Here’s the problem with Bears President Michael McCaskey saying coach Dave Wannstedt will return if the team continues to compete and shows progress: The players might believe they can play dumb and lay back, thus controlling Wannstedt’s fate.
D.C. follies
Here’s why the Bears can go for two, and make it:
The Washington Redskins, who come into Soldier Field this Sunday, have started their annual free fall earlier than usual. Last year, the Skins raced to a 7-1 start, then went 2-6 in the second half and blew up their playoff hopes.
This year they started 3-1, but have dropped three of their last four. The reason this year is the same as last: They cannot stop the run.
They are the absolute worst in the league against the run, allowing a staggering 161-plus yards on the ground per game. And it just got a whole lot worse for the Redskins, who found out Pro Bowl linebacker Ken Harvey will be out at least two weeks with a sprained left shoulder.
“The minute you say they can’t, they do,” Wannstedt said. “They’ll force us to block an eight-man front and they’ll challenge us to throw the ball to our wide receivers against their two corners. That’s what this is going to come down to. Very simple.”
Yeah. OK. Maybe. But I still think Raymont Harris or even Darnell Autry is going to Canton after this game against that line.
But wait
There’s more: Washington coach Norv Turner will have to juggle four of the five spots along the offensive line, including left tackle.
And this comes after the Bears made Dan Marino look like Rick Mirer with blitzes and stunts and hits and sacks. I mean, the Bears absolutely rattled a Hall of Famer.
“He was sacked as much as he had been all year, and he was getting hit,” Wannstedt said. “I’m sure that was on his mind.”
And Washington quarterback Gus Frerotte is no Dan Marino.
Pause.
Right, Dave? Frerotte’s no Marino. Right?
“Nice talking with you.”
Then again
The last time the Bears won a Monday night game and then had a short week to prepare for a messy Washington team, they couldn’t score a touchdown.
And that was when all the pieces were in place.
Just thinking
Wonder how Erik Kramer’s comeback clinic played in Goshen, Ind.
Just asking
I keep forgetting, but who’s the one with all the concussions, Troy Aikman or Dennis Green?
On the mark
The Vancouver Canucks and Mark Messier–that’s hockey for “Messiah”–come to the United Center on Wednesday with the Messiah claiming he’s healthy, which makes his scoring totals look even sicker.
So there are rumors that the team just won’t jell and play for coach Tom Renney, and so I still get this feeling the Canucks will end up with Mike Keenan behind the bench, because the only way a Messier team wins anything is with a coach who’s more dominating than he is.
For the record
Illinois is a 4 1/2-point underdog to an Indiana team that has been outscored 168-6 this month.
But Indiana just came off a string of five games against ranked teams. Now it just plays a rank one.
Quotable
Edmonton Oilers GM Glen Sather, on left wing Andrei Kovalenko, who started the season with four assists in eight games after signing a $2.3 million contract: “I’d like him to give it all back.”
