Lovie Smith Approval Rating Poll
by TheMan1 on Nov 17, 2009 3:18 PM CST
29 comments
Lovie Smith enters his sixth season as the head coach of the Chicago Bears with a regular season coaching record of 45-35 (.563). Smith’s 45 wins are third most in franchise history, trailing only Hall of Famers George Halas and Mike Ditka. Forty of those 45 regular season wins have come over the previous four seasons, tied for second most in the NFC and sixth most in the NFL during that span. Smith also has a 2-2 postseason record, including an NFC Championship and the Bears first Super Bowl appearance in 21 years (2006), to give him the third-most playoff victories in team history behind the six of Halas and Ditka.
Smith set forth with three stated goals when he was hired as the 13th head coach in Chicago Bears history on January 15, 2004: end the decade of dominance by the Green Bay Packers over the Bears, capture the NFC North Division for Chicago and win the Super Bowl. The Bears have won seven of 10 contests against Green Bay during Smith’s tenure, contributing to Chicago winning the division in 2005 and 2006. Accomplishing his first two directives prior to leading the Bears to within one win of their second Super Bowl title and tenth overall league championship in just his third season at the helm, Smith agreed to a contract extension on February 28, 2007 that maintains his position with the team through 2011.
Leading Chicago to division titles in 2005 and 2006, Smith joined Ditka as the only coaches in team history to lead the team to consecutive division titles. He is the first coach in team history to lead the Bears to the playoffs in two of his first three seasons.
During Smith's first five seasons at the helm, Chicago ranks fourth in the NFL having allowed 18.6 points per game and third with 163 total touchdowns allowed. Chicago gave up the fewest points in the NFC during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, pacing the entire NFL in Smith’s second year with the organization. Under Smith’s tutelage the Bears lead the league by allowing the lowest opponent third-down conversion percentage (32.2%), the lowest opponent red zone scoring efficiency (77.6%) and forcing the most opponent three-and-out drives (283).
(Taken from the Bears Website)
Now we see this year as Lovie has taken over play calling responsibilities for the defense. So is it Lovie is a good coach, took on too much, past his prime?
What say you?
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There are parts to Lovie that
I like, and parts that I don’t. I think he is undoubtedly a great technique guy, and, when he has the talent to work with, can be very successful.
I don’t like the fact that the Bears are drawing so many penalties, and showed up so unprepared in Atlanta. Those two things fall directly on the HC.
If there was another option, like “somewhat”, I’d probably vote it.
You are all gentlemen (and ladies) and good judges of cheap whiskey.
by Dane Noble on Nov 17, 2009 4:21 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Gonna try to draw a bit more out of you here:
Do you think he’s head coach material? Or do you think he’s better suited to a coordinator or position coach?
When you go to somebody's house, you don't crap on their floor. Being a fan of one team does NOT give you license to be a dick to fans of another.
Corollary: When people are visiting your house and behaving themselves, them being a fan of a different team is NOT a reason for you to piss in their beer.
Brought to you by Carl's Jr.
by Robert Rence on Nov 18, 2009 1:12 PM CST up reply actions
Honestly, I don't know.
I don’t know what goes in to the week to week strategies, I don’t know what goes on in the coaches meetings, and I don’t know what goes on in the locker room.
The only thing that I do know is what is written in papers, and what little we get to see when he is on TV. I know that Lovie has been highly touted by his players, former and current, as well as other coaches that he works with.
So is he a good HC? I can only speculate. But I would say, yes, I think he probably is. Outside of the aforementioned penalties and preparation, the problems that the Bears are facing this year, and last, are personnel struggles. For what we know, personnel is on Jerry Angelo’s plate. Does Lovie have any say so in that? Maybe a little… but who knows.
You are all gentlemen (and ladies) and good judges of cheap whiskey.
Have you ever heard any player or coach actually say that
another coach is bad or even marginal? Personally, I haven’t so I wouldn’t use that as a measure for his ability.
