Why The Defense Has Collapsed

Something I wondered when Urlacher was lost for the season: in our version of the cover-2, the MIKE drops back and sits in front of the safeties, I believe. It worked with #54 because of his exceptional (for a MLB) range, but are we still running the same scheme with HH/Roach and expecting them to do the same?

the Bears gave up 99 points in 5 games. This after losing Urlacher early in game one. (After five games last season they had given up 87 points).

99 points in five games averages out to 20 points per game.

That would have placed them at #10 in points allowed last season, 30 points better than what they actually were (when they were ranked #16).

Today’s game was a complete debacle on defense, both from a coaching standpoint and an execution standpoint.

also, Bowman is not the answer at CB, sure he’s athletic, but he just looks lost out there. outmatched

If I could just hold onto Cutler, I’d throw the rest of the team away and pull myself out a new one. Couldn’t be any worse than the crap that turned up in Cincinatti.

when you put it all together it still points to one thing, bad coaching. I say that because this staff cannot make adjustments whether it’s on the fly during a game or when injuries take players down. How often have we heard Lovie say “when one goes down, the next guy has to step up”? Obviously, that’s true but the next guy in line is rarely another Urlacher or another Briggs, etc. It’s on the coaching staff to have a plan in place where if a starter goes down, especially a Pro Bowl caliber starter, that you know what those adjustments should be without taking half a season to do so. It’s called game planning and it’s called using the tools that are available to you. My impression is that Lovie is so stubborn with his system, that he will force square pegs into round holes to make his point.

Unfortunately, I don’t see a quick fix here since, as you pointed out, our team is built around his system and the system doesn’t work. If you jetisoned the whole coaching staff today, the incoming group still has the same pieces to work with. I agree with you that we need some better size and strength in the front 7, but even more than that we need a coach who will hold individuals accountable and if that takes benching guys on national TV to make a point, then so be it. The lack of tackling and blocking in training camp and practices has always bothered me, and from our injury record, it doesn’t seem that it’s doing anything to keep players healthier anyway. Lovie preaches that his staff are “teachers”, well somebody better “teach” him how to be a Head Coach.

go after shawn merriman in the FA next year and boot the whole coaching staff..it is clear that the tampa 2 is gone like the old 46 formation. we need to get some new bodies or use some of the talent in other ways. sign derrick brooks. this is pathetic we gave up 189 to the dumbass from texas who coudldnt do anything but be a bum in chicago and get arrested several times for being an alcoholic? seriously what happened to my bears

the Tampa Two, being run out of 4-3 defense is pretty much dead. The 4-3 is pretty much dead. Most teams have found 3-4 zone blitzing away better way to attack the high power offensives. The Steelers, the Pats, the Broncos and several others are now running a 3-4 or a hybrid of it. It is time for the Bears to change. The current personnel might work, moving Tommy Harris and Oli/Brown to DE and Adams as the NT, while putting Roach and Briggs in the MLB and HH and Adams as OLB.

This might work if we had the coachs who could run it.

Olin Kreutz for nose tackle

He didn’t play. In fact, the games he has played in, including vs good QB/WR/RB tandems in Pittsburg and GB, it wasn’t the Defense we came out complaining about. I just don’t get this logic of reacting to a really poor defensive effort in which Harris did not play by calling for a replacement for the three technique. WTF????

People want him gone because he hasnt gotten back to his form from 2005 and 2006 hes only 26! if he gets cut hell go to a team like the saints or dare i say the Viqueens and become the replacment for pat williams.
he didnt play on sunday and for the first time all year and we got shredded on the ground i know one man doesnt make the defense but he can sure help. Harris is our best all around lineman and we need him on the field because harrison isnt there yet and gilbert isnt getting on the field. The whole team will look alot better sunday one reason being we play clevland

We need to pry Mike Nolan away from Denver next season, switch to the 3-4 and sign Elvis Dumervil. Lofa Tatupu, DeMarco Ryan, Shawn Merriman, Derrick Johnson are all also free agents.

Uh … injury …. poor drafting & roster management … the fact that it was four years ago … so I guess, entropy …. duh.

one of our consistent playmakers and he and briggs are the soul of the defense after Mike Brown left..

Part trois coming to a stadium near you.

I’d say that the evidence is in again that the fundamental issues oulined in the original post hold true:

1. System: The failure of the system was highlighted today by the Bears complete inability to stop the Cards on 3rd down. Again we see that any half-way decent QB (or any QB not named Anderson/Brady) can easily pick apart the Bears cover 2/Tampa 2 in passing situations.

2. Strength: The only time you’ll see the Bears capable of getting stops in 3rd down situations is when there is an adequate pass rush. Again, our front 7 (especially the d linemen) are too small and weak to get the push needed against the o line. So, with adequate blitz pickups by the backs, a QB like Warner has all day in the pocket to pick apart our soft cover defense. We need more muscle on this team!

3. Personnel: We lost a lot of players today— Harris, Afalava, Tillman and HH for a few plays. Did we see a major drop off? No (excpet possibly in the case of Harris.) The reason for that is that the depth behind those starters is not much different that the starters themselves. Payne for Afalava is a minor drop off. Bowman/Graham and/or Bowman/Vasher is not really that different from Bowman/Tillman. Our team is comprised of a bunch of average to above averate players that run two and three deep at each position. We lack play-makers. Although this depth serves us well on special teams (usually) it is a majore weakness of the defense in general.

4. Injuries: Again. Our playmakers are gone: Url, Harris, Pisa. Is there any question about how badly the Bears miss Urlacher? Not just as a playmaker but as a vocal leader of this squad and the face of the Bears D.

Recommendation:

I’m not of the belief that the only answer is to blow up this defense and send Lovie packing with it. Nobody is untouchable on this squad: Not Tillman, not Briggs, not nobody. We have so much invested in the defense (Head Coachd, Asst. Head Coach, Salary Cap, Draft picks, etc) but there is absolutely no sign that it will improve.

Our Offense will get better and better next year but the defense needs a total overhaul via trades, drafts, contract restructuring and painful cuts. Not sure if we can pull a ‘Denver’ next year but we need to try. Otherwise we’re looking at possibly building a decent squad in 2011.