Without getting specific, Dave Wannstedt said it was “obvious” the Bears have to improve “in some areas.” The two most obvious are also the two most important and basic areas of football-running and stopping the run.
That the Bears distinguished themselves in neither makes their playoff appearance not only impressive, but also baffling.
The only playoff team to fare worse in running and stopping the run was the Patriots, and the presence of Drew Bledsoe explains that. The Bears had no such extenuating circumstance.
Of the two areas, stopping the run was a bigger problem for the Bears than running. Although they finished 15th in the league in run yardage, they did finish sixth in number of rushes, which means they at least tried to run and stuck with it, which can be as important as running well.
But stopping the run proved a more serious shortcoming. Not only were they the worst team in the playoffs (24th overall) in number of rushing yards allowed, they also were dead last in the league in average yards allowed per rush, 4.4. It was Wannstedt’s biggest fear all season. From the start, when people wondered how he would replace the sacks taken away by Richard Dent and Steve McMichael, the coach would worry first about stopping the run. Sacks follow.
Running and stopping the run work hand-in-hand, or foot-in-foot. Running always helps a defense increase time of possession and field position. Stopping the run always provides the offense more chances.
AMONG THE LEADERS.
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One common denominator of the final four teams this year is running and stopping the run. The 49ers, Cowboys, Steelers and Chargers all finished among the league’s top 10 in running and stopping the run.
Combining the two statistics is a good gauge for success. The 49ers are sixth in running and second in stopping the run for a total of eight. The Steelers are first in running, seventh in stopping the run, also eight. They are ahead of the Chargers (12) and Cowboys (15), which is one reason they are the two favorites to get to the Super Bowl.
This year, the final four happen to be the top four in the league in the run-stop run combination, the perfect illustration for what is more than a trend. For the last 12 years, running and stopping the run has been a reliable predictor of Super Bowl success. Of the final four teams each year since 1981, the team that ranks first or second among the four in the run-stop run combination wins.
For example, Dallas was first among the final four last year. Buffalo and Dallas ranked 1-2 the year before. The Redskins were first three years ago. The Giants were first four years ago.
What made the glory years of the Bears both unique and unfortunate was they finished first in the entire league in the run-stop run combination in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1988. In 1984 and 1985, they finished No. 1 in both categories, yet were able to win only one Super Bowl during this period of dominance in the fundamentals of football.
KEY INJURY
This is why the hamstring injury to Emmitt Smith cannot be overemphasized. Forget Troy Aikman and Steve Young and Michael Irvin and Jerry Rice and Ken Norton and Charles Haley. Smith represents the potential balance of power. When healthy, Smith keeps Young and Rice on the bench. When the Cowboys get a lead, Smith protects it by grinding out first downs. At his best, he runs away from the 49ers’ Ricky Watters, the Steelers’ Barry Foster, the Chargers’ Natrone Means-all excellent backs.
Add Smith’s ailment to a Cowboy defense that ranks worst (10th) among the final four in stopping the run and you know why Jimmy Johnson is smiling more than Barry Switzer.
No matter how much owners tinker with rules to increase passing and scoring, running and stopping the run remain the foundation to a game that refuses to bend its principles to the whims of rulesmakers.
The Vikings won the NFC Central Division largely by finishing first in the league against the run. The Packers finished second by finishing third against the run and advanced in the playoffs by stuffing Detroit’s Barry Sanders for minus 1 yard. But neither the Vikings nor Packers could sustain a running offense to match, both finishing behind the Bears in running. The Lions were third in the league in rushing with the incomparable Sanders, yet were nearly as poor (22nd) as the Bears in stopping the run.
The team that improves fastest in these obvious areas will be the team that emerges from the pack.