Administrative Note: The longish piece I’ve been working on will debut next week, after the Super Bowl. It is about the NFL, gambling and their hypocritical approach to “fantasy sports”.
Before we bother with silly football analysis, here is the…
Currently working on a longer form piece that I am hoping to have on the site by the end of this week. In the meantime, enjoy some Peanut video.
Bears have added two veteran coaches with tons of experience to their defensive coaching staff. Paqualoni will coach the defensive line. Herring will coach the linebackers.
Adam Jahns adds another wrinkle to the hire, which I present without comment:
So the
#Bears two new defensive coaches (announced soon) have a history in 3-4 and hybrid defenses…read into it what you want.
Well, one comment. There is clearly a philosophical change happening on the defensive side of the ball.
When I first heard the NFL was going to add another playoff team, I was against it. The exclusivity of the NFL postseason is what sets it apart from the likes of basketball and hockey – two sports that have relegated their regular seasons to sub-meaningless status.
Then I thought some more about it. And thought a bit more. And you know what? I like it. Here’s why:
From Florio at Pro Football Talk:
It’s unclear whether McCown will return to Chicago. Because he signed a one-year deal under the minimum-salary benefit in 2013, the Bears can’t sign him until he actually becomes a free agent on March 11. That now follows a three-day period during which McCown’s agent can engage in discussions with other teams.
With the Bears devoting $22.5 million in cap space to Cutler for the coming year, the Bears likely won’t have much in the budget for McCown. Any team that views him as a potential starter would surely outbid the Bears.
Josh McCown is a different kind of guy and I don’t see him jumping to a terrible team for a few extra million dollars. Does he really want to be the caretaker quarterback in a place like Jacksonville or Minnesota, tutoring a rookie and waiting to be replaced? I think McCown has found a home in Chicago, in that quarterback room. And I also think he knows there’s a good chance he’s going to see the field in 2014 with a contender if he sticks around.
As always I will be providing commentary throughout all four of the wild card games on Twitter. You can read my Tweets on the right rail of this page or by logging onto Twitter and following me there.
4-0 picking games last week but only 3-1 against the spread. (Seattle line went off anywhere from 8.5 to 9.5.) Last week I was confident. This week I am not. Well at least half not. Let’s go!
Line: Broncos -5
Analysis: Think both teams are going to have a ton of success running the ball. Think neither team is very good defensively. So what does the game boil down to? Same thing this game always boils down to: which of the all-time great quarterbacks makes more plays in the fourth quarter. I’m sticking with my gut. I believe this is Manning’s time.
Side note: I was disheartened by the performance of Manning’s receivers against the Chargers. Decker let a touchdown pass bounce off his chest and gave away the onside kick. Julius Thomas was a no-show for three and a half quarters. Wes Welker dropped one of the most perfect back shoulder tosses I’ve ever seen. (If Welker catches this ball it would be have been the signature play of the game.) Before last weekend I would have argued the Broncos have a significant advantage over the Patriots on the outside. Now? I’m not so sure.
Final Score: Denver 30, New England 28
I don’t really have a coherent column in my mind right so I decided to just lay out some Bears-related questions on my mind. Feel free to provide your own answers in the comments sections or by email: jeff@dabearsblog.com.
From Adam Hoge at CBS:
Head coach Marc Trestman announced that Tucker will return for the 2014 season, but defensive line coach Mike Phair and linebackers coach Tim Tibesar have been let go.
The remainder of the coaching staff will remain in place for next season.
“We thank Mike and Tim for their effort and dedication,” Trestman said in a statement. “They are men of high character and integrity. These are not easy decisions and we do not attribute our lack of success on defense to two individuals. We need to improve in all areas defensively and that will be a focal point for us this offseason. The process starts with me as the head coach. Our search for a defensive line and linebackers coach has begun and we will be looking for the best candidates whose experience can bring the most out of our veteran and young players in both areas.”
I don’t blame the defensive deficiencies of the 2013 season on Mel Tucker. I blame the defensive deficiencies of the 2013 season on the guys playing defense. I am players first, coach second when it comes to the complicated riddle known as the blame game.
