The Chicago Bears Top 10 Head Coaching Possibilities for 2010

This list breaks down the top 10 choices for the Chicago Bears entering the 2010 season.

With the season over and more than several different media sources calling for G.M. Jerry Angelo to make a change, it is time to see what options there for the Bears in order to improve from a very… VERY disappointing season.

So the list begins with the 10th best choices and goes up until the best option…

Begin Slideshow

The Chicago Bears and An Addiction 20 Years In The Making

My name is Max and I have an addiction.

My problem started back in the early ’90s.

It seemed so innocent. So easy. So carefree. 

I could just sit down on Sunday afternoons and enjoy the game. Back then it didn’t matter as much if the Bears won. They were never supposed to win. They were never supposed to be good.

I could sit there drinking a soda and eating my wings with my old man and have fun watching the Bears suffer through QB after QB as my dad would curse under his breath for the first half and doze off during the second half.

Then as the early ’90s transgressed into the mid- to late-’90s, I started to really care about the outcome. I could enjoy it still, but I would be bummed out for a day or two after the game if (or in most cases, when) they let another one slip away. But it hadn’t hit me yet just how much damage this was doing to my inner workings.

It was just one pathetic display after another, until the 2001 season came and my Bear-love hit full stride. 

With each improbable win, my connection deepened. It went from just an every weekend flirtation to scouring the newspapers daily for any tidbit of information I could find.

It meant rushing home from church so I could practice my new fast-growing religion and watch the pregame show before the Bears kickoff. It meant refusing to plan anything on Sunday afternoons so I wouldn’t miss the game.

By 2005, I started to realize that I might have had a problem.

I had moved to Hawaii right before the start of that season and I made it a point that no matter what I had done on that Saturday night before (I was a freshman in college 2000 miles from home…you can imagine what I was up to) I was awake at 6:30 a.m. so I could listen to Jeff Joniak on the Bears pregame on NFL.com’s Field Pass.

It was like high school was preparing me for a whole new level of dedication once college struck. It went from crazy to zealot status.

No longer was my brain bothered by insignificant facts about plant life and accounting ledgers. Instead it was full of rushing stats and punt yard averages. It was bothered by contract renegotiations and Green Bay Packer draft moves as opposed to Shakespeare and AP writing style.

I started contributing to blogs. I tried reading every Bears thing I could find on the Internet. I started pouring over our lineups and scouting possible draft selections.

I even based all my fantasy football picks of of the Bears, despite there being very few reasons for it.

And by that point, it would take me several days to recover from a loss.

Then post-college hit. I kept reading everything I could. I sacrificed most of my time (and a lot more money than I should have) and I started writing for the Bleacher Report.

I wrote at home. I wrote at my girlfriend’s. I snuck into my former schools computer lab to update blog posts and leave comments on other articles. I would scribble down article notes or part of a clever line I could add in while at dinner.

I racked up phone bills calling my brother in Africa. I stayed up late at night trying to decide what type of Bear paraphernalia would go up on my wall next and if Joe Odom could be a solid contributor on special teams.

I found myself starting arguments with opposing NFC North fans that I would come across. Then it progressed to starting arguments with any NFL fan that did not support the Bears.

I got a job. I started writing articles at my job. I quit and got a new job, where I continued writing.

I purchased NFL Replay and started watching Bears games at work.

On Sunday’s, I would clock out, go to the bar, watch the Bears game and then go back (being a supervisor has its perks).

Everything else took a backseat and losses…I never really got over them. They just stayed with me.

But then this season came and I realized how crazy I was…well, I realized how crazy other people thought I was. 

What is more, I couldn’t fully justify it. The Bears ARE bad. The coaching staff is a mess, the offensive line is awful, the defense is a shadow of it’s once dominating self and the ownership doesn’t seem to care.

Yet, I keep at it.

My name is Max and I have a problem… 

I am addicted to the Chicago Bears and I do not care.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago Bears: 25 Reasons to Watch The Last Four Games Of 2009

With the Bears at 5-7 and, for all intents and purposes, out of the running for the playoffs this season, some Chicago fans will tend to stray off on to other sports, or in some instances, back to their families.

