On a Sunday where it took the Vikings a last second field goal to beat David Carr...we failed. On a day when Jon Gruden lost to a team he despises at home...we failed. On a day where the Cowboys, as if being paid off by Ted Phillips, delivered one of the most embarrassing performances in franchise history...we failed.
I had only one question when I woke up this morning with the all-too-fresh pains of a season lost still escalating through the left side of my body (at least I hope that's what it is). How did we win nine games? How did a football team that has no ability to stop the other team from throwing the ball beat nine other teams? How did a coaching staff that coaches like they bought an instruction manual at Barnes & Noble in August manage to score points than nine other teams?
You can talk about on-the-field issues all day long. The Bears need a premiere wide receiver (to compliment Hester) and a pass rusher that requires a double team. They need extreme help at the corner and safety spots. They need depth on the offensive line. But more than anything on-the-field the 2009 Chicago Bears require an exhaustive self-evaluation in the decision-making department.
I look at 2007 as the first year of a post-Super Bowl era. They were 7-9. 2008 was year two. 9-7. Now in 2009, Lovie Smith & Co (and hopefully that "Co" does not involve Bob Babich) must improve upon their slightly winning season and make the playoffs. If they don't, it's time for the Bears to look elsewhere for a head coach. I'm never one to advocate the firing of a head coach but when a team makes the same mistakes for the duration of a four month season...something is rotten in the Hall of Halas.
But today we mourn an opportunity passed on. I'll be here during the week looking back at the highs and lows of the 2008 season and analyzing the please-please-please firing of Bob Babich on Thursday.
#2 Willie from Chicago said . . .First!
December 29, 2008
#3 Willie from Chicago said . . .Jeff, thanks for a great season dude, thanks for giving us the opportunity to release our frustrations on this blog. You are the MVP of the 2009 Bears.
December 29, 2008
#4 Willie from Chicago said . . .Our team has had ups and downs, we got lucky but also had some bad breaks.
We do need change however. We need a #1 WR, 2-3 solid O-linemen, 2 solid D linemen and some shut down DBs. Kyle Orton is not the reason why we are not in the playoffs, he has been good with no talent around him. If you give this guy some help then he will be at a pro bowl level (well maybe not that good). Im not very optomistic for next year, we'll be lucky to get to 9 wins, but Ill still be behind my Bears.
BEAR DOWN in 2009!
Yesterday my Dolphins won the AFC East for the first time since 2000, at least one of my teams made the playoffs this year.Go Phins!
December 29, 2008
#5 HesterFan23 said . . .This loss looked very similar to the loss @ Seattle last year didnt it? Having a 10-0 lead and then blowing it.
December 29, 2008
#6 HesterFan23 said . . .Turner needs to be right out the door as well...
December 29, 2008
#7 GP said . . .@ Willie
It did. The turning point of the whole game was the blown coverage. But, I think that would have been okay had he not fumbled the return as well.
It would have been a 10-7 lead and we would have had the ball.
December 29, 2008
#8 46 D said . . .Some New Year resolutions for the Bears:
Brian Urlacher: I will keep my mouth shut about being underpaid next training camp. Instead, I'll hope that they don't notice that my quality of play has fallen off a cliff. I also promise to try to shed ONE block in 2009.
Danieal Manning: I'm going to learn how to tell the coaches to stop yanking me between positions every other game. That's the only way to tell if my suckiness on D is due to coaching or my own skills. I'm worried that it's both.
Devin Hester: I'm going to stop whining about playing WR. While I might be the "best" WR the Bears have now, that's sort of like being the tallest midget, and I was much more dangerous as a kick returner. On that note, I will return one kick for a TD in 2009, mostly because I'll stop being terrified to take a hit.
Bob Babich: I'm going to burn my "Lovie blackmail box" and look up unemployment benefits in Illinois.
Mark Anderson: Who am I, again?
Chris Williams: I will put what I learned in 2009 towards bank-robbing.
Kyle Orton: I will learn about the term "best available option". I'll also look at 95% of the QBs in the league to learn how to step up in the pocket to avoid a pass rush. I promise to hit a deep WR in stride one time in 2009.
Ron Turner: Kyle and I will go look for the devil to make a deal similar to the one that Erik Kramer and I made. Short of that, I'll learn how to develop a short passing game, since every team in the league seems to kill our D with one.
Lovie Smith: I will learn to make something called an "adjustment" during a game. I will look up "cronyism" in the dictionary. I will stop saying cretinous things like "X is our Y" when X clearly sucks, or "We're close" when we're not. Most importantly, I will stop making that squint-eyed, open mouthed face when a bad call goes against me, or my D gets gashed for a big play for the umpteenth time, because I realize that it makes me look like a simpleton.
