“Oh, the first December question,” Dave Wannstedt said Monday with a grin.
What kind of smile? The kind George Bush wore when he denied knowledge of Iran-Contra. The kind Mayor Daley still wears whenever he mentions Michael McCaskey.
The kind of smile dentists see more than anyone else.
Wannstedt knows if his third December with the Bears is anything like the first two, the Bears’ season will wind up about as welcomed as the piece of coal stuffed in the Christmas stockings of naughty children.
In 1993 and 1994, the Bears were 1-3 each December, both home victories. Against NFC Central Division opponents, they were a combined 1-4 both years.
The Bears haven’t actually won a December road game in the regular season in eight years. The last was a 6-3 decision against the Raiders in Los Angeles Dec. 27, 1987.
Since then the Bears are a frosty 0-15 on the road in December, 0-8 versus NFC Central clubs.
That seems to make the Bears (7-5) odds-on favorites to have no better a finish this season than 9-7, considering road trips to Detroit Monday and Cincinnati Dec. 10. The regular season ends with Soldier Field games against Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.
“The season will probably come down to Philadelphia,” Wannstedt predicted.
The Bears lost 13-3 to New England to end 1994 with a whimper and not only won a playoff spot, but beat Minnesota in the first round on the road. Wannstedt called that mode of success “unusual” and knows the Bears are flirting with disaster if they seek a similar miracle finish by backing into the postseason.
“I think we are a more mature team now,” Wannstedt said. “We got some new people, some young people. I don’t see it being an issue.”
In an era when critical games seem to abound in pro sports, the Bears’ game Monday in Detroit is legitimately huge. Classify this as a turning point, upward or downward.
Two very bad things happen with a loss. The Lions sweep their season series and have a hammerlock on second place in the Central. And the Bears would be guaranteed another non-winning season in the division with a 3-4 record. And Tampa Bay would be in position to hang the Bears with a 3-5 Central record for the third straight season.
“Detroit will be as huge a challenge for the defense as they’ve had all year,” Wannstedt said. “Field position will be the key.”
That was the case Nov. 19 in Soldier Field when the Lions prevailed 24-17 by starting two drives from their own 48 (after a punt) and 42 (after a missed field goal) that ended in second-half touchdowns.
“We had five possessions in the fourth quarter that game and came away with one touchdown,” Wannstedt said of offensive shortcomings. “So we have to go there this time and play mistake-free football and take advantage when the opportunities are there, which offensively we didn’t do first time.”
Not having Donnell Woolford at cornerback “has hurt us since the second half against Pittsburgh,” Wannstedt said of that major injury Nov. 5. However, at least the secondary made a respectable showing in the 27-24 Giants’ victory by holding gross passing yards to 217, down from an average of 320 in the first three games without Woolford.
But Wannstedt, who called Woolford doubtful to return against the Lions, knows the Giants don’t have the same personnel as Detroit.
“Sunday was one of the few times this year we actually rose up and made some plays when the game was on the line,” he said, looking for silver linings on a tarnished defense. “You can’t blitz Detroit every down, though, and leave our cornerbacks alone against Brett Perriman and Herman Moore. We just mix in enough blitzes to keep (Detroit’s) quarterback out of rhythm.”
The Bears can go 2-2 from here and match last year’s 9-7 finish. But Wannstedt isn’t crazy about his playoff chances if that’s the case.
“A team or two may get in at 9-7,” he said. “Who knows? How can you figure it? It’s like John Madden says, you play to get in position that the last four games mean something.”
They have meant much less for the last seven years without any road victories to pad the cushion.
“It’d be nice to finish up strong,” Wannstedt said. “Go into the playoffs that way after losing three of our last four last year. You want the momentum.”
A loss Monday in Detroit tears that momentum into little pieces.
