The Chicago Bears Have an Achilles Heel
by Just Dave on Aug 9, 2010 3:00 PM CDT
in Bears History
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Well actually, like the legendary Achilles himself, they have two. But one’s a bit bigger than the other. More vulnerable to the arrows of the NFL historians, if you will. But before this metaphor runs into its own rant let me say that the Chicago Bears have one of the more storied franchises in the NFL. As we induct new members to the Hall [including the omnipotent Jerry Rice and the poser (poser in that he didn't truly "earn" the rushing record, but more on that in a future rant) Emmitt Smith, I started looking at the Hall in general. We lead the league in members in the Hall of Fame and boast more wins than any other franchise. As I looked through the sheer numbers of those HOF members, two things jumped out. Well, quite a bit more than two, but more on that after the jump.
First off Bears fans, hold your heads with pride. The Bears are an absolute powerhouse when it comes to Hall of Famers. The numbers I have get a little fuzzy because many of our enshrined members played in the pre-modern era when most people played multiple positions and not every position we have today even existed. That said, we have 2 QB’s in the Hall, an impressive 6 HB/FB’s, numerous defensive and offensive linemen and even a coach. When you consider there are 19 "linebackers" in the Hall and 5 of them are Bears you could make the argument we defined the position. (As HoneyBear eloquently presented earlier this week). Maybe we still do but I’m tiring of that argument (Brian Urlacher will be HOF worthy, mark my words) and I’ll let that one rest for now. As a matter of fact, you could make the argument that the Bears have at least one person in the top 10 all time at every position in the NFL. Every position except for two.
I started off talking about our boy Achilles and his vulnerable heels. Its time to take a look at those "heels" on the Bears. (And no, I’m not talking about our current head coach and his GM.)
Defensive Backs: We’ve had our share. We’ve even had some pretty good ones. I think of the recently departed Mike Brown and I feel no small measure of pride. Doug Plank (he of the 46 defense hallowed be thy name) is still one of my all time favorite Bears. But for the oldest franchise in the NFL you’d think we’d have a little more representation in the Hall. We are noticeably lacking. However we have had some fine players to hang our collective hats on and defense usually shines bright in the windy city so this is that tiny achilles heel on our body. The one entrenched in some decent armor. The next one stuns me a bit. It's gushing blood.
Wide Receiver: We’ve had practically no one. Our all time receiving records are hardly eye popping. Harlon Hill comes closest to greatness by winning Rookie of the Year and NFL MVP as he played from 1954-1961. Bill Hewitt technically was a receiver. He amassed nearly 1000 yards and 13 touchdowns from 1932 to 1936. Not bad during a time when the forward pass was seen as a sign of weakness. You could make an argument that if it weren't for WWII, Ken Kavanaugh may have made the Hall. He is the career touchdown reception leader with 50. He is also tied for the season high (with Dick Gordon, you know Dick Gordon) with 13 TDs. We could look to our career yardage leader Johnny Morris. With 5059 yards over 10 years he also amassed 31 touchdowns (A really good season for Payton Manning) including a 1200 yd season with 10 touchdowns. Pretty rock solid numbers. Willie Gault gave us some exciting plays during our Super Bowl run. I also remember the mid 90’s when Curtis Conway and Jeff Graham lit up the field. For a season it was great. For a season.
Now I know I’m probably forgetting some decent receivers but I kept looking and looking. Who do we have to hang our hat on as Bear fans? What great wide receiver can we all point to and say, "See. Look at ________’s career. He was fantastic!" In more than the last quarter of a century we’ve had just one receiver reach the pro bowl. O-N-E. We don't have a career receiving yardage leader in the top 50 all time unless you count Muhsin Muhammad as a career Bear. It's not even close. I said it earlier, we are one of the NFL’s most storied franchises and what do we have to show for it at wide receiver? Very little. It’s baffling.
I realize we come from a historically good running team predicated on solid defense and a ball control mentality but seriously, we can’t get a great receiver? We’ve even highly invested in the position on more than one occasion in our recent history. Anyone want to discuss where David Terrell ranks in the pantheon of wide outs? How did Mark Bradley work out? How about Bernard Berrian, Marty Booker (THE pro bowler) or Justin Gage who went on to have decent NFL careers elsewhere (although I still think Minnesota waaaaay over paid). Hell, look at Minnesota. Randy Moss. Now its Percy Harvin and oh yeah, that Sidney Rice guy looks pretty solid.
