From the moment he was hired on January 14, 2004 Lovie Smith was never a fan favorite in the Windy City. Bears fans want George Halas patrolling the sideline, wearing a pair of black frame glasses like he’s doing them a favor. They want Mike Ditka in the sweater vest, chewing out the Punky QB for all the world to see. Was the fan reluctance to embrace Smith racially motivated?  I don’t think so.  Was it geographically motivated? Absolutely. The “aw shucks” demeanor from Big Sandy, Texas simply didn’t connect with the Cheezborger! Cheezborger! intensity of Old Style country.

Lovie Smith has also made mistakes.  Tangible, see-em-with-your-eyes errors on the football field and in his pre-game meetings.  He hired Terry Shea.  He fired Ron Rivera. He was loyal to a fault with Bob Babich and Ron Turner and refused to acknowledge what the rest of could clearly see: Rex Grossman was not going to win the Bears a Super Bowl.  If we hang Jonathan Quinn on Shea’s coat rack, we hang Todd Collins on Lovie’s.  He is horrendous with timeouts and somewhat worse when throwing the red rag.  These are the kinds of mistakes fans notice when watching the game on television and the kinds of mistakes that infuriate them.

But the Lovie of late is not the Lovie of old.

ACCOUNTABILITY

For the first time in his tenure, there is real accountability being instituted at Halas Hall.  Chris Harris was benched after a porous performance against the Lions and responded with a string of Twitter complaints.  When put back on the field due to a Major Wright injury, Harris struggled against the Bucs and was subsequently cast onto the waiver wire.  When Frank Omiyale embarrassed himself on national TV, he was benched.  When Henry Melton failed to live up to the promise of a spectacular opening week, he was chastised publicly by his head coach and responded.

OFFENSIVE CONTROL

Does anyone doubt that Lovie Smith has usurped control of the offensive strategy?  The Bears are finally the running off the bus club Lovie’s been touting ad nauseam to Biggs and the boys at his midweek pressers for half a decade.  (I also think the movement of Mike Martz upstairs was a territorial gesture by Lovie.  It was an assertion of dominance over terrain like polar bears do it.)

STRATEGY FLEXIBILITY

The Bears decision to go to man coverage so often against the Philadelphia Eagles opened my eyes.  My primary criticism of Smith over the years has been his continually blind operation of a defensive system whilst lacking the players capable of operating that system at the highest levels.  Against the Eagles, Smith deviated from the standard structure of the Lovie Deuce and allowed his corners to beat up Andy Reid’s brittle speedsters.

ANGER

He didn’t snarl.  He didn’t throw anything. He didn’t call David Haugh a jerk (though who could blame him). But he said this in the aftermath of the Bears victory over Philly:

“We’re a good football team, just not getting a whole lot of respect,” Smith said. “When you go on a road, the Chicago Bears shouldn’t be eight-point underdogs when we come and play a team, and the guys took notice of that.”

A coaching mentioned the point spread in the press conference?  Lovie Smith being that coach?  This is a new guy we’re dealing with.

BUT HEY, JEFF, WHAT ABOUT THE GENERAL MANAGER?

When you come to a head coaching position with an exclusively defensive background, you depend upon your GM to find you talent on the other side of the ball.  It almost makes Lovie’s resume with the Bears more impressive when you look at the players he’s achieved his success with.  Lovie has won two of his three division titles with Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman.  He has never had a true number one receiver on his roster.  His GM traded away his best offensive weapon and the huddle’s true leader after the Super Bowl appearance.  In the modern NFL it is near impossible to win a Super Bowl title without a productive offense and, more specifically, a productive passing game to exploit the rule changes.  The Bears are only now finally moving in that direction.

If the Bears decide to fire Jerry Angelo (and they won’t), I believe the current defensive coaching staff would be able to continue their drafting and developing young players across the unit.  I don’t believe the firing of Jerry Angelo (that won’t happen) should also mean the releasing of Lovie Smith from his contract.

