Uncle Buck

At this point, I think I agree, let Lovie corner himself. I am in agreement with MadLit's position on this organization, but at this point, I guess the string just needs to play out. I honestly can't believe that any coordinator they hire on either side of the ball is really going to make a difference. With this roster and this head coach, I can't see next year being any better than this year. 7-9 might be the best they can muster next year. Even if Martz is the guy and he can improve the offense (he might, but Cutler is dead meat), this defense is only going to get worse. Tillman is on the other side of his career. As for Urlacher, at this point, he is not special anymore. With a pitiful draft position and god knows what is available in Free Agency, where is the improvement coming from for the defense? If we assume Cutler and the offense will get better, the defense will once again let this team down. I can't see this team leap frogging either Minnesota or Green Bay. So no playoffs for next year and Lovie/Jerry/Ted are all gone.

This is excellent news! I really liked what I saw of him last year, I thought he played more physical than I heard he was capable of. I wonder what impact this might have on the contract status of Jamar Williams? I thought his contract was up. So right now they would have: Briggs Piso Roach Hillenmeyer Williams?? Urlacher Shaw (ST only) Am I missing someone? I am wondering, since we are discussing linebackers, if given his effort this year if Hunter will be back? It seemed like he was on the bubble last year.

These guys are killing me. Every step this organization takes seems to further cement the idea they are stumbling, bumbling idiots. If Chudsinski was the guy for them and they low balled them......what the hell were they thinking? So we are searching high and low for a OC and seemingly find one we like, then decided to be cheap. WOW

So happy to see Farve throw some picks, delighted to see AP put the ball on the carpet. Go Colts!!

I guess it makes sense for Lovie to turn to Martz, one, the guy likes familiar faces on his staff, two, Martz might be the best answer for instant offense, enough to help Lovie keep his job. Angelo, at least is viewing the hiring from a long-term perspective as in what is better for the organization. While it is a twisted approach (given the uncertain job status) as another coordinator (outside of Chudzinski-since he has been a coordinator) who has not done it before might lead to a learning curve, that may cost the team next year, to Lovie's detriment. But on a normal team, growth from the right coordinator, despite short-term pain would lead to long-term gain.

Pix, Have you heard anything from Jeff, Da Webmaster in some time? I miss guys like him.

So do the Bears still entertain the dual offensive coordinator role, i.e. run and pass coordinator?

I am not saying I have read it here, but I think Ted gets too much credit for the stadium deal, as if it alone is enough to keep him around. I don't doubt that the McCaskey family is indebted to him. In the political world in Chicago, Mayor Daley is the major domo, and a McCaskey was not going to get that deal done. But you are right, the hiring of Angelo is enough of a negative, and the BS press conference calling for change without making change will indeed get him fired in the near future with or without all of the credit for a stadium deal.

All I can tell you is what I've been told by friends who work for the city. Besides it is well known that Daley can't stomach Mike McCaskey and it has been bounced around for years that the fact that Ted was an "outsider" helped get the deal done. I don't doubt Ted's ability did help get the deal done but it is not like his participation was all of the heavy lifting nor the deal sealer. So believe what you wish, you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

I think the Ted Phillips evaluation needs to be based substantially on the hires he made. If we are giving him credit for getting the coffers opened fine, but don't heap praise for the stadium deal. I guarantee that deal happened only because a McCaskey, namely Michael, was not standing in front of Mayor Daley. Right or wrong, the Angelo hiring is on Ted and rightfully so. It does not matter whether he was a bean counter in his prior life, the McCaskey family entrusted him to get the job done and under his tenure the team has been mediocre. Opening the coffers is fine, give him credit if we believe he caused that. But the team has not been stellar under his guidance and that has to be part of the factor in deciding whether or not to launch him when the Lovie/Angelo experiment runs its course after this season.

I seem to remember a Jay Hilgenberg interview from this year where he was commenting on the line scheme. He was not a big fan of the technique employed, I believe it is the bucket step, but Jay essentially said the lineman take a step backward initially and then move forward to block. I know I am simplifying it and perhaps even missing something in translation but the key to what I found interesting was that Jay felt this technique found the blocker in a bad position (backward movement) where the d-lineman could drive into him and push him back. Hopefully Tice will have these guys firing off the ball and road grading.

I was thinking that he has already proven his worth in the league and certainly has nothing else to prove to anyone. Unlike these young guys who might be concerned with the spector of a one and done season, Kiffin might be willing to help a friend out in a jam.

You mention the possibility of the new DC coming from the Indy team. I have not looked into it, but would Lovie have a prayer in coaxing Montie Kiffin back into the NFL or did he go to USC with Lane?

Yes, I was asking you. I was curious where you stood on the two positions. Thanks for offering your opinion.

Just, curious, but if I might, I'd like to hear from you as to whom you would like for the two coordinator positions?

Given Angelo's draft record here, maybe Mike is involved!!

I'm with you on this team. I am in the same corner as Boers and Bernstein, Lovie is going to hire a defensive coordinator who will follow Lovie's exact orders and if Lovie is displeased, he will simply pull the play calling into his own hands. New boss same as the old boss. Even if an offensive coordinator is somewhat successful, the defense will let this team down. Lovie can't and won't change. The press conference gave plenty of evidence that this guy won't change. I do not want any of these three leading this team going forward. They will not take us to the promised land. Yesterday's decision simply jaded a bunch of fans (note jade-I'm not leaving) and delayed the inevitable.