Jerry Angelo: I will find an RB to back up our best player before he gets killed from overuse. I will learn how to use draft picks on something called "Offense". I will no longer waste high draft picks on projects from small schools and then cut them a year later. I promise to stop spending hundreds of millions of dollars on aging, declining players but will instead look at the Patriots model of paying aging, declining players very little money but still getting productivity out of them.
Matt Forte: I will not take a hit all offseason, and will pray for a backup and a passing game based on something known as a "wide receiver".
Alex Brown: I'm not changing anything.
Mike Brown: Me too.Bears fans: We're going to whine about how crappy the Bears are and vow not to pay them as much attention in 2009. We promise to break those vows sometime around August, because, hey, they're the Bears.
December 29, 2008
#9 HesterFan23 said . . .Anybody here that is complaining about Ron Turner needs to get a clue. Scoring 24 points should be enough to win a football game.
Furthermore, there is NO TALENT ON THIS OFFENSE!!!! Even Forte is is not a top ten running back.RT worked with what he was given which is the following:
Poor O-Line
Below Average QB
Worst WR group in NFL (thats a fact)\
Bad FB
Above average rookie RB
Good receiving TE'sWith that and nine wins, RT should be asst. coach of the year.
Trash Babich if you want, but RT did the best with his crappy crew.
December 29, 2008
#10 Anonymous said . . .Turner's playcalling is also very inconsistent. Going three-and-out cannot happen to start the second half, yet it does every single game because he wants to run up the middle twice and then attemt a 30-yard bomb downfield.
December 29, 2008
#11 HesterFan23 said . . .Yippee. It's Mock Draft season.
Lovie Smith peaked as a DC in St Louis.
Our D was exposed in the Super Bowl, and they have been flailning ever since.
My guess is that Lovie will retain his job, because Virginia will not fire him and have to pay the remaining two years on his contract.
Babich Patch will be fired, and we may very well see Rod Marinelli (recently fired by the 0-16 Lions, but a Cover 2 zoombie)hired in his stead.
Kyle Orton's mediocrity will not be rewarded with an extension, until he threatens a hold out after the draft and has the Bears, who fail to address the position in free agency, by the balls.
The Bears will not go after TJ Houz in FA, instead they will resign Mushin (Chicago is wear receivers go to die) Muhammed, so he can fulfill his prophecy.
I would love to see the Bears sign Stacey Andrews in the FA market this year. He is a stud Left Guard responsible for Cedric Benson's 180 yard performance in Cinci...
I like Matt Cassell. I would go after him at the right price (Do not overpay).
Dave Taub has earned a promotion, again, and he would be my vote for OC.The silver lining in all of this is that with some imagination we can get everything we need to be a formidable team next year. We have some players who are overvalued, by that I mean other teams would overpay for some of the veterans we have on the roster that can be traded. (Nathan Vashar, Devin Hester, Wale)...I'm just not so sure the BT can adequetly fill the needs.
Got 50 bucks that says Ron Rivera will be hired by the Jets to replace Mangini.
If you don't think character matters, see Dallas. .
December 29, 2008
#12 jeff said . . .What was responsible for Benson's 180 yard game was his opponent being the Browns. And what was responsible for his performance this past week was him playing the Chiefs. Until he does something against a good, or for that matter, a decent team, those numbers are flukes.
I agree with the Marineli part. I can see that coming true pretty quickly.
December 29, 2008
#13 Nick said . . .forte is terrific running back and he's top five in the league in total yardage, i believe. i have to check. also played the final two weeks with turf toe.
they need to add a couple pieces to the offense, sure, but the defense stinks. the bears should be built to win by scoring 24 points.
December 29, 2008
#14 HesterFan23 said . . .The Bears needs to address WR in free agency first. Then in the draft I think they need to do what they can to get the best corner possible. Then get another WR, followed by some o-linemen. I think if we got rid of Vasher and Dusty that would help us a lot, as far as clearing 2 roster spots and minor salary cap, although most of our money went to non-productive people this year.
I also think Rod Marineli would contribute quickly. He is the spit fire the Bears need to get going. Our offensive coordinator should be...Mangini? Hell, I would applaud Jim Miller for the O coordinator job.
December 29, 2008
#15 Phil from SATX said . . .Nick, I thought the same thing when I saw that the Jets had fired Mangini this morning.
I don't know what I think about Marineli simply because as far as I know, it'd be an identical scheme. But, I think that is the likely choice should Babich leave as we all hope.
