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11 Thoughts On The Bears Coming Unglued At Ford Field

By
Dhruv Koul
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(Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Bears head coach John Fox watches from the sidelines during the first half.

It was not too long ago that the Chicago Bears took on the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Coming off a loss in which their season went up in flames, the Bears aggressively welcomed their guests from Detroit with an early and surprising punch to the mouth. But eventually, Chicago ‘Out-Foxed’ the Lions and squandered their lead. See what I did there?

And with a chance to tie the game at the end of regulation, Mitch Trubisky’s late game heroics were washed away when Connor Barth’s legendary field goal attempt to tie it up missed the right upright by a country mile. “Holy Moses”, indeed.

Fast forward four weeks and the Bears took on the Lions today at Ford Field. Coming in, the Lions were 7-6 and very much alive in the NFC Wild Card hunt, whereas the Bears were 4-9 but coming off an encouraging 33-7 beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.

Originally, this game was fascinating because it was the first time Trubisky played against a defense for the second time. Would John Fox allow Dowell Loggains to continue calling an aggressive yet balanced game? How would Trubisky attack Detroit differently than he had in their previous battle? What wrinkles would Teryl Austin throw at the rookie signal caller after studying the film of their previous meeting?

Well, those questions were answered early on in a shameful performance on national TV, as the Bears got blown out of the building, yet again, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score.

Here are my thoughts on the game:

1) Not a lot of positives in this one, folks. Sam Acho made a good play to force a fumble at the end of the first half, and takeaway machine Eddie Jackson recovered to set up the Bears’ first points of the game. Mike Nugent made that field goal attempt, his only one of the game. Tarik Cohen made a nice one-handed grab. Markus Wheaton made a couple plays (finally!). Josh Bellamy didn’t have an ugly drop, I guess. But that’s more or less it in terms of positives.

2) Penalties … dear God. The Bears have been one of the most undisciplined teams in the league in the John Fox era. Tarik Cohen was victimized yet again on another electrifying return. On the Bears’ only touchdown drive of the game, they committed five penalties on that drive, including three consecutive penalties inside their own 20, eventually facing 1st-and-17 from their own 1. It was just an awful display of preparedness and focus from the Bears.

3) The game plan was awful. A week after starting fast and stepping on the throats of what seems to be a worse Bengals team than we thought, John Fox and Dowell Loggains resorted to conservative and predictable play calling yet again. I’ve defended Loggains a fair amount this year, but I’m done. I want a fresh start for Mitch. He deserves better than this nonsense.

4) Foxy, why are you punting on 4th and short? Just why?

5) What the hell was Kendall Wright doing on Trubisky’s first interception? It wasn’t a great throw, but there was no effort to reach for the ball. It’s your job to at least try to help your quarterback.

6) Trubisky made a bad decision on his second INT when he aimed for Dontrelle Inman but found Quandre Diggs instead. That’s OK. He’ll learn from it. If there’s anything Trubisky has shown, it’s that he learns from his mistakes.

7) Speaking of Trubisky — no, he did not have a good game today. He made some great throws, but also missed a few and made a couple bad decisions. And that’s OK. Remember, he’s a rookie.

He got a chance to throw when the Bears were down late, and continued to make some plays despite his team’s best efforts to let him down. This is absolutely a learning experience against a desperate, better-coached NFC North foe in a hostile environment like Ford Field. He never hung his head — he went out after making mistakes and continued to push the ball as best he could. I can’t wait to see him under a real coach, a real offense, and some real help.

8) Tweet below was in response to Michael Lombardi, a national analyst who likely had not watched any other Bears games this year, who Tweeted, “Imagine if the Bears stayed at 3 picked Watson.”

With all due respect, Watson is on IR. But even then, please, continue to ignore environmental context. It’s tiring. It’s lazy. It’s annoying. It’s stupid. It’s tiring. It’s lazy. It’s annoying. It’s stupid. It’s tiring … you get the picture.

