.”
The Bucs have 14 new players, including 13 rookies.
”The defense is the biggest difference in their team. It is similar to what Minnesota does,” Ditka said. ”They have taken it a step further offensively, too. They go with one back a lot. It is sound football. They are very well-coached. But you can be well-coached and not win.”
The Bears` goal behind quarterback Jim Harbaugh and running back Neal Anderson is to score at least three touchdowns as the offense continues to try to get untracked. Kicker Kevin Butler, coming back from a sprained right ankle suffered last Sunday, says he`s healthy enough to resume his top form of previous seasons.
Offensively, the Bucs will use a hurry-up, no-huddle offense on occasion, as the Vikings did last Sunday against the Bears.
”We did it against the Jets,” Williamson said. ”We just kind of do it as we get a feel for it. We won`t do it a whole game. We had some success with it in the preseason and against the Jets in the first half. How much we do it depends on the ballgame.”
The Bears` secondary, which notched seven interceptions in the two victories over Tampa Bay last season, is pointing for more of the same against erratic quarterback Vinny Testaverde.
”He has improved in terms of his reads,” Bears defensive back Maurice Douglass said. ”He doesn`t necessarily go to one receiver and keep his eye only on him anymore. He looks around a whole lot better. He is also getting a lot better protection. He has some big boys down there-a lot of first-round draft picks on the line of scrimmage.”
Free safety Mark Carrier, whose distant cousin and namesake starts at wide receiver for Tampa Bay, had three of his league-high 10 interceptions against the Bucs last year. The confidence level of the entire Bears secondary seems to be one of the team`s major strengths.
”Everybody believes in one another, and they work hard in practice,”
Douglass said. ”Our receivers are among the best in the league, and we figure if we can cover our own guys in practice, then we shouldn`t have too much trouble covering any other team`s receivers.”
Testaverde connected on only 12 of 28 passes for 197 yards last Sunday. He was intercepted once but threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Lawrence Dawsey of Florida State.
”Lawrence has surprised a lot of people,” Testaverde said. ”Everybody who talked about him before he came in had great things to say about him. But he has done some things that no one really expected of him. As long as Lawrence continues to work as hard and concentrate as hard as he has, I think he can reach all the goals he sets for himself.”
Since 1983, the Bears have averaged 30 points while holding the Bucs to just 15 points a game. Seven times they have held Tampa Bay to less than a touchdown, and four times they have shut out the Bucs.
”I would just like to get a win,” Ditka said. ”I`m not in this for stats or anything else. The only stat that counts is whether you win or lose.”
Ditka`s won-loss record against the Bucs speaks volumes. Just ask John McKay, Leeman Bennett, Ray Perkins and Richard Williamson.