As far as upgrades, I hope we keep Lloyd, but more so as a number three. The draft doesn't have a lot of options, although I've seen Maclin and Bey connected with us. I'd like a backup for Forte, but it isn't nearly as major as the need for depth at corner and safety.
December 29, 2008
#16 Z said . . .46 D - Here's where we finished the season on offense
26th in total offense (yards)
27th in time of possession
25th in 3rd down percentage
27th in number of first downs per gameThere is no way this can be considered acceptable. It is also not an improvement from last year, despite some better skill players and better line play and the addition of MATT FORTE, a real running back.
However, if you can find stats that will break down scoring into quarters (I haven't yet), you will see that most of our scoring occurred early - when they were running off of a pre-written script, rather than through play calls that were improvised. That says two things: 1) the players are capable of making plays when they are doing them with a good scheme and rhythm; 2) Ron Turner totally fails at calling plays when it's past that pre-scripted part. You've all seen it, and commented on it. Ron Turner IS the main reason for the offense finishing in the bottom of the league these last two years. Not the only reason, just the MAIN reason.
The D finished 21st in yards and 16th in allowed scoring. This sucks, true, and is more startling in how far the D has dropped since 2005 and 2006. But even this D is still better than this O, and I didn't mention that we finished 3rd in INTs.
Babich NEEDS to be gone - there's no doubt about that. It's not just a bad scheme and bad play calls, it's usage of personnel. D. Manning should NOT have been the replacement in that game. Both last year and this year have featured colossal failures in personnel deployment that majorly impacted our early season success. That goes on Babich.
But RT equally needs to go. That's what I'm saying. And we can make lists after lists of the new personnel we need, but if coaches are not at the TOP of everyone's list, I believe you're missing the point.
New coaches, THEN new personnel (possibly picked by the new coaches?)
Get it right, Virginia. PLEASE.
December 29, 2008
#17 Phil from SATX said . . .So Mangini, Crennel and Marinelli are the first to go. I am hoping for a firing from my team. And will cheer it when/if it comes. That can not be a good sign.
December 29, 2008
#18 46 D said . . .One additional comment that occurred to me, in further proof of RT's inability to call non-scripted plays - in addition to the majority of scoring being early (with scripted plays), there was also a lot of scoring at the end of halves and games - when Kyle was orchestrating hurry-up drives to catch-up. Those were more based on KYLE'S ability to call plays rather than RT's.
Makes sense to me.
I have no idea whether Mangini is any good, but I'm sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that he'd be a HUGE improvement over RT.
December 29, 2008
#19 Nicole is sad about this season said . . .14th in pts Phil
http://www.nfl.com/teams/profile?team=CHI
December 29, 2008
#20 Phil from SATX said . . .Ugh, just sick about it guys and gotta hear all about the Bolts on the news here in Indy.
Hope you all have a safe new year celebration and cheers to a better December 09. ~Nicole
December 29, 2008
#21 Nick said . . .46D - Okay, middle of the pack in points (two teams at 14th) - but the D getting turnovers certainly helped the scoring. Second in the league in creating turnovers. SECOND! So that more than explains why we're better ranked in points than in all those other categories. The fact that the O bogs down in EVERY SINGLE GAME - a fact seen repeatedly, and commented on repeatedly, throughout this season - is on Ron Turner's play calling.
December 29, 2008
#22 The Ghost of Halas said . . .Again I hate blaming people, but I do think Ron Turner's play calling after the first 15 plays have been poor. I am probably the only person in the world who actually thinks/thought that his FB dive plays in short yardage were good. I still feel that way, I think those plays were busts because of our O-lines lack of execution.
The good part is all the bad things that happened this season are fixable. We just need to re-tool some things. I am willing to bet Lovie is working this morning on figuring out what needs to get done to make the Bears a play-off contender again. The best part about not making the play-offs is we now have time to work these things out.December 29, 2008
#23 animal said . . .The more I think about the 2008 season, the more astonished I am that the Bears finished at 9-7 and not 5-11.
I'm inclined to agree with Phil and 46 D, because take note of this:::::Are you ready? IN EVERY SINGLE BEARS DEFEAT (except Week 11 at Lambeau), CHICAGO LED THEIR OPPONENT. They led their opponent and and blew it at the end. Coach Smith is right, they were close. They were a 4th Quarter defensive letdown at Carolina, a Charles Tillman shove against Tampa, another 4th Quarter letdown at Atlanta, and a Rex Grossman substitution for an injured Kyle Orton against Tennessee from starting the season at 9-0, before the travesty that was Week 11 at Lambeau.
