The Bears Den: November 16, 2010

Two of their wins are against winning teams

He used to be “First-read, not there, off I go!”

Now he’s taking the second and third reads instead of running immediately, and when he does take off, it’s even more dangerous cause he still has all that ability. He’s a lot more of a complete weapon now instead of a running back playing at QB. Andy Reid is just what he needed.

If Lovie and Co. gameplan for Vick to do nothing but run around, we’ll be in for a rude awakening. If Lovie and Co. realize Vick can actually pass the ball, we might be able to contain him.

on B&B

Bernstein said that “his guy” said that the Bears would most likely extend Lovie Smith if they should finish 8-8 or better since “they” are impressed with this. Lovie is angling for an extension. Also goes with what Moon has heard and what one “Bears insider” at another forum has said (they would have to finish 6-10 or worse for a coaching change to happen)……..

That would mean only two post season appearances out of 7 years, with 4 seasons in a row that they have missed. When you look at the other coaches they’ve had since Ditka (Wanny and Jauron), anybody would look good compared to those two morons but that doesn’t mean you’re good, just better than them.

Take into account the lack of player development, bad coaching decisions on several players (Hester, Manning, Mark Anderson, Rex), one of the worst records in the league on challenges, terrible game decisions, terrible assistant coaching choices, and his input in poor personnel choices (Pace, Archuletta), all of that says a bad job.

This whole “record against the Packers” thing is way overblown, in my opinion. If we still miss the playoffs but have a decent record against the cheeseheads, what does that do for us other than bragging rights. Ditto on the record against Favre, because part of that is the fact that those came at the end of his career (or what was supposed to be the end) so it’s not exactly going up against the Super Bowl Brett.

I don’t mean to be a jerk, but your arguments sound too much like settling because he was slightly better than his predecessors. I’m tired of our team accepting mediocre results. If they get into the playoffs and look strong doing it, then get at least one playoff win, then he deserves a shot at playing out the contract (please don’t extend it!!) and see if he can string two good seasons together.

Now how good are they again? Just because we have had crap for coaches for many years and one compares Lovie to the said crap, doesn’t make it any better.

One of if not the largest football markets.

5th highest payroll

Excellent defenses (oh except when Lovie called the plays as DC)

And still close to a .500 record?

Lovie’s at least a decent head coach and the players respect him. Look no farther than Minny to see how important that is.

We overachieve with Lovie because, by all accounts, we have mediocre talent. Ditka had how many Hall of Famers? Payton, Hampton, Dent (should be), Singletary. Plus he had a damn good QB for some of it in McMahon and other guys who were great or damn near Hall of Famers, like Hilenberg, Covert, Van Horne, Thayer, Neal Anderson, Leslie Frazier, Gary Fencik.

Who’s Lovie got? Other than the LBs, this team doesn’t have anyone who is truly great. He has some good players in Cutler and Forte and Knox but overall he hasn’t had the best stuff to work with compared to Ditka. Additionally, his most talented teams went to the playoffs (as they should have). So yeah he’s .500 mostly, but how bad could it have been if we had a worse coach, like Jaron or Wanny?

And we’ve expected better results since the Super Bowl season. So we have higher expectations that were dashed for several seasons.

There are certainly things we can fault Lovie for: challenges, some developmental decisions. But overall, I don’t think he’s a bad coach by any means. I don’t think he’s a great coach, but there are so few of those, that I’m happy with what we have. I think he’s done well with the tools provided (Angelo may be a different story…).

He deserves to have a chance to coach out his current contract, especially with Marinelli at DC and Martz at OC. This for all purposes is a building year, building an O-Line and a new offense in general. I don’t buy the rap that he doesn’t develope his players Manning came to us with little but speed to call his own and he starting to step up now. Hester lost is mojo in 08 and needed the time away from just returning kicks. Anderson only looked good playing next to a 100% Tommie Harris since Tommie got hurt and his play declined he had every opportunity and some solid coaching from Marinelli and couldn’t step up. Rex had career bear numbers pretty much the same as Orton’s both of those guys got thrown into a starting role before they were ready was Angelo and the ownership just too cheap to go out and sign a quality veteren to hold down the position until those guys could be coached up? These players don’t give up on Lovie like Wade Phillips did on him. I don’t understand fans who call for Lovie to be fired and Cutler traded weather they win or lose. They want to bring in a new head coach with no head coaching experience just for the sake of change.

