NFC Central - includes brief items

A few tips for Lions corners

Not since the days of Hall of Famer Lem Barney have the Lions had this much raw ability roaming in the secondary. The talent is there, but the results are not. Not yet, anyway.

The Lions used their top two picks in 1997 to draft cornerbacks Bryant Westbrook (first round) and Kevin Abrams (second). They then took Terry Fair with their first-round choice this year. Westbrook and Fair are starting, and Abrams is playing nickel back. While their progress has been good, there are several areas in which they need to improve:

* Don't turn in, turn out. Their overall techniques are sound and they've learned to run with receivers and not bite on the double-move routes. There's still a problem, however, when the ball is in the air on deep passes. Westbrook is doing a better job of mining away from the receiver to look for the ball, but Abrams and Fair still get caught turning inside. The resulting contact usually draws a pass interference call.

* Cheat if you must. While Fair and Abrams have gotten better in keeping their hands off receivers, Westbrook still has a reputation as a grabber. "We don't mind if they grab, just don't get caught," defensive coordinator Larry Peccatiello says.

* Be patient and aggressive--and know the difference. The Lions have been burned on several big plays because the youngsters are so eager to make something happen, they leave their zone and responsibility.

Still, the coaches have constantly reminded the young comers to stay in an attack mode, regardless of the consequences.

"We want them to be aggressive," Peccatiello says. "It's not always going to mm out like we have it drawn up, but we want to win our fair share." --Tom Kowalski

Chicago

3-10: 5th

Shrinking offense makes coaches feel the pain

The injuries at quarterback, first to Erik Kramer, then to Moses Moreno, with Steve Stenstrom's sore shoulder thrown into the mix, have imposed limitations on offensive planning. The offense was necessarily scaled down with the dropoff in experience from Kramer to Stenstrom. When Moreno, a rookie, took over after a season of running the scout team, the playbook shrank again. With Moreno's ankle injury, newcomer Jim Miller has been readied as the backup and coaches have given him a repertoire of six plays. Stenstrom, surprisingly, has been given the mandate that if he plays well, he will remain the starter, even when Moreno is healthy. That comes despite coach Dave Wannstedt's earlier statement that Moreno would start for the rest of the season after Stenstrom was benched.... The switch from Moreno to Stenstrom was the Bears' third quarterback change in five games.

SHOTGUN WEDDING: The Bears have run almost 6,000 plays since Wannstedt arrived, all of them with the quarterback directly under center. That could change in 1999, when the Bears begin experimenting with the shotgun formation in their pass offense. The idea was discussed last year but shelved because of uncertainties at center and quarterback. It is a more serious consideration now. Offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh has studied the Denver offense, which uses the shotgun and still operates a form of timing pass similar to what the Bears like to use. And Cavanaugh believes much of the Bears' scheme will work out of the shotgun, too. Coaches see the primary benefit as the quarterback being able to see the pass rash develop. The plan would be to use the shotgun sparingly, in two-minute situations at first, and more often if successful. The coaches believe Kramer, who underwent surgery on his knee and shoulder last week, can operate effectively out of the formation, as can C Casey Wiegmann.

GOAL-LINE STAND: Talk about shotgun formations, personnel moves and other forward-looking topics leads to the conclusion Wannstedt will return as coach next season. But no one, least of all normally incommunicado president Michael McCaskey, is saying anything, even though Wannstedt does not sound like someone playing out the string. If the Bears falter and begin losing badly down the stretch, anything is possible. But they have not quit so far and that has been the saving grace for Wannstedt.--John Mullin

GRADING OUT vs. Minnesota

OFFENSE F

No yards in 2nd quarter is fatal along with inability to answer early Vikings scores.

DEFENSE F

The Vikings romp even without Cris Carter and Jake Reed.

SPECIAL TEAMS C

Not many chances for KO returns, but coverage units contained Vikes returners.

STRATEGY C-

Should the scheme be blamed or is it poor execution?

