They are Brown and Harris.
In Chicago at least, Bears
fans worry about which Rex Grossman will show up in the postseason.
However, it has been demonstrated that a solid defense is key in the
playoffs, even more important than in the regular season.
Pro-Bowl safety Mike Brown
and Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris both started the first six
games of the Bears' season. The Bears only allowed an amazing 9.8 points
per game in those games. For the next six games, with Brown out for the
rest of the season, the Bears allowed 15.2 points per game. After 12
games, they held the number one spot in the NFL in points allowed per
game, but just barely. Then Harris was injured. The Bears played the
last four games without Brown and Harris and they allowed 26.3 points
per game. Now that is an ominous trend. With Brown and Harris out for
the playoffs as well, the defense is playing significantly short-handed.
|
Portion of the Season |
Points Allowed per Game |
|
First
Six Games (with both Brown and Harris) |
9.8
|
|
Next
Six Games (Harris playing, Brown out) |
15.2
|
|
Last
Four Games (both Brown and Harris out) |
26.3
|
New England and Baltimore
finished the season giving up fewer points than the Bears, but the Bears
did have the best defense in their conference by a significant margin.
The Bears will have cornerback Charles Tillman and defensive tackle Tank
Johnson back for the playoffs. That will help. But will it be enough
without Brown and Harris?
