Thursday News

[KittiesKorner]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...-blame-coverage-breakdown-20141112-story.html

Lance Briggs assumes blame for coverage breakdown

by Rich Campbell

Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs on Wednesday assumed blame for an incorrect pre-snap check that led to a coverage breakdown on the Green Bay Packers' 73-yard touchdown pass in Sunday night's 55-14 defeat.

On the play, cornerback Tim Jennings appeared to play Cover-2 when the rest of the secondary played Cover-3. Receiver Jordy Nelson was wide open on the third-and-11 pass and scored easily.

"I shouldn’t have made the check," said Briggs, who calls plays in the huddle and is responsible for some pre-snap checks. "I saw something, tried to check out of it, and we don’t have a check out of that defense. So I put our defense in jeopardy on that play."

Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker acknowledged the late check was a key factor in the coverage breakdown.

"It is something that quite frankly just can’t happen," Tucker said Wednesday.

Tucker dismissed the notion that communication between players and him might be made simpler.

"We just have to get better executing what we have, period," he said.

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...mel-tucker-defensive-woes-20141112-story.html

Mel Tucker on Bears' defensive woes: 'The answers are in our building'

By Dan Wiederer

As the Chicago Bears absorbed a 55-14 beatdown at the hands of the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night at Lambeau Field, defensive coordinator Mel Tucker didn’t want to believe what he was seeing.

In the first half alone, Tucker’s defense allowed 358 yards and 42 points, unable to put up much if any resistance against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Tucker’s emotion as the destruction was occurring: disappointment.

“It was very disappointing for everyone that was involved – players and coaches,” Tucker said. “Then looking at the tape even more so. That is how I felt about it.”

Bears' Mel Tucker doggedly keeps plugging away
Bears' Mel Tucker doggedly keeps plugging away
Brad Biggs
On Wednesday afternoon at Halas Hall, Tucker met with reporters for the first time since Sunday’s loss, still obviously shaken by the defensive effort and searching for answers to catalyze improvement before this weekend’s game against the Vikings.

Asked if he was embarrassed by his unit’s performance, Tucker preferred to look forward.

“Right now, I'm focused on the Vikings. Being embarrassed, at this point, is not productive. We're already into Wednesday of the next week, the next game. Are we happy with what happened? Obviously not. I would be disingenuous if I told you we felt good about that. We did not. We have to move on.”

Here are the other highlights of Tucker’s news conference:

On the communication issues within the defense during Sunday’s meltdown:

lRelated Vikings coach Mike Zimmer taking Bears game in stride
CHICAGO BEARS
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer taking Bears game in stride
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“Yeah, we did have that. Obviously we were not prepared enough and our effort and everything we do needs to be better. There is nothing that was good enough and regardless if we thought we were ready going into the game, obviously we need to make sure we are even more ready going into this next game.”

On the struggles of his pass defense over the past three games:

Brad Biggs' Bears mailbag: Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, defense and more
Brad Biggs' Bears mailbag: Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, defense and more
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“There are a few things we need to get corrected. We need to challenge balls better. We need to get a better, more consistent pass rush. We’ve got to do a better job in man and we’ve got to do a better job breaking on the ball in zone. We’ve got to do a much better job of recognizing play action. Those are four or five things right there that will improve our pass defense.”

On whether he’s surprised that there are so many things that need work this late in the season:

“It just is what it is. That is the reality of the situation when you look at it and say, ‘What do we need to get better at?’ And you analyze (it) and you look and you point those areas out and that’s what it is. So that is where we are.”

On whether the defense had an issue with a late check from linebacker Lance Briggs on Jordy Nelson’s 73-yard touchdown grab:

cComments
If the Vikings come into Soldier Field and drop another 40 or 50 pts on the Bears defense...there will no denying Tucker has to go before the season is over. If the Bears offense also lays another egg, it may enough for the McCaskey's to act/clean house on the spot. We all know ownership...
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AT 10:57 PM NOVEMBER 12, 2014
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“That was a big part of it and it is something that quite frankly just can’t happen. It just can’t happen. It’s not something that we expect to happen ever and don’t expect that to ever happen.”

On whether he needs to change anything in his approach to get better results out of his players:

“There are some things that just collectively we need to do better as players and coaches. That’s part of the deal. When you are not having success everyone has got to take it up a notch and everyone needs to step up and do better. Coach better, play better, practice better. Our practice tempo, execution and intensity, all of that has to go up a notch or two or three and that is the approach we take. That is pretty much what it is.”

On where the Bears need to turn to make corrections on so many of their fundamental flaws:

Lance Briggs assumes blame for coverage breakdown
Lance Briggs assumes blame for coverage breakdown
Rich Campbell
“The answers are in our building. They are in our meeting room. They are on the practice field. They are within each individual player and each individual coach. That’s where the answers are. That is where we’ve got to find them.”

On Marc Trestman’s assertion that the Bears’ locker room is in a good place right now:

“I’m not sure what that means in terms of a good place. In terms of are we focused on the opponent coming up? Yes. Are we happy with where we are? No. Are we disappointed? Yes. Do we have to move on quickly and get ready for next deal? Yes. And that’s where we are. It is not a happy-go-lucky situation. It’s very intense and it’s very focused and we know we need to get better in all areas. I think you can consider that a positive and a good area in knowing what we got to do. But we’ve got a lot of work to do this week.”