Point is, stop making comparisons. It’s not the same situation. At all. We won’t know which of these guys are true franchise quarterbacks for years. Let it play out.

9) Two more games of this nonsense before Fox is finally shown the door on January 1, 2018. Though, yet again, Fox proved today he should be fired again before the season ends.

10) Next week, the Bears take on the Browns on Christmas Eve at Soldier Field. Here’s a real question: what number will be higher: Number of fans in the stands? Or number of combined offensive yards between the Bears and Browns?

11) Early prediction for next week: Browns 12, Bears 9. Why not? A ceremonial bow, of sorts, as Fox coaches his last game at Soldier Field.

Former Bears Scout Drops Bombshell About Coaching Situation

By
Erik Lambert
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former bears scout

By now most people would think they have an idea of where the Chicago Bears coaching situation stands. When a man is 13-33 in his time running the team, that doesn’t lead to future chances. John Fox has had his three years. They were a failure. Odds are the next coaching staff will inherit a good situation and hopefully do something with it. Unless what former Bears scout Greg Gabriel says about Dowell Loggains is true.

The Bears offensive coordinator has been a somewhat polarizing figure this season. Some feel he’s just another average play caller who can’t handle the job of developing. Others think he is better than this year has been due in large part to Fox constraining his game plans with a conservative style.

According to Gabriel he was apparently told that Loggains had his own expectations regarding his job in 2018. It didn’t involve a firing either, but a promotion.

Former Bears scout says Loggains thought he’d replace Fox

It’s hard to understand the logic behind such an idea. Loggains wasn’t showing much in the way of proving he could run an NFL offense, let alone a football team. He’s never had one ranked beyond 19th in points scored or 15th in total yards. Everything about the guy says “average at best.” So again. Why does he think he’d get promoted?

Likely a combination of factors. One being his relative youth and the other his connection with Mitch Trubisky. His selling points would be he could open up the offense far more once in charge of the team and also be able to grow with the young quarterback long-term. Something Fox couldn’t offer.

The problem is the basic part of selling this point is success on the field. Loggains forgot that part. Now it seems his plans of hatching a coup d’etat on Fox next year are no longer possible. Not that Bears fans are going to complain about that.

John Fox Era Adds Another Stunning Stat to Its Collection

By
Erik Lambert
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john fox era

Everybody should’ve known by now not to take anything good that happens during the John Fox era in Chicago seriously. Whenever Bears fans get their hopes up, he finds a way to let them down. It has happened over and over and over so many times the past three years that one should see it coming. Yet we don’t.

That’s because hope is a double edged sword. It keeps us going but at the same time leaves us vulnerable to disappointment. Beating the Cincinnati Bengals 33-7 was nice, but ultimately pointless. Going into Detroit against a desperate Lions team that had not lost to the Bears at Ford Field in five years? It was always going to be a trap.

Sure enough the old Fox ways returned. The offense wasn’t aggressive and failed to get consistent conversions. Fox himself refused to go on the attack in key situations, electing to punt the ball instead. Meanwhile the Lions attacked down the field and attack with their defense. They were the aggressors. It’s little surprise they won.

This may not have been the worst loss of the Fox era, but it’s the one that close the final door on his chances to return.

John Fox era defined by inferiority against the NFC North

As if the 13-33 record wasn’t bad enough (it is) the true depth of how bad Fox has handled his time in Chicago is reflected in another record. The one against the rest of the NFC North division. To date he has coached a total of 17 games against the Packers, Lions and Vikings. His record against them? Not ideal.

  • 1-5 vs. Packers
  • 1-5 vs. Lions
  • 1-4 vs. Vikings

For an idea of just how awful that is, understand that Abe Gibron had a record of 4-14 during his run in the early 1970s. He’s the worst coach in Bears history. In other words unless Fox is able to beat the Vikings in the season finale he could end up having the worst record against NFC North teams ever.

