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player ready...The Bears have at least three things going for them against Carolina on Sunday: home field, a week off and history.
Since the current 12-team playoff format began in 1990, only two teams have been able to accomplish what the Panthers will be trying to do: beat a “bye” team on the road in a rematch after losing the previous game. One was quarterbacked by Joe Montana, the other by John Elway, and neither Hall of Famer had an easy time.
Good luck, Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme.
What Bears quarterback Rex Grossman is trying to do is hard enough: enter the playoffs after throwing only 39 passes during the regular season.
Buffalo’s Rob Johnson did it in 1999, beginning the playoffs after throwing just 34 passes in the regular season. Bills coach Wade Phillips let Johnson start a meaningless season finale, and Johnson looked so good, Phillips named him to start ahead of Doug Flutie in the playoffs against Tennessee. That was the famous “Music City Miracle” game the Bills lost on a controversial cross-field lateral on a kickoff. Not much has been heard from Phillips or Johnson since.
Speaking of Flutie, Grossman’s entry into the playoffs with so little experience is reminiscent of 1986, when Bears coach Mike Ditka tried to defend his Super Bowl title with Flutie against the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field.
Flutie, Ditka’s hand-picked savior of the season, started only one game in 1986 and threw just 46 passes all year. In the playoff loss, he was 11 of 31 for 134 yards.
That isn’t the kind of history the Bears want to repeat. Grossman has more friends in his huddle than Flutie did. Grossman’s task this week might be easier than Delhomme’s.
As if the Bears weren’t enough for the Panthers to think about, there are two historic obstacles.
Traveling to play a team coming off a bye. Of the 60 conference semifinal (or divisional) playoff games since 1990, 49 have been won by home teams coming off bye weeks. That’s 82 percent.
Reversing the result of the previous game. Of those 60 playoff games, 33 have been rematches of games played during the regular season. On 26 occasions, the team that won the previous game prevailed again. That’s 79 percent.
Much has been made of how difficult it is to beat a team three times in one season. Not much has been made of beating a team two times in a row. The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, for example, split their regular-season series before the Steelers won the rubber match in the wild-card round last week. Neither team could win two in a row.
“It’s hard to beat a good team even once,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “If you accomplish it one time, you can do it again. Normally it is harder the second time, but that’s part of it.”
It may be harder, but the record shows that in this playoff format it has happened regularly. The home field and bye apparently more than make up for the difficulty of beating a team two times in a row.
The Panthers lost to the Bears 13-3 on Nov. 20. They played in New York on Sunday while the Bears watched and must travel to Chicago this week.
Since 1990, when the league expanded the wild-card round by a game, only the 1993 Kansas City Chiefs and the 1997 Denver Broncos won under the circumstances facing Carolina.
The 1993 Chiefs had lost to the Oilers 30-0 during the season in Houston and went back to Houston for a divisional playoff. The Chiefs had eliminated Pittsburgh in a wild-card match the week before in overtime while the Oilers had the week off.
With Montana throwing three touchdown passes in the second half, including two within 54 seconds in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs pulled it out 28-20.
The 1997 Broncos had split their season series with the Chiefs and had lost the second game in Kansas City, surrendering home field and the bye. They beat Jacksonville in the wild-card round, then went back to Kansas City for the divisional playoff.
Elway completed only 10 passes for 170 yards and Terrell Davis rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns to give the Broncos a 14-10 victory.
So if it was hard for Montana and Elway, how hard will it be for Delhomme?
His track record is impressive. Two years ago, in his first season as a starter, he beat Smith’s defense in noisy St. Louis and upset the Eagles in Philadelphia in the NFC title game. He beat the Giants in New York last week to run his playoff record to 4-1, with three of those victories on the road.
This is his latest test.
There have been 11 rematches in divisional rounds since 1998. Every winner has prevailed the second time.
Of the 11 winners, 10 teams were at home after enjoying the bye week, which seems to trump all other elements.
All but one. If the Bears turn the ball over Sunday, forget all the above.
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Hall of Fame credentials needed?
Since 1990, only two quarterbacks have beaten a bye team on the road in a rematch after losing the previous meeting during the regular season.
Hall of Fame credentials needed?
Since 1990, only two quarterbacks have beaten a bye team on the road in a rematch after losing the previous meeting during the regular season.
QUARTERBACK: Joe Montana `93-94 Chiefs
THE LOSS: 30-0 in Houston
THE REDEMPTION: Tossed 3 2nd-half TDs–2 in 54 seconds in 4th quarter–in 28-20 win
QUARTERBACK: John Elway `97-98 Broncos
THE LOSS: 24-22 in K.C.
THE REDEMPTION: Completed 10 passes for 170 yards; Terrell Davis’ 2 TDs key 14-10 win
QUARTERBACK: Jake Delhomme `05-06 Panthers
THE LOSS: 13-3 in Chicago
THE REDEMPTION: Can’t get sacked 8 times or throw 2 INTs if he wants to add his name to list
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