Screw it, I'll say it

[BearsFan1974]

I'm sorry. I simply cannot compare Smith to Jauron. I am not happy with Smith but he is a much better coach than Jauron ever was.

 

Peace

 

Absolutely. Smith's problem is he is almost too loyal to his players and coaches. Archuleta and Rex come to mind. This year he is finally making the players be accountable but he just has too many short falls as a head coach.

[lemonej]

Absolutely. Smith's problem is he is almost too loyal to his players and coaches. Archuleta and Rex come to mind. This year he is finally making the players be accountable but he just has too many short falls as a head coach.

I agree with that assessment and that was a criticism of Ditka.When I saw them cut Anderson I was very pleased since they had released Alex Brown and let Wale go. Zack Bowman has stayed in the dog house since he left the lineup.

[Wesson44]

I'm hesitant to heap praise on the Bears' coaching staff. I think a good portion of it all has been luck, smoke, and mirrors.

WK1 - Got lucky with a ridiculous rule. The coaching decision to single cover Megatron was idiotic.

WK2 - Barely beat a putrid Dallas team.

WK3 - The Packers commit a record number of penalties, and the Bears squeak by. Also, keep in mind that a major turnover by the Bears was nullified by one of those Packer penalties.

WK4 - Absolutely got butchered by the Giants.

WK5 - Unimpressive win against a horrible team in the Panthers. I was at that game, and it never felt dominant.

WK6 - Six sacks, nine QB hits, Bears go 0-12 on third down. Atrocious game against a not-so-good Seattle team.

WK7 - Very bad performance against a team that just about gave up 70 last night.

WK9 - A 3 point win against Buffalo, a team with no wins. A bad team with no wins. Not a very great showing.

WK10 - The Bears best performance of the year, but a good deal of that had to do with Farv playing poorly and the Bears getting a few fortunate turnovers.

 

I guess the point is, there hasn't been a single impressive performance. Not one dominant win. It's a bunch of good breaks. The offensive decisions still need to be better. The defense needs to generate SOME pressure. The safeties need to defend the long ball. The WRs need to learn and complete their routes. Cutler needs to protect the ball better. And, of course, the OL needs to do something that would lead someone to believe they belong on an NFL field.

 

This team could easily be 2-7, with the only sure fire wins being the one against Carolina and Week 10's win against Minnesota.

 

I'm not quite ready to pat the coaches on the back for that kind of performance.

Well your post is your post, but also the flip side of your negative view of the bears, with two good pass plays we could also be 9-1 right now with our only loss being to the Giants(who we were in the game with until middle of the 3rd quarter)

[ChileBear]

Well your post is your post, but also the flip side of your negative view of the bears, with two good pass plays we could also be 9-1 right now with our only loss being to the Giants(who we were in the game with until middle of the 3rd quarter)

I do like your side of it Wesson44. It's very tough to be positive, but if this were another team, and we were looking at them from our perspective, we'd probably think they were in good shape for the season right now.

 

 

[Pixote]

Jason sounds like someone from the sports media who questions every Bears' victory and embellishes every loss.

 

Every team has ugly wins where they should have done better against what was suppose to be a inferior team.

 

Every team comes away with one or two wins they could have easily loss.

 

Every team has games that a critical call went in their favor and others where it bit them in the ass.

 

When all is said and done the Bears are what they are, a 7-3 team and in great position to make the playoffs.

 

Why not just sit back and enjoy the ride, it had been awhile since we have had this opportunity to enjoy!

[Daventry]

Although I am not jumping on the Lovie Smith fan club, I have to give the coach some due. The bottom line is that he is the coach and the team is 7-3..

 

That being said, I think that Martz, Tice, and Marinelli have as much or more to do with the state of the team than Lovie. Either way, I am happy we are winning. I was able to watch the Miami game and overall it was not a bad performance. GO BEARS!

[BearsFan1974]

Although I am not jumping on the Lovie Smith fan club, I have to give the coach some due. The bottom line is that he is the coach and the team is 7-3..

 

That being said, I think that Martz, Tice, and Marinelli have as much or more to do with the state of the team than Lovie. Either way, I am happy we are winning. I was able to watch the Miami game and overall it was not a bad performance. GO BEARS!

I too am happy with what he has done this year, but I'm still not ready to parade his ass down Michigan Ave. He has a good supporting cast, that's what is making him look good this year. And as much as I hate to say it, if we make the playoffs, he'll be here next year, Angelo will be here next year...but on the bright side, they guarantee to give us new material to bitch about on a weekly basis.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

Believe you me, I'm the last person that wants to praise this staff for anything but a resignation letter... But, last week's game was solid and fun. It was a whuppin'. It could have been by a lot more if we didn't have to settle for some FG's and a bonehead Cutler end zone pick.