While I support people paying attention to their wives and kids (and husbands in some cases) there are still several reasons to keep watching the Bears this season. Here are 25.

 

25) Because they are still the Chicago Bears

24) Because it is Packer week.

23) Because one can hope that the Bears can ruin the Packers chances of making the playoffs… 

22) …And the Raves chances of making the playoffs…

21) …And the Vikings’ chances of receiving home-field advantage.

20) Because they have a chance of beating Brett Favre…

19) …In Soldier Field…

18) …On Monday Night Football in front of a national audience.

17) Because you can watch the development of our young wide receiver corps with our star quarterback of the future.

16) Because you want to see if Jamar Williams’ 18-tackle performance last game was just the product of a poor Rams team or if it was real and he could be a starter next season.

15) Because it is worth it to watch Johnny Knox and Danieal Manning return kickoffs. The bright spot of the Bears all season has been these two (specifically Knox, but Manning has come close to breaking one or two).

14) Because they are the Chicago Bears.

13) Because you can watch the offensive line, with Kevin Shaffer at the right tackle and Chris Williams at the left tackle, a tandem that could be there for the next five years if all goes well.

12) Because it’s bad weather in Chicago, so you might as well stay in and enjoy some football.

11) Because listening to Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer on the radio while having it synced with your T.V. is better than any duo that FOX can give you for any game.

10) Because it is Packer week.

9) Because the Bears have four weeks left and then we have to wait another eight months before we get another chance to watch the Navy and Burnt.

8) Because it gives you the chance to evaluate specific players without necessarily worrying about the outcome of the game…

7) …Players like like Al Afalava, Kahlil Bell, Devin Aromashodu, D.J. Moore, Jaron Gilbert, and maybe even Juaquin Iglesias.

6) Because it gives you an excuse to read the sports pages everyday, scouring for a Bears article. Those will be hard to find come January.

5) Because it gives you a reason to take out your anger on a weekly basis at the television when Lovie Smith makes another terrible challenge call.

4) Because we are Bear fans and we should not (nor have not) found despair and disappointment as a surprise before. So why quit now?

3) Because they are the Chicago Bears.

2) Because it is Packer week.

1) Because the one saving grace to this season is that we can all sit there on our couches and take great satisfaction in knowing that this is Ron Turner’s last hoorah.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago Bears-St. Louis Rams: Should Bear Fans Be Hoping For a Loss?

The  Chicago Bears welcome the St. Louis Rams to Solider Field this Sunday in what promises to be an impressive display of mediocrity.

The Bears are in the midst of a free fall, dropping five of their past six games while the Rams haven’t gotten up high enough to be in consideration for a free fall this season. Their sole victory came against the Detroit Lions. So it would appear that despite recent struggles, the Bears should come out of this game on top.

That all said, my brother posed a question to me after last week’s embarrassment at the hands of the Vikings:

Do I, as a Bears fan, want the Chicago Bears to actually win this week?

It is an age-old question that is always brought up when a team is out of the playoffs and the fans start wondering about their team’s draft spot. Now in the Bears situation, they have a total of zero draft picks the first day of the draft (thanks Jerry) but they do have something else to “lose” for.

If the Bears finish the season at, say, 6-10, with the two wins being over the Rams and in the season finale versus the Lions and the three losses to the Packers, Ravens and Vikings, Lovie Smith will use Ron Turner as the scapegoat and fire him. If that happens, Lovie will keep his job for at least one more year and, predictably, the Bears will have another subpar season in 2010.

For the record, I think Turner should be fired, I just do not think he should be the only one.

But let us just say the Bears lose out, finish the season at 4-12 and ride a NINE-game losing streak into the offseason. Wouldn’t that force GM Jerry Angelo to make a change at head coach? The simple fact of losing 11 out of the last 12 games, with the only victory coming against the Browns, would have to force a major move by Bears management.  Would it, dare I say, even force team president Ted Phillips to make a change at the general manager position?