MY FINAL THOUGHT 

And it is perhaps the biggest point.  Michael Vick is going to be the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles for many years.  Aaron Rodgers is going to be the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers for many years.  And there is not a single defensive coach/system in the whole of the NFL that has more success against these two individuals. Lovie owns Vick and controls Rodgers, which these days feels like a Herculean achievement.  If the Bears are to remain a football team dedicated to a defensive style of football, they have the right man leading them in the current landscape of the NFC.

Even when Jerry Angelo drafts a good player in the first round, the Bears find a way to reduce his role.  This time, however, it’s a positive.  Gabe Carimi should be ready to return from his chronic knee injury for this Sunday’s pivotal contest with the Detroit Lions but is there a role for him in the starting lineup?  I don’t think so.

The Bears have their offensive line.  They have found the five men up front who give them the best chance to win games.  J’Marcus Webb may be getting max-protect, slide protection help but he is also clearly developing at one of the most difficult positions in the sport.  Chris Williams is in my top five voting for Bears MVP this season.  Roberto Garza’s transition to center and leader of this unit has left most Bears fans saying, “Olin who?”  Chris Spencer may have been signed as a center but he is a tough, bruising type player at guard.  Lance Louis is simply excellent at right tackle.  Nothing else one can say about it.

Carimi is an excellent talent and his ability to play both left and right tackles should give the Bears their best depth along the line in years.  Carimi’s return should also allow the Bears to make Frank Omiyale inactive each Sunday (though why they wouldn’t just cut him is beyond me).  But Lovie Smith and Mike Tice can not disrupt the continuity and development of the five men who’ve lined up against Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.  If they do, they’ll risk disrupting their run to the postseason.

I am going rapid fire here.  I am too excited to do anything else.

• Was I nuts?  Is Earl Bennett this good?  He looked like a legitimate number one receiver last night and I apologize to any commenter I criticized for saying that.
• Jay Cutler won the football game.  You have your quarterback, Chicago.
• Julius Peppers is beyond male.
• Izzy Idonije knew when to step his game up.
• The Bears have the best linebackers in football and I’m tired of hearing people say otherwise.
• Forte, stop fumbling.  Otherwise you’re gold.
• Did anyone have a single complaint about the Bears offensive line last night?  Me neither.  Amazing, Mike Tice.  Amazing.
• I love D.J. Moore.
• And Tim Jennings’ tackling.
• Adam Podlesh should not be forgotten for pinning DeSean Jackson in that corner when he fumbled.  Huge punt.
• The 51 yard field goal by Robbie Gould?  Also huge.
• I think Lovie Smith is a winning football coach.  And if you gave him a better GM, he’d win championships.
• Roy Williams, go fuck yourself.  You have to catch that bomb.
• On a similar note I would stop the Devin Hester experience on offense sooner than later.
• Did I mention Julius Peppers is post-male?
• We thought the story would be the safeties.  It wasn’t.  They were great.
• Chris Williams, I’m watching.  You’re becoming one of the best guards in the game.
• When Gabe Carimi comes back, you tell me where he goes…

I’m sure there’s more but I’m slightly less than intoxicated and I’m going to sleep.  See ya’ll tomorrow.  Big win for our Bears.

Tonight it shall not be only Bears fans rooting for the boys from Chicago.  We’ll also be joined by these little guys above.

I love this game. I love games that allow us as fans to accurately evaluate what kind of football team we have by simply watching them play the opponent. Some will call this a must win for the Bears. They’re wrong. Next week, at home, facing the Detroit Lions, is a must win. This is the kind of game where, should the Bears win it, the whole of the football universe will stand and take notice.

So I say what the hell…win the damn game. I’ll be on the Twitter tonight if I’m not pissed off.

As we all try to endure the horror that is a Monday when the Bears play Monday Night Football, I can’t help but think the Bears have much to prove tonight as they square off with the Eagles at the Linc.

