Some losses hurt. This one didn’t, at least it didn’t hurt me. Here are my random thoughts on yesterday’s coaching disaster at Soldier Field.
- It is time for Lovie Smith to start exercising some authority on the offensive side of the ball. Continuing to drop back seven steps with no perimeter blockers is equivalent to a death wish. The Bears are built for a low-risk, quick-hit passing game. Every time they call a play in that vein, it goes at least 5-7 yards. Why they don’t call more plays like that? I don’t know. I do know that it’s stupid. Just plain old stupid.
- Frank Omiyale is terrible.
- The kids on the right side of the line are not.
- The Bears defense played one of those quintessentially annoying Lovie Smith games. Allowing easy slants on third downs. Tight end open over the middle of the field. No pass rush at all opposite Julius Peppers.
- Lovie Smith believes running the ball will lead to better protection. He’s right. But the Bears don’t run block particularly well. They’ve got to spread out the defense. This is Football 101.
- Our special teams are still the best in the business. We should have had two touchdowns from the return game, which would have won the game.
- The Bears need to stop being so damn careless with timeouts in the second damn half. Simplify the formations if need be but timeouts are gold in these close games. They don’t use timeouts. They burn them. They waste them.
- End of the half. 2nd and 1 for the Seahawks. 44 seconds left. Bears have two timeouts. They don’t use one. 3rd and 1 for the Seahawks. 22 seconds left. Bears have two timeouts. They don’t use one. It ended up not mattering but when you have Devin Hester, you have to force the ‘Hawks the punt the ball in that situation. (I wish Lovie didn’t get timeouts at all.)
- If you let the Seahawks drive 92 yards at crunch time, you’re not a great defense.
- How much was Lance Briggs really missed? Answer: A million.
- Chris Harris is back to really hitting people. I like it.
- I’ve never ventured into the Jay Cutler body language conversation but it’s clear he’s unhappy with what’s happening on the field. How can he not be? He’s being put in danger on almost every drop back. The Bears need to learn the art of the checkdown and they need to learn it by Thursday.
- Matt Toeaina should never leave the field.
- I can’t think of a single, non-monetary reason for Tommie Harris to be playing.
- When a defense decides to bring blitzers off the edge, and notices you aren’t going to block, they’re going to keep doing that. Did we really have no interest in blocking blitzers yesterday?
This should get ya’ll started. We’re still 4-2. We’re still in first place. But this offense is regressing weekly. Something has to change. Now.
