My Feelings on Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith
I think Lovie Smith should have been fired after having Todd Collins take meaningful snaps during the Chicago Bears loss in last season’s NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers. There was absolutely no excuse and it ultimately cost the Chicago Bears any chance of winning that game. Every good decision he made during the regular season was totally destroyed by that one move. And yet, the Chicago Bears extended his contract.
Many of you will think I’m being harsh, but when you regularly choke on the biggest stages, one has to question your coaching ability (see Super Bowl and Championship game last season). Smith is horrible with challenges and time outs. While I am not going to use the he looks like he doesn’t care card, he does things to make all of us scratch our heads.
Smith can come across like a jerk. Again, I do not need a head coach to be my friend, but his arrogance is puzzling. Ron Rivera left the Chicago Bears because of Lovie Smith, and that loss hurt the Chicago Bears defense for a long time. Last season, things improved but I think Julius Peppers had a lot to do with that improvement. It should be noted that Peppers came to the Chicago Bears because of Smith, but one player’s decision isn’t exactly what I would call a solid coaching resume.
While I do not think Smith will ever reach the Dave Wannstedt level of crappiness, I do believe that Smith hasn’t delivered despite a load of talent over the years.
Follow me on Twitter at BearsHQ.
Chicago Bears Lovie Smith to Sit Down with Tony Dungy
Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith has been friends with Tony Dungy for a long time. They coached together in Tampa and have continued to stay close through the years. The pinnacle moment for both gentlemen was coaching against one another in Super Bowl XLI. This was the first time two African-American coaches squared off in a Super Bowl and Dungy eventually became the first African American coach to win a Super Bowl.
Since that time, Dungy has left coaching and now works for NBC as a color analyst and Smith obviously still coaches the Chicago Bears.
So why does this meeting really bother me? Why am I so upset that Smith continues his relationship with the hypocrite Dungy. Why do I find Dungy to be a hypocrite you might ask? Well, Dungy regularly badmouthed Jay Cutler and his supposed lack of character but was the personal mentor to Michael Vick. I’m sorry, did Cutler ever torture dogs, lie, spread herpes and generally be a total jerkoff? Nope. But Dungy doesn’t like him and has made unwarranted attacks of Cutler on a regular basis.
I am not saying Dungy isn’t entitled to his opinion, but I would hope that Smith would be a little more forthright with Dungy about his displeasure of his regular attacks of Cutler. I believe Smith’s relationship with Cutler is a hell of a lot more important than his with Dungy.
I could go on with my displeasure of Dungy, but I’ve decided to stop it at the Cutler thing.
Please follow me on Twitter at BearsHQ.
Why We Should Be Optimistic about the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears won the 2010 NFC North Title and made it all the way to the NFC Championship game. If it wasn’t for Todd Collins, the Chicago Bears almost won the football game. There are a few Hall of Famers on this roster and some young players that developed last season.
Despite age creeping up on some of the older players, they still played at a high level last season. Brian Urlacher continues his Hall of Fame Career and Julius Peppers is a beast. Lance Briggs continues to be one of the the most underrated players in football. Devin Hester returned to his scary form as a returner. Matt Forte became one of the best running backs in football. While the offensive line wasn’t amazing, it got much better towards the end of the season. J’Marcus Webb and Chris Williams developed into solid NFL linemen. Mike Tice is one of the top offensive line coaches in football, and he has a year under his belt to better understand his talent.
Jay Cutler will enjoy having the same offensive coordinator for two years. Instead of learning a new system the last three years, he has the same coach. Mike Martz does know offense, and I think this will benefit Cutler and company. Rod Marinelli is a great coordinator as well and had his unit playing strong.
While the Chicago Bears will not creep up on anyone this season, there is talent on this roster.
Follow me on Twitter at BearsHQ.
Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith Ranks Eighth in ESPN Power Rankings
Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith is considered the eighth best coach in the NFL by ESPN. Considering he was considered 20th last season by the Sporting News, he’s moved up in the world.
I guess everyone missed the Todd Collins fiasco in the playoff. But congratulations to Lovie…obviously the national media sees things differently.
Follow me on Twitter at BearsHQ.
The 2010 Chicago Bears…Looking from the Rear View Mirror
The 2010 Chicago Bears won the NFC North and lost by seven points in the NFC Championship game to the Green Bay Packers. Anytime a team makes it’s division’s title game, it’s a good season. But how good was this team in relation to its success?
Throughout the season, no matter how well the Chicago Bears played, there were many doubters and critics of the team’s success. Trent Dilfer and Bill Cowher regularly hated on this team. And yet, the Chicago Bears kept winning.
Of course, after beating heavy favorites Dallas in week two, the Cowboys weren’t any good despite being a Super Bowl contender. When the Chicago Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles and shut down Michael Vick, it was the turf at Soldier Field. A win over the New York Jets was a fluke as well. Might I also remind you that the Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers in week three and damn near knocked them out of the playoffs. The championship game helped prove how incompetent Lovie Smith can be at times.
Now, I take nothing away from the Green Bay Packers, but if the Chicago Bears actually would have had a respectable backup quarterback, perhaps the Super Bowl would have been a different game. In baseball, there’s always the belief that the baseball finds your worst defender when you’d least like it to…so the same thing happened during the championship game. How could Lovie Smith and company not recognize how horrible Todd Collins was? Why in the world wasn’t this addressed? The baseball found Collins, and the Chicago Bears were left holding their private areas.
Brian Urlacher is a beast. He had one of his best seasons and almost won the championship game for the Chicago Bears. Julius Peppers struck fear in offenses. These two really helped the Chicago Bears become a strong defensive unit. Devin Hester scares every opponent. He’s potentialy a big-play whenever the ball is in his hands.
Jay Cutler had his good and not-so-good moments. He’s a talented quarterback that does make mistakes. Matt Forte established himself as a legitimate NFL halfback. Devin Hester scares every opponent. He’s potentialy a big-play whenever the ball is in his hands.
So looking back on this team, what do I think? I believe that every NFL team that’s successful has a little bit of luck (see Detroit game and Calvin Johnson), some talent, catching opponents at the right time and intangibles. The Chicago Bears were guilty of all-of-the-above. And yet, a few bounces here and there may have been the difference of a trip to the championship game or a high draft pick. It’s always been my belief that good teams create their own breaks, and the Chicago Bears are just that…a good football team.
I enjoyed this season. The Chicago Bears made the final four. With a few tweaks here and there, I do not see any reason why this team couldn’t do it again. But this is the NFL, and things can change very quickly.
Follow me on Twitter at BearsHQ.