On whether he feels pressure with so much scrutiny coming his way:

“I just feel pressure to coach the best that I can. That’s the pressure I put on myself. I’ve never been anywhere where there wasn’t pressure to win and there wasn’t pressure to play well. I’ve never been in a situation where it wasn’t like that on a day-to-day basis. … I don’t feel any pressure other than what I put on myself. And that’s a lot of pressure.”

On where he thinks he can do a better job than he’s done over the first nine games:

"Across the board, I don't have enough time to tell you. We don't have enough time here, to talk about areas I can be better. Because every single thing that we do or that I do, I'm looking to do it better. Everything.”

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/blog/

Bears mailblog

I know Matt Forte is signed for a couple more years but what are the odds that he retires a Bear? For as important as he is to this team and this offense, I don’t think he’s getting the respect he deserves by not getting the amount of touches necessary to keep the offense on the field and more importantly out of Jay Cutler’s hands. My fear is that when his contract is up with the Bears he’ll go to a team whose only hole to fill is a veteran running back. Is this plausible or is this thinking just an overreaction to how quickly the season has gone south? – Jon R., from email

Forte is signed through next season and unless the Bears sign him to a contract extension before then (I have always maintained a third contract for a running back is a tricky proposition given wear and tear and diminishing production at the position) he will reach the open market. What will the market be for a 29-year-old running back with high mileage? That is impossible to say. Forte has a season and a half to go...READ MORE
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Why can't the experts see Matt Forte's overrated?
Bears running back Matt Forte
Bears running back Matt Forte rushes during the second quarter at Lambeau Field on Sunday. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)
Why don't football commentators, analysts and pundits see the same Matt Forte many fans see. He runs slow, he starts a play in slow motion, he doesn't have ability to shift gears and he can't run through or over anyone. He can't out-run anyone and he doesn't exactly fake anyone out in his moves. Long story short, this guy is sadly overrated and his carries and output as a running back speak for themselves. -- Rich C., Des Plaines, from email

I think you’re really missing the picture here, Rich. Forte might only be outstanding as a back in terms of his ability as a receiver but he’s very good at pretty much everything else, and the combination of those skills makes him a threat in the offense, one that has been ignored too much by Marc Trestman and his coaching staff this season.

Is Forte going to outrun the fast backs in the league? No. Is he going to consistently move the pile on third-and-1? No. Does he look like Barry Sanders in the open field? Who does? He is a smooth runner who...READ MORE
What is Matt Forte's trade value?
Bears running back Matt Forte
Bears running back Matt Forte (22) gets a pat on the back as he heads for the bench during a game against the New England Patriots. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
This team has a lot of holes. Would there be a market to trade Matt Forte to a contender for a late first-round or second-round pick next year? -- @plo1921 from Twitter

Now you’re talking about taking the most reliable part of the offense away. I think you’re shooting too high in estimating Forte’s value and that is not meant to knock him at all. He’s far and away the most consistent performer the Bears have on offense and have had for some time. But teams are reluctant to use a first-round pick on running backs in the draft these days. Just because the Colts made a blunder and forked one over to the Browns for Trent Richardson last year doesn’t mean it will happen again.

In fact, that probably heightens caution among general managers when it comes to trading for running backs. Forte turns 29 next month and will be in the final year of his contract next season, meaning his value would be further diminished on the trade market.

Could the Bears fetch a second-round pick for Forte? I...READ MORE
The Bears are bad but are they Abe Gibron bad?
Chicago Bears head coach Abe Gibron
Chicago Bears head coach Abe Gibron (Ed Wagner Jr. / Chicago Tribune)
Sat through horrible 4-12 Abe Gibron teams in 70’s but never saw a team quit like this Sunday. What are your thoughts? -- @tekster420 from Twitter

Off the top? Abe was never quite that bad. The NFL used a 14-game regular season schedule when Gibron was patrolling the sidelines for the Bears and he went 4-9-1 in 1972, 3-11 in 1973 and stayed around to get a third season going 4-10 in 1974.

My second thought is I’m glad I wasn’t around to watch those Bears teams. This Bears team is two wins away from being better than a four-win season and with seven games remaining, that is certainly possible. There is plenty of mediocre to go around in the NFL this season. Hang in there.READ MORE
Should the Bears switch to a 3-4 defense?
Bears defensive end Willie Young
Bears defensive end Willie Young with teammates before a game. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
With a defense this bad, would it be an easier transition to switch to a 3-4? -- @ZachJackary from Twitter

Good, bad or middle of the road, that has no bearing on the ease with which a team would be able to change schemes. It’s a personnel-based decision and the Bears have very little in the way of personnel right now that would be highlighted in a move to a 3-4. Perhaps it is a consideration down the road if there is a coaching change, but it would require a serious roster turnover.

I don’t see Jared Allen fitting into a 3-4 scheme next season when he is guaranteed $12.5 million. Maybe tackle Ego Ferguson could work in that system but it probably wouldn’t be a match for fellow rookie Will Sutton. I don’t see Willie Young being best used in a 3-4. It would probably best suit Shea McClellin and I’d bet Christian Jones could potentially play it.

