I was not.

To me, this season was completely thrown away by the Bears front office, and it exposed the problems that GM Jerry Angelo continues to ignore. Angelo has something very special in Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, yet he continues to waste their talent by not supplying other offensive weapons around them.

Who does Cutler have to throw to? I am not content with the Bears’ number one receiver being Earl Bennett, or Devin Hester, or Roy Williams, and neither should Angelo; yet there hasn’t been any shred of news about the Bears seriously pursuing a proven receiver. 

A good enough, but not dominant defense plus two great players on offense is not going to lead to a Super Bowl.

Say what you want to about Cutler, but the kid goes out game after game and fights for a win and gets killed on the field doing it. This season he made the offense look as good as I’ve ever seen them, leading the team to a five game win streak, a 7-3 record, and a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.

You can’t bring in a BMW but then give it four flat tires, yet that’s exactly what Angelo and company did, and it showed once Cutler and Forte went down.  The lack of planning and complete lack of trying to build players behind the starters showed in the last five games and would usually get a head coach or GM fired, but I doubt Lovie or Angelo are going anywhere.

Fans now have to sit back and hope the Bears front office begins to address the very clear needs of the team. It’s time to stop ignoring them.

And what is it that Devin Hester does? Well, he returns kicks better than anyone in the history of football. If you don’t believe me, just look at the numbers: Hester has 14 combined kickoff and punt return TDs…and this is only his 5th season in the NFL! The guy whose record he broke last night – Brian Mitchell – played in the NFL three times as long.

But what I learned while watching Devin Hester’s press conference last night is that his sublime talent and peerless return ability are not the most impressive traits about him. What makes Hester even more special than you might realize is his incredible humility. You will after you watch this video.

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Note: this is the only video I’ve been able to find so far of Hester’s press conference. If you know where the extended press conference is hosted, please provide a link in the comment section. The whole thing really is worth watching.

Update: Extended video located. See bottom of post.

The ESPN video above doesn’t really do Hester’s press conference justice. Immediately upon getting to the podium, before even being asked a question, he thanked his teammates and coaches profusely and said he wished they were up at the podium getting all the glory. Later, he actually choked up when talking about the teamwork breaking the record had taken, and how his teammates helped him to prove all his naysayers wrong. Hester is a quiet, understated individual when he talks, but his words and emotion were powerful…and I don’t even like the Bears.

Look, I don’t want to make too big a deal of this. Devin Hester broke a return record and then was humble during his press conference. He didn’t cure cancer. But when considered against the din of arrogance and self-importance that has come to define big time sports these days, Hester’s humility immediately after such a great personal feat was affecting. It makes him eminently likable, and it shows younger athletes exactly how an athlete in a team sport should act and how they should consider their role.

When I’m not messing around here at MSF, I mentor a young football player with really special running back skills who, if he stays humble and works hard, has a lot of potential. I talk with him all the time about giving credit to his offensive line and understanding that football is a team game and that he’s nothing without the other 10 guys. When I say it though, it doesn’t really have a huge impact. I’m just a chubby blogger over a decade removed from my last football game. When a guy like Devin Hester does it, however, it means something. And I appreciate Hester providing such a clear example of how an athlete can be exceptionally talented while also staying completely grounded.

I’d always appreciated Devin Hester’s talent before last night, but now I am officially a fan.

Congratulations on a great achievement Devin, and thank you for providing such a great example for all of us who coach and mentor young football players. You could return 100 more returns for touchdowns, and your humility would still be the most special thing about you. In this day and age, that’s really saying something.

Update: Thanks to Twitter user BxBomber12 for sending me the link to the video below. The quality isn’t great, but it shows the full press conference.

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The 2009 NFL season’s opening Sunday night game brought the Chicago Bears to Green Bay. This matchup is usually good for a primetime slot every year because they are the Ancient Rivals Who Don’t Like Each Other. They play hard-nosed football, you can throw out the records, and yadda-yadda-yadda.

Most importantly, it allows whatever network that is hosting the game to dust off the old highlights of Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke and wax poetic on the “black and blue” division and of blue-collar Midwestern work ethic. No matter what changes in the NFL, the Packers and Bears will always be battling on top the gridirons of yesteryear. It’s a football purist’s wet dream.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears Primer

• Packers-Bears Date: Monday, September 27
• Packers-Bears Kickoff Time: 8:30 pm
• Packers-Bears TV Network: ESPN
• Packers-Bears Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden
• Packers-Bears Odds: Packers -4 / 46.5

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears Primer

The old Bears-Packers highlights are always locked, loaded and ready to fire out of the hype machine for the two times a year these teams meet. And to tell you the truth, “Bears Week” does have a different feel to it, but it’s not because we’re all excited about adding another game to the history books; it’s because these games never make any damn sense. You really can throw out the records most of the time – and now I sound like Mike Ditka. Great.