 

I'm not even remotely convinced this staff can keep it going, but for a game last week, they earned the win and deserve credit.

 

It's a divisional win, against a team many were calling much better than the Bears (Vegas had them favored), and it was a win agasint Britfar... For, at least 5 days, I'm going to feel good!

 

What's this??? MadLith has started to drink the "Kool Aid" and become a Lovie supporter??? Do tell. Welcome aboard the Lovie bandwagon.

 

[jason]

Jason sounds like someone from the sports media who questions every Bears' victory and embellishes every loss.

 

Every team has ugly wins where they should have done better against what was suppose to be a inferior team.

 

Every team comes away with one or two wins they could have easily loss.

 

Every team has games that a critical call went in their favor and others where it bit them in the ass.

 

When all is said and done the Bears are what they are, a 7-3 team and in great position to make the playoffs.

 

Why not just sit back and enjoy the ride, it had been awhile since we have had this opportunity to enjoy!

 

Maybe. But the Bears have not been impressive in so long that it's hard not to be pessimistic about the wins. I think they are a 7-3 team that is really a 4-6 or 5-5 team. The good luck and the smoke and mirrors will potentially get them into the playoffs. Once there, they'll get waxed and have a mid 20 draft pick to look forward to. It's the disappointment of knowing more could have been done, but wasn't. It's the dissatisfaction of hindsight, realizing that changes could have turned this team into a more dominating team, but shortcomings provided just enough for "slightly above mediocre."

 

I'd rather swim than stay afloat. Right now, it looks like the Bears are swimming, but it's false because they can touch the bottom.

 

I must add, however, that I'm always happier with a team I am disappointed with going 7-3 than a team I like going 3-7 (if that's even possible).

[madlithuanian]

Ha! Nah, someone spiked it, so it just appears tastier! Only one thing will turn me into a Smith supporter, and that's a SB win... But the pepto (D) and tums (ST) are masking his ill effects on me these days!

 

What's this??? MadLith has started to drink the "Kool Aid" and become a Lovie supporter??? Do tell. Welcome aboard the Lovie bandwagon.

 

[lemonej]

Maybe. But the Bears have not been impressive in so long that it's hard not to be pessimistic about the wins. I think they are a 7-3 team that is really a 4-6 or 5-5 team. The good luck and the smoke and mirrors will potentially get them into the playoffs. Once there, they'll get waxed and have a mid 20 draft pick to look forward to. It's the disappointment of knowing more could have been done, but wasn't. It's the dissatisfaction of hindsight, realizing that changes could have turned this team into a more dominating team, but shortcomings provided just enough for "slightly above mediocre."

 

I'd rather swim than stay afloat. Right now, it looks like the Bears are swimming, but it's false because they can touch the bottom.

 

I must add, however, that I'm always happier with a team I am disappointed with going 7-3 than a team I like going 3-7 (if that's even possible).

With a lot of teams with the same record I guess the whole league is using smoke and mirrors.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I have to bump this post and state that I’m really really happy with our coaching staff. Win or Lose on Sunday, I feel very confident about the future of this franchise. We have tremendous assistants and to me a head coach that deserves a lot of credit. I ripped on Lovie a bit the past year or two, but the reality is, he’s learning as a coach and he’s getting better. I remember 6 to 8 years ago the Steelers were in a lull and fans were ready to dump Bill Cowher. Instead they stuck with him and the Steelers turned things around. Regardless of what is going to happen on Sunday, I think the best is yet to come for the Bears under Lovie Smith.

 

Mike Tice – Fantastic Hire; What he’s done with an inexperienced and under-talented line has been remarkable. It is funny to say but I find it hard to believe that anyone who has watched this team could come to any other conclusion other than that Tice has been marvelous and this unit has done nothing but get better. There is still a long ways to go but to see that development at the NFL level is impressive and I really hope the Bears can find ways to keep him around for at least another few years (maybe add in a Asst Head Coach/Oline coach title).

 

Rod Marinelli – The guy is going to be a legend around Chicago and he’s already thought of as a legend on the dline (as far as dline coaches go). I don’t see him going anywhere. His players love him, but he holds them accountable and has done a great job game planning. Truly an asset and I think he’ll develop a reputation as a tremendous dcoord over the next 5 to 10 years.

 

Bob Babich – Not going to comment much, but our linebackers have played tremendous. Part of that is obviously the ridiculous talent they have, but Babich is involved in the game plan and while he struggled as a DC, I can’t gripe having a LB coach who has experience calling plays around.

