My thoughts on the Bears Hiring of Mark Trestman

Of all the possible candidates I thought Phil Emery would hire after firing Lovie Smith, Mark Trestman was not on my list. As I am not a follower of the CFL, obsessed with the fortunes of current and former NFL assistants, and am not one of the quarterbacks he helped prepare for the pros, I would be hard pressed to know who he was. Before his named popped up during the coaching search, the only other time I had heard it was an episode of 30 Rock, and I probably assumed he was just a star player on the Grey Cup winning Alouettes.



Nevertheless, as I got to know his resume and hear what people are saying about him, I feel really good about him being the Bears head coach. He sounds very smart, very details oriented, and very methodical. Intelligence doesn't necessarily translate to being a great coach* but it certainly can help. Hopefully he'll be able to end some of the chaos and confusion that has dominated the Bears sidelines for as far back as I can remember. I would love to see those damn early 2nd quarter time outs to disappear.

Given his reputation as a "quarterback whisperer", I'm eager to see if he can help Jay Cutler be the quarterback we were hoping he'd be. My guess is that he'll help Cutler turn the ship around, or Cutler (and perhaps Trestman) could go down in a maelstrom of Jeff Georgeian suckitude. Only time will tell.

Beyond Cutler, I'm wonder how the rest of the team will respond to the new coach. It's no shock that a lot of the players disagreed with the firing of Lovie Smith. It's possible Devin Hester may not play another down for the team, and I'm sure there will be other Bears players who just won't fit with the changed environment. Although its not guaranteed as of yet, the possibility that they'll keep Rod Marinelli as the Defensive Coordinator might help smooth the waters. Of course, that assumes Marinelli sticks around, and being a friend of Lovie he may find another place to be defensive coordinator, like longtime special teams coach Dave Toub did.

Mark Trestman is the first coach from the offensive side of the ball hired by the Bears since Mike Ditka in 1982. I'm hopeful that he'll be able to bring that elusive consistency which has dogged the Bears offense for as long as I can remember. Any amount of improvement he can get from Cutler will help, but it might be for naught if he can't get the offensive line fixed.

Beyond who Phil Emery hired, I was impressed with how he made the choice. It was done smoothly, with apparent due diligence, and without the usual Bears screw ups. Barring anything crazy, like Trestman turns out to be an internet hoax, there won't be anything like the Dave McGinnis debacle.

Perhaps Trestman won't work out. Perhaps he'll lead the Bears to that elusive Super Bowl championship. For now, I'm happy with the fact that the team seems to finally showing signs of consistent competency in off field matters. Now only if that competency can translate to the field.

*Case in point: Dick Jauron

Riding the Roller Coaster: The 2012 Chicago Bears UPDATED

First off, I have to say it absolutely did not feel right rooting for the Packers to win a game. It felt a bit dirty and a bit wrong. To top it all off, they failed to pull it off, making that disgusting act a futile one. May us Bears fans never have to root for them again.

Looking back at my preseason post about the Bears, I guess I did get their final record right. Of course, I thought they'd go 5-3 in the first half, and 5-3 in the second half. Turns out they were able to beat the Cowboys and the six crummy teams they played in the first half of the season. Unfortunately, they were unable to match my projections for the second half, going 3-5 instead of 5-3. In many years 10-6 would be good enough to get you into the playoffs. This year, however, it wasn't quite good enough, at least for the Bears.

Although I got the record right, I can't say I was so close on how they got that record. The optimism about the offense was misplaced, as the offensive line, receiver, and at times Jay Cutler stank it up on the field. Brandon Marshall had a good season, but that tends to happen when you are the target of 99.9999%* of all passes thrown. As fun as it was to watch him catch the ball, it was much less fun watching Kellen Davis, Devin Hester, and the rest drop catchable balls. I suppose Alshon Jeffery could become a good number two in the next couple of years, provided he doesn't get injured.

The less said about the offensive line, the better. To be fair, they did seem to get better as the year went on, and they probably weren't as bad as Dallas, or Buffalo, or Arizona. Even the Packers had about as bad of a line as the Bears did. That doesn't change the fact that it was miserable every time one of them false started or held, killing a game changing drive.