But really, the only constant between the Bears and Packers over recent years is the fact that they are never heading in the same direction. They always seem to just miss each other; the timing’s never right for a truly special pairing, like that one will-they-or-won’t-they couple from the television dramedy of your choice. So, for promotion’s sake, we’re stuck with The Rivalry, because the old feud is the only thing that is always on the line.

Because other than that, this series over the past few years has been, well, a little confusing. Let’s take a look:

2006. In Mike McCarthy’s debut as head coach, the Packers were destroyed in Lambeau at the hands of the Bears, 26-0. In the season finale, Green Bay, out of playoff contention, left Chicago with a 26-7 victory. Brett Favre cried after the game, we all thought his career might be over. And the Bears, who finished the season 13-3, went on the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Colts. Rex Grossman was their starting quarterback. Really, was any of that real life?

2007. A year later, it was the Packers who would go 13-3, falling short of a Super Bowl thanks to the NFL’s leader in crippling interceptions and tearful good-byes (sorry, still bitter). Other than the ending, it was really an incredible year in Green Bay, but who was responsible for two of the three regular season losses? Why, the 7-9 Chicago Bears of course! Da Bears stunned the Packers at home in an early season Sunday night game (I was there, hooray!), 27-20, and annihilated them at home in Chicago, 35-7 in Week 16, while Green Bay was still fighting for the number one seed in the NFC. These were the only division games the Bears won that season.

2008. In the rivalry’s first game of the Aaron Rodgers-era, Green Bay dominated Chicago at Lambeau, winning 37-3. This was the Packers’ first win over the Bears in Green Bay since 2004. Later, during Green Bay’s slew of last second losses in ‘08, Chicago won on a cold Monday night in overtime, 20-17. Neither team made the playoffs.

And we’re back to last year, the opening Sunday night. Both teams were expected to be on the rise, fighting for more than just bragging rights. For the Packers, it was the second year with Rodgers under center and first with new defensive coordinator Dom Capers. In Chicago, the addition of quarterback Jay Cutler was supposed to put an end to the long, sad lineage of starting quarterbacks in the Windy City. Week one was to set the stage for a season-long tussle for the division title. I was worried about them.

The Lions were coming off the worst season in the history of forever, and admittedly, I was not as concerned about Favre and the Vikings as I should have been. It was the Bears who were on my mind, with all the crazy, Cubs-like optimism I kept hearing. I bought in, and before that first game I remember wondering if both sides were really getting ready to ascend at the same time.

Cutler provided a nice precursor for what the rest of his season would look like in throwing four picks, and yet he still had them set up to win before Rodgers engineered his first game winning drive as a Packer, hitting Greg Jennings on a beautiful 50-yard touchdown strike to win 21-15. From an execution standpoint, it was a sloppy season opener to say the least, but it made up for that in intensity. It certainly felt like that game would matter later in the year.

But as the NFC North is concerned, it didn’t. The Packers pulled out another grind-it-out victory in Chicago, 21-14 in Week 14, on their way to that wild card loss from which I have since developed an annoying nervous twitch. Cutler threw a bunch more interceptions and things fell apart for quite awhile in the middle part of the season for the Bears, who finished 7-9 and with a ton of question marks on the state of the team.

(In case you’re keeping score, since 2006, the Packers and Bears have split eight games evenly.)

This year began oppositely for this Packer fan in that I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend most of the offseason worried about Minnesota. And I don’t doubt at all that I will be again concerned as the year progresses; but at the moment, I may have enjoyed the Vikings’ campaign even more so than Green Bay’s.

This is, of course, why now is the time for the Packers and Bears to play in a game with control of the division at stake. With these teams, nothing ever happens when you think it will.

I wrote in my season preview of the Bears that I thought they had a solid team in place with a lot of uncertainty fraying the edges. Would this be Lovie’s last year as coach? Will Cutler and Mike Martz’s offensive system get along?

Well, right now it looks as though the Bears really are fighting for Smith’s job this season. And is it possible that all Cutler needed was someone who is as big a pompous twerp as he is calling the shots on the sidelines (he is leading the NFL in quarterback rating through two weeks at 121.2 under Martz’s tutelage)? Yes, they got away with one in that win over Detroit, but a win in Dallas is no easy task. If they are ever going to feel good about themselves this year, it’s going to be this week.

So where the Packers were expected to be in this position at this juncture in the year, Chicago is here, thanks to some inane rule no one ever heard of, as well as a surprising upset over a contender. A win over Green Bay will put them at 3-0 and alone in first atop the NFC North.

This is not to say this game means more for the Bears. Green Bay needs this win because they have big plans for themselves, and it is a division game on the road, and teams with big plans for themselves win division games on the road. Or at least they should, damnit. We just didn’t know, until last week, if this game would mean the same to the Bears at this point, aside from all the rivalry junk.