BEARS

PASSING          Att.      Comp.     Pct.       Yds.      Long

Kramer           250        151      60.4       1823       79t
Stenstrom        110         60      54.5        725       48

PASSING          TD         Int.      Rate      Sacks

Kramer             9          7       83.1        10
Stenstrom          2          4       65.9        13

RUSHING          Att.       Yds.       Avg.        TD

Bennett          153        514        3.4         2
Enis             133        497        3.7         0
Chancey           19         89        4.7         1

RECEIVING        No.        Yds.       Avg.       TD

Engram            53        868       16.4         5
Conway            42        549       13.1         2
Penn              29        427       14.7         3

SCORING          XPM        XPA       FGM         FGA     Pts.

Jaeger            21         22       18          22        75

PUNTING          No.       Yds.       Avg.        Blk.

Horan             51       2130       41.8         0

KO RETURNS       No.       Yds.       Avg.        TD

Milburn           51       1210       23.7        1

PUNT RETURNS     No.       Yds.       Avg.        TD

Milburn          19         256       13.5        1

SACKS: Flanigan 7.5, Wells 3.0, Thierry 2.5

INTERCEPTIONS: W. Harris 3, Collins 2, Tom. Carter 2

Detroit

5-8: 4th

Opponents doing more with less to stop run

Teams no longer tear the Lions' running game, but that's no reflection on Barry Sanders. Opposing defenses, which used to stack eight and nine men at the line of scrimmage to stop Sanders, are using seven players in the box and playing two-deep pass coverage. Why the change? The offensive line has been so inconsistent that opponents know they can win a lot of the individual matchups and don't have to worry about flooding the line of scrimmage. Because the running game is suffering, the play-action pass--one of the team's staples over the years--is worthless. In the games the offensive line has played well, the Lions have been difficult to stop. It just hasn't happened often enough. Expect some changes in the offseason. One might be a switch of LG Mike Compton to center, with C Jim Pyne moving to guard (the position he played in Tampa Bay). The team is reasonably happy with the job second-year RT Tony Ramirez has done, but would like to upgrade that position.

MAKING PROGRESS: The Lions' two free-agent LBs, Allen Aldridge and Rob Fredrickson, haven't had great seasons, but they've been improving and that's why coach Bobby Ross might not make a change in the offseason. Fredrickson will be an unrestricted free agent, but Ross wants to re-sign him to create some consistency and chemistry on the unit. The perimeter defense--outside linebackers and cornerbacks--has been completely revamped in the last two seasons.... If the team can find a way to keep his salary under the cap, FB Tommy Vardell will be back next season. Vardell gives the team flexibility in the passing game and is a key to the highly successful short-yardage and goal-line package. In 15 carries, Vardell has gained only 17 yards, but has scored six touchdowns.

GOAL-LINE STAND: Ross said Sanders was completely healthy and had recovered from nagging rib and knee injuries. It's inconceivable, then, that Sanders continues to get yanked on third-down situations for reserve back Ron Rivers. Something is terribly wrong with a game plan that calls for the best player on the field to trot to the sideline during the game's most crucial plays. The reasoning is that Rivers offers better pass protection. If that's the case, don't change the players, change the protection. No matter how brilliant the plan might be--the team still is struggling to convert on third down--the defense has to breathe a little easier every time Sanders jogs to the bench.--Tom Kowalski

GRADING OUT vs. Jacksonville

OFFENSE D

Poor line play, penalties and a dropped touchdown pass; gave up five sacks.

DEFENSE D-

Baby strollers aren't pushed around this easily; linebackers couldn't tackle,

SPECIAL TEAMS B

Good coverage and strong returns but a missed field goal.

STRATEGY D

No snafus, but it's guilt by association; didn't pressure young Jaguars QB enough.

LIONS

PASSING          Att.      Comp.     Pct.       Yds.      Long

Batch            294        170      57.8       2143       98t
Mitchell          75         38      50.7        452       44

PASSING           TD       Int.      Rate      Sacks

Batch             11          6      84.6         36
Mitchell           1          3      57.2          4

RUSHING           Att.      Yds.      Avg.        TD

Sanders          285       1327       4.7          4
Batch             41        229       5.6          1
Rivers            16         73       4.6          1

RECEIVING        No.        Yds.      Avg.        TD

Moore            64         748      11.7          3
Morton           60         900      15.0          2
Sanders          33         278       8.4          0

SCORING          XPM       XPA       FGM         FGA      Pts.