People have grasped at the idea of a 3-4 defense for years now and I am not convinced that would solve or necessarily improve a thing. There is...READ MORE
Why not give rookies a shot?
NFL: Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears inside linebacker Christian Jones (59) stops Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry (14) from scoring in the second half of their game at Soldier Field. (Matt Marton / Reuters Photo)
Why not start a few of the rookies? Christian Jones over Shea McClellin, for example. See what the future holds. -- @cush200 from Twitter

Not a bad idea when thinking about the future. Here is what I can tell you about how the coaches think when putting together a plan for player usage: They want the best chance to win this Sunday. Marc Trestman and his staff don’t sit around wondering what can help them on a Sunday in the middle of the 2015 season. They want a lineup that gives them the best chance this Sunday, right now. That is how they’re going to approach it.

It’s worth noting that young players have been getting time, some extensive. Jones has started two of the previous four games and in limited action against the Packers, he showed up. Jones was credited with three solo tackles, two assists and one tackle for loss by coaches after review of game film. He was only on defense for nine snaps. While it was garbage time, this kind of production could lead Jones to be a bigger part of...READ MORE
Cutler to blame for struggles of Trestman's offense?
Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears
Bears head coach Marc Trestman stands on the sidelines with quarterback Jay Cutler against the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field. (TANNEN MAURY / EPA)
Marc Trestman's offense has worked everywhere from the NFL to the Canadian Football League and even with Josh McNown. Is is not working this season because defenses have figured it out, or is the fact it's not working the ultimate indictment of Jay Cutler? – Al, Boulder, Colo., from email

I’m not sure we want to equate CFL success to the NFL. The games are a little bit different and certainly the talent is different. I’ve started getting more and more McCown-related questions in the last few weeks and he certainly hasn’t experienced the same level of success with Tampa Bay although it looks like he might be reclaiming the starting job over Mike Glennon.

Cutler continues to make the same type of mistakes in terms of being prone to turnovers from time to time. That’s a major issue. He also hasn’t been able to produce big plays with the same kind of regularity the Bears enjoyed a year ago. The conversation needs to turn from Cutler’s ability and his tools to his production. Ultimately, the...READ MORE
Bears photos24MORE PHOTOS
Week 10: Packers 55, Bears 14
CHICAGO BEARS
Week 10: Packers 55, Bears 14
Bears' Lance Briggs
CHICAGO BEARS
Bears' Lance Briggs
All of the Bears' touchdowns scored this season
CHICAGO BEARS
All of the Bears' touchdowns scored this season
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler
CHICAGO BEARS
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler
Week 8: Patriots 51, Bears 23
CHICAGO BEARS
Week 8: Patriots 51, Bears 23
Week 7: Dolphins 27, Bears 14
CHICAGO BEARS
Week 7: Dolphins 27, Bears 14
Week 6: Bears 27, Falcons 13
CHICAGO BEARS
Week 6: Bears 27, Falcons 13
CHICAGO BEARS
Week 5: Panthers 31, Bears 24
CHICAGO BEARS
Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall
CHICAGO BEARS
Week 4: Packers 38, Bears 17
CHICAGO BEARS
Week 3: Bears 27, Jets 19
CHICAGO BEARS
Week 2: Bears 28, 49ers 20
CHICAGO BEARS
Week 1: Bills 23, Bears 20 (OT)
CHICAGO BEARS
Rank 'em: Best Bears quarterbacks
CHICAGO BEARS
Bears cornerback Charles Tillman
CHICAGO BEARS
Exhibition: Browns 33, Bears 13
CHICAGO BEARS
Preseason: Seahawks 34, Bears 6
CHICAGO BEARS
Bears backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen
CHICAGO BEARS
New Bears WR Santonio Holmes
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Preseason: Bears 20, Jaguars 19
CHICAGO BEARS
Preseason: Bears 34, Eagles 28
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Former Bears QB Jim McMahon
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Bears Hall of Famer Mike Singletary
CHICAGO BEARS
Richard Dent in action
Are Bears not as bad as they've looked?
Panthers beat bears 31-24
Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler fumbles as he is sacked by Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short on the last failed drive of the game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Is it possible the Bears aren't as bad as they've appeared in the last two weeks? The Dolphins throttled the Chargers 37-0 last Sunday and the Patriots pounded the team having arguably the best first half, the Broncos? – Phil H., Chicago, from email

Sure, that is possible. It's also possible the Bears’ Week 2 victory at San Francisco isn’t quite as impressive as it looked at the time. The 49ers are 4-4. Other than that, the Bears have defeated the Jets and Falcons, who have combined for three wins.

Sometimes in the NFL it isn’t who you play but when you play them. The Bears certainly caught Miami and New England on the upswing, no debating that. The losses that stick out are the opener against the Bills and the Week 5 game at Carolina. The Bears should not have lost to EJ Manual. At Carolina, the Bears had a 21-7 lead and were in the red zone with an opportunity to go up by three touchdowns before halftime. They broke down and never recovered. If this season doesn’t get back on track,...READ MORE
Is Bears' offense better suited to McCown than to Cutler?
ct-spt-1216-dig-bears-cover-3
Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) is congratulated by fellow quarterback Josh McCown (12) after the Bears scored a touchdown in a game last season. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Why doesn't anybody talk about the elephant in the room? That even though the offense was the second-highest scoring unit in the league last year, it truly didn’t take off until Josh McCown got under center? When Jay Cutler was out injured, that was the smoothest I've ever seen a Bears offense play. Yes, McCown has been a washout with Tampa Bay but sometimes quarterbacks find a system that works for them and it elevates their level of play. Marc Trestman’s system fit McCown perfectly. For whatever reason, Cutler just doesn’t get it. – Marshall D., from email