Now let me be clear on this, I am rooting for the Bears to destroy the Rams this weekend. As I told my brother, I can never bring myself to root against the Bears in any situation. But his argument will be made by many others because, let’s face it, by losing now, the Bears might actually be doing what is best for the future.

 

Look at what would happen if we beat the Rams…

1.       The offense gets in a good rhythm. Maybe Jay Cutler throws more touchdowns than interceptions (a feat he has accomplished only four times this season). Matt Forte could be geared up for a big game, facing one of the league’s worst rushing defense.

Sidenote: Did you know that the Bears currently “boast” the league’s worst rushing offense? I mean, I knew we were bad, but I didn’t realize we are DEAD LAST in the NFL! That is depressing.

2.       It should solidify Chris Williams at the left tackle position. The Rams do not have the most fearsome front four, so it should give Williams a chance to reacclimatize himself with the position he held before the Bears coaching staff moved him at the start the year.

3.       The Bears defense should be able to keep Kyle Boller in check while focusing on shutting down a still-dangerous Steven Jackson.

4.       A win will make the Bears 5-7 and keep alive an outside shot at a winning record, which I am sure will make for a very mild-mannered and monotonous postgame speech from Lovie.

 

Now, if the Bears lose to the Rams…

1.  They will be embarrassed on local television and have to face the shame in handing the Rams their second win of the season.

2.  The Bears’ fan base will be calling for heads to roll right then and there, to heck with the end of the year.

3.  It means that either the Bears defense just simply quit or it means Jay and our awful rushing attack turned the ball over.

4.  A loss will guarantee nothing better than a .500 season, which I am sure will make for a very mild-mannered and monotonous postgame speech from Lovie.

It might also make the upper management, and hopefully the McCaskey family, take notice of just how far this team has fallen in the three seasons since their Super Bowl appearance.

But with all that said, I will still rock my Bears jersey (maybe Idonije, maybe Big Cat) come Sunday morning and find a bar that will play this game (there has to be one, right?) and hope the Bears blow them out.

Meanwhile, halfway across the world, my brother will be rooting for a Bears loss at the hands of arguably one of the worst three teams in football.

And yet, despite me hoping for a win and him hoping for a loss, we both have the same goal in mind: Chicago Bear success. Kind of ironic, isn’t it?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago Quits in Loss to Minnesota: Bears Throw in the Towel on Season

I am writing this article in the fourth quarter with eight minutes left. I do not need to see the rest of the game. Everything I need to know the Bears showed me in the first three quarters. And that is quite obvious.

The Chicago Bears have quit.

They have quit on this game.

They have quit on this season.

They have quit on Lovie Smith.

And they have quit on their fans.

Not every player and not on every play. But the Bears have stopped caring if they win or not.

There is no fire. No passion. At this moment, the Bears defense has allowed 518 yards in three and a half quarters. Favre is 10 yards short of his career high.

On both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, the Chicago Bears have cashed out on the 2009 season. 

Lovie Smith should be gone at the end of this season and quite frankly, I do not care who replaces him. Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, Leslie Frazier, or my girlfriend’s roommate. Anyone else (other than Ron Turner).

If I were to have written this article at halftime, it would have been a tirade of profanity and anger.

But now, that anger has melted into depression.

Next week, I will still put on my bears Jersey. I will still find a place in Hawaii that has the Bears vs Rams game on. I will still cheer and believe the Bears can win every game. But it is fruitless.

Even as I type this the Bears, down by 26, run the ball for 1 yard on first and ten with six minutes left…How is anyone to succeed with such a blatant lack of leadership on the sideline?

The Bears cannot succeed with this coaching staff, or lack there of.

It hurts.

You know what hurts even more? Having to watch the Bears get destroyed while listening to Joe Buck and Troy Aikman verbally falaish Brett Favre for the entire game.

I have spoken with several bear fans and perused blogs online during the second half and all I seem to hear is loyal, dedicated fans turning the game off early because they are disgusted beyond belief at the lack of effort this team has put forth.