 

Mike Martz – Wow. The guy is innovative and brilliant and he’s done great things for Jay. Jay has matured and our offense has gotten better by and large each and every week. Martz isn’t going anywhere for at least another year and I expect our offense to grow exponentially next year (when everyone has a year under there belts). Getting some continuity for Cutler is huge and Martz has done a real nice job.

 

Toub – What else do you have to say. The guy is money at what he does.

 

This is the best coaching unit I’ve had the experience to see as a Bears fan and I’m proud to know we’ll have this unit next year as well and hopefully for a while longer. I’m confident they’ll game plan and make adjustments and this team will be prepared to play on Sunday. The Packers might be the more talented team but the more talented team doesn’t always win (see Minny/Dallas/etc). Lets kick some ass Chicago and either way, I’m proud of this team and I’m proud of our coaching staff!!! They’ve done a great job this year.

 

But keep winning and make us Bear fans even prouder!!!

 

[Connorbear]

I have to bump this post and state that I’m really really happy with our coaching staff. Win or Lose on Sunday, I feel very confident about the future of this franchise. We have tremendous assistants and to me a head coach that deserves a lot of credit. I ripped on Lovie a bit the past year or two, but the reality is, he’s learning as a coach and he’s getting better. I remember 6 to 8 years ago the Steelers were in a lull and fans were ready to dump Bill Cowher. Instead they stuck with him and the Steelers turned things around. Regardless of what is going to happen on Sunday, I think the best is yet to come for the Bears under Lovie Smith.

 

Mike Tice – Fantastic Hire; What he’s done with an inexperienced and under-talented line has been remarkable. It is funny to say but I find it hard to believe that anyone who has watched this team could come to any other conclusion other than that Tice has been marvelous and this unit has done nothing but get better. There is still a long ways to go but to see that development at the NFL level is impressive and I really hope the Bears can find ways to keep him around for at least another few years (maybe add in a Asst Head Coach/Oline coach title).

 

Rod Marinelli – The guy is going to be a legend around Chicago and he’s already thought of as a legend on the dline (as far as dline coaches go). I don’t see him going anywhere. His players love him, but he holds them accountable and has done a great job game planning. Truly an asset and I think he’ll develop a reputation as a tremendous dcoord over the next 5 to 10 years.

 

Bob Babich – Not going to comment much, but our linebackers have played tremendous. Part of that is obviously the ridiculous talent they have, but Babich is involved in the game plan and while he struggled as a DC, I can’t gripe having a LB coach who has experience calling plays around.

 

Mike Martz – Wow. The guy is innovative and brilliant and he’s done great things for Jay. Jay has matured and our offense has gotten better by and large each and every week. Martz isn’t going anywhere for at least another year and I expect our offense to grow exponentially next year (when everyone has a year under there belts). Getting some continuity for Cutler is huge and Martz has done a real nice job.

 

Toub – What else do you have to say. The guy is money at what he does.

 

This is the best coaching unit I’ve had the experience to see as a Bears fan and I’m proud to know we’ll have this unit next year as well and hopefully for a while longer. I’m confident they’ll game plan and make adjustments and this team will be prepared to play on Sunday. The Packers might be the more talented team but the more talented team doesn’t always win (see Minny/Dallas/etc). Lets kick some ass Chicago and either way, I’m proud of this team and I’m proud of our coaching staff!!! They’ve done a great job this year.

 

But keep winning and make us Bear fans even prouder!!!

WE have a very good coaching staff. Lovie is not the best head coach in the league but he is in the top 10. Our entire coaching staff should be considered top 5. One of the things we have never given Lovie credit for is how well he connects with his players. They absolutely love playing for him and have bought in 100%.

 

Peace

[Alaskan Grizzly]

WE have a very good coaching staff. Lovie is not the best head coach in the league but he is in the top 10. Our entire coaching staff should be considered top 5. One of the things we have never given Lovie credit for is how well he connects with his players. They absolutely love playing for him and have bought in 100%.

 

Peace

 

...And if I may add I believe Lovie was rated earlier this season (I believe it was this year) as the third most successful Bears Head Coach. That is saying something considering how long the team has been around and the number of championships they won in the earlier years.

[Connorbear]

...And if I may add I believe Lovie was rated earlier this season (I believe it was this year) as the third most successful Bears Head Coach. That is saying something considering how long the team has been around and the number of championships they won in the earlier years.

Look at the list of head coaches the Bears have had. Based on the POS they have had other than Ditka and Halas, of course he is in the top 3. I guess I'm saying thats not a very glamerous list of coaches (other that Ditka and Halas).