What about Trestman’s system leads Cutler to force balls in the direction of covered receivers and hold the ball at his hip when pressured in the pocket? Those are errors that are leading to turnovers and neither has anything to do with what Trestman is teaching quarterbacks. Cutler has played fine football at times. He hasn’t done so consistently. The Bears made a gamble in diving in with Cutler when they signed him to the contract...READ MORE
Will Jay Cutler's presence keep Bears from drafting a QB?
CT 0815_spt_bears_jaguars_15.JPG
Jay Cutler figures to be the Bears' quarterback for at least the next couple of seasons. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
I've often argued the Jay Cutler is a good, better-than-average quarterback. Yet, he is in his ninth year and getting no better. His potential is now irrelevant and he is what he is. So, will his guaranteed money now prevent the Bears from drafting a potential franchise quarterback should their abysmal play afford them the draft position to get one? Would the Bears ever admit their mistake and/or eat the money? Even if they would, will the cap hit keep them mediocre for the next four years at least? – Ken P., Chicago, from email

Are the Bears going to eat Cutler’s contract? I dealt with that question last week and I highly doubt it will happen. Will his presence deter them from considering a quarterback high in the draft? Maybe. Maybe not. They certainly are going to have a host of other needs to address. But nothing is more important than the quarterback position and if it’s viewed to be a problem, it would have to be the No. 1 concern. The question is, has doubt creeped into the minds...READ MORE
Are Brandon Marshall's TV trips affecting his play?
ct-spt-1020-bears-dolphins-chicago 2
Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) warms up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Solider Field. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Is it time to raise the question of whether Brandon Marshall's weekly trips to New York for the television show may be affecting his focus and his performance? – Garry V., Batesville, Ind., from email

Sure seems to me like this question has been raised on numerous occasions. I don’t know that Marshall’s focus has taken a hit. It’s not like he’s missing time at Halas Hall on his off day. But the production certainly hasn’t been there this season. He’s on pace to have 68 receptions for 768 yards. Not what he or the Bears had in mind. With the ankle injury in the past, I’d expect him to put up better numbers in the second half of the season.

Marshall has done a lot of positive things for the Bears since he arrived. But I’m not sure how the Showtime appearances in New York put football first for him. While it’s impossible to quantify what affect it has on him – if any – it certainly creates questions and with a 3-5 record through the first half of the season, they are unwanted questions to...READ MORE
Will Brock Vereen get a shot at cornerback?
ct-spt-1013-bears-falcons-chicago
Chicago Bears strong safety Brock Vereen watches before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
What are the chances of Brock Vereen getting time at cornerback down the stretch? My thought is he played decently at nickel cornerback and long term, his best position in the NFL might be corner rather than safety. Would make an interesting tandem with Kyle Fuller on the other side. Seems like a better crop of safeties coming out in the draft in 2015 than there was in 2014, which might make it easier to solve that position through next year's draft. -- Joe F., Oswego, Ill., from email

Play Vereen at cornerback and sit Tim Jennings less than a year after he was signed to a lucrative contract extension? No, I don’t think that is going to happen. Vereen lacks the size and strength to be a cornerback on the outside on every down. I’m not sure where he ultimately will fit best It could be at nickel cornerback if he gets some more seasoning and bulks up a little, but I don’t know if that happens this season. The good news is he has been productive on coverage teams and has contributed on...READ MORE

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/bears-tucker-resolute-under-fire-the-answers-are-in-our-building/

Bears’ Tucker resolute under fire: ‘The answers are in our building’

Mark Potash
email
Not only is Mel Tucker still here. He’s still Mel Tucker.

The Bears’ beleaguered defensive coordinator — who would have been fired at halftime of the Packers game if Bears fans had a say in the matter — doubled down on the season-long company line that the Bears just need to execute better and clean up a few plays here and there to become the defense everybody expected this season.

“The answers are in our building,” said Tucker, whose defense ranks 26th in the NFL in total yards, 31st in yards per play and 32nd and last in points allowed. “They are in our meeting room. They are on the practice field. They are within each individual player and each individual coach. That’s where the answers are. That is where we gotta find them.”

Change of some sort seemed to be in order after the Bears followed up an embarrassing 51-23 loss to the Patriots on Oct. 26 with an even more embarrassing 55-14 loss to the Packers on Sunday night at Lambeau Field that followed a bye week supposedly spent patching a few holes. But instead of righting the ship, they plunged it straight down toward the Marianas Trench of NFL ignominy.

But it’s just not the style of this coaching staff to mollify a frothing fan base that feels the Bears’ pain even more than the Bears themselves. You were expecting somebody to actually get fired after back-to-back debacles? Or maybe lose their starting job? Tucker won’t even publicly shame the guilty parties. In fact, he was almost defiant in making a point of saying he’ll play the hand he was dealt Sunday against the Vikings — a three of hearts, a five of spades, a seven of clubs, a nine of diamonds and a jack of a suit nobody’s ever heard of.

“There are always things we can change. Nothing is set in stone on the lineup,” Tucker said. “But the group that we’re going to put out there we think will give us the best chance to win this game. So I will tell you right now, we plan on going in with the group that started [the Packers] game … and we need to get them better. They need to play better. We need to coach them better. That is our plan.”

That has been the plan since the season opener, of course. It stands to reason that if it didn’t work in Week 10 after a bye week, something is fundamentally wrong. But Tucker doesn’t seem to think so. The Bears still think they’re so close — if not for those six touchdown passes Aaron Rodgers threw on Sunday night, the Bears would have gone into halftime tied 0-0.