While I continue to watch, I cannot tell you why. My brother has officially joined the bandwagon that hopes the Bears lose out in hopes it will force G.M. Jerry Angelo or Team President Ted Phillips to make changes to this coaching staff and brain trust.

And when you do not record a first down for the ENTIRE SECOND HALF, you shouldn’t have a job as a head coach or offensive coordinator in the National Football League.

Two minute warning has arrived…but the game, and season, ended much much earlier.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Bill Cowher to the Chicago Bears?

The NFL Network is reporting that an unnamed source claims that former Steelers head coach and Super Bowl winner Bill Cowher would be interested in coaching either the Chicago Bears or Houston Texans next season.

Several sources close to Cowher himself admitted that the former coach of the year is readying to get back into the league after taking two years off, although they did not specify teams.

Cowher’s name was already linked with the job opening in Buffalo, but he informed the team that he would wait until the offseason before deciding whether to return. But speculation is that he is waiting until the end of the year to see what other jobs are open.

The Carolina Panthers are another team linked to Cowher if they decide to part ways with long-time head coach John Fox, since Cowher currently lives in Raleigh, N.C.

Whether the Bears would be willing to make this move—if it is, in fact, true—is open for debate.

First off, they would have to fire coach Lovie Smith and, in doing so, pay him the roughly $10.5 million that he would be owed. And second, they would have to cough up anywhere from $5-10 million per year for Cowher to come to the Windy City.

Any Bears fan can tell you that the McCaskey family is not exactly what you would call a big spender, but Cowher would bring the fire and defensive intensity that the Bears seem to lack at times.

Plus, if Lovie were let go, offensive coordinator Ron Turner would also be out the door, which means a new, and hopefully more successful, offensive scheme for Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, and the rest of the offense to work with.

So how ’bout it, Chicago?

 

ADDITION: 670 The Score’s Hub Arkush reports that Bears braintrust have made “informal inquires” to several big name coaches. He does say it is still a long shot, but if it is true, that is more than I thought the Bears upper management were capable of.

Podcast link here: http://podcast.670thescore.com/wscr2/2078260.mp3

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Grading The Chicago Bears: Week 11 Vs The Philadelphia Eagles

Grading each position on the Chicago Bears depth chart in light of their four point loss at home to the Eagles, 24-20.

This loss hurt. The Bears played better and gave you reason to hope throughout the entire game. Losing close always hurts more than losing big because in a close loss, you can sit there and say, “What if…”. In a blowout, the only “what if” question you can ask is, “What if the team DIDN’T show up.”

So enough of the rambling, here we go.

OFFENSE:

Quarterback: Jay Cutler

A combination of over thrown balls and check down passes equal unimpressive stats. He had good moments, (Kellen Davis touchdown and the ensuing two point conversion) but for the second week in a row, the game ended on an interception. Unacceptable.

Grade: C

Running back: Matt Forte and Kahlil Bell

Bell had one good run (for a staggering 74 yards) and Forte had glimpses of solid play, but overall, not that great. It just seems Forte isn’t the same back and far to often will run into the middle of the line and get taken down for a one yard gain. Simply infuriating.

Although, for the first time in my life, I saw a Bears player do something amazing, heard the announcer say his name and sat there going, “… WHO?!?!”. Did not realize that Kahlil Bell was even a practice squad member, much less on the active roster.

So that was my bad.

Grade: C

Wide Receiver: Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett

Made plays when the ball actually got to them, which wasn’t as often as it should have been. Both Hester and Knox broke away from their defender and had a sure fire touchdown if Cutler had not over thrown him, I mean it was like watching Kyle Orton again.

Grade: B

Tight ends: Greg Olsen and Kellen Davis

Neither was overly impressive; Olsen had a couple catches and Davis had the lone touchdown but also had a costly holding penalty. Olsen would have had a touchdown, but again Orto…er, Cutler overthrew him. Davis made a nice catch for his touchdown but his blocking leaves something to be desired.

