The Bears’ secondary is up for some grabs.
As in getting some interceptions Saturday in San Francisco.
“If you have an opportunity to go for a play, you have to make it happen,” said free safety Mark Carrier. “This is the playoffs. You can’t wait and see when an opportunity is going to come. You take your chances when you get them. If we don’t go in being aggressive and trying to make something happen, it could be too late.”
Defensive backs Donnell Woolford, Jeremy Lincoln, Shaun Gayle and Carrier will try to shut down San Francisco’s high-powered offense featuring Steve Young, Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Brent Jones and Ricky Watters.
San Francisco ranked second in total offense and fourth in passing. The Bears were fifth in pass defense. It could be one of the most intriguing matchups in a game that otherwise appears lopsided in favor of the home 49ers.
The Bears’ secondary also plays in the shadow of San Francisco’s defensive backs, notably Pro Bowl players Deion Sanders, Merton Hanks and Tim McDonald.
“I can play just as good as (Sanders) can,” said Woolford. “I can’t dance yet, so he might have to teach me a few.”
The 49ers finished with the best record in the NFL at 13-3. They ranked second in total offense to Miami-sixth in rushing, fourth in passing.
“Looking on film, I don’t even see how they lost three games,” said Carrier. “They look great.”
The Bears are 10-7, beating the Vikings 35-18 in a wild card game last Sunday while the NFC West champion 49ers enjoyed a bye.
“Playing against them in a big game, we have to ask what we have to do as a team to win, not focus on the greatness of the 49ers,” said Carrier.
The Bears had 12 interceptions during the season, the 49ers 23.
“We’re going to see who really has the best secondary,” said Lincoln.
Young, voted NFL Most Valuable Player on Wednesday, poses the most serious threat to a secondary that ranked fifth in the league against the pass during the regular season.
“We prepared for Barry Sanders in one week. We can prepare for Steve Young in one week,” said Carrier. “One thing about their offense: You can’t focus on one player. You have to focus on their scheme. If you focus on one player, then Steve Young can beat you by himself.”
“We know we’re playing a great team. We just need to be relaxed,” said Woolford. “Coaches have to be relaxed. Go with the same game plan that got us here and just play football.
“Just because it is Jerry Rice or Richard Dent or Deion Sanders, they are human; they bleed . . . they use the bathroom the same way we do.”
Young wound up with an NFL record 112.8 passer rating. He completed 324 of 461 passes (70.3 percent) for 3,969 yards and 35 touchdowns. He was intercepted only 10 times and sacked 31 times.
“It’s like a machine. This will be a test for us. If we can get some turnovers early, that will be the key,” said Lincoln.
Young’s average gain of 8.6 yards per attempt led the NFL.
“What am I supposed to do? Go run and hide and not show up on the plane?” said Woolford. “It is going to be a big challenge. Guys are going to get geared up for it.
“Steve is one of the guys on that team that I am really fearful of. He can do so many things. He can rush, he can throw. He just does it all. If there is anybody that we have to prepare for, it would have to be him. We will really have to keep him in the pocket and put a little pressure on him.”
Young scrambled for 293 yards this season, the 49ers’ third-best rushing total.
“Young is so mobile. He will act like he is going to stop and run, then throw the ball deep,” said Lincoln.
Rice, who became the league’s career touchdown leader this season, caught 112 passes for 1,499 yards and 13 TDs.
“Their guys in the secondary play well as a unit,” Rice said. “The safeties really come up and try to cause fumbles. I had a chance to play against Woolford in Germany in an exhibition game, and he likes to be very physical. And he takes chances.”
“I think we have one of the top secondaries in the league,” said Woolford.