Hanson            23         24      27           31       104

PUNTING          No.       Yds.      Avg.        Blk.

Jett              51       2278      44.7          0

KO RETURNS       No.       Yds.      Avg.         TD

Fair              46       1305      28.4          2

PUNT RETURNS     No.       Yds.      Avg.         TD

Fair              28        186       6.6          0

SACKS: Porcher 9.0, Scroggins 5.5, S. Boyd 4.0

INTERCEPTIONS: Carrier 3, Westbrook 3, Rice 2

Green Bay

8-4: 2nd

Win with authority is team's stretch-run goal

Health is going to be a big issue for the Packers during their stretch run. The problem is that they can't afford to rest anybody while they're still competing with San Francisco and Atlanta for a home wild-card game. The two people they must get healthy are WP, Robed Brooks and DE Vonnie Holliday. Brooks hasn't been whole all season because of a back problem and now a hamstring injury. Two weeks off because of a hamstring pull might help his back. Holliday missed a game with a sprained ankle, and the defense sorely missed him. His non-stop motor and physical play open things up for everyone else on the line. The team can't afford to have him suffer a setback.... WR Antonio Freeman will have to play the next month with a broken jaw. Extra padding and additional facemask protection should keep him healthy, but if he gets hit in the jaw one time, it can happen again. Freeman is the only explosive player the team has on offense. Outlets such as Darick Holmes, Bill Schroeder, Derrick Mayes and Tyrone Davis are steady, but none of them have the big-play ability of Freeman.

LOOKING FOR A BETTER BRETT:. For QB Brett Favre to take the offense to the next level, he has to stop forcing the ball. It's a habit he formed early in the year when the Packers had no running game, but now that Holmes and Dorsey Levens are carving out yards, Favre has to play smarter.... The interior of the defensive line is not living up to its billing. NT Gilbert Brown hasn't made a big play in ages and his tackles are down significantly. He no longer receives the amount of double-teams he did in the past and he rarely makes penetration. DT Santana Dotson is receiving more double-teams as a result, and his sacks are down.... More and more attention is being paid to the status of coach Mike Holmgren, who will have 21 days after the season in which to interview for a head coach/general manager's position. Holmgren can only leave for a dual role, and the team that hires him must compensate with a second-round draft choice. Holmgren's name will come up for virtually every opening, but don't be surprised if he winds up in San Francisco or Seattle.

GOAL-LINE STAND: If the Packers are going anywhere in the playoffs, they've got to win their final three games with some authority. They have gotten by with up-and-down performances and have not shown any sign of being a dominant team. They better turn that around quickly or exit the playoffs early. --Tom Silverstein

GRADING OUT season to date

OFFENSE B

Until Favre stops throwing interceptions, the offense won't match '96, '97 levels.

DEFENSE C

Secondary has been clobbered twice by Vikings. Depth is a problem.

SPECIAL TEAMS B

Returner Roell Preston has been quiet lately and must get hot again for playoffs.

STRATEGY C

Losing the way they did at Detroit and Pittsburgh must in part be coaching.

PACKERS

PASSING          Att.      Comp.     Pct.       Yds.      Long

Favre             424        262     61.8       3254       84t
Pederson           17         10     58.8        103        29

PASSING           TD        Int.      Rate     Sacks

Favre             23          19     85.0         25
Pederson           2           0    115.6          0

RUSHING           Att.       Yds.     Avg.        TD

Jervey             83        325      3.9          1
Holmes             69        325      4.7          1
R. Harris          79        228      2.9          1

RECEIVING         No.       Yds.      Avg.        TD

Freeman            62       1070      17.3         9
Chmura             36        443      12.3         1
R. Brooks          31        420      13.5         3

SCORING           XPM       XPA       FGM        FGA      Pts.