Turns out it does. Maybe it will turn out, come season’s end, this game meant a helluva lot. Maybe it will turn out this game makes that season finale rematch in Lambeau Field that much more important. Or maybe it will turn out this is just another addition to a series of games between these teams that, as of late, have no pattern. We won’t know until later.

What we do know is that this game, right now, is an early opportunity for two teams to assert themselves in a division that should only get tougher as the season hums along. The rivalry between Chicago and Green Bay always seems to sneak into the framework of each game, but Monday night it takes a backseat.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears Prediction

Monday night it’s for the division lead. For the Packers and Bears, maybe the time is finally right; maybe they have finally found themselves on a collision course, going in the same direction, and the game can stand alone.

For now, it’s just a lot of maybes. But they are hopeful maybes, for both sides, of bigger and better things on the horizon. That, and not all the frilliness that so often comes along with this rivalry, is the story for Monday night.

And I think, for the sake of The Rivalry, it’s better this way.

Bears-Packers prediction: Packers 24, Bears 23.

Bears-Packers spread pick: Bears +4

Bears-Packers over-under pick: Over 46.5

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*Nitschke card courtesy of http://1968fbcards.blogspot.com/2009/12/green-bay-packers.html

*Jay graphic courtesy of http://www.crosstowntees.com/chicago_bears_midway_jay_cutler.html

*Rivalry picture courtesy of http://beargoggleson.com/2009/12/13/bears-packers-final-thoughts/

Twitter: twitter.com/griffingotta Email: griffingotta@gmail.com

You can find last week’s Detroit Lions preview here. This week we continue with the Chicago Bears.

The only thing we know for sure about the 2010-2011 Chicago Bears?  Even after a busy offseason in the personnel department, not a goddamned thing.

But worry not, we aren’t the only ones.

Coaching

Here were a few things team president Ted Phillips had to say at a January 5th (a while ago I know, but still) news conference on the state of the Bears, or more precisely, on the decision to retain general manager Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith for another season following three straight that have ended sans playoffs:

“Status quo was not an option and changes were necessary,” to which he added shortly thereafter, “I know some may disagree, but I believe the fastest way to improve is to keep the continuity that we’ve had with Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith.”

Not exactly a huge change to, well, anything. In fairness, we now know that shifts among the team’s coaching ranks did take place in the form of Rod Marinelli, who was promoted from defensive line/assistant head coach to defensive coordinator/assistant head coach (yeah, I don’t get it either) and Mike Martz, who was hired on as offensive coordinator. They also added a few of the bigger free agents on the market.

Turns out Phillips proved his January self correct; the status quo definitely wasn’t an option.

So they added new pieces to a masthead they obviously felt was good enough to not fire quite yet. There should be reason for optimism in Chicago, right? There should be freshness in the air, the sense of something new and exciting about to take off, right?

Well, yes and yes, there should be – and I don’t doubt there probably is a good deal of it. But, you see, there’s this one little caveat from that news conference way back in January, when Phillips added this dark-clouds-are-approaching statement:

“We don’t think the cupboard is bare. We don’t feel that we have to put up with another losing year.”

And with that, all the “big changes are in store” mumbo jumbo turns to “if these changes don’t work, somebody is hitting the ‘eject’ button on us.” Or in other words, if the Bears like the bit of status quo that was restored, their time to show it is now.

It seems everyone is very aware of this. Jay Cutler admitted as much at the beginning of training camp:

“Lovie is one of the best coaches I’ve been around and I know that everyone on this team has a great amount of respect for him, as he does for us,” Cutler said. “He treats us well. I know some of the guys that have been here longer than me definitely have a lot of ties to him, and we want to go out there for him and play well, because you never know what’s going to happen this year if we don’t go out and perform – if Lovie gets to stay or not. That’s definitely a question that I’m sure is in the back of everyone else’s mind.”

Aside: By all accounts, Lovie Smith seems like a pretty good guy whose central problem could be his unusual addiction to the challenge flag. I wasn’t offended when he said, back in 2004 before his first season in Chicago, that “our number one goal….the number one goal we’ll have…..is to beat the Green Bay Packers.” It was something I thought they only did in college sports to rile up the student body at pep rallies; it was kind of flattering actually – he really did care! Ahem, I guess I could also mention that Smith’s Bears teams have done a pretty good job with this goal (they’ve won seven of twelve), for what that’s worth.

Offense & Defense

We don’t know how well Cutler will pick up and execute Martz’s offensive system, though one assumes the ball will be moved a bit better simply based on past evidence of That Crazy Offensive Genius’ work.

A better question:  can Cutler, at least for the purposes of annoyed football fans everywhere, stop looking like he’s always the kid who got the ice cream knocked out of his cone? I have no idea if this would stop his erratic and sometimes seemingly blindfolded play, but I can’t believe it would further hinder his game. Just a thought.

Anyway, his arsenal is actually pretty solid at the receiver, tight end, and running back positions. The offensive line, a sore spot last season, could continue to be that as they get accustomed to new blocking schemes.