“When you break it down and take 60 or 70 plays and look at those plays … there are four or five plays where we were not good,” Tucker said. “It’s not all bad. But the areas where we have mistakes, those are big plays and they cost us touchdowns. So we home in on those things and put special emphasis on those areas.”

For what it’s worth — which probably is not much, admittedly — the Bears are losing press conferences as rapidly as they are losing games and the faith of Bears fans. The clincher Wednesday came when Tucker was asked if Tim Jennings should have been more physical with Jordy Nelson on Nelson’s 40-yard touchdown pass. A pretty simple question.

“When we start taking about individual guys on individual plays, I don’t go there because I’m not a guy that’s going to throw a guy under the bus,” Tucker said. “I don’t believe in doing that. Never have. Never will.

“On that particular play, we as a defense didn’t get the job done in multiple areas. Rush and coverage. That’s where it stands.”

That’s yet another response that makes you wonder if this coaching staff is for real. Since when is defining the failure of a critical play “throwing a guy under the bus?” Are these professional athletes or nine-year-old soccer players?

Here’s a memo for the Bears coaching staff: Thousands of Bears fans invest a lot of time, money and emotion in this team and deserve to know why their team is such a massive disappointment, to an embarrassing degree. In protecting the apparently tender psyches of their players, they are insulting and angering their fan base. In this town, that’s a critical error.

The only common ground Bears fans probably found with Tucker on Wednesday came when he was asked where he thinks he can do a better job.

“Across the board,” Tucker said. “We don’t have enough time here to talk about areas I can do better, because every single thing that we do or that I do, I’m looking to do it better. Everything.”

He didn’t mean it to sound as self-critical as it did — he would say the same thing if the Bears were 6-3 — but for a fan base out for blood, it’ll have to do.

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/jay-cutler-is-regressing-and-the-numbers-confirm-it/

Jay Cutler is regressing — and the numbers confirm ithttp://cstbreakingnews.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/big_comebacks_football.jpg?w=670

Adam L. Jahns
email
While receiver Brandon Marshall continues to speak of the Bears’ confidence, or lack thereof, it’s fair to wonder where his quarterback’s is.

So let’s ask coach Marc Trestman.

“All I can evaluate is how [Cutler] works on a daily basis,” Trestman said Wednesday at Halas Hall. “He’s a tough guy. We know that. He’s a resilient guy. I expect him to bounce back. I feel that way in the meeting rooms.”

Cutler needs to show some signs of bouncing back because he appears to have regressed in Year 2 under Trestman. He’s having a late-career sophomore slump of sorts, and that’s a major problem considering the team’s investment in him and its belief in Trestman. The $15.5 million base salary that Cutler is set to earn next season ranks 10th in the league.

Cutler is responsible for 15 of the Bears’ 18 turnovers, but there are other numbers that also illustrate his struggles:

◆ Cutler’s statistics have been enhanced by garbage-time production. If you omit his second-half numbers against the Packers and Patriots (considering the Bears trailed 42-0 and 38-7 at halftime in those game), his rating drops to 89.8, which is just barely better than his career-best 89.2 mark in 2013.

That may not be decisively different from his 92.8 passer rating this season. But consider this: Cutler had 14 first-half possessions against the Packers and Patriots and came through with just one touchdown. The Packers’ and Patriots’ offenses combined for 73 points.

◆ Advanced statistics, such as ESPN’s QBR (total quarterback rating) and Pro Football Focus’ quarterback ratings, also show a decline.

Cutler currently has 57.4 QBR, which values a quarterback on all plays, after finishing with a career-best 66.4 mark in 2013. His career average is 53.6.

Cutler’s PFF quarterback rating is 83.09, which factors in drops, spikes, throwaways and receiver production. He had a 91.47 mark in 2013 and an 84.67 rating in 2012 under offensive coordinator Mike Tice.

◆ According to STATS, Cutler’s success on third downs has decreased. He has completed 57.9 percent of his passes on third downs for 621 yards, eight touchdowns, four interceptions, seven sacks and a 97.5 rating.

In 11 games in 2013, Cutler completed 60.6 percent of his passes on third downs for 769 yards, nine touchdowns, three interceptions, six sacks and a 102.6 rating.

◆ The Bears simply aren’t getting the bang for their buck. According to spotrac.com, a sports contracts website that’s partnered with the Pro Football Writers of America, Cutler is the NFL’s worst-value quarterback.

The site mathematically compares pay to production. Most of the best quarterbacks have minus ratings because of their high salaries. But Cutler’s league-worst minus-18.22 grade definitely stands out when compared to Tony Romo’s minus-2.45, Joe Flacco’s minus-8.35 or Matthew Stafford’s minus-9.82
Cutler’s production also made the Bears’ the worst-value team after Week 10.

“When the highest paid player in the NFL (Cutler) puts up a dud performance, the overall value of the team really has no chance,” Spotrac.com wrote.

◆ Cutler isn’t alone in experiencing a second-year decline under Trestman.
Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer, with Trestman as his offensive coordinator and position coach, went from a 75.0 rating in 1998 to 50.8 in 1999, when he threw a league-high 24 interceptions.

The Bears and Trestman aren’t about to give up on Cutler. Benching him is a far-fetched idea.
But Cutler needs to be better over the final seven games to validate the Bears’ beliefs in him. His 8-12 record under Trestman isn’t good enough.