I don't know about you, but to me that is a startling statistic. I think Phil hit the nail on the head when he opined that success in the first quarter is due to Turner creating a good game plan, but being wholly and miserably unable to make decisions or changes during the game. Turner needs to be replaced by someone who is halfway decent at improvisation and someone who will OPEN THE FUCKING PLAYBOOK once in a while.
I can't say anything more about Babich that has not already been hagnied over and over again.
I think the greatest priorities during the offseason should be reinforcing the secondary. No question. I've never seen a pass defense so porous and I don't know why teams did not exploit it more. I was never worried about stopping the run, but every time an opposing QB dropped back to pass my heart would skip a beat (needless to say, this season has given me heart murmurs). Second, is getting a Pro Bowl quality free agent at Wide Reciever. Spend some money. A third thing is spend millions of dollars reconstructing the Offensive Line. What heights would Matt Forte soar to with an O-Line like Houston or Minnesota or New England?
December 29, 2008
#24 HesterFan23 said . . .Draft a big running back. A p0unding bruiser. Im thinking Beanie Wells, but he is a first round pick and that won't happen. There has to be a few more 260 lb. backs out there ready to be a Bear. I KNOW Forte is powerful himself, but the ideal 2nd fiddle is not a smaller back. We have that guy and we never use him. We need someone to get 5-10 carries a game banging safeties into the turf, a la '06 Benson.
Add to that a real NFL fullback. One who can block the fucking snot out of a linebacker and still catch a pass or drive ahead for 3 yards when he has the element of surprise.
Next get a young MB- smart, fast, mean, ball hawk who can hit you in the mouth and take your lunch and run to the house with it.
Im going in reverse order here- number one priority needs to be top flight wide out. Nobody from Michigan need apply.
December 29, 2008
#25 jeff said . . .Phil, I agree with you. We often score early (when we do score), but then he gets so damn conservative instead of trying to fricken pound the other defense into the ground.
How often did we have leads, and then he tries to run the ball three or more times in a row to "run the clock"?
December 29, 2008
#26 Bill said . . .my opinion is strange i think...
i think the bears offense needs a couple players to improve. a receiver. o-lineman. sure, the playcalling hasn't been great but it's a developing, young unit.
i think the defense needs an overhaul. players, coaches, scheme...etc.
December 29, 2008
#27 jeff said . . .Heard a report on the Score yesterday that Bears players were asking sideline reporters about the Vikes game and some even had Blackberries checking the game. (If this was in the other thread, I apologize - I've only read this one.)
Later, Doug and O'B said Lovie denied it was true. (How do you know Lovie? Did you ask the players and you believed them?) Coaching staff is not in control.
But good coaches often learn from their mistakes. Will Lovie learn and fire his friend?
Interesting point about Turner and his failures after the first couple of series. Once the O bogged down, where was the no-huddle, which Kyle runs well and always seems to give them a spark?
To quote a famous ex-coach, the Bears were who we were afraid they were.
December 29, 2008
#28 Rustyzipper said . . .be honest, though. it's hard to be disappointed today. that team yesterday was not a playoff team.
December 29, 2008
#29 DP said . . .Lovie must go, what a dufus... I mean come on, the calls he has made, the whole lack of excitement... his post show was like, "well um shucks fellas, will work on it"... he acks like there is a tomorrow... We need a coach with life in him, not a pinhead, who has as much spark as a snail.
GO BLACKHAWKS !!"
December 29, 2008
#30 CA BEAR FAN said . . .I was lying in bed this morning and trying to figure out the good in all of this(my wifes suggestion). Then it hit me.
If we had of won the game yesterday and gone to the playoffs and perhaps beaten the vikings and go ne deeper into the playoffs this would instill a FALSE since of security and everything being right with the current situation of the Bears. Lovie would really believe we are CLOSE or CLOSER. I just hope that the bears heed the warnings and make the changes that are needed . This loss could signal success for the future of this team.... But only time will tell if the bears are smart enough to see the issues and fix them... A good football team should dominate this weak NFC North division....
December 29, 2008
#31 Phil from SATX said . . .1 Wr
2 Oline guards
1 safety
3 new coaches
i dont think this defense needs alot of overhaul done to it...why you ask? well this is why....we got good players. Our defensive coach is horrible...his schemes do not fit this team....if babich does not get fired then we will have another bad defense...December 29, 2008
#32 The Ghost of Halas said . . .Let's drop some positives out there.