Are people still wondering whether this guy will get fired. Most experts and insiders are convinced he’s already gone. It’s a matter of merely playing out the string.

The players may love him. The ownership may respect. That changes nothing. Fox will go down in history as a massive failure in Chicago. They can’t say he didn’t have a chance to change that either. He got three years, one more than he probably should’ve. It’s long past time for the Bears to move on from this mistake.

The Cubs Are ‘Kicking The Tires’ On Yu Darvish

By
Sean Sears
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The Cubs wrapped up the Winter Meetings Thursday by signing right-handed reliever Steve Cishek, after signing potential closer Brandon Morrow and back-end starter Tyler Chatwood earlier in the week.

However, despite the solid additions to the Cubs pitching, the team still seems one starter short of a full rotation. And while much has been made about Mike Montgomery’s yearning to start for the Cubs, it’s likely the Cubs plan on adding another starter – and it’s reported that they’re taking a look at Yu Darvish.

Darvish, 31-years-old, has been in contact with the Cubs a few times during the Winter Meetings, according to a major league source. Sources have also said that teams are finding that Darvish’s initial asking price has come down some.

Originally, it was thought that Darvish would likely get paid more than any other pitcher has returning from Tommy John Surgery, projected at $160 mil by MLB Trade Rumors. But, it sounds like Darvish is willing to accept a lesser deal.

It’s become clear that the Cubs are looking everywhere for pitching, including via trade, but adding a pitcher like Darvish at a price closer to $100 mil over likely four years might be more appealing than trading a player like Kyle Schwarber to Theo Epstein.

And while it would all but knock the Cubs off Wade Davis’ radar, it could allow them to hold onto depth pieces or move them to acquire a lead-off center fielder. Now, adding a player in that mold is much further down the list of needs for the Cubs, adding Darvish would allow the Cubs the opportunity to at least consider that option.

If reports are true, and Darvish is coming at a cheaper cost, while the Cubs maybe motivated to add the Japanese star, there will be plenty of suitors for a discounted Darvish.

This Ryan Pace Quote Reveals Why John Fox Is Likely Gone

By
Erik Lambert
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ryan pace
LAKE FOREST, IL - MAY 12: Chicago Bears head coach John Fox talks with Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Pace during the Chicago Bears Rookie Camp on May 12, 2017 at Halas Hall, in Lake Forest, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire)

Give this to Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace. He’s a man of consistency. He’ll talk to the media before a season and after a season. However, during a season he’s practically invisible aside from the occasional radio spots. Yet even these brief snippets may sometimes offer insight into the man. More importantly what he could be planning for the future.

From the start Pace hasn’t tried to hide his plans for the Bears. The best way in his mind to make this team better is correcting the problem that got them into this position. Namely stacking good drafts on top of each other. This way the roster fills up with quality talent. At a certain point within a 3-5 year span that team should become a contender.

Thus far Pace has seemed to find a groove in that regard. The 2016 and 2017 classes look like strong groups, giving the Bears a foundation to work with. If he can add another in 2018 they might be in business. One issue that is holding them back is the head coaching situation. Will Pace remove John Fox after a third-straight losing season?

Ryan Pace reveals key part of his philosophy that doesn’t fit Fox

In fact he may have offered a clear sign of what’s coming with an innocent answer during an interview with WBBM-AM 780. It took place before the Bears’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday and showed just how different he and Fox are.

“There are a lot of younger guys who are playing and getting better from these experiences,” Pace said on the broadcast. “You can point to teams that have sustainable winning right now, and if you look back on their drafts there were years of draft classes stacked together.

“It’s not just drafting the talent but also playing them and then seeing them grow. If you do that, eventually your roster is strong. It’s sustainable if you stay that course.”

One of the most frustrating aspects of Fox over the past two years is his stubbornness to play rookies. Even if those rookies are clearly better players. He did it with Jordan Howard last year and then Mitch Trubisky, Adam Shaheen and Tarik Cohen this year. Only Eddie Jackson got a pass and that was because he was so clearly better than anybody else at his position.