1. Can they avoid the false starts and terrible mistakes that doomed them on the road in Detroit. Philadelphia won’t be quite as rowdy but it’ll be rowdy nevertheless.  A flagfest will kill the mood of many fans (especially me).
2. Can the Bears protect their quarterback from a pair of hungry defensive ends in Jason Babin and Trent Cole?  We are all starting to believe this offensive line is finding their rhythm but giving Cutler the time to throw tonight will prove it.
3. The Bears defense is forever susceptible to the cutback run and McCoy might be the best cutback runner in the sport currently.  Was two weeks enough preparation time for LoveRod?
4. If the game ends up of the shootout variety, is Cutler ready to win one of those affairs on the road?
5. Will the defensive line amp up the pressure on a night they’ll need to?  Will Chris Conte keep the game in front of him?
6. Will the Bears win a major game in primetime and thrust themselves heartily into the contenders conversation?

Congrats to NewBearinTown for getting the Sunday puzzle correct and earning the point for the picks contest.  Ufficio and BossBear90 had perfect Sundays.  IrishSweetness, EnderWiggin and tobijohn need the Bears tonight.  

The Commenter Perfect Weeks:, New Bear in Town (3), FQD1911 (2), SC Dave (2), BigDaddy (2), BossBear90 (2), Ufficio (2), Michael L (1), greenbayman (1), tobijohn (1), Sacramento’s #1 Bears Fan (1), ben in norcal (1), CanadaBear (1), #76 Mongo Murph (1), Shady (1), TheFifth (1), DYLbears23 (1)

SPECIAL SUNDAY CONTEST!

The first person to explain, in the comments, why I’ve chosen the four images above for today’s thread will receive credit for one (1) perfect week of picking games.

On this week’s show. Philadelphia Daily News Eagles beat writer Paul Domowitch discusses the mood surrounding the ballclub after the Cowboys rout and what put Richard Dent over the top for this year’s Hall of Fame class. Former Bears safety Cameron Worrell dissects the inability of Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo to stabilize the safety position. And the Reverend calls Jeff Pearlman’s Sweetness what it is: boring.

There were no perfects from the comments section this week – one of the most difficult gambling Sundays in recent memory.

Lines This Week

FALCONS -7 Colts / SAINTS -8.5 Bucs / TEXANS -11 Browns / BILLS -1 Jets / CHIEFS -5 Dolphins / 49ers – 3.5 REDSKINS / COWBOYS -11 Seahawks / RAIDERS -8.5 Broncos / TITANS -3 Bengals / CARDINALS -4.5 Rams / Packers -6 CHARGERS / PATRIOTS -8.5 Giants / STEELERS -3 Ravens / EAGLES -8 Bears

The Brothers:  Jon (15-8-1), Jeff (14-9-1), Chris (13-10-1)

The Commenter Perfect Weeks: FQD1911 (2), New Bear in Town (2), SC Dave (2), BigDaddy (2), DYLbears23 (1), BossBear90 (1), Michael L (1), greenbayman (1), tobijohn (1), Sacramento’s #1 Bears Fan (1), ben in norcal (1), CanadaBear (1), #76 Mongo Murph (1), Shady (1), Ufficio (1), TheFifth (1)

NOTE: Ya’ll will be without me for the next few days as I attend funeral services for my best friend’s aunt in New Jersey.  Even if you don’t normally give the show a full listen, give this one a go.  The interviews are quite good.

I don’t know who the Bears pissed off to draw the schedule they’ve drawn.  They were put up as sacrificial lambs for the first Monday Night Football game in Detroit since the Ford invented the assembly line.  They were sent over an ocean to play the Tampa Bay Bucs.  Now they’re playing an electric Philadelphia in primetime.  Have you ever met people from Philadelphia?  They are loud in church.  You give them a day to slam Yuenglings it’ll just be a good thing Frank Omiyale will be jumping the snap count from the bench.

WHY DO I LIKE THE CHICAGO BEARS THIS WEEK?