Many will say we've never had a great quarterback and that is, generally speaking, a true statement. But we have had above average ones. As I stated earlier, we have QB's in the Hall of Fame. They had to throw to someone. Jim McMahon was pretty decent and Jim Harbaugh went on to play darn good football after he left the Bears. (He was runner up for NFL MVP in 1995 and is in the Colts ring of honor) Maybe he wasn't great for the Bears because he had no one to throw to. How many other average QB's have we had who may have been better given something to work with? And don't just look at recent history. This is the oldest franchise in the NFL.
I know we have some young promise on our team right now and I really hope we break this miserable chain. I think this could be the year that Johnny Knox and the Devins put this to rest. I really do. But what I want to know is how has this ever come to pass in the first place? Why have we been so poor at that position? We have a lot of great NFL minds here at WCG, so what do you people think? What explains the lack of talent, or ability to develop it at that position? Any ideas? Your thoughts in general? I’ll hang up and listen for my answer. Thanks.
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I think you pretty much stated it in your post.
The Bears have always been a smashmouth defensive minded/running game team. That’s why we have so many defensive players and running backs in the hall now, and there’s still a few more defensive players we are waiting on to make it. I think the fact also that every head coach we have had has not tried to change the culture to an offensive one, they always draft running backs and defensive players, not to mention when we do draft receivers like David Terrell who were beasts in college, don’t end up panning out. I don’t think until we get an offensive minded coach who has enough time say, 5-6 years to scout, draft and concentrate on offensive talent and scheme that we will ever see a change to our culture.
I mean in Jay’s first year even though he threw a ton of picks he still almost broke every major passing record for the Bears, a team that has been around since the 20’s. For us to develop into a pass first team it’s gonna take a coach a few years and make a serious effort to do so, not just go along with the culture that has been there, but to actually change it.
How do you explain the Green Bay Packers of Bart Starr, then Brett Favre?
Also the New England Patriots with Brady, the Vikings of Fran Tarkenton, the Buffalo Bills of Jim Kelly, Joe Namath’s Jets, and Terry Bradshaw’s Steelers. They all played in weather as bad, if not worse, than the Bears.
The only common thread has been ownership. George Halas and then the McCaskey’s have never hired a highly regarded offensive coordinator. Their preference has always been defense and running. I also suspect that they’ve probably felt high powered offensive players (Sayers and Payton, the exceptions) were going to cost too much and as THE WISEST MAN EVER once said they “throw nickels around like manhole covers”.
Also, take into consideration that they have had terrible personnel decisions and player development on that side of the ball for the last 20 years and the head coaches they picked were all defensive coordinators, there really was no other way it could have gone.
In an effort to
eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation, I stated “Bear Weather”, not to be taken in a literal sense, but in defining a mindset, a whimsical reflection of times passed, of brute force and ignorance.
"More cowbell" - Bruce Dickinson; "More bell cow" - Lovie Smith
by Pete Dixon on Aug 10, 2010 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation...
English please? Goodness, you quoted a 18th century tome or a professor’s dictionary or something.
by GriggsBriggs on Aug 10, 2010 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions
In keeping with
the metaphorical theme of Achilles and the Bear’s passing game, I simply meant that “Bears Weather” is a state of mind, not to mean literally wind, snow and mud, which is conducive to the “smashmouth” mentality.
Now I love “smashmouth” football: bruisers, maulers; power running game and intimidating defense. Who doesn’t? And there once was a time and place for that, and there still is. Unfortunately the rules have changed and these changes have promoted more passing: speed, finesse, athleticism.
It may be true that the very innovators of this game have also handcuffed it with the “Bear Weather” mentality.
Evolve or die.
"More cowbell" - Bruce Dickinson; "More bell cow" - Lovie Smith
I am Spongie, and I approve of this.
"44 years of football history and nothing to show for it. I wish I wasn’t banned at the Norseman.." - tfrabotta
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They only play in cold...
…where as the Bears might play in 20mph winds, which make it way harder to throw a football that just cold.
Yes they might.
But contrary to modern myth, the “Windy City” isn’t any more windy than any other major city in the US.