First, I could have had a much worse day yesterday, except for what happened at 3:00 p.m. - the unmitigated asskicking of the Cowboys was JUST THE THING to make me smile again. I hate reveling in the negative, but watching Tony Romo lay on the ground holding his head in embarrassment was truly a tonic to my bruised soul.
Of course, watching how great and inspired and tough the Eagles were reminded me of how far away OUR team is from that, but then I already knew that...
Second, I agree with DP - while I desperately wanted a win, with a loss we have a much better shot at causing Virginia to insist on changes - but DP, realize that losing now has NO EFFECT on Lovie - Lovie always thinks everything's fine. No, the silver lining here is only silver if it results in Virginia and Ted realizing that coaching change is needed and forcing it.
I have been in Jerry's corner for a long time, but I realize that I need to step out of it. You don't have to be a GM genius to build your philosophy on Football 101 - that successful teams BEGIN WITH DOMINATING LINES. It is clear to me (starting with last offseason), that Jerry doesn't share this philosophy. Thinking that the signing of one draft pick, even a high one, would fix the Oline was not defensible in any way. We have a great building block in Matt Forte, but without a great offensive line his signing will mean nothing. And we are currently very far from a great offensive line.
So we're in pretty much the same position we were in last offseason with the line, and have the same needs. Let's hope either Jerry Gets a Clue or that the new Jerry has a bigger commitment to building the Oline than Mr. Angelo has.
BTW, "lines" is plural - we need help on D-line too. But more building blocks are there - we mostly need a stud opposite Alex Brown, and we need Tommie Harris to reverse the horrible turnaround his career took this year. (In watching Tommie have his 20th or so "in the neutral zone" penalty at the end of that game, I wondered how much of his early success had to do with an exceptionally fast first step and ability to read a snap count - when he misses out on that early "get", he can be rendered ineffective).
Jerry, show a commitment to rebuilding the Oline and you may regain my support - but right now it's gone. Certain preseason personnel moves (non-moves) doomed this team, and you, my friend, are responsible for those moves (non-moves).
December 29, 2008
#33 zisk said . . .I'm thinking Romeo Crennel might make a good replacement for Mr. Babich. What say you?
December 29, 2008
#34 Sdwat51 said . . .obviously we need better coaches and a wide receiver but what no one seems to be saying is defensive end. the other teams have been getting disgusting amounts of time to throw and adding a first round quality pass rusher to the rotation will go a long way towards forcing bad throws.
December 29, 2008
#35 Sdwat51 said . . .While we're talking about the future.....
The 2009 Season opponents have been disclosed:
NFC NORTH
Minnesota
Home: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, San Francisco, Seattle, N.Y. Giants, Baltimore, Cincinnati
Away: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Arizona, St. Louis, Carolina, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
Chicago
Home: Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Arizona, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
Away: Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati
Green Bay
Home: Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Baltimore, Cincinnati
Away: Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Arizona, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
Detroit
Home: Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Arizona, St. Louis, Washington, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
Away: Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans, Baltimore, Cincinnati
--------------------------------
So, who will be shaking hands with Singletary at the end of that one? Anybody have a guess?
December 29, 2008
#36 jdawg said . . .....and yet another name that pops to mind for our DC...
Now that the Arena League has succombed to the recession, what are the odds someone would pick up the phone and see if Doug Plank is happy in Atlanta?
December 29, 2008
#37 Ohio Bears Fan said . . .I think you guys need to take Lovie's public comments with a grain of salt. Nothing juicy is ever, EVER, going to come out of his mouth. He must get some sort of satisfaction out of driving the Chicago sports media nuts.
Anyway, this will be an interesting off-season. And remember, do not listen to what comes out of Lovie's mouth, watch what happens with the players and the coaches. That is the only way you'll know what's up. He is not, and I repeat NOT, going to say anything that anyone can hang their hats on.
As a matter of fact, Virginia must have told Lovie, "you had me from 'we'll go from there'".
December 29, 2008
#38 Kenneth said . . .To parahrase something I read on another blog... let's bring Mike Singletary home. Who would know what this team needs more than him? He knows what the Bears used to be and could be again.
(I realize this is just another thing on the list of things that will never happen. Like Lovie getting a clue, or RT getting a playbook...)
December 29, 2008
The reason that the Bears were able to win 9 games is that they are a decent football team. I know everyone loves to go off about how crappy every single player on the team is, and how bad all the coaches are, but this is a solid team. It doesn't need to be blown up, it needs to be built up. There is work to do, but the Bears are better than half the other teams out there. They just weren't a playoff team...yet.
December 29, 2008
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.