• I always like the Chicago Bears.
• I am a firm believer in the “let down game”.  Rarely do you see a football team as well prepared and motivated as the Eagles were Sunday night against the Cowboys.  Their coaches had two weeks to prepare and it showed.  They simply can’t have that much gas in the tank for the Bears.  If they do, the Bears better have on their running shoes.
• The Bears have two track record things going for them here: (1) they have historically played Vick as well as any defense in the league due primarily to the speed inside the body of the guy wearing #54 and (2) Andy Reid wants to throw the ball deep and Lovie has not let him, forcing Vick to sit in the pocket and execute the underneath routes that have not been his strong suit (Sunday night not withstanding).
• Until I see it, I don’t think the Eagles can stop a team from consistently running the ball and I think the Bears can run it as well as any team around.  And while I respect the speed and talent of Lesean McCoy immensely, I think the Bears defense has recommitted to stopping the run of late and will continue that trend Monday night.
• I like the matchup of Andy Reid’s in-game decision making, a rookie punter and Devin Hester.  I like that matchup a lot.
• If we were all waiting to evaluate the new Bears safeties, we won’t have to wait much longer.  The Eagles love to hit their speed receivers (Jackson, Maclin) in stride on the slant pattern and it will be imperative for both of these safeties to take smart angles and make sure tackles.  Conte should never stop muttering to himself one word: backpedal.  If he keeps the game in front of him, the Bears will be in a good position to force an explosive offense off the field.
• The greatest mismatch on the field Monday night will be J’Marcus Webb vs. Trent Cole on the perimeter and it will be imperative for Martz & Tice to continue their approach of sliding protecting help his way.  Cole and Jason Babin have the ability to wreck the game, especially if the Eagles are playing from ahead.
• Jason Peters returning to the left tackle position for the Eagles provided Mudd’s boys a boost Sunday night but that is where I expect the Bears to bring extra pressure in an effort to chase Michael Vick to his right.  Julius Peppers has been good this year but he’s not had a dominant whistle-to-whistle performance since Week One.  Someone has to spend Monday night in the backfield.  I think it’ll be Orange Julius.
• It’s fascinating to go this deep into the preview and not mention Jay Cutler.  Cutler has been somewhat relegated to an offensive afterthought by the sturdy, MVP season being had by Matt Forte.  Even with a consistent running game against the Eagles, I think this one is going to come down to which quarterback makes the big third down toss late.  And I think it’s going to be Cutler.

Chicago Bears 30, Philadelphia Eagles 27 (OT)

Note: There will be no Thursday column this week as I attend the funeral of my best friend’s aunt in New Jersey.  We shall return Friday with the Weekend Show featuring interviews with Philadelphia Daily News beat writer Paul Domowitch and former Bears safety Cameron Worrell.

The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off one of the most dominant performances of the 2011 season, playing at a speed the Dallas Cowboys seemed readily unprepared for.  The Detroit Lions unceremoniously and quite sadly (for me, at least) ended the Tim Tebow era in Denver and rebounded soundly from their back-to-back losses at home.  Both the Eagles and Lions share the tavern floor with a group of second-tier contenders in the conference – Giants, 49ers, Bears, Saints, Falcons – as they vie for the attention of the bartender up in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Attention will be paid these next two weeks.  The Bears meet the Eagles under the primetime spotlight of Monday Night Football and the Lions late Sunday afternoon as the now national game of the week on FOX.  Win both and the Bears will be considered the number one contender to the NFC Championship crown.  Split em and the Bears will see their playoff fate determined by how they performance against the AFC West.  Lose both, fall to 4-5, and the Bears will need to a lot of games as the hungry fans and rabid members begin their droning call for the heads of Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo.

This is why it’s fun to be a fan.  The weather has turned cold around the country and the Bears are playing meaningful, exciting football games in the month of November.  The stakes?  Meaningful, exciting football games in the month of December and beyond.

There will be no guessing.  No hypothetical opinions of the Chicago Bears after these next couple of ballgames.  The Bears are will play quality teams in an effort to prove they are a quality.  It will be decided on the field.  And I can’t wait to watch.