Grade: C+

Offensive line:

Pass blocking was a little better but the run blocking was spotty and way to many penalties. I mean, holding and false starts galore. And while the pass blocking was better as Cutler was only sacked once, the complete lack of a run game could be the central theme to the Bears season. 

Grade: C-

 

DEFENSE:

Cornerbacks: Charles Tillman and Zachary Bowman

Three forced fumbles and an interception overshadowed some poor coverage at times. I have been critical of Tillman at times, but the man really showed his worth punching the ball out on three separate occasions. Bowman was still picked on, but he jumped a slant route and made a very nice interception on McNabb.

I will say, it was nice to see Corey Graham get some reps this week. I thought the man played very well last year when he was thrust into the line up and while he did not blow me away, he showed some flashes.

Grade: B+

Safeties: Al Afalava and Danieal Manning

Afalava got burned on the touchdown to Desean Jackson and Manning’s name was not called often, if at all. Afalava really impressed me to start the season and I think he could be successful in the NFL, but you cannot let Desean Jackson beat you up the seam like that. Not if you continue to want a job in this league.

And I saw very little of Manning this game. I don’t even know what else to say to that.

Grade: C-

Linebackers: Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach

Briggs was a maniac. He had a great sack on a delayed blitz and was the leading tackler on the team. Hillenmeyer goofed on the go ahead touchdown but played well otherwise, including sharing a sack with Mark Anderson and a fumble recovery. Although Roach was decent, at best. I heard his name about as often as Danieal Manning’s.

Grade: B-

Defensive line: 

Decent, but not great with inconsistent pressure and spotty success against the run. So far, Gaines Adams has been useless. Alex Brown was contained fairly well by Jason Peters, but did get pressure McNabb on occasion. Tommie Harris was credited with a sack, although it should have been shared as Israel Idonije got there first.

Anthony Adams had a fumble recovery and Marcus Harrison was called for offsides.

All of that said, and this pains me to admit this, as much as Tommie Harris frustrates me with his attitude and missed games, this Bears defense plays a whole lot better when he is in there. 

Grade: C+

Special Teams: 

Brad Maynard wasn’t bad with a couple more punts inside the 20, Knox was above average on kick returns including one he almost broke all the way and Robbie nailed 4/5 kicks, his one miss being a blocked kick from 49 yards out.

So once again, the special tams unit makes the special teams unit the best of the Bears three units… again.

Grade: A-

Coaching:

I can sum up the coaching in three words: “Unimaginative”, “boring” and “predictable”.

Grade: C-

Overall:

A better overall performance in every aspect of the game from last week except in the most important one: the final score.

Grade: C

 

My final thoughts: The Bears season, for intents and purposes, is over. At 4-6, the Bears will have to go 5-1 over the last six games to get above the .500 mark. While it puts a slight damper on the remaining season, at least we can cheer on the Bears in hopes that they get their shots in on Brett Favre in two more games.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Jay Cutler vs. Rex Grossman: You Be The Judge, Bear Fans

On a night where the Chicago Bears defense actually kind of, sorta, in a small way showed up, it was the Chicago Bears offense that dropped the ball … no pun intended.

And to be perfectly accurate, it was the Bears’ quarterback again reminding everyone how poor that position has been for the past 20–plus–years.

Jay Cutler threw five (count ’em, five) interceptions and in doing so, he looked remarkably like the type of QB that led us to a Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, not to a Super Bowl title, but Rex Grossman did manage to navigate the Bears to the big game in 2006 despite some shoddy numbers. Last night, Cutler was a spitting image of him.

Cutler still displayed the strong arm and big-play ability, much like Rex did, but his interceptions were awful and in very costly situations, all five being in 49er territory, including one at the one-yard line and one in the end zone as time expired.

The game resembled the four-interception game that Sexy Rexy had against the Arizona Cardinals in 2006, in which all four picks occurred in Arizona’s half of the field. 

In fact, lets look at Cutler’s stats through the first nine games of this season versus Rex’s stats through his first nine games of the 2006 season:

Jay: 2,353 yards, 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Rex: 2,095 yards 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

… Ouch.

