ON THE BEARS | Reasons not to panic do exist, despite dismal preseason
ON THE BEARS | Reasons not to panic do exist, despite dismal preseason
BY NEIL HAYES nhayes@suntimes.com
But troubling trends are developing in all three phases. Injuries to key defensive players are piling up. The offense is a mess. If Saturday night's 14-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at Soldier Field was a dress rehearsal, you might want to skip the actual performance.
The Bears have done nothing during the preseason to make anybody feel better about where they are headed. This comes at a time when general manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith have lost fan confidence after three straight subpar seasons.
Has a coaching search ever been launched after the third preseason game? Has a general manager ever been replaced before roster cut-down day?
Everybody is panicking, but not the Bears.
''I don't feel concerned,'' said defensive end Julius Peppers, speaking for the minority. ''I'm as confident as I was when I showed up for training camp a few weeks ago. I still feel we can accomplish all the goals we set out to accomplish.''
As hard as it might be to believe, you might not want to give up on these Bears yet because there are reasons for optimism, however faint. There's still a chance this team can be decent, even if it would be easier to make that statement if they could sustain a drive offensively and stop opponents on third down.
Searching for an identity ...
The problem is, they have incredible talent scattered up and down the roster. At other positions, they seem thin. Nothing binds everything together. Whether it's resolve, defiance, pride or an offensive or defensive system, what this team lacks is any type of identity. What are the Bears good at on either side of the ball? What's their bread and butter? What play are they going to run with the game on the line? What will they fall back on if things get ugly against the Detroit Lions in the season opener?
After three preseason games, nobody knows, least of all them.
''We've seen glimpses of it,'' a dejected Devin Hester said. ''We know what we're capable of doing. That's what is most frustrating. We see it day in and day out in practice. Then we get in a game and don't execute.''
So much has gone wrong that Smith needs to make a list of what to address first when he meets the team today. There seems little chance all the problems will be fixed before the final preseason game Thursday against the Browns in Cleveland, when the starters typically only see brief game action.
No, this was their chance to prove that training camp has been more than a waste of time. They blew it.
''It would be nice,'' Cutler said when asked if starters might play more against the Browns, ''but we have such a short turnaround with playing on Thursday. Trying to put a game plan in for a few days and for us to come out and run it will be very difficult.''
... and the bright side
Back to those reasons for optimism. What were they again? There have to be some besides the all-over-the-field play of safety Danieal Manning and the improvement of rookie quarterback Dan LeFevour, who completed 10 of 12 passes for 100 yards and led the Bears on their two scoring drives. The alternative is too depressing.
There are things offensive coordinator Mike Martz and offensive line coach Mike Tice can do to help an offensive line that has appeared overmatched. Johnny Knox is developing into a legitimate playmaker, which should help spark the offense. Matt Forte and Chester Taylor have big-play ability. Cutler can only get better.
Veteran center Olin Kreutz was asked if the team's performance was worrisome.
''Of course it is,'' he said. ''You never want to use the preseason as an excuse, but you want to do better than that. We know that.''
If the offense does its job, the defense doesn't have to be a dominating unit. Injuries to Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Nick Roach do not appear serious. Peppers has dominated, which should continue when the regular season starts. Tommie Harris played his best game against the Cardinals, beating nine-time Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca badly on one play.
Special teams have almost always been a strength. There's no reason for that to change now.
Maybe the preseason has been a complex hoax meant to lower expectations to lure opponents into a false sense of security. If so, it's working.
''You get a little frustrated, but I believe in who we have as a group, and I believe in the offensive coordinator we have,'' Devin Aromashodu said. ''We'll be fine.''
As unlikely as that seems, what Aromashodu believes is possible.
A big win against the Lions and all will be forgotten -- and forgiven