You’re right, none of us know what goes on in meetings, etc. but the fact that his teams have historically been poor at adjustments during the game (except this year when their adjustments seem to improve but they are woefully unprepared at the start of most games, so…) and the development of talent over the years has not been evident would indicate that he has not done a good job as a HC. Also, they have definitely regressed since the one really good year they’ve had under Lovie’s watch. No one can realistically expect a Super Bowl appearance every year but to miss the playoffs for what looks to be 3 consecutive seasons, immediately after the SB is inexcusable, especially since our division hasn’t been great. Other than Toub, I don’t see any assistants that he has brought in as standouts either. Marinelli fell in the Bears’ lap and outside of the first 3 games, the D-line hasn’t been exactly stellar either.
Put all of these factors together and, in my opinion, it doesn’t speak well of Lovie as a Head Coach.
Is it Lovie's fault,
or is it the lack of bringing in good talent to work with?
I’m not saying I disagree with you, but I also know that most teams who end up missing the playoffs probably say the same thing like we are. “It’s the HC’s fault… it’s the GM’s fault… it’s the crappy owners…”
By that model, there would only be a handful of good HCs in the league each year… but we know that’s not the case. We know that there are teams who are flawed above the coaching staff (are the Bears one of those teams?).
You are all gentlemen (and ladies) and good judges of cheap whiskey.
Agree about the talent to a degree, but even the players who start out looking okay
never seem to get better and sometimes look worse. Obviously, there could be many reasons for that including talent itself, it’s just that I can’t really come up with anyone, off the top of my head, who was drafted since Lovie arrived, that I can say has improved dramatically. Lance Briggs came in the year prior to Smith, if memory serves, and has improved but he was pretty much a stud from the beginning, outside of him though, no one else comes to mind.
Where's the "Totally Overpaid" option?
Isn’t he one of the highest paid coaches in the NFL? He doesn’t rate that.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
He is the highest paid at 5.5 million per.
He makes more than Bill Belichick.
My approval rating
.0005
"Those guys were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked" - Homer defines the Bears '09 season in less than 12 words.
It's like giving a 15% tip to a horrible waitress.
"Those guys were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked" - Homer defines the Bears '09 season in less than 12 words.
Hey, someone got arrested for not paying tip.
Raise that approval rating before the cops come after you for not giving him more than he deserves.
Lovie is just not getting through...
to these players. He has sound basics as a head coach. He appears competent and capable of being a head coach at a high level. One of 2 possible issues have contributed to his slow failure over the last 3 years:
1. His soft-spoken demeanor has allowed JA to draft badly without objection and left the team bereft of talent and depth.
2. He has a similarly bad eye for talent and agreed with JA.
Either way, the Bears have not drafted well for too long and now the lack of talent has started to overcome the ability of these coaches to get the best team game out of this year’s roster. As talent levels drop, only the greatest of coaches can overcome this handicap and it is usually for a season or maybe 2. Lovie, while not a bad coach, is simply unable to get any more out of this team. Even a few good free agent signings next season likely will not be enough.
This leaves the team in a big dilemma. Bite the bullet and pay Lovie to leave which also means that there is less money for FAs in a possible FA bonanza market and less still if they sign a big name coach. Or, invest what money they still have in a whole lot of new FAs and hope the talent can overcome Lovie’s shortcomings as a coach. Otherwise, expect 2 more years of mediocrity and excuses. I believe it will take an “all in”-type move from this ownership group to change the fortunes of this team in the next 2-3 years.
When you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!!!
Money's not the issue
Randy Lerner with the Browns is paying off Romeo Crennel, Phil Savage and now George Kokinis. He’s looking to bring in a Bill Parcells type to run the team and he may then have to swallow Mangini’s contract.
These teams all have money. They make enough from their TV contracts to pay their players before they sell one ticket or any bring in even one dollar from all their other revenue streams.
The Bills just fired Jauron with two years left on his contract.
The money is an excuse.
Not to disagree or nitpick but...
I do not see the Browns or the Bills as being a model of what to do when owning a NFL team and/or whatever the Browns are?
And, yes, it shouldn’t be and issue, but somehow I see excuses coming cheaper than good coaching for the last 3 years from the Bears.
When you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!!!