Longwell          34        35        18          21       88

PUNTING          No.       Yds.      Avg.       Blk.

Landeta           48       2096      43.7          0

KO RETURNS       No.       Yds.      Avg.         TD

Preston           42       1192      28.4          2

PUNT RETURNS     No.       Yds.      Avg.         TD

Preston           34        317       9.3          1

SACKS: White 15.0, Holliday 8.0, McKenzie 7.0

INTERCEPTIONS: Butler 3, Ty. Williams 3, Prior 1, Terrell 1, Newsome 1

Minnesota

12-1: 1st

Cunningham finally sanctioned as starter

The Vikings finally made the obvious official last week, acknowledging that Randall Cunningham will remain the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season and the playoffs, even after Brad Johnson recovers from his broken fight thumb. It was offensive coordinator Brian Billick who took any of the remaining mystery out of the quarterback situation, saying that Johnson would not be ready to play at his usual high level after missing most of the season because of injury. Billick said the Vikings would consider themselves fortunate if Johnson has recovered from his broken thumb in time to fill the backup role for the December 20 home game against Jacksonville. Johnson resumed throwing lightly in practice last week.

CLAUSE KICKING IN: It's time to prepare for the reality of Cunningham being a free agent. Cunningham has assured himself of activating an incentive clause in his contract that renders him a free agent next February. "Oh, of course I'd like to be back," Cunningham says. "And I'd let the world know that. My feeling about being here doesn't change as far as I'm concerned. Of course, I tried to stay in Philadelphia and they didn't want me. I hope there's not a situation where this team doesn't want me. But I don't want in any way to try and mm my back on this team at all." The Vikings would love to keep both Cunningham and Johnson on board in 1999, but they'll undoubtedly have to pay Cunningham starter's money next season, even if he is content to occupy the backup role as he has said he would be.

GOAL-LINE STAND: At quick glance, DE Duane Clemons doesn't measure up. He's no Randy Moss and he's no Dwayne Rudd. All three are recent Vikings first-round draft picks who left college early, opting for life in the NFL at the age of 21 or 22. But don't dismiss Clemons as a mere role player. He is clearly a work in progress, and the improvement in his overall game is obvious. After a seven-sack season in 1997, Clemons has only 2.5 in 13 games. But if you think the Vikings are disappointed, think again. Playing only 50 to 60 percent of the time, Clemons' 32 quarterback pressures and 20 quarterback hits rank third on the team. His run defense has taken a huge step forward as well, and he is now more than a one-dimensional player who can rush the passer and do little else. The Vikings believe the best is yet to come.--Don Banks

GRADING OUT vs. Chicago

OFFENSE A+

With 3 key starters missing, they rack up a season-best 48 points.

DEFENSE B+

Bears did no real damage; Dwayne Rudd took a fumble return 94 yards for a TD.

SPECIAL TEAMS B

Mitch Berger had 5 touch-backs on kickoffs; Gary Anderson had 8 perfect kicks.

STRATEGY C

Plug in a name, and he'll produce for the Vikings. Try a play, and it works.

VIKINGS

PASSING          Att.      Comp.     Pct.       Yds.      Long

Cunningham        305      188       61.6       2914       67t
Johnson            94       61       64.9        713       48t

PASSING           TD       Int.      Rate      Sacks

Cunningham         27        8      111.8         17
Johnson             6        5       86.9          4

RUSHING           Att.      Yds.     Avg.         TD

R. Smith          215     1013        4.7          6
Hoard              74      347        4.7          9
Cunningham         26       96        3.7          1

RECEIVING         No.       Yds.     Avg.         TD

Carter             57      821       14.4          9
R. Moss            55     1120       20.4         14
Reed               34      474       13.9          4

SCORING           XPM      XPA       FGM         FGA      Pts.

Anderson           51       51       23           23       120

PUNTING           No.      Yds.      Avg.        Blk.

