Bears’ Brown the best safety in NFC North

By Krupka  |   Thursday, June 22, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Chicago Bears
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Looking at the NFC North, it's clear that there are two elite safeties that stand out from the rest. The tandem consists of the Minnesota Vikings' Darren Sharper and the Chicago Bears' Mike Brown. A closer look shows what many Bears fans already know, Brown is the best. Although, the gap may be closer than they think.

Brown is an amazing talent who is arguably as vital to the success of the team as freakish All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher. Instead of debating that issue, though, the topic at hand is Brown and his propensity (like Urlacher) to make game-changing plays, aiding in numerous victories.

Sharper and Brown, alike, are extremely important to their respective units, but Sharper might be more valuable since the Vikings' personnel on the defensive side of the ball is weaker than the Bears'. However, there is no dismissing either of these big-time players, as they've each demonstrated their great importance to the Vikings and Bears, respectively, on numerous occasions.

What it comes to comparing Sharper and Brown, one must take age, previous performance, and the future into account. Because of those aspects, it's Brown who holds the edge over Sharper, his counterpart. He is three years younger, a better tackler, and nearly as good in coverage than Sharper. Both have the ability to turn an offensive mistake into points, and are great clubhouse leaders. In the recent past, durability concerns have crept up on Brown, as he's missed 18 games in the past two seasons. Likewise, Sharper has a bad reputation for being injury-prone, although his is unfair. He has only missed a grand total of nine games in as many seasons, and has never missed more than three in a given year.

In any event, having to choose between either would be a win-win situation. The Bears, like the Vikings, realize how important their safety is. The team moved him from the free safety position to the strong, and quickly reaped the benefits. Playing Sharper closer to the line of scrimmage has allowed him to utilize his tackling abilities and made him a force against the run and pass.

For 2006 and beyond, undoubtedly, Brown will wreak havoc against his opponents, and much to the Chicago Bears' chagrin, Sharper will be right behind doing the same. The battle for NFC North supremacy starts with these elite safeties.

Eric Krupka can be reached at ekrupka@realfootball365.com

Get more Mike Brown insights at Realfootball365.com
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