So if the offense was as aggressively bad as usual, how did they win ten games? Why, because the questionable old defense somehow pulled out a pretty great season. Charles Tillman had a monster year, and Tim Jennings played very well. Even the safeties, ever a concern since Mike Brown suffered his last season killing injury as a Bear, weren't egregious. Many times the line was actually able to get pressure, helping create more turnovers. Those turnovers are the life blood of a Lovie Smith defense, and without them the "bend, but don't break" nature just will not work.

So where do the Bears go from here? Considering this is being posted at 8:00 AM CST the morning after the season ended, I can't quite say yet. It kind of depends on where GM Phil Emery comes down on Lovie Smith. Even if Smith is retained for one more lame duck season, or somehow is given a undeserved contract extension, the team is at a crossroads. The post Brian Urlacher era may be fast approaching, and several other defensive players will soon be too old, too slow, or too expensive to keep on the team. They clearly have work to do with the offensive line and tight ends. This could get much worse before it gets better. I'm not sure of anything other than the Bears don't win a Super Bowl with Smith as the coach.

*A bit of an exaggeration, although not by enough.

UPDATED

Turns out the Lovie Smith era is over in Chicago. Although I don't think Smith was a bad coach, his teams often failed to do the little things that championship teams tend to do. All of those stupid drive killing false starts, frustrating timeouts because Cutler didn't get the play fast enough, and questionable replay flags made being a Bears fan annoying. The fact is, you can't keep your job as a coach when you miss the playoffs two years in a row after 7-3 and 7-1 starts.

The names being thrown around at this time are all offensive coordinators. Hopefully whoever they hire will be able to do what's necessary to fix the team. Frankly, I'm surprised how quickly the Bears did this, as far too often in the past they tend to dither and dawdle when making decisions like this. I'm pretty sure the 2013 Bears will look much different than the 2012 Bears.

Cautiously Optimistic: The 2012 Chicago Bears

On the eve of the Bears first preseason game against Peyton Manning and the Colts Broncos*, I'm not quite sure how to feel. For the first time in my Bears fandom they actually have a Quarterback worth caring about, as well as real wide receiver. Forte got his contract, and should be happy and ready to go. The defense, though its core is still rather old, looks like it will be solid again. By god, they might actually be contenders.

Nonetheless, I am trying to remain rather cautious in my optimism. I can't help but think back to that San Diego game last year. For the first time in a long time, the Bears looked like a real contender, a team that could actually do something. Cutler was tearing apart the Chargers, and a second straight playoff berth looked almost like a sure thing. Then Johnny Knox slipped, the Chargers intercepted Cutler's pass, and he made a touchdown saving tackle. Cutler broke his thumb on the tackle, and the season changed irrevocably. From there, the Bears went from one of their best games in at least five years, to two of their most embarrassing losses ever**.

Hopefully things will be better this year. Mike Martz is gone, and Cutler has his receiver in Brandon Marshall and his QB coach in Jeremy Bates. Mike Tice's offense should hopefully be tailored to his talents, and minimize the mistakes of the offensive line. With luck the Bears offense won't take half a season to get in gear. If not, the early season schedule might leave them in a hole.

At first glance the first eight games look easier than the last eight. They start with Colts, and play the Rams and Jaguars as well. The Packers and Lions are by far the two toughest opponents in the first half. They have four home games and four away games, so that shouldn't affect them much.

However, the thing that worries me are all the night games. After experiencing so many dreadful Bears performances on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday nights, I tend to dread these games. Sure, some of the greatest Bears moments have happened under the lights. So have far too many drubbings, including several by the hated Packers. Guess who there first prime-time opponent is? To add to the miserable mess, it's a Thursday night NFL Network game, my least favorite type of NFL game.

Sure, they begin the back half of the season with an NBC/ESPN prime-time back to back against the Texans and 49ers. But once those are done, they finish the season with six day games, with only one at this time scheduled for late afternoon.*** The back half does appear to be against tougher opponents, so not starting in a hole makes it that much more important.