Unless the Packers start dropping games they shouldn’t (and anything is possible in this league) the Bears most likely have their eyes fixated upon qualifying for the 2011 postseason as one of the conference’s two wildcards.  If the season ended today, they’d be the third team from the NFC North into the tournament.

There are teams I’m leaving out of this analysis.  (1) Sure there is a very slight chance the Packers won’t win the division but there is zero chance they won’t qualify for the postseason.  (2) The 49ers are going to have the NFC West wrapped up by, well, they already have the NFC West wrapped up.  Do we assume Harbaugh is this good or Singletary was this bad?  (3) The Bucs.  I don’t see it.  Maybe they’ll shock me down the stretch but I can’t take seriously that team I saw in London; the team that lost by 45 to San Francisco.  (4) I watched almost every snap of Bills v. Redskins and the Redskins are done.

I am also not going to analyze the Bears.  We all know what the Bears do well and what they don’t do well.  I have them finishing the season 10-6.  I had them 10-6 before the season.  I have them 10-6 now.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-3)

Schedule: Tampa Bay, @Atlanta, bye, New York Giants, Detroit, @Tennessee, @Minnesota, Atlanta, Carolina

Analysis: I had to put the Saints into this post after their jaw-dropping loss to the St. Louis Rams yesterday.  They didn’t just lose.  They were blown out.  It was the most remarkable result of the season.  Now the Saints only have a half game on the Bucs and Falcons.

Bears Fan Spin: You want this team to win the division, especially considering they are the only team in the NFC South to have beaten the Bears.

DETROIT LIONS (6-2)

Schedule: bye, @Chicago, Carolina, Green Bay,@New Orleans, Minnesota, @Oakland, San Diego, @Green Bay

Analysis: They still have both games with Green Bay remaining though they may have drawn the long straw by pulling the Pack on the final week of the season.  They may only need to beat Matt Flynn to move on.

Bears Fan Spin: The Soldier Field game in two weeks may be a de facto playoff game, especially if the Bears can steal on in Philly Monday night.  Bears fans will also be rooting for the Packers on Thanksgiving Day, mark my words.

NEW YORK GIANTS (5-2)

Schedule: @New England, @San Francisco, Philadelphia, @New Orleans, Green Bay, @Dallas, Washington, @New York Jets, Dallas

Analysis: Look at the schedule they face now.  They could play well and win only three games.

Bears Fan Spin: If the Giants were to win their next two, Bears fans will have to start pulling for them to knock Philly and Dallas to the curb.  But I just don’t see it.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-4)

Schedule: Chicago, Arizona, @New York Giants, New England, @Seattle, @Miami,  New York Jets, @Dallas, Washington

Analysis: They are the sleeping giant of the NFC and when they play the way they played Sunday night they can beat absolutely any team in the league.

Bears Fan Spin: The Bears defense in the Lovie era always plays Michael Vick well and always plays Andy Reid well.  They need an inspired effort Monday night.

ATLANTA FALCONS (4-3)

Schedule: @Indianapolis, New Orleans, Tennessee, Minnesota, @Houston, @Carolina, Jacksonville, @New Orleans, Tampa Bay

Analysis: I think the Falcons are primed for a second half resurgence and their schedule, with some weak opponents at home, should aid them.  I think they beat Tenn, Minn, Jax and Tampa at home.  I think the beat Indy easily on the road.  That means they only need 1 of 4 to get to 10.

Bears Fan Spin: None.

DALLAS COWBOYS (3-4)

Schedule: Seattle, Buffalo, @Washington, Miami, @Arizona, New York Giants, @Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, @New York Giants

Analysis: After last night, I’m not analyzing this team.  What the hell was that in Philly?  I have never seen a team so out-coached in all my years of watching football.

Bears Fan Spin: If you were thinking Rob Ryan might be the next head coach of the Bears, I think he set himself back two or three years last night.

SO WHAT IS THE TRUTH OF ALL THIS NONSENSE?

The Bears play at Philly and then home to Detroit.  If they want to avoid two months of scoreboard watching, they can simply beat these two teams and charge into the postseason.