Bears Also the Choice of Scouts : Personnel Experts From 2 Teams Give Chicago Advantage

The scouting reports are in for Sunday’s NFC championship game at Chicago, and it doesn’t look good for the Rams.

A reporter sought out personnel experts of two other National Football League teams that took their lumps from both clubs this season. Each works for an NFC team, and each asked that his name not be used.

Following are their combined comments on some of the critical matchups:

--Irv Pankey, the Rams’ offensive left tackle, will spend much of the afternoon trying to block Richard Dent, the Bears’ defensive right end who led the league with 17 quarterback sacks.

“Dent is a real speed rusher. He doesn’t play the run as well as (Dan) Hampton does, and probably not as well as (Steve) McMichael. But he puts so much pressure on you. Dent also is gonna play over on that other side, (opposite) wherever you set your tight end, so he’s gonna be on Jackie Slater some, too.

“Irv has played against people similar to Dent--Fred Dean (of the 49ers) twice a year. He’s not gonna straight rush you. He’s gonna stunt and come inside a lot. The big thing is they’re gonna have to pick up their stunts. But you know darn well the Rams aren’t gonna change their blocking scheme from what they’ve been using for 18 weeks, just for one guy. Pankey is not gonna be on him all the time but, man for man, I think he can handle him.”

Edge to Bears.

--Gary Jeter is the Rams’ answer to Dent, although he is even more of a pass-rush specialist. He’s had at least one sack and 10 in the last six games, but he may be facing his most difficult opponent in all-pro tackle Jim Covert, who has allowed only 2 1/2 sacks all season.

“Looks like a good matchup. Covert is a good pass blocker and a good run blocker. I don’t see any weaknesses. A prototype offensive tackle. If I’m playing against Covert, I want to make him change direction--get him going one way and take him another. Make that big son of a gun move his feet, and that’s Jeter’s forte. Jeter is continually pressing in the direction of the quarterback. He has a variation of moves and a good feel for it.”

A tossup.

--Neither team is known for its passing attack--each would rather power its way to the goal line--but the threats are there. The Bears will send wide receivers Dennis McKinnon and Willie Gault, once a world-class hurdler, against Ram cornerbacks LeRoy Irvin and Gary Green, respectively.

“They run the ball so much, but we’re always concerned about the wide receivers because of the speed of Gault and the possession-down threat of McKinnon. Gault had problems at times catching the ball, (but) they keep throwing to him. Another guy I like is (Ken) Margerum, who comes in on third down.

“McKinnon is a better all-round receiver than Gault. Tough and a good blocker. He’ll catch the ball coming over the middle, too. A real good target. Catches the tough passes, makes very good adjustments to the ball. When you’re on McKinnon, you can’t lose sight of the ball.

“(Tight end Tim) Wrightman doesn’t have the greatest speed, but he’s a great target to throw to and a good blocking tight end.

“Irvin and Green match up good against them (McKinnon and Gault). They’re good against the run and play that deep zone on the pass. They’ll let you catch those balls underneath, but you’re not gonna make a lot of yards on ‘em. It’s a good-tackling secondary and group of linebackers.

“Irvin is a physical corner. That’s going to help him playing Gault. He’s also a good cover man. When you’re playing those deep zones, you’re man to man out there, anyway.”

If the Rams’ corners need help, the scouts say, safeties Nolan Cromwell and Johnnie Johnson will be nearby.

“I think Cromwell has slowed down some, but he is so smart that he’s in the right place all the time. Johnson knows his position.”

Edge to Bears.

--The Rams’ passing game, such as it is, produced less yardage than any other team’s in the NFL this season but spread it liberally among wide receiver Henry Ellard and tight ends Tony Hunter and David Hill, with Olympic gold medalist Ron Brown more of a threat than a factor.

“Big-play people. Brown is not gonna catch as many balls, but if he gets the ball coming over the middle he can run through a secondary without anybody laying a hand on him. Ellard is the one that concerns me. He’ll catch any kind of ball you throw to him--short, deep. Ellard would come up with the most catches--maybe get open more and catch the tougher ball--and Brown will get you the home run ball. You blink and it’s seven on the board.

“David Hill is awful big, as big as all outdoors. I think he’s gonna be a prime factor in the game. He does a good job getting between the defender and the ball. The only way they can get to the pass is to interfere. In the running game, he could be blocking the defensive end, which he can handle.

“Hunter has better speed than Hill, but he’s a good blocker. If you’re able to split the middle, he can run away from the ‘backers.”

The Bears will cover that group with cornerbacks Mike Richardson and Leslie Frazier and safeties Gary Fencik and Dave Duerson.

Richardson, the scouts say, is “a good man-to-man cover guy and plays the run well. I think he’ll do a good job against Ellard. They’ll put Frazier bump and run on wide receivers. Good speed. They’ll probably give him some help on Brown going deep. He doesn’t play the run as well as Richardson.

“Duerson is a hard-nosed guy and a good tackler. (Gary) Fencik is a smart player and he’s tough. Doesn’t have the speed of those other guys, but he’ll make interceptions.”

Edge to Rams, if they can control the Bears’ pass rush.

--Walter Payton and Eric Dickerson will be on the same field for the first time since they set the NFL career and single-season rushing records last season, respectively.

Payton, the scouts say, “is as good a blocker as people say he is, and he’s a great receiver--and you have to watch out for the option pass. His consistency is amazing. Does everything extremely well. You can’t relax on him.”

Dickerson is strictly a runner, although he has tried to block and tried to pass and has said he would like to become more involved as a receiver.

“You don’t need to say anything about Dickerson, boy. He gets a step and it’s seven points.

“The important thing is for him not to get frustrated. Against the Bears you’re not gonna have the daylight. You may run six times and not get seven yards, but the seventh time you’ll get what you want. You’ve got to be patient, and in any big game you can’t turn the ball over, because the Bears are gonna capitalize very quickly.”

Edge to Rams.

--The rival quarterbacks finished virtually even in the passing ratings, Jim McMahon with 82.6 points and Dieter Brock with 82.0. But the public perception of their abilities are miles apart.

McMahon, the scouts say, is “gutty, confident and he can throw the ball in any kind of position. He’s a winner. The difference may be the complement of people they have to throw the ball to. Look at the two touchdown passes McMahon threw to McKinnon (against the Giants). Maybe with a different type of receiver, those balls at best are incomplete and maybe intercepted. The Bears can beat you so many different ways, they don’t have to have a pure passing game in order to win.

“Brock, probably his height hurts him, and the fact he throws sidearm hurts him a little bit. But here’s a guy that completed almost 60% of his passes. They’ve really used him well. He fits in with what they’re doing. I don’t feel he’s a weakness in their offense at all. When you go through 18 weeks you’re not gonna do anything dramatically different, or be able to. What you see is what you get. Dieter is capable of having a big day, (but) everyone would be satisfied with what he has had consistently.”

Edge to Bears.

--A close, defensive game could well be decided by a long return, a fumbled punt or overall field position throughout a long afternoon--areas where the Rams’ special teams have excelled.

“They have an edge as far as overall speed, with Brown returning three kickoffs for scores. Both do an excellent job of coverage.

“Field position is important. Every time you’ve gotta go 80 yards for a touchdown, that’s tough duty. Field position is going to be a very big factor. (Ram rookie punter Dale) Hatcher can get you out of the hole and also pin people down. He’s a good weapon.”

Edge to Rams.

--The bottom line, according to the scouts: “Overall, the Bears have a better team.”

Which of course, is an opinion shared by many.