I will be at a funeral today so there will be very little updated information from me.
Marc Trestman will be introduced at the fourteenth head coach in the history of the Chicago Bears at 11 AM CT.
To watch the live video of the presser simply CLICK HERE.
To listen live there are multiple radio outlets available but the official Chicago sports radio program of DaBearsBlog is Waddle & Silvy on ESPN. To listen to their live audio simply CLICK HERE.
I don’t expect much from press conferences such as these. I certainly don’t expect Trestman to reveal anything by way of philosophy/scheme moving forward. But it should be interesting to see how the man holds up his first attempt before the Chicago media firing squad. How he handles them moving forward will be key to his survival in the city.
We are also still awaiting word on who will run the Bears defense in 2013. Brad Biggs and Jason LaCanfora are both reporting that Rod Marinelli is leaning towards leaving Chicago to be a defensive line coach in Dallas. Does this make sense? Of course not. But Marinelli may be acting out of pure loyalty.
Enjoy. As always you can find the latest short shots from DaBearsBlog by following us (me) on Twitter by CLICKING HERE and adapting to the modern age.
RIP Lindsay Gray, my old friend, my partner on walks to school.
Chicago Bears General Manager Phil Emery did not succumb to the league-wide consensus promoting Denver’s Mike McCoy as the “hot candidate” for a head coaching gig. He did not make the safe, David Haugh-approved (I know) decision to reward Bruce Arians’ ten-win season as interim head coach of the #Chuckstrong Colts by moving the 60 year-old lifetime football man into a larger office a few miles west. He did not, even after what felt like three dozen interviews, move in the direction of a young, hungry offensive coordinator like Mike Sullivan, Darrell Bevell or Rick Dennison.
Phil Emery hired Marc Trestman, the head coach of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes.
As Rich Gannon and Steve Young have filled the airwaves in Chicago and beyond with verbal Valentines directed Trestman’s way, the man from above the border has transition in my mind from intriguing to essential. Here are a few quotes from Young pulled off the Twitter feed of ESPN Chicago’s Michael C. Wright:
Steve Young on Trestman: “He’s a phenomenal offensive mind. He is thoughtful. He’s not gonna scream at people. It’s time…If you have a willing participant, you could make some good music…Guys love him. Find some guys in Montreal that played for him and talk to him. Just a dynamic straight shooter.”
“He’s very innovative. He’s a terrific playcaller,” Gannon said. “He sees the game through the eyes of the quarterback. He played the position, he’s coached the position. He’s really an expert in that area. I think when you study Jay Cutler, here’s a guy that under Mike Martz was sacked more than any quarterback in the league; he got knocked around, and I don’t think he quite trusted the guys in front of him. That’s all got to get cleaned up, and you’ve got to bring in somebody who can work with the protections and clean up that part of it. Clean up his footwork, clean up the mechanics, and get him feeling good again back in the pocket. I think that’s what Marc does best.”
Those criticizing the Bears for “reaching” on a coach currently running an organization outside the country should be relieved if not persuaded by a Hall of Famer and MVP (under Trestman) endorsing the man’s credentials to lead a professional football team in the states.
I applaud this hire by Phil Emery for many reasons:
It is the first significant movement by the Chicago Bears organization towards becoming a modern NFL franchise. This is an offense/passing league, a quarterback league and very few head coaching candidates have the quarterback coaching credentials of Trestman.
Trestman has a short but important history with Jay Cutler. When they step into their first meeting room (in the next month or so) Trestman will not only be working with thirty year-old Cutty but also working with the memory of a strong-armed kid out of Vanderbilt.
Yes it took place in Canada but Marc Trestman has led AN ENTIRE football team for five years and won two championships. Will that success translate immediately? Who knows. But it means Trestman has experience overseeing the entirety of a roster and managing a full coaching staff. If you discount that fact you fail to acknowledge one of the most difficult transitions from coordinator to head coach.
It is NOT the safe choice. It is NOT the easy choice. And being that Phil Emery had Trestman at Halas Hall for much of Sunday and Monday without anyone – Dickerson, Zaidman, Jensen, Biggs – knowing means how he’s perceived in the local media is not near the top of his Things I’d Like to Achieve list.
Find me another candidate – anywhere in the football world – who fits the Bears bill to this extent.
Now the speculation ends and the analysis begins. How will Trestman fill out his offensive coaching staff? Will Rod Marinelli be retained to run the defense? What types of skill players will Emery bring in to fit the scheme Trestman wants to run? And most importantly, how will the quarterback and coach develop and grow together over the course of their first spring, summer and season together?
