When people think of Lovie Smith, they remember an era of great defenses. That’s about it. During his tenure from 2004 to 2012, he produced four top 5 units in the league including #1 overall in 2005. They were defenses predicated on discipline, conditioning, and above all forcing turnovers. It was loads of fun to watch. However, amidst all that success there was one overlying problem. Smith could never get the offense up to the same level.
In all his seasons as coach, the highest the Bears offense ever ranked was 15th. He went through no fewer than three different offensive coordinators and just never seemed to have a grasp on what must be done. So one can imagine how crazy it would sound when someone suggests they take a lesson from his tenure to turn around the offense this year.
Yet longtime Bears insider John Mullin of NBC Sports did exactly that.
He believes that the offense needs a new voice in the meeting rooms. One who isn’t predisposed to helping the quarterback and has a greater understanding of how to open up the team’s dormant rushing attack. A similar problem Smith ran into back in 2010 with former coordinator Mike Martz.
“But then the Bears rushed for 61 and 68 yards in dismal losses to Seattle and Washington. Martz called 14 runs against Seattle, 16 against Washington, with Cutler taking 10 more combined sacks in the two games
Coach Lovie Smith had had enough.
The Bears’ off week followed, during which Smith sat Martz down and told him in no uncertain terms that offensive-line coach Mike Tice, a former primarily-blocking NFL tight end, was now to be a major factor in the game planning. Tice’s title did not expand to anything like “run game coordinator” but that was effectively what Smith created to balance his offense.
The Bears proceeded to go 8-3 the remainder of the way, losing only to the New England Patriots and twice to the Packers.”
Lovie Smith knew running the ball was vital to save a season
It’s actually rather interesting how much the 2010 and 2019 seasons parallel each other. The Bears got off to a hot start both years only to see their momentum all but destroyed. They both also had struggling quarterbacks. Jay Cutler was getting hit constantly and couldn’t find any rhythm. Mitch Trubisky looks constantly out of sorts. So Smith took matters into his own hands and put his foot down. They were going to focus on running the ball.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Obviously it worked out pretty well. However, there is one key difference that Mullin can’t avoid. Smith wasn’t the one calling offensive plays back then. Nagy is that guy now. He’s the one who sets the philosophy from the top and it’s clear what he wants to do. He wants to throw the football and believes the Bears can. That difference of background is absolutely crucial in this scenario. Nagy isn’t a defensive-minded coach who wants to run the ball to keep that unit rested.
He’s a former quarterback who wants to throw the football and score points. So it will take a drastic change of mindset in order for him to embrace this sort of idea.