If systems and personalities don’t interfere too much though, this unit could put up some points, a weird thought.

Defensively, the Bears have some issues in the secondary and will be relying on Julius Peppers to lead a line that will be replacing Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye and looking for a more consistent pass rush.

Outlook

Altogether, Chicago looks to have a pretty good team in place. If this is indeed Lovie Smith’s last stand, he has to like his chances. Of course, he’s coaching in one of the toughest divisions in football with two new coordinators, one of whom is trying to instill a sophisticated offense in a rapid amount of time to a quarterback who seems to prefer disorganization.

He’s trying to restore the franchise’s mantra of yesteryear – the “Monsters of the Midway” – into a defense for which it remains to be seen whether or not has the pieces to do so.

And for these things – and for anything else that may happen – he has one season to overcome. He knows it and his team knows it. They will all feel it lingering over them this season, for better or worse.

In short, if Lovie makes it to next year, he and his Bears will have earned it.

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Twitter: www.twitter.com/griffingotta Email: griffingotta@gmail.com

I greatly anticipate your next Bears email.

You now have a high-priced QB who can’t lead, a high-priced DE who doesn’t love football, a RB who is over 30 (though with low tread on the tires) and another RB who is completely ineffective without a great offensive line. And still, with your golden-armed QB, you have no WRs.

Granted, still a lot of time left…but was Peppers really a prudent investment? You follow this closer than I do. What say you?

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Peppers? Who knows. Willkie does not profess to be a magician evaluator of talent, nor would I ever claim to understand the intricacies of human emotions, especially in the most unstable of creatures rapidly ascending hordes of cash, fame, and attention.

Rather, I think the more alarming situation concerning the bears is the multi-variate and conflicting strategy.  Remember the Greek fable of Hydra?

Hydra was the multi-headed creature residing near Lake Lerna in Greece.  When cutting off one head two would grow back in its place, leading you to regress in any attempt to dominate the creature.

Well, replace Lake Lerna with Lake Michigan and the creature representing Hyrda is the Bears.

Let’s consider the heads…

First, acquiring Cutler transformed the organization. You don’t make your highest paid player and “the franchise” of the organization some guy who is going to “manage the clock”. Since inception, the Bears have played strong defense and a ball control offense. Acquiring Jay altered your core competencies entirely.

Would Wal-Mart suddenly shift from low prices to retailing Chanel and Versace?

Second, replacing the defensive and offensive coordinator without replacing a head coach who has been with the team 6 seasons is a mistake. Essentially you’re admitting change without committing to it.

Nobody is stupid. In a league with coaching tenure averaging 3 seasons you’re going to clean house with the exception of the head coach? Why would a coordinator sign up for this? Any mediocre season will be an immediate disposal.  Yeah, the paycheck is nice, but how many quality candidates land somewhere expecting to be gone in 12 months?

Simply, none.

Third, take the shine off Mike Martz, please!

Anchoring to the ”greatest show on turf” is ideal, but why would a “genius coordinator” have 3 different employers the last 4 years? Moreover to the previous point, why would Martz step into the situation of desperate head coach, teetering front office, and anxious fan base? Answer: Martz has little market value.

Fourth, Martz only furthers the anti-ball control offense. How exactly will the infamous “7-step Kitna drop” work with an offensive line not capable of blocking in a high school jamboree? Granted, Martz churned out over 1600 yards and 140 receptions from Shaun Mcdonald and Mike Furrey in 2007, so the pathetic core of WRs is marginalized, but your two big free agent signings are an RB and an alleged premiere defensive end?!?

So, the Hydra residing on the shores of Lake Michigan continues to grow her heads — Urlacher’s on-field and media disappearing act, Jay Cutler’s big arm, a forgotten and once proud running game, a multi-generational staple of good defense, a pass-only-and-running-is-for-wimps O-coordinator whose track record implies lack of humility and longevity, and a new defensive coordinator whose previous leadership position had him the steward of the 0-16 Lions.

How was Hydra ever defeated? Hercules cut the head and cauterized the neck before two heads could grow anew.

Perhaps the directionless Bears should consider a lesson from Hercules….

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Who is Wendell Willkie? Wouldn’t you like to know.

The pseudonym was inspired by the very Wendell Willkie who is an Indiana University legend and democrat turncoat who ran for president against FDR in 1940; however, the man behind the pseuodonym shall otherwise remain nameless.

Jerod simply posts WW’s ramblings here to help unclog his inbox (hence, the spam cleansing) and because there are occasional nuggets of insight that provide good jumping off points for conversation.

So go, converse. WW will undoubtedly be back soon with more email ramblings…

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How many times have we talked about it? Winners love taking risks when prudent. The onside kick was brilliant.

It would be wrong to suggest Caldwell’s stoicism indicates a lacking of passion, but when will NFL teams stop recruiting coaches from the morgue?