From Wiki, for what it’s worth:
One small explanation for Chicago being a naturally breezy area is that it is on the shores of Lake Michigan. Another contributing factor is how the city was rebuilt after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871; because the city planners modeled the new streets on the grid system, it resulted in man-made wind tunnels in high density areas, such as the Chicago Loop, where the wind could travel down the columns and rows formed by the buildings, picking up speed. However, regardless of these facts, Chicago is not noted to be significantly windier than any other U.S. city. For example, the average annual wind speed of Chicago is: 10.3 mph (16.6 km/h); Boston: 12.4 mph (20.0 km/h); New York City, Central Park: 9.3 mph (15.0 km/h); and Los Angeles: 7.5 mph (12.1 km/h).2
Who can forget the “Ghost of Halas gust of wind” that blew the football off the foot of Giant punter Sean Landetta in the ’85 NFC Divisional Playoff game?
"More cowbell" - Bruce Dickinson; "More bell cow" - Lovie Smith
"We get off the bus running"
That is the issue, it is not really a Lovie-ism, the organization has been extremely stubborn. The NFL is no longer a running league and the Bears need to adapt. Hopefully Martz does everything he can to WIN rather than sticking to tradition.
I think its a philosophical thing as well....
But it absolutely stuns me that our career yardage leader is 5059 and td’s is 50. Paltry numbers for ANY franchise. I think were snake bit.
If you can't laugh at yourself you must not be very funny.
I remain a pessimistically hopeful Bears fan.
ummm we're snake bit...
If you can't laugh at yourself you must not be very funny.
I remain a pessimistically hopeful Bears fan.
Exactly. Bear WRs were drafted for their downfield blocking ability more often than not.
That was the mentality of the team. Too old school and unwilling to adapt as the rule changes opened things up for the passing game.
Well when you have backs like Sayers and Payton who needs to throw.
But yes when our RB’s were less effective we were stubborn and didn’t adapt as well as the rest of the league.
If Mike Ditka punched you in the face, you'd have to fight off the urge to thank him.
by Ditkavsworld on Aug 10, 2010 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions
It's tough to shake...
the mythos of “Bear Weather”, smash-mouth defense, and “get off the bus running”. Halas had so much success doing just that and was the father of the NFL for goodness sake! The problem with it is it’s not true. Plenty of cold weather teams have had success throwing the football and playing “run-up-the-score”; Packers and Pats of late. I hope Martz/Cutler finally put that worn out idea to rest this season. Yes, the Bears can win by running the ball and playing defensive football, but if they don’t who cares? If they play like the Saints of the last few seasons (potent offense and aggressive pass pressure defense) by playing from ahead, then great. Too many people (owners, coaches, FO folks, and fans) clamor for defense only football and it has left the team without any HOF WRs and far too many years chasing a fantasy that isn’t the only truth to winning.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO FIRE LOVIE!
Visionaries
That’s what a young George Halas , a Bill Walsh , a Don Coryell were. They bought it from outside the box. They created and believed in innovation. To a large degree , We haven’t had a top of the line innovator since Buddy Ryan’s 46 Defenses. From the looks of RECENT history , Martz is as close as we’ve had since Buddy.
It's the quarterback
Jerry Angelo may be out of his mind most of the time, but he was right in saying that the QB makes the receivers. The Bears are known for poor QB play, until now of course. The great NFL receivers have always had great signal callers.
As a matter of fact, you could make the argument that the Bears have at least one person in the top 10 all time at every position in the NFL. Every position except for two.
Maybe every position except for three? Just asking.
Space Mountain on Three; One, Two, Three, Space Mountain!
In response to this:
The Bears are known for poor QB play, until now of course.
I’d have to say that last season was pretty ungood as well. Maybe not poor, but definitely not enough to completely wash away the memories of Orton and Grossman.
Ok
I was expecting much more from Cutler last season, but he did throw 27 tds. The arrow does point up, at least he gives us hope. I think it will take a Super Bowl victory for me to ever get over Grossman.
Space Mountain on Three; One, Two, Three, Space Mountain!
Look at the value the Bears have placed on the WR position
Lets look at the WRs the Bears have drafted before the 3 round in the last 30 years (since 1980)
2006 – 2nd round – Devin Hester (Drafted as DB)
2005 – 2nd round – Mark Bradley
2001 – 1st round – David Terrell
1996 – 2nd round – Bobby Engram
1993 – 1st round – Curtis Conway
1988 – 1st round – Wendell Davis
1987 – 2nd round – Ron Morris
1983 – 1st round – Willie Gault
So 8 in 30 years, it seems like the position is not ignored, but it certainly is not valued. Besides who needs top prospects when we can draft 7th round talent and “mold” them. It would appear besides draft importance, we might need some WR talent scouts too.
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