Berger             44     1946       44.2          0

KO RETURNS        No.      Yds.      Avg.         TD

Palmer             39       867      22.2          0

PUNT RETURNS      No.       Yds.      Avg.        TD

Palmer             23       268      11.7          0

SACKS: Randle 8.5, Alexander 6.5, E. McDaniel 6.0

INTERCEPTIONS: Hitchcock 6, Griffith 5, Fuller 3

Tampa Bay

5-7: 3rd

Emanuel hasn't proved his worth, but he will

The offseason signing of WR Bert Emanuel hasn't worked out nearly as well as the team expected. But that doesn't mean the situation will mm into another Alvin Harper fiasco. Emanuel signed a four-year, $16.4 million contract and was supposed to be the go-to guy. But injuries have prevented Emanuel from putting up big numbers. He missed four games with a sprained ankle early in the season and aggravated the injury last week. When he has been healthy, there have been signs Emanuel can fulfill his potential. He hasn't emerged as a deep threat, but he is probably the best possession receiver the team has had in years. His presence has made second-year pro Reidel Anthony a much better receiver. Like the rest of the team, the season has been pretty much a wash for Emanuel. But the front office and the coaching staff still are very high on him.

RUMBLING AND FUMBLING: Mike Alstott is the kind of bruising fullback fans love to watch. He also is quickly becoming the kind of fullback opponents love to see coming at them. That's because Alstott has had problems with fumbling. It may be a byproduct of his style. He seldom goes down on the first hit and that leaves him open to some shots by defenders. But, all too often, the ball is popping loose. Through 12 games, Alstott had fumbled four times, and each came at a critical time. The team is growing tired of the fumbles, but there's no easy solution. It wouldn't make sense for Alstott to change his running style but continued fumbles will lead to more carries for TB Warrick Dunn.... The defense still ranks among the best, but that statistic doesn't reflect its recent play. The defense has struggled the last month and its high ranking is a reflection of a fast start. At the start of the season, the coaches and front office thought the defensive line was a major strength. But it looks more and more like this area will have to be upgraded in the draft.

GOAL-LINE STAND: Coach Tony Dungy has a grace period after leading the team to the playoffs, but it's wearing thin on the talk-radio airwaves. Many fans want the stoic Dungy to show more emotion and yell more at his players. The mere thought is absolutely ridiculous. Former coach Sam Wyche and his explosive nature helped run the team fight into the ground and almost destroyed QB Trent Dilfer. Dungy is. not about to change because of a little criticism and that's wise. All he needs is a fast start next year and the same critics will be praising his calm demeanor once again.--Pat Yasinskas

GRADING OUT season to date

OFFENSE C-

Dilfer and the passing game have come on strong after a dismal start.

DEFENSE C-

Used to be the one constant. But injuries have been behind a second-half slump.

SPECIAL TEAMS C

Husted has been a bright spot. Potential for great play, but no consistency.

STRATEGY C

Offensive play calling has been better of late, but still has room for improvement.

BUCCANEERS

PASSING          Att.      Comp.     Pct.      Yds.       Long

Dilfer            339        183     54.0       2226       79t
Walsh              19          9     47.4         58       12

PASSING           TD        Int.     Rate      Sacks

Dilfer            16          11     76.6         20
Walsh              0           3     14.7          1

RUSHING           Att.      Yds.      Avg.        TD

Dunn              175       806       4.6          2
Alstott           148       574       3.9          4
Dilfer             26        51       2.0          1

RECEIVING        No.       Yds.      Avg.         TD

Anthony            46       665      14.5          6
Dunn               35       283       8.1          0
Emanuel            32       478      14.9          1

SCORING          XPM       XPA       FGM         FGA      Pts.

Husted            19         20      14           17        61

PUNTING          No.       Yds.      Avg.       Blk.

Barnhardt         58       2435      42            0

KO RETURNS       No.       Yds.      Avg.         TD

Anthony           41       1017      24.8          0

PUNT RETURNS     No.       Yds.      Avg.         TD

Green             22        346      15.7          1

SACKS: Sapp 6.0, Culpepper 5.0, Upshaw 3.0

INTERCEPTIONS: Mincy 2, Brooks 1, Upshaw 1, Barber 1

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