To Steve Walsh, being a quarterback has always been about having your teammates’ confidence. That was the case in the 1994 season, which he began as a backup before leading the Bears to a 35-18 playoff win over the Vikings, and it applies today to the franchise’s unsettled quarterback picture.
Walsh had plenty to say to Inc. about what makes a good quarterback as well as his postseason showdown with Warren Moon in Minnesota on New Year’s Day 1995, which is the subject of the “Bears Classics” episode “Eclipsing Moon” that premieres at 8 Monday night on Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
On what worked for him in ’94
“I think (with) my style, my passing game — which was more of a move-the-chains, less big plays — we didn’t have as many chunk plays (and) our time of possession went up pretty dramatically. … We became control the clock, play good defense, win special teams, rush for more yards than our opponent and make enough plays in the passing game to win. That really was our style for that season. We won three in a row, then Erik (Kramer) came back (from injury) and we struggled. What happens is guys in the locker room, they don’t like losing almost as much as those coaches. The rumblings started: We need to put Steve back in. … I think the coaches realized the way I was playing fit the makeup of that team. I think that’s how the locker room kind of turned toward me because I helped build our identity with that three-game stretch, then when I came back, we won (four) more in a row.”
On whether the Bears have shown confidence in Jay Cutler
“He has a lot of tools in the toolbox. He’s got arm talent — top-10 arm talent in the league. Why it doesn’t come out on the field more consistently, or maybe what the fans would like or coaching staff would like, is strange. In his defense, sometimes you’re in the right fit where everybody believes in you. … When everyone in that building believes we’re never out of a game, that this guy’s going to save our butts because he can and he’s done it repeatedly, that’s when you know you’ve got a chance to be a champion. … I don’t know if everyone in that building has believed in him. When that happens, it’s difficult to overcome.”
On whether the Bears’ current backups could lead the team
“(Brian) Hoyer is a win-with guy. He’s not going to win for you, he’s going to win with you. That means you’ve got to build the team around him. I didn’t watch (Matt) Barkley close enough to make a comment. … The blueprint that worked in ’94 — and you can think back to Trent Dilfer, who went to the Super Bowl with the Ravens — that blueprint doesn’t work as much anymore, the league is so quarterback-driven. … If you want to go deep in the playoffs, you’ve got to have a guy that can make explosive plays. … What Aaron Rodgers does is unbelievable. You can’t add too many superlatives on what he does falling away, running to his left, running to his right and being able to be accurate with the football that far down the field. I’ve never seen it anywhere else.”
On this draft’s quarterback prospects
“I really have to look at (Mitch) Trubisky a little bit more. … Obviously Deshaun Watson is a dynamic kid. You don’t want to overhype, but with coach (Dabo) Swinney, he’s got great passion for (Watson) as a person. There’s a lot to be said about that. … With Jameis Winston, as much of the off-field junk that he had, what you saw on the field was a competitor, and you saw a group of teammates that loved him and fought for him. And that type of personality turns a whole locker room.”
On how the Bears beat a talented Vikings team in the ’95 playoff game
“We knew our defense could stifle them enough. We could run the ball. I could make enough plays in the passing game. So we were confident going up there. Having Warren Moon coming off an injury was a good deal for us because we felt he would be off his game. … We felt like we had a really good game plan offensively: Move the pocket, get out and roll out. … We were so close just a month before (when) we lost in overtime.”
On whether he exchanged trash talk with Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle
“I think I was in Randle’s head more than he was in mine. … When we prepared against them, (offensive coordinator) Ron Turner and Tony Wise, our line coach, said, ‘Steve, you’ve got 2.9 seconds to get rid of the ball.’ So in practice they would blow a horn, blow a whistle. So it was literally get back on the fifth step and the ball had to go. Part of our game plan was to piss Randle off so much because he lives and thrives on sacks. He could get a tackle for loss and he doesn’t give a (bleep) — he wanted sacks. And John Teerlinck, a phenomenal defensive line coach, they all wanted sacks. So I really frustrated them. I would get rid of the ball or I would dump the ball in the dirt if nobody was open or I was going to get sacked, and I also used a really good hard count to get them offsides.
“John (Randle) didn’t talk much crap — I know he sent me on a cartwheel one time when I was trying to run down an interception, but he was not too much in my face. He was too worried about the other things that I was doing.”
On his departure from the Bears
“I really wanted to stay. I wanted a two-year deal and they were only willing to do a one-year deal. After playing well in ’94 and Erik playing great in ’95 and me not really getting any action, I wanted to stay there because … I was comfortable with the system that they ran with Coach Turner, and I had guys around me that believed in me. … And really, I signed with St. Louis knowing that probably wasn’t the best fit for me as a quarterback. But I didn’t have a lot of choices.”
Twitter @_phil_thompson
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