In the end, this is the most excited for a Bears season I've been since at least 2006. Still, I am trying to tamp down my enthusiasm and remain cautiously optimistic. After all, the Packers are still a terrible matchup for the Bears, and the Lions don't look any less tough than they were last year. I'm sure even the Vikings have found a few ways to improve. Here's to another great season of football.

Oh yeah, my prediction? The Bears go 5-3 to start the season, and 5-3 in the back half. While it leaves them behind the Packers, they beat the Lions out of the playoffs, winning the Wild Card round and losing in the Divisional round. The Packers and Texans will win their conferences, and the Packers will beat the Texans, who are just happy to have made it that far.****

*Have to say it feels weird to type that. Seriously, I almost typed Colts based on muscle memory, even though I spent the previous thirty seconds telling myself to type Broncos.

**I think that 10-3 loss to the Chiefs was the worst game I had the misfortune to ever watch. Yes, it was worse than the dreadful Wannstedt years, worse than the 2003 season opener against the 49ers, even worse than anything involving Chad Hutchinson, Henry Burris, Johnathan Quinn, or Caleb Hanie's other games. And although most of the game the defense performed admirably, that Denver game wasn't much better. I think Marion Barber just fumbled again. Or did he go out of bounds?

***Unlike prime time games, I actually like the late afternoon game. Especially late in the season, it means the Bears are having a season worth watching. Or they are playing a meaningless game in Seattle or Oakland. Either way it is still better than those NFL Network games. In addition, the most amazing two week span of the last 23 years for the Bears (2001 against the 49ers and Browns) took place during the late afternoon games.

****Pre-emptive apologies to the Texans fans for your upcoming 5-11 season. No apologies for you Packers fan, you get what you deserve.

Bears vs. 49...Eh Screw It, a Video Instead

Instead of talking about the latest turd left by the Bears at Old Candlestick, I'll leave you with this video that shows how much better 2012 probably would have been if presented as a comedy.

Ugh, the latest Bears game

I apologize for the outdated piece of internet fluff above, but watching the nastiness that is the 2009 Bears defense can do that to you. Apparently losing Tommie Harris is the difference between mere mediocrity and outright incompetence. Amazing how quickly this defense went from being dangerous to other teams to be a laughingstock of the league. Apparently the Bears did need more than just a quarterback to compete.

Maybe they'll do better this Thursday against the Flying Singletarys. Because the Bears always play well in San Francisco.*

*No, they don't. See Jauron, Dick (2003) and Wannstedt, Dave (1995) for more information.

Favre Says No to Vikings, Local Bears Fan is Ambivalent

It appears that Brett Favre might actually be retired for real this time. Instead of coming back as the immediate "savior", he will stay in the muggy climes of Mississippi and await his imminent induction into the Hall of Fame. It appears that the Bears will be the only team to make an offseason splash at QB in the NFC North.

Ten, or even five, years ago, I would have been celebrating at the thought of Favre retiring instead of playing for a Bears rival. At that point in his career he was the King of Bears Killers, and it was damn frustrating watch him tear the Bears up during the Wannstedt and Jauron years. Although I would have missed seeing the Bears turn the table on him, I wouldn't have been too broken up about his retirement.

But now, however, I am merely glad all of the "will he or won't he" crap might be over. The Lovie Smith era has been good for the Bears in their historical rivalry with the Cheesheads. The Bears were 6-2 against the Favre Packers, losing only the 2nd game between the teams in 2004 and a meaningless game at the end of the 2006 season. In most of the victories the Bears tore apart Favre, giving some comfort to this Bears fan.

Would he have been just as bad against the Bears had he signed with the Vikings? Possibly, consideirng how inconsistent he was in New York. The Bears defense these days isn't as solid as it was during the 2004-2007 run, but Favre is also older. It would have been interesting, although not as interesting as his first trip back to Lambeau. I'm sure the FOX and ESPN execs are broken up over losing that matchup. I guess they'll have to live with Aaron Rodgers vs. Tavaris Jackson instead.

Bears Post-Mortem 2008

I apologize for the rapid fire of posts (has it really been over 2.5 months since I posted here?), but I have to get my thoughts out about the latest edition of the Chicago Bears.