“We need him to play well, just like we need everyone else to play well,” Trestman said. “We’re doing everything we can to get back to that place.”

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/lance-briggs-puts-a-new-slant-on-his-bbq-story/

Lance Briggs puts a new slant on his BBQ story

Patrick Finley
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The halcyon days of the Bears’ season almost seem quaint now, don’t they?

Six days before the regular season started, Lance Briggs left the team to open his barbecue restaurant, Double Nickel Smokehouse, in Elk Grove, California. He asked Marc Trestman for the day off — and it was granted — but said then he never told the coach why.

Only, Briggs said this week, that’s not how it happened. He said on his Comcast SportsNet show Tuesday he indeed had told Trestman about the restaurant date “a month before” taking the day off.

Wednesday at Halas Hall, he reaffirmed his stance.

“The thing about my TV show is, it’s a great platform for me to express myself in a lot of different ways,” Briggs said. “I really had that moment and I addressed it then and I’m going to leave it at that.”

But which one is the truth?

“I see you’re opening *another door right now,” he said.

It’s a fair question, Lance.

“Right, right,” he said. “If you watch the show, it’ll answer [it] for you.”

If Briggs indeed is in his last seven weeks with the Bears, he’s not going to go quietly.


Whether two months’ time has provided Briggs a sauce-bottle’s worth of truth serum, or whether the linebacker felt slighted by Trestman’s public support — or lack thereof — at the time, his story is different now than it was then.

Trestman’s version is not.

“I showed him the respect that I think he deserved at the time, and I didn’t think it was doing anything that was not in the best interest of the team at the time,” Trestman said Wednesday. “That’s it.”

It doesn’t help that Briggs — whose return from injury was seen as a badly needed upgraded — made one of the season’s most egregious mistakes Sunday.

On the first play of the second quarter, Briggs tried to counter an audible by Aaron Rodgers with a defensive check — only the Bears didn’t have an established audible out of the set they called.

That left Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson running free down the right sideline — wide open because of blown coverage — for a 73-yard touchdown.

“I shouldn’t have made the check,” Briggs said. “I saw something, tried to check out of it, and we don’t have a check out of that defense. So I put our defense in jeopardy on that play.”

Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said the mistake “just can’t happen,” a phrase that could earn copyright residuals at Halas Hall lately.

“It’s not something that we expect to happen, ever,” Tucker said, for emphasis.

Briggs said that he’s talked to “some of my guys” since Sunday’s 55-14 debacle — former Bears defenders — but stressed they were disappointed with the team’s effort, not just the defense.

“We had some good hash-it-out conversations,” he said. “Everything they were saying, it’s all understood — everybody, whether it’s them, just a fan, or who, get upset. We’re all upset.”
He doesn’t blame fans for their anger.

“Obviously, this city deserves better,” he said. “We deserve better. We deserve better for ourselves.”
Briggs didn’t want to leave the field Sunday, despite the score, because he had missed one month with a ribs injury. Paradoxically, he said he would skip over the film of that game when, one day, he reviews his greatest hits.

“I’ve been humbled before,” he said. “Some things are part of life. …
“For however many more games, whether it’s seven or it’s more, I just want to play hard and make plays and try to help this team.”

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/news/sev...andon-marshall-and-the-unicorn-miss-practice/

7 Bears, including Brandon Marshall and Unicorn, miss practice

Patrick Finley
email
Seven Bears players — including two Pro Bowlers and tight end Martellus Bennett — did not participate in Wednesday’s practice at Halas Hall.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall sat out with a sprained left ankle, while Bennett continued to nurse his ribs injury. Cornerback Tim Jennings has a knee problem.

Tackle Jordan Mills hurt his ribs Sunday, while wideout Josh Morgan hurt his shoulder. Defensive end Cornelius Washington was out with an illness, while Eben Britton is still recovering from appendicitis.

Linebacker Darryl Sharpton returned to practice, albeit in a limited fashion, with a hamstring injury

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/tucker-downplays-bears-defensive-woes-its-not-all-bad/

Mel Tucker downplays Bears’ defensive woes: ‘It’s not all bad’

Mark Potash
email
Embarrassed? Mel Tucker doesn’t have time to be embarrassed.

“Right now, I’m focused on the Vikings,” the Bears’ defensive coordinator said Wednesday, when he met the media for the first time since his defense allowed six first-half touchdowns in a 55-14 loss to the Packers on Sunday night at Lambeau Field. “Being embarrassed, at this point, is not productive. We’re already into Wednesday of the next week, the next game.

“Are we happy with what happened? Obviously not. We have to move on and focus on what we need to do to put in ourselves in a position where we can win and play great defense. That’s where it is — everything else is unproductive.

Tucker, under fire from Bears fans though fully supported by coach Marc Trestman after back-to-back defensive debacles in losses to the Patriots (51-23) and Packers (55-14), was as resolute as ever that the Bears’ defense can recover from its current plight.

“The answers are in our building,” said Tucker, whose defense ranks 26th in the NFL in total yards, 31st in yards per play, 28th in passing yards and 30th in passing yards per play. “They are in our meeting room. They are on the practice field. They are within each individual player and each individual coach. That’s where the answers are. That is where we gotta find them.”

Tucker was unfazed by the enormity of the collapse against the Packers — when Aaron Rodgers threw six touchdown passes in the first half as the Packers took a 42-0 lead. The Bears will keep trying harder to be better.