Rex went 8-1 through his first nine game.

Jay has gone 4-5 through his.

Let me be clear, I think that Jay is better than Rex, and Grossman did have the advantage of a great defense but the simple fact of the matter is, have the Bears continued their tradition of ruining someone who was otherwise thought of as a good quarterback.

The 2009 season is for all intents and purposes, is over for the Chicago Bears. They will not catch the Vikings and now trail at least four teams for the wild card.

Let’s just hope Jay can figure it out in the next seven weeks, otherwise Bear fans, we could be in for a rough ride the next four or five years.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Garrett Wolfe To The Hospital, Chicago Bear RB’s Becoming Endangered

The Chicago Bears backup running back Garrett Wolfe suffered a kidney injury this past weekend in their game against the Arizona Cardinals. The significance of the injury was realized later after Wolfe was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to Chicago Tribune writer Vaughn McClure.

Wolfe has been the primary backup for starter Matt Forte after the original backup, Adrian Peterson, suffered a knee injury in October.

Thankfully, A.P. returned this past week just in time as Wolfe was hurt on the opening kickoff. Peterson originally took over the back up role when Kevin Jones suffered a season ending injury during the final preseason game.

Wolfe is still hospitalized, and while no one is sure how long he could be out, the Tribune reported that he should miss only two-four weeks.

Although, to be fair, it shouldn’t make to much difference who is at the backup role since the Bears look to fall behind in the first quarter and then have to rely on the arm of Jay Cutler more than the legs of Matt Forte.

Maybe this new style of offense is the new way the Bears are trying to keep Forte fresh?

Regardless, it has been a difficult year for ALL Bear running backs. Both physically and statistically. And judging from the remaining schedule and the lack defense… having two running back might still be one more than is really needed.

Bear Down.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Bearing Down For The Long Haul: Lovie Is Here to Stay…

… Whether we like it or not.

After this weekend’s latest embarrassment in Soldier Field to Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals (who were coming off a bad loss to the Panthers last week, in which Warner threw five interceptions) the Bears have cemented themselves as a team that opposing offenses are salivating to play. 

Warner made amends for his pitiful display against the Panthers by tossing five touchdowns versus the Bears, including four in the first half.

This, coupled with an eerily similar display several weeks ago when Carson Palmer carved up the defense like they were a turkey, has brought heavy criticism down on head coach and defensive play caller Lovie Smith and more than one thinking it is time to part ways with the Lovemistro.

The reasons that Lovie should be let go come the end of the year are aplenty;

 

• He has made poor personnel decisions since becoming head coach.
• The defense has gotten progressively worse since their trip to the Super Bowl in 2006, in which he was not the defensive play caller.
• Lovie let go the previous defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera, because they did not see eye to eye and brought in his good buddy, Bob Babich… who has since been relegated to linebackers coach.
• The offense finally has a legitimate player under center but can’t get any rhythm going when the defense consistently allows 10 play drives that eats up large amounts of clock.

However, despite these two AWFUL losses, and the ones that are simply destined to come with the Eagles, Vikings (twice) and Packers all left on the schedule, Lovie Smith will still be the head coach in 2010. 

Following the Super Bowl run, the Bears extended Lovie’s contract through the 2011 season. With two more years and more than $10 million left on his contract, neither G.M. Jerry Angelo nor team president Ted Phillips will be willing to eat that money in favor of another coach.

Angelo will give Lovie at least one more season to try and right the ship because in the end, it is all about the money.

Do I want Bill Cowher or Leslie Frazier or Mike Shanahan instead of Lovie? Oh yes, please. 

I believe Cowher or Frazier would be the best fits since our defense seems to be the main problem right now. Although, I am interested in a new offensive coordinator if we could because Ron Turner is about as useless as Babich.

But it is all for not. With an organization that always tries to get the most for their money, you better believe the Bears will keep Lovie Smith for the 2010 season…

Which of course means another year of frustration and another year or mediocrity…

Bear down… It is going to be a loooong season.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010