Simply put, it was a thoroughly frustrating, yet somewhat entertaining season. They finished about where I thought they would (somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7), but did so in a thoroughly inconsistent way. Looking at the season at it's end, it really isn't that different than last year. The offense was a little better, the defense was significantly worse, and the Devin Hester show became the Danieal Manning Show. All in all, it was a pretty mediocre season. And yet, they were 8 points away from making the playoffs.

So where do the Bears go from here? The defense is getting older, and former key pieces of the puzzle like Brian Urlacher, Tommie Harris, and Mike Brown aren't what they once were. Maybe they can pick up a good (or at least solid) defensive tackle, another solid linebacker, and a decent safety in free agency or the draft.

On the other side of the ball, the much maligned offense did nothing but raise more questions. Orton showed some signs of competence, but also showed some signs that he isn't the answer. The Bears appear to have found a top back in Matt Forte, but he can't be expected to carry the offense year after year. Unfortunately, Greg Olson appears to be just a good, rather than a great, pass catching tight end. Given the weakness of the Bears wide receiver corps, that is yet another reason to be pessimistic for next season.

In the end, its far too early to make any observations on how the Bears will do in 2009. The Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins showed how quick things can change in a season. Until the Bears make their moves in the off-season, I'll stay in a wait and see mode.

The days of football are numbered for another season, and it is time for us who follow sports to move to college basketball, which is just getting ready to begin conference season. And don't forget that pitchers and catchers report in about two months.

At least I'm not a Lions fan.

Quick Playoff Predictions
Wildcard Round
Indianapolis over San Diego
Baltimore over Miami

Minnesota over Philadelphia
Atlanta over Arizona

Divisional Round
Pittsburgh over Indianapolis
Baltimore over Tennessee

New York over Atlanta
Carolina over Minnesota

Conference Championship Round
Pittsburgh over Baltimore
New York over Carolina

Super Bowl
New York over Pittsburgh

About that Bears Game

Umm....Yeah....

Oh boy....

All I can say is that I am thankful the Bears only have one game left against the NFC South. Of course the way these heart-breakers are going the Saints game will end on a 55 yard FG with 1:01 left in OT after blowing a 31 point 4th quarter lead.

Well, they are still 3-3, and its time for the Minnesota Vikings. Hopefully they can take care of business against them.

Bears Watch '07: Ugh...

Last night was the first chance this year for me to watch the Bears play. Opening weekend I was working while they played the Chargers, and the Chiefs game was up against a Ravens game, so it wasn't shown here in Virginia.

After watching them play last night, I wish I had found a reason not to watch the game. It was an all around failure, although I can't help but think that the defense might have been better if the offense had shown up.

Frankly, my faith in this team has been shaken. So far they have looked very ugly in the two losses against San Diego and Dallas. The one victory, against an abysmal Kansas City team, didn't look much better. Grossman has only rarely shown any signs of competence, and Benson is no Thomas Jones.

It pains me to say this, but I think it may be time for the Grossman era in Chicago to come to an end. As it stands, I don't think he'll ever overcome his weaknesses, and will never become a stable option for the team. Its time to put Brian Griese in, and see if the season can be saved.

The 2007 Bears Preview

It is a pretty good time to be a Bears fan. Maybe not as good as the mid 80s, but still much better than the Wannstedt years. The Bears have won two straight division titles, and made a trip to the Super Bowl. They have returned most of their roster from last year, and the NFC looks just as ripe for the taking in 2007 as it did in 2006. This most certainly could be a good year for the "Monsters of the Midway".

If the outlook is so bright, why are so many Bears fan nervous about this year? Some might argue a potentially improved NFC north, a tougher schedule, or the potential distraction of the Lance Briggs saga. However, those all pale in comparison to the uncertainty about Rex Grossman.

Grossman has shown signs that he could be the one to lead the Bears out of the quarterback wilderness. When he plays well, the Bears are a very dangerous and exciting team. His good days make you forget about Henry Burris, Cade McNown, and the other jokers who have occupied that position in recent years. When he is on fire, he makes those who argue for Kyle Orton and/or Brian Griese look foolish.

But those days don't happen every week. There seems to be little middle ground with Rex. Either he is very good, or he is very bad. One week he'll have a 250+yd/3 TD game, and the next will be a 3 INT/2 Fumbles game. You never know what to expect from him.