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chica...rs_head_coaches

 

Peace

[GrizzlyBear]

I love the fact that this thread was bumbed, it truly shows how many were off the bandwagon in November. It could have been a bad season, but good coaches adapt and it seems to me that has happened. Martz, Marinelli, Tice, and Lovie have all adapted and coached thier ass off. Its been a good year and if there is a season next season I expect for the Bears to be at the top again, it can only get better.

[selection7]

I was initially excited about seeing a plethora of ex-head coaches who, as we know, orginally got that HC job based on what great coordinators/position coaches they were. So far my expectations have been exceeded. If you compare Lovie this year to years where our assistant coaches were floundering as well as our team, I don't see a huge difference though.

 

Luckily, the Bears are peaking near the end of the year, probably aided by the compounding advantage of not having injuries week after week, but I don't think it all adds up to Lovie is a great coach. I definitely think he's good, but it's this staff of assistants that is truly great. Marinelli's great, but he's not the first DC to helm a great Bears D under Lovie. What Tice has done with the Oline is something I've never seen as a Bear fan. Switching players around until it worked, steadily getting better week after week. Miraculous...well, almost, I suppose I should consider they could still revert for this next game.

 

Lastly I want to mention that I think the overlooked Toub is the best coach on this team hands down. I read an article where Dick Vermeil is suggesting this Bears unit over recent years may be the best in NFL history. Hester gets a lot of attention, as he should, but IMO it's not coincidence that Manning/Knox/whoever else also has been exceptional, the one consistancy in Hester's time here has been Toub, and even before Hester RW McQuarters was leading the league in punt return average. Without Hester, we may have had only half the TD returns over recent years, but we'd still probably be leading the league over that time, to put it in perspective.

 

"With so much focus on Hester, people may not realize that since 2004, the Bears have blocked an NFL-best 20 kicks, and punter Brad Maynard has landed the most punts inside the 20. Corey Graham led the league with 22 special teams tackles in 2010, which was four more than his closest pursuer."

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/be...eague-toub.html

[BearsFan1974]

I was initially excited about seeing a plethora of ex-head coaches who, as we know, orginally got that HC job based on what great coordinators/position coaches they were. So far my expectations have been exceeded. If you compare Lovie this year to years where our assistant coaches were floundering as well as our team, I don't see a huge difference though.

 

Luckily, the Bears are peaking near the end of the year, probably aided by the compounding advantage of not having injuries week after week, but I don't think it all adds up to Lovie is a great coach. I definitely think he's good, but it's this staff of assistants that is truly great. Marinelli's great, but he's not the first DC to helm a great Bears D under Lovie. What Tice has done with the Oline is something I've never seen as a Bear fan. Switching players around until it worked, steadily getting better week after week. Miraculous...well, almost, I suppose I should consider they could still revert for this next game.

 

Lastly I want to mention that I think the overlooked Toub is the best coach on this team hands down. I read an article where Dick Vermeil is suggesting this Bears unit over recent years may be the best in NFL history. Hester gets a lot of attention, as he should, but IMO it's not coincidence that Manning/Knox/whoever else also has been exceptional, the one consistancy in Hester's time here has been Toub, and even before Hester RW McQuarters was leading the league in punt return average. Without Hester, we may have had only half the TD returns over recent years, but we'd still probably be leading the league over that time, to put it in perspective.

 

"With so much focus on Hester, people may not realize that since 2004, the Bears have blocked an NFL-best 20 kicks, and punter Brad Maynard has landed the most punts inside the 20. Corey Graham led the league with 22 special teams tackles in 2010, which was four more than his closest pursuer."

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/be...eague-toub.html

HOLY SHYT!!! You and me agree, selection!!!!

 

I think they have done a stellar job this year. They have overcome the adversity of the NYG, WAS, and SEA games. I was skeptical too, and to a point, still am but I like they are proving the doubters wrong. Great post.

[mondonico]

Well, I never in my wildest dreams thought we would be playing at home for the NFC Championship!! And best of all having a chance to beat the Packers and kick thier ass's out of the playoff's. I think that speaks for itself as to the job this coaching staff has done. Coach of the year with out a doubt. IMHO Hell, lots of so called experts picked the Bears to finish below the Lions.

[ParkerBear7]

ABSOLUTELY!

 

WE have a very good coaching staff. Lovie is not the best head coach in the league but he is in the top 10. Our entire coaching staff should be considered top 5. One of the things we have never given Lovie credit for is how well he connects with his players. They absolutely love playing for him and have bought in 100%.

 

Peace