In a separate debate, the Dungy coaching tree has to be the most overrated, emotionally repressed coaching tree in the NFL. Let’s review what the Dungy group is known for:

• Implementing the “Tampa-2″ despite the defense being invented by Lane Kiffin’s father (Monte),
• Dungy’s Super Bowl on the back of the best QB in NFL history (Manning),
• Lovie Smith introducing the “Tampa-2″ to St. Louis when the Rams lost to the Patriots in the SB (curiously, did the Rams get to the Super Bowl on the back of the Tampa-2 or the “greatest show on turf”?).

Please don’t confuse this as an attempt to belittle Dungy-Smith-Caldwell. They’re accomplished coaches, rather i am just asking a couple questions about those accomplishments.

**********

Who is Wendell Willkie? Wouldn’t you like to know.

The pseudonym was inspired by the very Wendell Willkie who is an Indiana University legend and democrat turncoat who ran for president against FDR in 1940; however, the man behind the pseuodonym shall otherwise remain nameless.

Jerod simply posts WW’s ramblings here to help unclog his inbox (hence, the spam cleansing) and because there are occasional nuggets of insight that provide good jumping off points for conversation.

So go, converse. WW will undoubtedly be back soon with more email ramblings…

It seems like the Bears are cursed. Everybody they show interest in decides to go with another team.

• Jeremy Bates-Hired as Seattle offensive coordinator
• Tom Clements-Packers denied permission for him to be interviewed by the Bears
• Perry Fewell-Is now the Giants defensive coordinator
• Chan Gailey-Now the head coach at Buffalo
• Jim Chaney- Decided to stay at University of Tennessee as their offensive coordinator
• Mike Nolan-Accepted the Dolphins offer as their new defensive coordinator
• Gus Bradley-Opted to stay as Seattle’s defensive coordinator

Why is this happening? While nobody can really tell for sure, there have been a lot of guesses.

Some are thinking that they won’t have much job security since it’s unsure what will happen to Lovie after 2010. A change in head coaches almost certainly means a change in coordinators.

Regarding the offensive coordinator job, a rumor came out that some candidates were intimidated with having to work with quarterback Jay Cutler. This rumor almost seems absurd to me, but somehow I can see it being true. There’s a lot riding on Cutler, and the coaches this year.

Another disappointing season will most certainly anger the Bears’ fans even more. They will most likely be calling for Lovie and other coaches to be fired. Again we see the job security issue pop-up.

This whole issue is making the Bears look bad. The longer the Bears are unable to sign somebody, the more the fans become weary about the team. Fans like to see their teams make smart moves fast and efficiently. When something like this drags out it makes us very weary and uncertain about how things are going to go next season.

What’s even worse is they don’t seem to be close to signing anybody. Like I said before, many coaches have been interviewed, but nothing has happened, leaving the door still wide open for anybody to take the jobs.

This is Mark Titus, aka Club Trillion, who is a walk-on for the Ohio State basketball team. As you will see in the video, not only does he have impeccably cheesy taste in music, but he can make shots too!

And now your links.

NBA:

• Then-coach John Lucas: Cavs tanked in 02-03 to get LeBron — (FanHouse)
• Blake Griffin guilty of grand larceny? — (Bootlegger Sports)
• Bulls’ State-of-the-Union Address — (Blog-a-Bull at Tremendous Upside Potential)
• NBA Jam making a comeback! — (Rumors and Rants)

College Football:

• So, how will Layla Kiffin look in garnett and gold? — (Intentional Foul)
• Lovie Smith would be wise to consider Tennessee this time around — (Pro Football Talk)

NFL:

• 4 Brett Favre Starter Commercials — (Outside the Box Score)
• Despite rough season, Bears TE Desmond Clark still believes in Lovie, Cutler — (Bear Goggles On)
• AFC Divisional Round Predictions — (MoonDog)
• 2009 All Pro Team — (Pro Football Talk)

MLB:

• Jim Essian: HOF Mustache — (7th Inning Stache)
• New fave commercial: El Duque Orlando Hernandez selling you airless water valves — (Sharapova’s Thigh)
• Quick reminder: Frank Thomas never used steroids and was pretty damn good — (Tremendous Upside Potential)
• Why Mark McGwire was forced to tell the truth — (Paneech)

Douches (and I don’t mean the fine folks at D4L):

• Fake Jay Mariotti Twitter account fools all — (Detroit 4 Lyfe)

MISC:

• A fan’s lament: The Fleecing of Sports — (Docksquad Sports)
• Wyclef Jean reacts to Haiti earthquake — (Steady Burn)
• 10 Hottest American Idol Contestants of All-Time — (Guyism)
• Prime examples of why some women stay single — (Uncoached)
• Man fatally injured during…sex with horse — (MoonDog)
• 10 Fun iPhone Apps for Beer Lovers — (Mashable)

NFL:

