WCG Game Ball of the Week: Bears OC Mike Martz

Bears fans have witnessed the good times with Mike Martz, as well as what can happen when his game plan goes all wrong. We've run several approval ratings on Martz this season, and the armchair QB can prove to be very supportive, or very critical.

In being objective, it would be rather unreasonable to expect a new OC to join a team (especially with an offense as complex as Martz's) and find immediate success... MIke Martz is still learning the abilities of his players, our OL is still a work in progress, and seeing a philosophy shift from the conservative Ron Turner to the explosive Martz is undoubtedly challenging. What will the future hold for Martz and Company? Only time will tell... it could become a well-oiled machine, or could end up failing miserably once the wet winter weather hits Soldier Field.

But, for now, things are looking like they're coming together quite nicely. And the Thursday night victory on the road against the Dolphins has earned Mike Martz this week's game ball.

In the short week, the Bears knew that they would likely end up in a low-scoring defensive battle with the Dolphins, and Mike Martz came to town with a great gameplan: Run the damn football, use up the clock, and convert 3rd down attempts. That gameplan came together nicely, with the run-pass ratio being 40-25, the TOP being won handily by the Bears (37:51- 22:09), and converting 10/18 third down attempts.

Many folks are not yet sold on Mike Martz (myself included), but he definitely made it happen while we earned our seventh team victory in ten tries this season.

Coach Martz, good game sir.

Any honorable mentions you'd like to add?