Not until the Bears lost out on their playoff hopes again this year did Fox relent to start playing younger players. Sure enough they were vital in the Bengals win. It’s not hard to see that this philosophy Fox has may not sit well with Pace who wants to see the draft picks he worked so hard to acquire get a chance to show what they can do.

If this is how Fox plans to run the team, it’s hard to see Pace allowing it to continue another year.

Chicago Police Headquarters Got Extra Creative With Their Packer Hate

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago police

Nobody can ever say the Chicago Police don’t go the extra mile to show support for their beloved Bears. One industrious soul, or perhaps others decided to hatch craft and somewhat disgusting plan to prove just how dedicated they were. Normally a certain level of dignity and respect are required inside any police building. However, somebody decided to go full meatball by taking a shot at the hated Green Bay Packers.

In the first floor men’s room of the Chicago Public Safety Headquarters, somebody installed splash screens in every urinal. These screens were yellow and imprinted on the front was a large green letter “G”. It’s not a difficult leap from there to determine exactly which team the unknown culprit was trolling.

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson had only one comment on the matter, and it was fairly simple.

“We have a robust Green Bay Packer fan, or not.”

While the tastefulness of this prank is questionable, there’s no doubt it’s funny and in keeping with a time-honored Bears tradition. Of course Green Bay fans will simply shrug it off. Just another disgusting thing about a team their Packers have owned for two decades. Fair enough, but what Bears fans may lack in bragging rights they make up for in ingenuity. So for that we say bravo to the man or woman who hatched this little pee-time plot.

Dowell Loggains Again Can’t Help But Jab at John Fox

By
Erik Lambert
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dowell loggains

Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has played the political game well. He’s never lost his cool in front of the cameras. Every answer given is diplomatic and never designed to throw somebody under the bus. He at least deserves credit for that. Especially given the heat he’s received from all directions over the performance of his offense in 2017.

It hasn’t been pretty for long stretches. They rank 30th in the NFL overall and dead last in passing. Through 13 games they’ve scored just 26 touchdowns. Or two per game. That is not good. What’s even more frustrating is that the 2017 Bears offense looks nothing like the 2016 version. Granted there are some reasons for that including a somewhat handicapped receiving corps.

At the same time the aggressiveness that Loggains showed last year has almost completely vanished. It’s hard to understand why because it seemed to work. The Bears moved the ball well regardless of who was at quarterback. Instead they’ve gotten far more predictable and far more conservative.

Most believe this has everything to do with head coach John Fox.

Fox conservative nature chaffing Dowell Loggains patience

Once again Loggains let it slip how much he’s walking on eggshells around Fox when it comes to his play calling during games. It took place when he was talking about one of the key plays during the Bears’ victory over Cincinnati. Mitch Trubisky took a snap at the goal line and fired a pinpoint pass to tight end Adam Shaheen for a touchdown.

Loggains was thrilled with the execution on that play, along with the outstanding accuracy of the pass. At the same time he also revealed just how closely monitored he is by Fox in such situations.

“You better draft the right guy because that’s dime-ball accuracy,” Loggains said. “There’s nothing I can tell him to make him a better thrower, to put that ball exactly where it needs to be. If that’s not a perfect throw, it’s incomplete and I’m going to have Coach (John Fox) yelling at me, ‘Why didn’t you run the ball?’”

That right there is a small but glaring indication of how short the leash is on the offense. Loggains is nervous about calling certain kinds of plays. He’s not allowed to execute his offense with free reign. While it’s Fox’s team and that’s his prerogative, it also can often lead to friction and a coaching calling scared rather than with natural instincts.

Last week felt like the first time Loggains got to be himself. The results were spectacular. One can understand why frustration is mounting with Fox.