• Chris Myers thinks the Lions’ defensive linemen are terrorists — (Detroit 4 Lyfe)
• Pat White gets knocked out by Ike Taylor — (Zoner Sports)
• How Lovie Smith’s Cover 2 went from smiley face to frowny face in two short years — (Not Qualified to Comment)
• What was that Emmitt Smith? 7-9? — (Dallas Sports Fans)
• Chris Johnson and Usain Bolt want to race eachother — (No Guts, No Glory)

College Basketball:

• College basketball time-outs = NASCAR pit stop — (Paneech)
• Did John Calipari yell at a Louisville player (0:19 mark) — (YouTube)

College Football:

• Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: A quest for perfection — (MoonDog)
• In Alabama, football is above the law — (Global Sports Fraternity)
• Advice for Tim Tebow: Retire Now (I disagree!) — (Gregg Doyel, CBS Sports)

NBA:

• Danny Ferry faces uncertain future in Cleveland — (Waiting for Next Year)
• Today in likely bogus NBA trade rumors – Kirk Hinrich for Caron Butler? — (Tremendous Upside Potential)

Soccer:

• Iranian soccer official loses job thanks to New Year’s email to Israel — (Sports Rubbish)

Non-Sports:

• Why Twitter Will Endure — (New York Times)
• Is Twitter (Already) the New Google? — (How-to-Blog.tv)
• How Getting Stingy Like a Scoundrel Will Make You Rich — (Illuminati)

The blame is been put on Jay Cutler, Lovie Smith, Jerry Angelo, and the offensive line, but who is more to blame? It’s a little bit of everyone. I think by now people have stopped considering that the Bears are anything close to a good team, and have realized that this team has many, many flaws.

These flaws start with bad picks in drafts after the Super Bowl year.

Players such as Dan Bazuin (2007/2nd round) and Micheal Okwo (2007/3rd round) are both out of football. Dusty Dvoracek has suffered four straight season-ending injuries after becoming drafted in 2006 in the 2nd round by the Bears. Jarron Gilbert, drafted 3rd round in 2009, has been inactive 10 games and hasn’t recorded a single tackle. Another 3rd rounder in 2009, has been inactive for all 14 games.

Those are facts that don’t look pretty. It’s not something an organization wants to see. The Bears are not getting any help from their early draft picks, and it’s hurting them.

It’s hard not put some blame on Jay Cutler even though I know his offensive line isn’t that goo; but 25 INTs is just too much for me. It also doesn’t help that Cutler has never had a winning season. That’s including high school, college, and the NFL. I don’t care what kind of numbers you put up because, in the end, all that matters is how many wins you have at the end of the season.

The man who certainly deserves to have blame put on him is head coach Lovie Smith. I never was a fan of Lovie. His laid back kind of coaching never stuck with me, and I never found it to be any good. It’s evident now that Lovie isn’t the right coach for the Bears. His type of coaching is better for proven teams. It’s not working, so it’s time for Lovie to go.

I would like to see the Bears go after Bill Cowher. He’s a Super Bowl winning coach and his style of coaching is what I think the Bears need.

The Bears’ flaws were only thought to be in the QB and WR position, but now it’s been proven that the crack runs down much farther than anybody could have seen. The question is will the Bears be able to recover next year? It’s not impossible for them to turn this team around, but it starts with meaningful early draft picks.

You say the Bears don’t have any early draft picks? Oh, well that’s just too bad.

The Bears defense has declined in talent after the Super Bowl loss to the Colts in 2006. It was ranked 5^th in the league that year. They also posted a 13-3 record that year. In 2007 the rank dropped all the way to 28^th in the league, and so did the win percentage. The team’s record in 2007 was 7-9. It was a huge disappointment after playing in the Super Bowl the season before. Last season the defense wasn’t great but was at least better than the 2007 season, ranked at 21^st. The defense was hit with injuries, and it seemed like the receivers were always open. Still, despite their problems, the Bears were one play away from making the playoffs. Unfortunately they didn’t make the cut with a 9-7 record.

The Bears are known for having a stellar defense. The 2006 defense was being compared to the ’85 Bears D (although not so much in the ’07 season). Another trait of the Bears is not having a franchise quarterback. They have mostly relied on their running back and defense to put up the points. In 2006 the Bears offense was ranked 15^th, proving that having a great defense but a mediocre offense could take you deep in to the postseason.

The 2008 team’s offense was also ranked 15^th but the defense was a miserable 21^st. A better defense would have had the Bears in the postseason. Bringing Jay Cutler helps the offense a lot, but the defense is the one that needs the help. I really like the Cutler trade because it gives us some years to improve the defense now, and not having to worry about what quarterback to start.

Some people say Cutler has no one to throw to, but that’s not true. He has one of the best Tight Ends in the league with Greg Olsen, a great receiving running back with Mate Forte, and a maturing receiver in Devin Hester. Earl Bennet and Juaquin Iglesias will also split the catches.