I think the scary thing is that Lovie really does not understand defense. Honestly it seems to me he was taught the defense by Monte Kiffin and Tony Dungy but really never understood it enough to be able to adapt it to circumstances. He is doomed to trot out the same tired and exploited scheme for another season. As for the coordinators, it does not matter who they bring in, the three stooges already said at the press conference that the coordinators would run Lovie's schemes. The McCaskey family should be embarassed by their actions. I don't care if they think this is a good business decision, they are further cementing their reputation as complete idiots.

Mad I am with you 100%. I am done spending financial capital on this team and I will not invest anymore emotional capital on them. I see my Sunday's freeing up this fall. I will always be a Bear's fan, but I will not put up with another season of being insulted by this organization. These rumored changes are just window dressing, Turner, Boras, Heistand, really ?? Who cares. Since Turner returned in 2004, Lovie has been allowed to hire six different defensive coaches. Marinelli or Fewell as the defensive coordinator will serve nothing, they will simply be yes men to Lovie, that's all he surrounds himself with. The team keeps propping Lovie up with changes all of the time. How many times do they get to get away with this? This guy is a defensive genius and that s the weakest part of this team. The answer: fire offensive coaches and hire around Lovie AGAIN!!! Now Lovie is spewing that his double duty this last season was too taxing, maybe that's becuase he sucks as a coordinator and head coach. Mike Martz as an offensive coordinator is just that, offensive. He will get Cutler killed with this offensive line. I am tired of being told the McCaskey family has $11 million good reasons to not dismiss Lovie. Well, I think they can lose that much through diminished revenues from merchandise and concessions. Jerry Angelo is a fraud I no longer trust and Ted Phillips has been an ass clown since day one. He gets credit for getting the Soldier Field deal done. Mayor Daley would have welcomed Krusty the Clown and made a deal with him for the stadium, as long as it was not a smug, snarky McCaskey brat sitting across from him. It is a shame Mugs Halas died so young, it would have kept the team out of his sister's hands. I am so tired of this crappy organization. Sorry for the diatribe, it's just that this is projecting to be a sad, sad day for me and I am mad as hell.

What is interesting to me is that the offense's poor showing has overshadowed a crappy defense. If we are talking about firing the offensive coordinator, we could call for the same dismissal of the defensive coordinator...wait... he's our head coach. Check this quote from Pro Football Weekly, when they posted today a ranking of defensive coordinators (this is a scout's take): "22. Lovie Smith (head coach) / Bears — Though Bob Babich maintained his defensive-coordinator title to coach the linebackers, Smith coordinates the defense, with great help from D-line coach/assistant head coach Rod Marinelli. Personnel utilization and an inability to maximize talent has been a problem, while the loss of MLB Brian Urlacher had an effect, as well. SCOUT'S TAKE: "It has looked a lot like what they did in Detroit last year. They have been blown out in too many games this year and are getting run over. They struggle in the second half because they get outcoached and cannot adjust. Some of the calls are so bad it almost makes me think they are trying to get fired — no one can be so dumb. ... "They could have laid down at the end of the year, and they kept on fighting. They beat a good Minnesota team, but they still had big problems adjusting in the second half.""

Noots, Thanks for all of your great analysis this season. I appreciate your efforts. As for this last game, once again the defense does not look so hot. Culpepper actually looked like a quarterback again. The saddest thing for me about this season is that the inept performance by the offense has overshadowed a poor defense, and a lousy job by the defensive coordinator, glad we trusted him.

The whole season I kept waiting for a burst from Forte. I will admit it seemed like the line play did not help him but still there never seemed to be that umpf from Matt. I thought in training camp there was a blurb about him having a leg injury/issue. I wonder if he really was healthy this year or if as Mike Mulligan (WSCR and Suntimes) discussed often last year that he had too many touches in his rookie year. He just seemed like a different back this year.

Got the contract and picks discussion from writers who cover the team (heard it on the radio), so I am taking the source at their word, they would know better than I . I am not trying to absolve Angelo, but Lovie pushed for those players and he did gain more power in the contract extension thanks to Ted Phillips being an idiot. Fact is, despite two straight wins, this fish is rotten from the head down, it is a shame the McCaskey family won't have the courage to make the right decision. Good luck to them trying to spin this crap next week. I would not bet against a ticket price increase being announced instead.

I've been listening to the sports talk radio quite a bit lately, trying to digest everything since this season went into the toilet. Some of the discussion brought out that when Lovie got the contract extension, he also got himself equal footing with Jerry. The picks of Bauzin and Okowo were Lovie's choices. Now I know Angelo had a say in the situation, but the fact seems to be that Lovie has greater power in the draft room than I knew. So I am wondering if like the effort to undermine Jauron, that maybe the selection of Gilbert was also an attempt to undermine Smith? If this guy, your top pick in the draft does not fit Smith's system, did Angelo force it to expose Smith much like he did to Jauron? Just throwing out another log on the fire.