Trestman has waited his entire career for the opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL. Waited since he was Jim Kelly’s quarterback coach under Howard Schnellenberger at the University of Miami in 1981. What he does with that opportunity will be the definitive question of his coaching career. The answers start now.
He is a teacher, a quiet leader, a cerebral offensive innovator…etc. He is not a field general and he won’t be the type to inspire men with a fire and brimstone approach. But he is well regarded in NFL circles and worked with Jay Cutler during pre-Combine preparation.
Described by many as a head coach in waiting, Bevell thrived this year developing Russell Wilson and getting everything possible out of the Seahawks offense.
He is one of the most well respected offensive minds in the NFL and everyone he’s ever coached think he’d make a great head coach. In 2012 Arians stepped in for the ailing Chuck Pagano and won 10 games as a head coach.
When Alex Smith suffered a concussion in November, Jim Harbaugh watched Colin Kaepernick shred the Chicago Bears – at that time the best defense in the league – on a remarkable Monday night. When Kaepernick won his second start against the New Orleans Saints, Harbaugh made the decision that the human tattoo parlor from Nevada, not the Utah game manager, would be his starting quarterback moving forward. It was not that Harbaugh did not believe Alex Smith was capable of winning games. Of course he is. But just winning games is not enough for teams and coaches with title aspirations.
And you saw Saturday night, against the Green Bay Packers, what that decision meant. San Francisco has one of the league’s top defenses and they STILL needed 32 points to beat the Packers. They did so with ease. They did so because Dom Capers had no answers for Kaepernick’s legs.
John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens have title aspirations. And with three games to go in the regular they also had an offensive coordinator who’d lost the locker room, a majority of the fan base and his favorite bar stool at Bertha’s in Fells Point. Harbaugh’s Ravens were in the pole position for a division title but that wasn’t enough. Cam Cameron was fired Monday morning, December 10th.
Since that firing? The Ravens embarrassed the defending Super Bowl champion Giants in Baltimore and won two playoff games on the strength of their offense and off the hot hand of their oft-maligned quarterback, Joe Flacco. With Cameron calling the plays they were a lifeless entity warbling towards the postseason. With Jim Caldwell assuming those duties the Ravens are on the precipice of reaching the Super Bowl.
Lovie Smith won games. He won twenty more than he lost as head coach of the Chicago Bears. But on the day after the end of the 2012 regular season Phil Emery embraced The Harbaugh Mentality. Winning games is not enough. Winning championships is all that matter. And winning championship in the modern NFL requires a potent, powerful offense.
This was not a popular choice nationally.
Neither was the decision to bench Alex Smith off an injury. Neither was the decision to fire Cam Cameron with three games to go. The difficult decision are often not the popular ones. But the unpopular decisions are often met with the greatest results.
The essence of Emery’s decision to remove Lovie was on display this weekend in San Francisco and Denver. To be great an organization must be willing to abandon being consistently good enough.
Last weekend I took a shot with the Cincinnati Bengals and they let me down. All four games were covered by the favorites and all four games failed to hit the over. (Read: Vegas took a bath.) This weekend I present a bet for every game. One bet – prop or otherwise – to keep you excited about the prospect of making some money this weekend.
Ravens under 17.5 vs. Broncos
Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense flung the ball all over the field, at home, against a pretty terrible Colts defense and scored 24 in the win. Now they’ll travel to Denver, into the altitude, against the NFL’s best edge rushers down the stretch. The Ravens had no answer for Robert Mathis a week ago and they’ll have none for Miller and Dumervil this week.
Packers at Niners – First Score of Game – FG or Safety (+125)
Someone in Vegas has determined it is more likely for this contest to open its scoring with a touchdown than a field goal. I have to believe this has much to do with the fact that the kicking will be done by Mason Crosby or David Akers/Ryan Longwell. I’m not scared away. And if I can get the + from Vegas for an opening FG I am ALWAYS going to take it.
Seattle at Atlanta – Over 46 Points
Can Atlanta stop the run on early downs? Not particularly well. Can they rush the quarterback? Not particularly well. Does Seattle have an answer on their roster to contain Tony Gonzalez, a player who I believe will be possessed en route to what he believes is his finest chance for a title? No. There will be points in Atlanta and I think more than 50 of em. (I think it’s a 27-24 kinda game.)
New England -9 Houston
Here’s why I am going with the Pats and the points: I think New England is a terrific team and I think Houston – after starting 11-1 – stinks. Brady could throw for 450 Sunday afternoon.