The offense is set for years to come, but it’s the defense that is rebuilding. Who knew the Bears could have a better offense than defense?

Dan Orlovsky has never looked better than he did in the first half. He skipped into the end zone, chasing Shaun McDonald after his second touchdown in the second quarter. Coming off the bye, Bears’ fans wondered, how bad can we beat the Lions this week? How good will Kyle Orton look?

Well, that’s all for naught when your secondary starts out by making a winless NFL quarterback look like he’s Graham Harrell!

Of course, we got the win and that’s the important part. Like I’ve said before, this is a results league and that’s what matters. No one will remember that the defense gave up 20 unanswered points, except every team that watches the game tape and realizes how they can pick apart the Bears.

Dan Orlovsky threw for 292 yards, and while we did steal two picks from him, it seems that the only thing that can beat a quarterback facing the Bears is himself. The defense, the schemes, and the strange breed that is this inconsistent 5-3 team had fans on the edge of their seat against the worst team in football. The Bears made the Lions look like a team that really had a chance in this league. I look straight at the defensive side of the ball for that because how can you look disparagingly at an offense that runs for 126 yards and only turns the ball over once on a tipped pass? They did their job.

What isn’t doing the job well enough to keep the acid reflux or opposing slot receivers at bay is the Bears’ secondary.

Lovie Smith brought the cover two to the Bears after being in the Monte Kiffin school for a number of years and has defended it’s capability vehemently. Good enough, I suppose, is the phrase that comes to mind.The Bears’ cover two defense got broken down by Sun-Times reporter Brad Biggs here: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/1254485,CST-SPT-biggs02.article.

What Biggs highlights is interesting: the defense is designed to prevent big plays, which it can do if there is consistent tackling and defensive backs stay on their assignments.

It seems that the Bears’ D relies on big plays. A key sack on 3^rd down by Tommie Harris, an interception in the end zone by rookie safety Craig Steltz and constantly jamming the run, forcing 3^rd and longs. That’s this defense’s bread and butter: big plays by big name players. It relies on the playmaking capability of guys to switch the momentum of a game, create field position and score.

When the defense is running on full tilt, they do those things, too. We have seen it, other teams have seen it and you have to respect it; the Bears’ secondary are ball hawks, they have lived in the cover two and made big plays this year but have given up so much at the same time.

It’s like Jekyll and Hyde, look at the numbers:

The Bears’ defense gives up 247 passing yards per game on average, that’s 30^th in the league. They’re worse than the Lions, who sit at 29^th. They give up at least 21 points on average, but at the same time they have 12 picks on the year, 5 forced fumbles and 7 recovered fumbles. The Bears’ have created 19 turnovers in 8 games, more than two a game. Those are dream turnover numbers for a lot of defensive coordinators.

It seems like the Mike Martz theory on the passing game — you can give up the interception if you can hit the 80 yard streak two plays later. Like the White Sox offensive scheme this year, a ball over the fence can get you out of a jam. The trouble is that only works if the playmaking capability is consistent. The 1999 Rams were like clockwork, but since then Martz hasn’t gotten any of his most recent experiments to yield anything, and when the bats went cold for the Sox, they would certainly lose, it almost kept them out of the playoffs.

Consistency wins games in the stretch. Consistency in defense wins championships. We are in the stretch and I am a little wary of the Bears’ chances to do either of those. I feel like the 2^nd quarter on Sunday was an omen.

I think back on Sunday’s game and I have haunting images of Shaun McDonald in the slot catching consistent 7-yard balls while the Lions marched down the field. I see Michael Gaines, the Detroit TE, falling on yellow lines, grinding for a first down on almost each catch. The biggest reception the Bears gave up was 22 yards, not a huge play, but big enough. Four Detroit receivers averaged 10 yards a catch. I understand the scheme has worked 5 times this year, but the consistent movement of offenses seems to be a major sacrifice. This defense has major playmakers but if those guys can’t turn it on, what happens? This team gives up yards in key situations, that leads to lost games.

The Bears are no different: if the playmaking ability of this defense goes cold in certain situations, this team will lose. Look at the second half in the Carolina game, the overtime against the Bucs and the second to last play in Atlanta. They may have lost today if Michael Gaines did not fumble and Orlovsky stopped overthrowing Calvin Johnson.

It seems to be a risky game that Lovie Smith is playing with this defense. It counts on mistakes by others, rather than consistent containment and home runs, rather than small ball.

With an offense that won’t have any consistent firepower in Rextasy, this defense will have to step up big.

First, they will be challenged by the pounding running game of the Titans, next week. I can’t see a win there.

Then, real big games come down the pike against some tough QBs. They still see Aaron Rodgers twice, we lose at least one of those. David Garrard is not playing his best ball but Jacksonville can win. Matt Schaub and Drew Brees are both red hot with offensive weapons galore.