“Most of the time, the corrections are the basic things,” Tucker said. “That is most of the time after a win or a loss. Are the players good enough to get the job done if that is what you are asking me, I believe yes.”

Seemingly spitting into the gale force blowback of frustrated Bears fans, Tucker made a point to say be would not be making changes — wholesale or otherwise — in response to the back-to-back embarrassments against the Patriots and Packers. On the contrary …

“There are always things we can change. There is nothing set in stone on the lineup,” Tucker said. “But the group that we’re going to put out there we think will give us the best chance to win this game. And so, and I will tell you right now, we plan on going in with the group that started the game.

“That is our plan. This past game. We are going to go in with the group that started that game and we need to get them better, they need to play better, we need to coach them better. Everything we do this week is to be able to get that done. That’s where we are.”

The performance against the Packers, coming after a bye week in which the Bears made similar promises to keep working to improve their execution, indicated to some frustrated fans that the Bears are just not very good. If they haven’t figured out how to execute the defense by Week 10, maybe they’re just not very good.

“It just is what it is,” Tucker said. “That is the reality of the situation when you look at it and say, ‘What do we need to get better?’ And you analyze and you look and you point those areas out and that’s what it is. So that is where we are.”

While to Bears fans and other observers, the defensive performance in recent games seems like a total collapse _— with players making incorrect adjustments and players out of position — Tucker said “It’s not all bad. Just a matter of fixing a few breakdowns that are proving costly.

“When you break it down and you take 60 or 70 plays, there are four or five plays where we were not good,” Tucker said. “So you focus on fixing things that are happening on those plays. There are other plays that we played good football. And you want to build on those plays.

“So you have to home in on what needs to be corrected in those areas. It’s not all bad. But the areas where we need to correct or where we have mistakes, those are big plays, those are huge plays and they cost us touchdowns. So we hone in on those things and we put special emphasis on those areas.”

The Bears play the Vikings at noon Sunday at Soldier Field.

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/marc-trestman-responds-to-harassment-of-daughters-on-twitter/

Marc Trestman responds to harassment of daughters on Twitter

Adam L. Jahns
email
After the Bears’ ugly 55-14 loss against the Green Bay Packers, social media turned into a nasty, vile place for the daughters of coach Marc Trestman.

The comments sent in the direction of Sarahanne and Chloe Trestman on Twitter weren’t only completely unnecessary, but appalling. On Wednesday, Marc Trestman was asked about them.

“No. 1, that’s a personal issue. That’s a family issue. And we’ll work through that,” Trestman said after practice at Halas Hall. “The thing that that brings up is that there’s another side of the coin and there’s a lot of support out there for my family and for what we’re going through during this adversity.

“I try to find the glass loaded up with good things, too. But that’s personal and we’re addressing that.”

Trestman’s daughters have remained active on Twitter. There has been plenty support for them. In Wednesday’s Sun-Times, that included some strong words from former Bears coach Mike Ditka.

“First of all, the people that do this are gutless,” Ditka said. “That’s why they do it in social media, so they can hide. They’re cowards; they hide behind things. They don’t come out in public.

“This is malicious. These people ought to be rounded up and kicked right in their ass.“

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/bears-jared-allen-adrian-petersons-mistake-shouldnt-cost-career/

Jared Allen: Adrian Peterson’s ‘mistake’ shouldn’t cost him career

Patrick Finley
email
Jared Allen will face his former team, but not Adrian Peterson, on Sunday.

The Vikings running back will have a reinstatement hearing Monday. He pleaded no contest Nov. 4 to misdemeanor reckless assault, a lesser crime than the felony child-abuse charge that landed him on the commissioner’s exempt list.

“The Adrian I know was always a kind-hearted, gentle, very generous human being,” the Bears’ defensive end said Wednesday at Halas Hall. “Obviously he made a mistake. I just pray that him and his family and his son and everybody that’s going through it, I hope everybody learns it, they can heal their wounds.

“He’s obviously had to deal with the punishment. Do I think his football career should be ended over it? No. Do I hope he learned a valuable lesson and do I think he did? Yeah. Obviously you go through stuff, you face the consequences.

“If he happens to come back the week after we play him — awesome.”


Injury report

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who sprained his ankle Sunday, was one of seven Bears held out with an injury Wednesday.

Tight end Martellus Bennett continued to nurse his ribs injury and cornerback Tim Jennings sat out with a knee problem.

Tackle Jordan Mills (ribs), wideout Josh Morgan (shoulder) and defensive end Cornelius Washington (illness) missed practice.

Tackle Eben Britton said he won’t return from appendicitis until next week at the earliest.

Linebacker Darryl Sharpton returned to practice, albeit in a limited fashion, with a hamstring injury.

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/all-but-over-bears-have-3-percent-shot-at-playoff-berth/

All but over: Bears have 3 percent shot at playoff berth

David Just
@davidjustCST | email
The data confirms what we all already know: The Bears’ are only playing for pride from here on out.

According to FiveThirtyEight’s latest ELO ratings, the Bears have just a 3 percent shot at a playoff berth after Sunday’s 55-14 shellacking by the Packers.

It is remarkable how steeply the Bears have dug the hole they now find themselves in.

After winning back-to-back games against the 49ers and Jets in September, ELO gave the Bears a 52 percent shot at a playoff berth. They even had a 40 percent chance to win the division.

