Bears out on top as Johnson situation looms
Tough week ends with blown lead, OT win, No. 1 seed; Tank decision expected today
At this point, the Bears will need an extra plane to get to Miami with all the baggage they are carrying.
But at least they know the road to Super Bowl XLI goes through Chicago. They clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs Sunday when Robbie Gould, atoning for an earlier miss, kicked a 25-yard field goal with 3:37 remaining in overtime for a 34-31 victory over the down-and-out Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
(Scott Stewart/Sun-Times)
PHOTO GALLERY
Bucs stop here
1. Bears (12-2) North champ
2. Saints (9-5) South champ
3. Cowboys (9-5) East leader
4. Seahawks (8-6) West leader
5. Eagles (8-6) Wild card
6. Giants (7-7) Wild card
It's the first time since 1988 that the Bears (12-2) have earned the top spot, and eight of the NFC's last 12 No. 1 seeds have reached the Super Bowl.
But the news wasn't all positive. With Tank Johnson joining fellow tackle Tommie Harris in the absentee ranks, the Bears' decimated defense looked vulnerable in the second half against the NFL's worst offense.
The off-field distractions surrounding Johnson nearly created an on-field disaster. With Harris already out for the season after hamstring surgery, coach Lovie Smith deactivated Johnson after his arrest Thursday on charges of illegally possessing six guns in his Gurnee home following a SWAT team raid.
That was before Johnson issued a public apology to the organization Friday at Halas Hall -- and 12 hours later, he was at a downtown bar where his friend and bodyguard, Willie B. Posey, was shot to death.
General manager Jerry Angelo is expected to meet with Smith this morning, and a decision on Johnson's immediate future likely will follow. He might have played his final game as a Bear as team officials were livid that -- while on probation for a previous weapons conviction and immediately after his third arrest in 18 months -- he chose to put himself in another bad position. One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the situation goes beyond off-field issues, that Johnson has been intimidating to support staff, as well.
''I have a little bit of input on most things around here, and this will be one of them,'' Smith said.
Angelo said Friday that anyone who distracted the organization from its goals would be treated ''severely,'' and it's difficult to imagine how Johnson could become a greater embarrassment to the family-owned operation and the front office that invested a 2004 second-round pick in him.
As for Sunday's game, Rex Grossman passed for a career-high 339 yards -- the first time in 73 games the Bears have had a 300-yard passer, far and away the league's longest drought. Desmond Clark caught both of Grossman's touchdown passes and had a career-high 125 yards on seven catches, the best day by a Bears tight end in 42 years. Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson each ran for a score.
The offense will have to remain in high gear for the Bears to win with the defense they've had of late. They blew a 21-3 halftime lead as the Bucs (3-11) capitalized on more aggressive blitzing in the second half by defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, a strategy dictated by the lack of inside push the Bears are accustomed to from Harris and Johnson.
Tim Rattay came off the bench to replace rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski and led four second-half scoring drives, as many as the Bucs had in their last five games.
''Instead of stepping on their throats,'' defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said, ''we let them come back.''
Benson bowled over safety Jermaine Phillips for a four-yard touchdown to put the Bears ahead 31-17 with 9:23 remaining.
But Rattay threw touchdown passes of 64 yards to Joey Galloway and 44 to Ike Hilliard to force overtime. Those are the kind of long plays the Bears' ''Tampa-2'' defense isn't supposed to give up in the fourth quarter, especially with a sizable lead. In addition to Harris and Johnson, cornerback Nathan Vasher and strong safety Todd Johnson were out.
''The best thing is we have two more games for guys to build familiarity with each other,'' Rivera said. ''And that's the most important thing because you go all season, you get used to working with Tommie and Tank, and unfortunately you're in a circumstance now where we have to get used to playing alongside other guys.''
It looks like it might be that way for the rest of this ride.