Those men are not Dan Orlovsky, but they aren’t Matt Ryan or Brian Griese, either. Those are quarterbacks, who have proven talent and weapons of their own.

The Bears defense will have to sure up their playmaking ability like they did today or this could get ugly. I hate to sound negative, but things could turn south when there is not a sure thing defending passes for the Bears and Rex has to throw passes on the other side.

[tags]chicago bears, nfl, football, lovie smith[/tags]

Yesterday, Kyle Orton brought his team 77 yards down the field with 2:43 on the game clock. Bears’ fans rejoiced when the touchdown was upheld. The Bears had a lead and the Falcons had a huge mountain to climb with nothing left on the clock. Instead, a squib kick set up Atlanta on the 44 yard line. Chicago fans shook their head and said, “What?! Why? Big stop defense.”

Lovie’s justification for setting up the short field was that his boys, “were tired.” For a special teams squad on their last appearance of the game it’s ridiculous that Lovie wouldn’t tell them to run after the ball 20 yards farther down the field. They are paid to get tired, Lovie. You’re not their mom. You’re a football coach and you’re paid to make decisions that win games, not set up your opponent’s rookie QB with a flair for the dramatic to be on Sportscenter as the winner. Kick the ball out of the end zone, make the trek for a field goal be at least 50 yards.

Instead, Ryan found Michael Jenkins on one well placed ball 26 yards down the field. Jason Elam, a long ball kicker had no problem finding the middle of the uprights from 48 yards out. Bears lose 22-20, and the Falcons celebrations lead highlight reels all over sports nation. Since the end of gametime Bears’ fans have been screaming explatives about how Jenkins slipped under coverage, how Ryan brought his team back to field goal range with one ball, where the pass rush disappeared to and why Lovie told Robbie Gould to squib kick.

The tough part is that they have been shaking their head this way before. After the late losses to Panthers and Bucs, the Bears’ nation tried to stay positive, and see the silver lining in their two losses, saying things like, “Well, Orton managed a good game.” “The defense made some plays” “Matt Forte is impressive.” Most of all, “We have been in these games, we’ll get the win next time.”

Really, the silver lining doesn’t matter at this point. The NFL is a results league, wins are what matter, not “staying in the game”. So, where do you start the finger pointing? Well in breaking down the Falcons game you have to look at the defense first, Orton managed the game and put the points up to win. So, the defense takes big blame today, again. I heard a stat today that said Ryan went 9 for 16 on 3^rd down. 6 of those conversions were at 9 plus yard situations. Where is the secondary on that? Better yet, where is the pass rush? Ryan is not Vick, he is a pocket passer, and a rookie. A veteran Bears defense that shut down Donovan McNabb and Payton Manning should make mince meat of Ryan. Especially for the money that the Bears have locked up in players like Charles Tillman, Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris, you expect results when those checks go out. Why the letdowns, then? Why the groaning fans? Why the dashed hopes and dreams? Because this problem is bigger than simply giving up a few plays and its now visible, at least in my eyes.

It seems to me that there is nothing at stake here for the defense, there is no edge, there is no fire. They have their contracts, they have their faces all over CTA buses and they have a decent reputation. There are personal fouls, big letdowns, and big performances by opposing QBs but no disciplined consistency for a defense that Madden put on his horse trailer last Sunday. The offense is the squad with passion, with something to prove, and they are keeping this team in games. Unfortunately, the rest of the team won’t back them up every week and to me it’s more than just Tillman, Urlacher and Harris.

Even though the defense fell asleep on the job, I say that it starts with your coach. While Lovie knows the game, sets up a team well and has lead his team to an NFC championship. His energy rivals that of a librarian, a demure librarian at that. The fire starts with the leadership, and Lovie does not inspire the type of fire that the leader of smashmouth, run-up-the-gut, defense-wins-championships, ode-to-Butkis, Chicago Bears football team deserves. I’m not saying he needs to headbutt someone, but clearly the message of “don’t let this happen again” was not communicated strongly enough before the defense took the field in the final Atlanta drive.

A good football locker room culture of accountability, consistency and pride starts with your coaching staff. Frankly, Lovie does not seem to have that fire. Lovie is a calm guy, that came from the University of Dungy, that seems to work, too. Until this year, when mental and emotional letdowns acoount for all your losses.

Yes, he will honestly admit a letdown but who is he holding over the fire? Whose name is he saying when he talks about veterans who can’t get off blocks? Whose head turns down when he tells everyone who got beat by Michael Jenkins? Clearly, the defense was not feeling the heat of locker room conversation that followed Carolina and Tampa Bay, and if they were, the results of Sunday don’t represent that.

Lovie, what I’m saying is I think you’re soft. You are an emotional and mental leader, not simply a robot that makes play calls. Yes, the players are accountable for these letdowns but I want to know what you are going to do about it. How do you make sure your team stops these letdowns? Get your team up for every game and maybe people won’t have to say, “But look at the upside…”