I am confident in one thing after doing some exhaustive research regarding Marc Trestman and the CFL: none of his success in Montreal will translate to Chicago. This does not mean he won’t be a terrific NFL coach but these sports are not similar.
Here are some videos that might offer Bears fans a particular perspective into the personalities of men being considered by GM Phil Emery as the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison:
Here are a pair of recent interviews with Colts interim head coach/offensive coordinator Bruce Arians:
What happens if Toub chooses the wrong offensive coordinator? What happens if Toub – a man with no experience on the offensive side of ball – takes the wrong shot and realizes in a year or so that the system is not working? Harbaugh was able to move from Cameron to Jim Caldwell – a respected play caller and former Colts head coach. But could the Bears afford to make such an in-season maneuver when they’ve gone through a coordinator a year for the last decade?
Phil Emery has spent a few hours with just about every offensive coordinator in the league for one reason: he wants a man of vision on that side of the ball and he wants that man to keep Rod Marinelli and his defensive staff in place. That’s how you win in the league these days unless you have Belichick. Or Coughlin. Look at the success of coaches like McCarthy and Payton for the new model. Offensive visionaries willing to hand over the defensive end to a competent “other” like Dom Capers or Steve Spagnuolo.
I’d offer Toub a substantial raise to stay the special team coach in Chicago. I would not promote him to head coach.
I Don’t Know Who Marc Trestman’s Talking About…
But here he is, breaking down the Canadian game. (My instincts tell me this game won’t be a captivating media presence in Chicago.)
Is it a big deal? Not for many but it is for me. These kinds of moves are what separate the Giants from a majority of teams around the league. They failed to make the postseason in the year after a Super Bowl title and instead of resting on the laurels of their two shiny rings GM Jerry Reese and head coach Tom Coughlin decided to being making structural, organizational changes. Losing is not acceptable to Big Blue and it’s damn admirable.
Good friend of the blog, Cam Worrell, Tweeted this Sunday:
Dear Jay Cutler, this is how you play in the playoffs through a knee injury. Signed, RG3.
Needless to say, Cam took a beating from Bears fans. Today I give him the chance to respond. And then we tack on a discussion of Dave Toub as potentially the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.
Phil Emery has specific requirements for the next head coach of the Chicago Bears. He wants someone with high energy. He wants someone who has had success in their current role. He wants someone to provide a synergistic aura throughout the hallowed Halls of Papa Bear.
He wants Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
First, I hate nepotism in the NFL and it’s rampant. The primary reason is simple: I’m jealous. Unless I wanted to be the next star of North Jersey real estate or become the CEO-in-waiting of a profitable moving company, my parents were of no use to me professionally. If my dad were the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears I would most likely be the linebackers coach of the Chicago Bears. I mean, I can’t have worse credentials than Bob Babich.
We all know Kyle Shanahan would never have ascended to a coordinator position at this level were his name Kyle Hughes or Kyle MacLachlan. But Shanahan did ascend and did so NOT under the wing of his father Mike but under the wing of his father’s protege, former Broncos backup QB and current Texans head coach Gary Kubiak. And his offenses have been successful, with and without a star quarterback.
Kyle Shanahan brings with him a track record of running successful offenses in Houston and Washington. He specifically brings an ability to install his father’s renowned zone run schemes and display the type of rush attack in Chicago the city and weather require. He also brings with him an asset that none of the other candidates bring: Mike Shanahan. No coach handled the skills and temperament of Jay Cutler better than Mike Shanahan and Kyle’s ability to mine that resource is an asset not to be overlooked.
Kyle Shanahan would also provide something the Bears sideline has lacked for the past 15 years: fire. He is an intense customer, never more on display than when he profanely chased a referee into the tunnel after a September game ended poorly for the Redskins. He apologized for that outburst and paid a heavy fine but that kind of passion is criticized on a sideline defined by Joe Gibbs’ steely class. It would be lauded on a sideline made famous in the modern era by Da Coach.
And Shanahan’s inexperience on the defensive side of the ball, coupled with his desire to climb from his father’s shadow, would certainly make him amenable to keeping Rod Marinelli and the current defensive structure/staff in place. For me this is the difference between the Bears being a contender in 2013 or not.
Would it be a risky hire? Absolutely. And I doubt Phil Emery would make a thirty-three year old his first major hire as a general manager. But Shanahan fits the bill and fills a desperate need in the city of Chicago.
Doesn’t someone like that at least require an interview?