That's my point
Neither one of those teams is a ‘financial’ model ala the Cowboys or Redskins.
And yet they can swallow the money.
The Bears are a storied NFL franchise playing in the second largest city in the United States.
They have ne excuses when it comes to money. These teams have more than enough money. There is however, no defense against spending it stupidly (or not spending it at all).
2009 may not be a free agent bonanza.
There’s a good chance teams could try to reduce payroll in an uncapped year.
"I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class. Especially since I rule."-Randal Graves
#2
Is the right choice IMO. They’ve become a little too sure of themselves to say the least. They’re drafting hasn’t been very good on defense the past few years. D. Manning, AA, Payne, and Graham have been decent, but none of them has become a consistent playmaker.
"Those guys were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked" - Homer defines the Bears '09 season in less than 12 words.
observation
Ok, let’s say that Coach Smith is indeed the highest paid coach in the NFL. He accepted that pay raise and contract extension based on his performance upon taking the Bears to the Super Bowl. I think we would all agree this is a fair deal – payment commensurate to performance.
Since then the team has done more and more poorly with each subsequent season leading up to where we find ourselves today.
I don’t see Coach Smith running to the bank to transfer funds back to the McCaskeys based on his poor performance. Not fair, but that is the way the world in the NFL works these days.
The fact is that Coach Smith has shown signs of poor performance for a long time and I would hazard to say that the Bears went to the SB in spite of him and not entirely because of his coaching skills – but that is a debate for another post perhaps.
He’s what I call a good first level coach, meaning his primary game plan is good.
His problem is that he’s not able to adapt well when things go wrong or not according to plan. He gets caught flat footed and looking foolish and that makes the whole team look bad.
I did not approve of Coach Smith in the poll, and if he were honest with himself when he looks in the mirror, he’d vote against himself too.
"Chance favors the prepared mind." - Pasteur
The loudest get heard.
And I was heard. Time to move on.
Lovie Smith Needs To Evolve.
1. He needs to get a new Offensive coordinator to save his arse.
2. He needs to implement a new Defensive scheme sooner rather than later.
3. He needs to draft and sign a new prototype Defensive linemen. What he has with speed rushers does not get pressure to the QB and is the ultimate failure of his Tampa 2.
If Lovie is willing to evolve we should keep him. If not he needs to go.
#2
..is not going to happen, ergo Lovie needs to go, but I don’t think he will go this season unless the Bears lose all their remaining games. Then there will be pitchforks and torches.
"Chance favors the prepared mind." - Pasteur
by Maelvampyre on Nov 18, 2009 10:28 AM CST up reply actions
It's Tough for me
I voted “no” but when I read all the comparisons with Ditka and Halas I like him. Then I think “Well without the Super Bowl year he’s just a .500 coach.” Then I think well the talent he has to work with isn’t great (A point very well brought up by ChiFan a lot). So it’s tough for me but the teams struggles and lack of preparation over the last month I think can be put on him. New coach please.
Plus, when you think about it, other than Halas and Ditka no coach has had success really so it’s not like it’s hard to be third behind those two, right?
I am with you on the numbers
I found it interesting when I found this, that is why I though others might too.
Plus, when you think about it, other than Halas and Ditka no coach has had success really so it’s not like it’s hard to be third behind those two, right?
His accolades section looks impressive until you start breaking down the numbers.
He is a .500 coach. Players say they like him, yet he is unprepared quite often.
So while I can appreciate his achievements, I say its go time, W-L speaks the loudest, to me at least. While I lay blame on Angelos recruiting, Lovie stated he has say in these and agreed with most prospects from what I have seen and heard.
The problem is
both Lovie and JA are a package deal. They both have to go at the same time cause they’re cut from similar cloths, and wouldn’t fit with a new HC’s philosophy.
"Those guys were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked" - Homer defines the Bears '09 season in less than 12 words.
Thats where the McCaskeys will need to suck it up
Bring in a new HC and let him know you will have to rough it for a year of 2 then we will lose Angelo too.
Or sit them both down and inform Mr. Jeezey my crap never stinks Angelo and give the new HC some player drafting/recruiting input.
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