We Haven’t Yet Grasped How Drastically Mitch Trubisky Has Improved

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky

It was incredible to hear some people declare that Mitch Trubisky was a bust back in October. The guy had just begun playing and they were sure he was a wasted draft pick. Why? How could they reach that conclusion so fast? In truth there are a variety of factors. One of the biggest was the play of Deshaun Watson in Houston. The former Clemson star went on a tear for a long stretch, throwing 18 touchdowns in just six starts.

Everybody was ready to proclaim him King of Football and by default that made Trubisky a bad football player. Have people forgotten this is not how the sport works. Not every player develops that quickly. Watson had so many advantages from his extensive experience at Clemson to an excellent supporting cast and offensive coaching staff.

Trubisky was a hard worker with a clear intent to be great, but it’s easy to forget he was drafted earlier for a reason. Teams that select that high aren’t as good. The Bears had faith that in the long run he could become everything they hoped for and more. All it would require is work, perseverance and some patience.

Mitch Trubisky improvement has been lost amidst the losing

Typically the only way to make fans understand a football argument is with numbers. If that’s what they want, then that’s what they’ll get. Trubisky looked every bit like a rookie through his first four starts this year. Everybody was concerned at that point if the pick was a mistake. Then after the bye week the attention level on his progress seemed to ebb. Why?

Namely it was the crippling losses to the Packers and Eagles. Those two defeats were difficult to stomach. At the same time they helped to masked just how fast the young Bears QB was improving. Let the data explain.

First 4 Games:

  • 49.72 completion percentage
  • 129 yards per game
  • 2 TDs
  • 2 INTs
  • 2.75 sacks per game
  • 75.7 quarterback rating

Last 5 Games:

  • 65.93 completion percentage
  • 199.2 yards per game
  • 4 TDs
  • 2 INTs
  • 2.4 sacks per game
  • 90.6 quarterback rating

If the stats aren’t enough to sway people, all they have to do is watch the tape. The Bengals game featured a list of plays that showed how far Trubisky has come. One in particulate took place midway through the third quarter. In Bengals territory, the Bears were 1st and 10 at the 35-yard line. Anxious to knock them out of field goal range, Cincinnati decided to bring pressure with the blitz.

They managed to get a free runner right in Trubisky’s face. A month ago that likely would’ve resulted in a sack. Instead it led to this.

That’s an NFL throw in every sense. He read the blitz, waited until the last possible second and delivered the ball where the open man would be. It was perfectly executed. To this this is the same young man who could barely complete half his passes earlier in the year. Presuming the Bears improve their coaching and receiving situations in the months to come, only better things could be on the horizon.

So yeah. Maybe it’s best to let this thing play out before jumping to conclusions.

Insider Ranks How Desirable Bears Head Coaching Job Will Be in 2018

By
Erik Lambert
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bears head coaching job

Like quarterbacks there’s just no predicting how good a head coach will be. Sure from time to time there are “slam dunk” candidates. However, for the most part it’s a roll of the dice. The key for teams is trying to make their job openings as attractive as possible for all available candidates. The Chicago Bears head coaching job is no different.

John Fox hasn’t done the team any favors in turning this roster into a winner. He’s had just 13 victories with three games left in his third season. So the selling point for the Bears going into January will likely be focused on the high potential of the roster, along with certain other factors. Chief among them being draft position, spending money and the prestige of coaching for a charter franchise.

Still it’s difficult to gauge where the desirability of this job is at present. Bill Barnwell, insider and analyst for ESPN, revealed his rankings for likely most sought-after positions that could be available in 2018. Does Chicago claim a top spot or are they relegated to the pack?

Bears head coaching job elevated thanks to Mitch Trubisky

3. Chicago Bears

“If you want your Rams analogue for this upcoming offseason, it’s lurking in the Midway. The Bears have their own struggling rookie quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky. He has actually played better than Goff did last season, but teams around the league were more confident about Goff than they were about the Bears’ 2017 first-round selection.