I can see why some people would want to replace him with Griese and/or Orton. Sure, you probably won't get some of the excitement Grossman brings, but the other two might not make quite so many stupid throws. In addition, they both seem much better at not fumbling the snap, a problem Grossman has that almost is worse than his poor throwing choices.

Hopefully Cedric Benson will have a breakout season and take some of the pressure off of Grossman. For better or worse, Benson is the featured back now. If teams have to plan on stopping Benson, it will open up more opportunities for the passing game. As long as the solid receiver corps stays healthy, the Bears offense could be a powerhouse. Or it could be the SOSB (same old sh***y Bears). Here's hoping it will be the former, rather than the latter.

Predictions

NFC East: Philadelphia (#4), Dallas (#5), Washington, New York
NFC North: Chicago (#1), Minnesota (#6), Green Bay, Detroit
NFC South: New Orleans (#2), Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay
NFC West: Seattle (#3), San Francisco, Arizona, St. Louis

AFC East: New England (#1), Buffalo (#6), New York Jets, Miami
AFC North: Baltimore (#3), Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Cleveland
AFC South: Indianapolis (#2), Tennessee, Jacksonville, Houston
AFC West: San Diego (#4), Denver (#5), Oakland, Kansas City

NFC Wildcard Round: Philadelphia over Dallas, Seattle over Minnesota
AFC Wildcard Round: San Diego over Denver, Baltimore over Buffalo

NFC Divisional Round: Chicago over Philadelphia, New Orleans over Seattle
AFC Divisional Round: New England over San Diego, Indianapolis over Baltimore

NFC Championship: New Orleans over Chicago
AFC Championship: New England over Indianapolis

The Game That Shall Not Be Named (Please don't hurt me NFL Lawyers): New Orleans over New England

The Week Ahead: September 3-9

I hope those of you who had a day off had a happy Labor Day, and my condolences to those who didn't.

Coming up this week will be a final Summer movie review. From Spider-Man 3 to Superbad, I'll share my thoughts on a very enjoyable season.

Also, we're less than a week from the start of the Bears season, which means it's time for my 2007 preview. Expect this on Friday (and be sure to let me know if I don't get it up by then).

Until then I bid you adieu.

The Decommissioned Tank: Bears cut Johnson

Well, the Tank Johnson era is done in Chicago. Honestly, it was the right move. The team bent itself backwards for him, and stuck its neck out last year after his troubles with the law. What did he do to repay the team? He got in a car while drunk, and chose to piss away his career. Nobody said that football players were hired for their responsible decision-making skills.

Some thoughts on the Bulls and the NFL Draft

Congratulations to the Bulls, who finished off Miami Heat on Sunday. As impressive as the sweep was, what did you expect when the Bulls (avg player age: 19.4) played the Heat (avg player age: 76.2) *. Up next is a tussle with the Pistons, in what many consider the real Eastern Conference finals.

In other sports news, I think the NFL might have had a small event over the weekend. I have to admit that I did watch the draft, at least the first eight hours of it. Other than the Brady Quinn saga, it wasn't that interesting. The Bears filled some holes, and looks like they got a steal at tight end. Of course, since Rosenhaus is his agent, who knows if he'll show up to Bourbonnais on time.

Just three months or so until training camp. Gentlemen, let the countdown begin!

* Stats courtesy of the Bureau of Imaginary Statistics...99.5% accuracy or your money back

Bears schedule is out

The NFL has announced the 2007 regular season schedule, and I am rather happy about it. Looks like they are scheduled for several prime-time and late afternoon games, which drastically increases the chance of me being able to watch their games. The Chargers game is the week one FOX headliner game. The next week, it appears they will be playing the Chiefs in the CBS late game. And in week three, they host Dallas in the NBC game.

As a Bear's fan, I instinctively get wary when so many of their games are in the national spot light. However, two straight years of success, including a large level of success in prime time games last year (Green Bay in week 17 does not count), gives reason not to be worried.

The revelation of the schedule does not alleviate the fact that we still have until September before the games start. Oh well, at least there is baseball to occupy the time.