He has coached this team to towo playoff runs, two division titles in 6½ years, and might get one this year, and has coached us to one Super Loss. Ditka, in his first 6 years coached the Bears to 4 division crowns and 1 Super Win. Our fans are so used to bad coaching that a mediocre coach looks acceptable to some. Sorry, but not to me. Come on, after 6 seasons, the guy had one more winning season that Dave Wannstadt

It’s not difficult to be the third winningest coach in Bears history when you are also the third longest tendered coach in Bears history. Just to review, Dave Wannstadt was the Bears third winningest coach Prior to Smith. Should we have kept him, as well?

Sorry, but while the scheme may be Smith’s, Marinelli is coaching it like it was Rivera’s. That defense is why our team is 6-3. under Rivera, we were one of the strongest D’s in the league. Under The Lovie Smith Puppet Show in the three years after Smith summarily dismissed Rivera (can you remember a defensive coordinator ever being released after his defense, which had been top 3 for 2 straight years had just led it’s team to the Super Bowl?) the Defense was abysmal and 2009 saw the 6th most points allowed by a Bears defense in the teams 90 year history with Smith as DC. He screwed up, and he screwed up big. He took the strength of the team and made it a weakness with the only real change being coaching…….His Coaching.

His one big success, in my view has been his focus on turnovers. I won’t take that away from him. But let’s remember that the passing defense has focused on turnovers to the detriment of coverage. But that’s more philosophy, and I can see the idea behind it, and can even support it, to some extent.

The record against Farve is impressive and predictable. in his waning years, Favre hasn’t been nearly as dominant and Smith’s turnover mentality is the perfect defense to Favre. Give him enough rope and he will hang himself. And the best part is that it’s not like Smith has to alter what the team is doing because of Favre. In fact, his style might be the best matchup to Favre, period. Props for this.

Beating the Pack is the only real thing he has done that he said he would do. But, again, give him credit where it is due. But let’s not forget that since that 6-2 opening that you mentioned, Lovie has gone 2-3 against the Pack in the last 2½ years.

Some here are stating that Smith hasn’t had talent. That is utter BS. The ‘06 team had 8 Pro-Bowl players. And what talent has lacked has been as much his fault as Angelo’s. He has say in the draft picks and the FA acquisitions. Both he and Angelo have made that clear. He does not get absolved from the talent break. As a matter of fact, since his contract was renegotiated and he was given more power over the talent, the draft selections have gotten worse, not better. And other than Peppers, so have the FA acquisitions. Additionally, the fact that he hasn’t properly developed the talent he has been provided is just as big a factor in the talent level of this team as the players he has been provided.

Smith owns all of that. He owns the arrogance of the Rivera release and the 3 years of bad defense that followed. He owns the bad challenges. He owns, with Angelo, the player drafting and acquisitions. He owns the fact that his team hasn’t reached the playoffs since Rivera’s departure.

Turnovers are great, as are wins against Favre and the Packers. But if they don’t translate into Championships, or at least the playoffs, then what did it really matter?

and as long as people can vouch for the website and product, I’ll include that in there too.

They’re the Replicant sewn on jerseys. Went with a group of people and ordered 10 together. Came out to $24 a jersey. No tax or shipping charges. You’re buying direct from the factory in China. So pleased I’m buying an Arron Rodgers (shudder) jersey for my father-in-law for Christmas. My Peppers throwback is killer.

and the hounds would be released so to speak.

during the pre-season? Was that you?

thought they would only win 3 games coming off the bye and that was bills, vikings at home and the lions…..But eh you never know and considering the NFL this year…..Just get the party started when the Bears extend Lovie….

Dolphins
Lions
Vikings
Jets

Found that for you.

All we have to do is win Thursday, and win our division games. It’s quite possible that the WK17 game is going to be to see who takes the NFC North.

Simply put, I’d rather be playing Philly/NE/NYJ at home, than ATL/NE away, and SF at home.

and we could very much win the North with both us and them at 10-6.

NE lost to the Browns and the Jets. Jets lost to the Ravens and the Pack, who we already beat. Philly lost to Skins, Titans and the Pack, who we already beat. And the Pack have lost to the Skins, the Phins and…….Da Bears.

So why can’t we beat these teams? We already beat one of them.

At least according to Merrian-Webster

Sorry Dane I had to….

Why I aughta…….

I thought Morrissey’s snarky-douchebag skills were in rare form today.

were the worst 5-3 team ever, and now they are 6-3 rolling his eyes like a silent film star.