Get Trubisky going and this roster suddenly looks appetizing. The defense has quietly leaped above league average for the first time since 2012, per DVOA, although it has been masked by the league’s second-toughest slate of opposing offensive attacks. The Bears have an impressive offensive line when everyone is healthy, one of the best one-two running back duos in football, and should have $65 million to spend this offseason after cutting Mike Glennon.”

Indeed it appears as though Trubisky has begun to turn the corner after a somewhat inconsistent start to his rookie season. Last Sunday in Cincinnati was the best performance of his young career with 271 yards passing, a TD throw and a TD run in a 33-7 blowout. All signs out of Halas Hall are the kid is a humble, dedicated teammate and a tireless worker.

What prospective head coach wouldn’t like hearing that. Then there’s Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen in the backfield. Or perhaps a young and physical defense. In truth this team looks like it’s one good off-season away from contending. They’ve beaten some really good opponents this year. Among them are the playoff bound Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers.

If somebody can come in and improve the coaching standards, who knows how far this team could go.

How the Logic of Pairing Ryan Pace and John Fox Was Flawed

By
Erik Lambert
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john fox

Nowadays people are saying that the hiring of John Fox was a total disaster. Well sure hindsight is always helpful in these situations. Being 13-32 with three games left in your third season qualifies one as a dud of a head coach. At the same time the move has its defenders. They base their arguments on the logic of the time. Adam Hoge of WGN explained it perfect in his recent article.

“Fox was clearly the most qualified candidate for the job and had a history of turning around both the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. Compared to Emery hiring Marc Trestman over Bruce Arians, Fox was a perfectly sensible hire, even if it made for a somewhat odd pairing between a veteran head coach and the youngest GM in the NFL.”

It’s that last bit that is so integral to the point being made here. Three years ago it was explained to Pace and the Bears ownership that hiring Fox made perfect sense. He was experienced, proven and the perfect compliment to a rookie GM looking to find his way in the NFL. Except no. That logic was flawed from the beginning. If the Bears had bothered to pay attention, they would’ve seen it.

John Fox and Ryan Pace were destined to clash

The thing about veteran head coaches who’ve been around for a long time is they’re all the same. A track record of success makes them believe they can handle the personnel duties in addition to coaching. Why do they need a GM babysitting them? This is something that has happened before. Back in 2010 the Philadelphia Eagles promoted Howie Roseman to become their new GM.

Up until that point the personnel responsibilities were controlled by longtime head coach Andy Reid. Roseman was the youngest GM in the league at that time. Reid had coached the Eagles for a decade. It’s fair to say he wasn’t happy with the idea of giving up his power of picking his own players. That soon led to friction. From there the Eagles declined. They were 11-5 in 2009, went 10-6 in Roseman’s first year, 8-8 in 2011 and finally bottomed out in 2012 at 4-12.

As a result Reid was fired.

Ignore history? Repeat.

It’s almost an exact timeline of what the Bears have experienced over the past three years. Don’t be fooled by what Pace or Fox say to the media. There has definitely been some friction between the two in regards to roster composition. One source told me some of that centered around one of the teams’ most recent flops.

“Fox wanted Glennon. Pace wanted to use that money in other areas. Bears were the only team interested. Pace had a blueprint. He wanted a top corner to sign, a top receiver, top safety and a cheap VETERAN QB.”

This would back up the story that Pace had plans to go quarterback in the draft and wanted to prepare the roster for that eventuality. Fox though is a known hater of rookie QBs as evidenced by his inability to develop one. Every time he’s had a chance to get a younger passer, he’s instead gone for veteran free agents. Jake Delhomme in Carolina and Peyton Manning in Denver. Pursuing Glennon was right up his alley. A perfect way to bypass the idea of drafting a rookie.

Then Pace went ahead and did it anyway without Fox’s knowledge. In the end their differing philosophies failed to mesh, as is so often the case in the NFL. That’s why Pace needs to make a change and find somebody who thinks more like him.

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