Cornerback Shuffle Continues: Jennings to Replace Bowman
by Steven Schweickert on Dec 31, 2011 7:01 AM CST
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Nobody can seem to hold on to the number 2 cornerback job. Last week against the Packers, Tim Jennings was benched and replaced by Zackary Bowman. Bowman's performance against the Packers led to him being benched again in favor of Jennings.
The situation's a little worse for Bowman beyond a normal benching, as with his contract expiring after this season, the benching could be paving the way for Bowman to be off the team next season. The 2008 fifth-round pick led the team with six interceptions in 2009, but was benched last year in the first matchup against the Packers and Tim Jennings was given the reins.
Jennings is also operating with an expiring contract this season.
One last thing for you to chew on, from the article:
Since 2006, Tillman has paired with five regular starting cornerbacks: Nathan Vasher, Trumaine McBride, Graham, Bowman and Jennings.
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I still do not know what these coaches...
saw in Bowman that made them think he was any better of an option than Jennings. My guess is that they had truly given up on the season and were just looking to start evaluating players but couldn’t (or didn’t want to) admit it publicly. Especially after the deja vu of the 2nd slant TD, no sensible person keeps Bowman in. His coverage was bad most of the day and Jennings, while having a few lapses over the course of the season, was mostly solid all year. Again, I hope the owners take the bold step of bringing in a whole new FO and probably new coaching staff as well. There is a core of talent that could be leveraged to create a competitive team next year, but Lovie has done all he can with this talent and he’s has shown that his ability to overcome adversity is almost non-existent. Even if most of the blame can be placed on JA and the team’s overall talent, Lovie is not going to rise above what he’s been given and adjust his thinking to match the situation. He runs a system and that’s all. When his opponents change their approach to his system, his answer is to keep running his system. That’s great when you have tons of talent and few injuries, but we see how far it gets the Bears when they have to rely on depth and strategy. Personally, I do actually like Lovie and his calm demeanor, but I just think he’s exhausted his philosophy here in Chicago. IMO, he’s a great DC and could go almost anywhere and have success running a defense, but his inability to hire/recruit a competent OC makes me question his future success with the Bears.
There's a fine line between stupid...and clever!
Bowman is an athletic guy with good size and speed
But his fundamentals are pretty horrible, as we’ve seen. The Bears have done an absolutely terrible job of developing him and teaching him the technique that he needs and how to game plan for his opponents.
you can lead a horse to water but.....
Coaches can only teach it is up to the player to learn. To categorically assume a players performance is a direct function of the quality coaching he is receiving is simplistic at best. Coaching is certainly a factor, but a players native talent and desire to succeed also play important roles. The Bears defense has been successful for many years and it is not because it has been loaded with talent all these years, but has been because the coaching staff does a good job of getting the team ready and game planing against teams and individual opponents. Bowman has always been a marginal NFL talent and the evidence points to the blame being on him more than the coaching staff.
. "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental."
--Doug Plank
the great coaches find a way to motivate a player
the mediocre ones don’t.
Coach Smith, et. al. are not great coaches and I believe they have shot their wad with the current stable of players.
the current Bears defense is no exception as it pertains to Bowman.
Urlacher functions as a coach on the field and I daresay that he has done more to make this defense excel than anything Lovie or Marinelli have done.
"Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and f**k the prom queen."
you daresay?
you think it is probable the key being ’ you think it is probable I played college football, and I know that a football team is a team and that is not just the players or the coaches but everyone involved. Teams have to be judged as a whole. I think it is very naive to think its just one thing or another It is easy to say that the coaches are mediocre but impossible to prove it is just what you daresay or what you think is probable. We can’t rewind the tape and insert different coaches or players and see how things would play out.
If Urlacher ever becomes a Head Coach then we can discus how he compares to Lovie, he has already proven that he is a better player than Lovie ever was.
. "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental."
--Doug Plank
I agree completely that Bowman is a marginal talent...
but for the coaches to leave him in after the 2nd and 3rd time he was beaten for a TD is the primary criticism I have. Bowman should simply have been taken out and the coaches decided to keep him in. Bowman didn’t refuse to come out, the coaches left him in. That is 100% on the coaches. Whether or not they trained him properly and he failed or they failed to train him properly. I do think overall Lovie gets good play from mediocre talent at any given position. But the problem I have is that the sum of the talent is all the Bears ever get out of their defenses. And in fact, the Bears defense has been very mediocre in points and below average in yards given up except 2005, 2006, 2010. In 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011 they have been unspectacular. That’s 4 of the last 5 seasons that the defense (Lovie’s great specialty) has been just average; in points or yards.
There's a fine line between stupid...and clever!
It is painful just to read your post sometimes
I get a picture of the top of your head exploding.
but, are we doing the right thing lamenting over defensive woe’s when it was the offense that keep us out of the playoffs.
