A Tank-less job ahead for Bears?

Not only have the Bears apparently adopted the old Oakland Raiders' renegade status off the field, they're effectively using an Al Davis catchphrase about their performance on it: ''Just win, baby.'' That's the Raiders' creed, and it was echoed in the Bears' locker room after a disturbing overtime victory over the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

''Yards, points -- all that crap doesn't matter,'' linebacker Brian Urlacher said defiantly after repeated questions about a defensive meltdown late in the second half. ''We won the game. That's all people should be concerned with. We're 12-2 with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. What more do you want from us at this point in time?''

Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye sang a similar refrain.

''The No. 1 thing is we won,'' Ogun-leye said. ''Next year at this time we're not going to remember what the score was or how we won. We're just going to know we won this game.''

That's the thing, though. Nobody wants to wait until next year. It has been going on around here for more than 20 years. What matters is the here and now, and the evidence Sunday is that the Bears aren't good enough to follow through on the promise of their regular season. Not with the defense being burned for 31 points by a team that entered the game averaging 7.1 points while losing seven consecutive road games dating to last season.

If the Bears allow Tim Rattay to lead four touchdown drives in the second half, including three in the fourth quarter, what will happen if Drew Brees comes to town in the playoffs with a collection of weapons to rival Tank Johnson's cache?

There's no such thing as style points in the NFL, of course, but the Bears are at a point in their season where the idea is to create an aura of invincibility, not shake their own confidence with a terrible performance.

The defense is apparently falling apart. The good-as-gold kicker suddenly has fallen into a slump, missing his first game-winning attempt of the season from 37 yards in overtime before mercifully connecting on a 25-yarder to end the game. The coach is getting booed by the fans for opting to play for overtime instead of attempting to drive down the field from his own 10 with 1:17 left.

''I didn't see a lot of good things that could happen for us,'' Smith said.

Not a ringing endorsement of quarterback Rex Grossman, but his performance was the best thing about this game for the Bears. That and the fact that they've clinched home field for the playoffs and have nearly a month to right all wrongs.

The reality for those hoping and perhaps expecting the team to dump Johnson today is that the Bears need him if they're to make a run to Miami. Today has been advertised as decision day at Halas Hall, where Johnson's fate will be revealed at a 3 p.m. news conference.

Johnson reportedly has told teammates he's fearful he'll be cut after being arrested on weapons charges Thursday, then finding himself as a material witness in the homicide of his friend, roommate and self-proclaimed bodyguard, Willie B. Posey. Bears management is said to be furious that Johnson apparently thumbed his nose at its warnings about his future behavior and decided to go clubbing after being made inactive for the Tampa Bay game.

Management insisted that football issues -- how much the Bears might need Johnson because he's their best interior pass rusher now that Tommie Harris is lost for the season -- will not influence the decision. A quick poll of players revealed that all of them want Johnson back and insist he's guilty of bad judgment and nothing else. Ogunleye said he's afraid the decision might be influenced by the media and public-relations concerns.

''The media plays a big role in a lot of the decisions that are made in Chicago,'' Ogunleye said. ''This is a respectable team, and we've got a lot of good guys. If it's painted that one guy isn't living up to the Bears' reputation, I could see that happening.''

It's a tricky situation and not an obvious decision for management. Johnson is not only a former second-round pick who was given a multimillion-dollar deal, he's also a troubled player grieving the loss of a close friend. He's a real person, not just a cartoon character walking around with a cloud over his head. The team was aware of his issues when it drafted him, and selecting him was like putting a stamp of approval on him. If that decision was a bad one, then the decision-makers need to accept responsibility.

If there are behavioral concerns about his treatment of support staff or fear he's beyond reclamation, the team could find a way to cut bait. There is precedent for teams effectively sending players into exile, like Tampa Bay once did with Keyshawn Johnson and Philadelphia did with Terrell Owens, but those rules have been changed, and the team is said to be investigating all options.

The Bears are in the business of winning games, and the team's ability to do that has to be taken into consideration, too, unpalatable as that aspect may be. Another factor to consider is that Johnson might not be in the mental frame of mind to help the team this year anyway.

Whatever the team's decision, it likely will be a rallying cry or a death knell. There doesn't seem to be any space in between.