The Bears have lost five of their six games since and have earned every bit of the new calculation.

Here’s the full ELO ratings:

 

[TreedBear]

I'm starting to think that Briggs is sabotaging the defense. How can any of these coaches tolerate his shit? Tucker is bad, no doubt, but Briggs is a huge problem that needs to be addressed. Past performance aside, it's time to bench him for the remainder.

 

[KittiesKorner]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/why-jay-cutler-and-his-54-million-need-to-be-benched/

Why Jay Cutler and his $54 million need to be benched

David Just
@davidjustCST | email
Let’s make one thing clear off the bat: The problem with the Bears right now extends beyond quarterback Jay Cutler.

As Brandon Marshall said Monday, the offense stinks, the defense stinks, and there’s plenty of blame to go around.

But Cutler is a particularly easy target, mainly because he doesn’t even seem like he cares that the Bears are so bad. Peter King wrote about this eloquently on Tuesday: “Cutler leads the league in bad body language, which would be easy to overlook if he were playing better – and it is often overlooked when he does play well. But the Bears are 3-6. Cutler has turned the ball over 15 times in nine games. While the Patriots and Packers were putting up 80 points in the last two first halves, this is how Cutler responded: 14 possessions, one touchdown.”

King is 100 percent correct, and that’s without even mentioning that Cutler’s poor form follows him off the field, too. He makes excuses in post-game interviews and a few weeks ago ran away and hid from his own ESPN radio show.

There’s an easy solution for dealing with a player that doesn’t win and doesn’t care: bench him.

Former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon began this dialogue Tuesday, and the case for benching Cutler deserves to be fleshed out.

Eliminating Cutler is addition by subtraction at this point. He’s a cancer that’s killing the team and killing careers.

Former NFL wide receiver Amani Toomer wasn’t using hyperbole last week when he said Jay Cutler “is a guy that gets coaches fired.”

Here’s the list of the recently terminated: head coach Lovie Smith, offensive coordinators Ron Turner, Mike Martz (resigned), Mike Tice and quarterbacks coaches Pep Hamilton, Shane Day and Jeremy Bates. Current Bears coaches in those jobs – Marc Trestman, Aaron Kromer and Matt Cavanaugh – will be on that list soon, too, it seems.

Seven coaches directly tied to Cutler have lost their jobs in Chicago, and three more are headed that direction.

Throw former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo on the list, too. He was fired after Cutler’s third season. Current GM Phil Emery may also find himself on the chopping block soon — and he probably should after guaranteeing Cutler $54 million.

That contract is one of two primary reasons so many fans say Cutler cannot be benched. How can you pay a guy $54 million to ride the pine?

Here’s the bottom line: Forget the $54 million. It’s gone. Sunk cost. Might as well pile it on top of those Jay Cutler jerseys that fans are burning.

The other reason Cutler supporters say he should be started is that Jimmy Clausen is not a better alternative.

It’s true that Clausen isn’t as talented as Cutler, but Cutler’s talent has never been the problem.

Honestly, could Clausen make this team any worse than it already is? Surely Clausen could at least match Cutler’s resume these last two first halves of 14 possessions and one touchdown.

Benching Cutler would have a two-pronged effect. First, we’d get to see how Cutler responds. If he stays slouched on the bench and pouts, then all the better that he’s not playing. Or maybe, just maybe, he decides to earn his money. Maybe he works a little harder. Maybe he sheds the pouty face and shows some determination.

Second, benching Cutler sends a message to the rest of the Bears locker room that accountability and responsibility matter at Halas Hall. Nobody, Cutler included, is exempt from such treatment.

The season is lost and the coaching staff is on the hot seat. What do Trestman, Emery and Bears fans have to lose at this point?

 

[KittiesKorner]

sun times bears video mailblog:

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/bears-video-mailbag-why-is-mel-tucker-still-with-the-bears/

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

hes lucky his bbq joint isnt in chicago meatballs would boycott, riot, burn that mother ****** down

and to the poster that thinks briggs is sabotaging the d L O FUCKING L special effects of years of cocaine use right there bra

 

[1ke]

Why is ESPN doing live news feeds from Halas today?

 

[Desperado34]

Thanks Ole.

 

[Monk]

http://chicagosuntimes.com/sports/all-but-over-bears-have-3-percent-shot-at-playoff-berth/

All but over: Bears have 3 percent shot at playoff berth

David Just
@davidjustCST | email
The data confirms what we all already know: The Bears’ are only playing for pride from here on out.

According to FiveThirtyEight’s latest ELO ratings, the Bears have just a 3 percent shot at a playoff berth after Sunday’s 55-14 shellacking by the Packers.

It is remarkable how steeply the Bears have dug the hole they now find themselves in.

After winning back-to-back games against the 49ers and Jets in September, ELO gave the Bears a 52 percent shot at a playoff berth. They even had a 40 percent chance to win the division.

The Bears have lost five of their six games since and have earned every bit of the new calculation.

Here’s the full ELO ratings:

so you're telling me there's a chance.

 

[Love Da Bears]

Why is ESPN doing live news feeds from Halas today?

Cause the Bears are a dumpster fire...and ESPN is a dumpster fire, it only makes sense to merge the flames from said dumpsters and create just horrible reporting.

 

[Monk]

Zach Zaidman ‏@ZachZaidman 34m34 minutes ago
Cutler on some #Bears fans burning his jerseys: "It's not the first time."