. "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental."
--Doug Plank
Agreed
The offensive implosion was the catalyst for this epic collapse. It was almost on a level of the ‘69 Cubs, although we weren’t in first place – we definately were playoff-bound. And then it took us 4 games to figure out that Calab Hanie is not ready to play QB in the NFL, right now. But the defensive melt-down against GB was definately concerning. And maybe the coaches had already given up on this year and just wanted to further evaluate the CB position and prioritize that need heading into the off-season.
Bowman has been inconsistent since he's been here
And hasn’t shown much progress in the past 2 years, if any. But giving up those 3 touchdowns has to make you wonder what’s going on in the coaches’ heads – if he’s that much of a liability in coverage. He’s got excellent ball skills (with his 6 picks in 09). But the lapses like what we saw against GB really have to make you wonder if he’s watching film with his coaches and preparing for game siituations.
I am pretty confident, this front office won’t change this up coming year. gear up for more the same, the only hope I have ( at this point I have lost any hope of championship ) is for JA , not to make anymore boneheaded moves like Dallas connection this year.
by transylvanian bear on Dec 31, 2011 8:32 AM CST reply actions
Why not Graham?
They’ve seen Jennings all season, they already know if they want him back next year. Apparently Bowman will be gone. We haven’t seen Graham play a game as the #2 CB for a while. If we want to keep him for his ST play we should get a look at his CB play since he appears to be headed to a team that will let him get significant time on D.
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I on the other hand am a fully rounded human being with a degree from the University of Life, a diploma from the School of Hard Knocks, and three gold stars from the Kindergarten of Getting the Shit Kicked out of Me.
We stop the run, but not the pass;
you’ll see our guys dumped on their @$$.
We’re not here to cause no trouble;
We’re just gonna do the cornerback shuffle!
don't quit your day job
. "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental."
--Doug Plank
Why did we ever get rid of
Trumaine McBride
by l3ig_lvlike_430 on Dec 31, 2011 10:28 AM CST reply actions
maybe because he sucked
. "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental."
--Doug Plank
Why don't I remember him?
***Jeff Fisher for front office 2012***
(A real change we can believe in)
by Joeb'n777 on Dec 31, 2011 10:51 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
just lucky is my guess
. "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental."
--Doug Plank
You're on a roll today Ed.
LOL
"And furthermore, I think Carthage must be destroyed."
by TheotherDane on Dec 31, 2011 10:56 AM CST up reply actions
Looks like he played really good for GB here last year and this
by l3ig_lvlike_430 on Jan 1, 2012 2:11 AM CST up reply actions
Are you thinking of Truman Williams?
I don’t think McBride is still playing in the NFL. But for a 7th round draft pick he wasn’t bad at all.
It doesn't seem likely either Bowman or Jennings will remain with the Bears next season
Get us Brandon Carr to start adjacent of Tillman, and we should be good with the secondary for a few years.
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Dec 31, 2011 10:51 AM CST reply actions
Cornerback needs to be a high priority in the draft
and hopefully they can make good use of the 3rd round pick they got for Olsen.
"And furthermore, I think Carthage must be destroyed."
We still have bigger needs
Such as DE, O-Line and IMO linebacker
***Jeff Fisher for front office 2012***
(A real change we can believe in)
by Joeb'n777 on Dec 31, 2011 11:03 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Agreed
I think CB is an overrated position in the current NFL. The rules are setup for corners to get burned. Even the really good ones get burned sometimes. DL has become the critical thing. You have to shorten the time to throw, and thereby shorten the route.
Disagreed
Quarterbacks like Rodgers and Brady have shown again and again the damage they can do even on the quickest slants and screens. While controlling the line of scrimmage is very important, you’re only as good as your last line of defense when you play against the best. We face one of them twice a year.
"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."
by GriggsBriggs on Dec 31, 2011 4:38 PM CST up reply actions
You can't win a game on all screens and slants
Eventually the defense will load the box and take away those passing lanes. Eventually you have to throw the ball downfield, and you need time to do that. If this weren’t true then why did it work for the Chiefs against Rodgers. It may be an old and cliche saying but In order to to be a truly successful unit (offense or defense) you need to win the line of scrimmage.
***Jeff Fisher for front office 2012***
(A real change we can believe in)
by Joeb'n777 on Dec 31, 2011 7:20 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Like I said yesterday, Jennings only had one bad game
I think that Jennings benching was more if an excuse by the coaches to give Zach Bowman one last shot to show his 2009 form before they have to make a decision on whether or not to bring him back and less of a reflection of his overall play.
***Jeff Fisher for front office 2012***
(A real change we can believe in)
by Joeb'n777 on Dec 31, 2011 11:01 AM CST via mobile reply actions
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