Thread: Lovie's rare show of emotion

Angry Lovie gets point across

December, 5, 2010 Dec 5
6:30
PM CT



By Jeff Dickerson


DETROIT -- An uncharacteristically poor defensive first half performance led to an uncharacteristically animated halftime talk by Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith.

[+] Enlarge Jason Miller/US PresswireLovie Smith had reason to be upset after watching the Bears' defense allow the Lions to go 91 yards in two plays to close out the first half.


Despite Detroit being forced to start third-string quarterback Drew Stanton, the Lions rolled up 253 yards in the first half, and took a 17-14 lead into halftime after Calvin Johnson scored on a 46-yard touchdown reception with under a minute remaining in the first half. On the previous play, the Bears let running back Jahvid Best bust a 45-yard run on first and 10 from the Lions' 9-yard line.

"He was angry, but we were angry too," Bears nickel back D.J. Moore said. "I don't even remember what he said but he had steam coming out of his head. He was pretty upset. I mean, it got to us, and we came out in the second half and did our job."

Even though Smith rarely, if ever, uses profanities when addressing or admonishing his players, he still manages to get his point across, according to Moore.

"Everybody doesn't have to cuss and do that other stuff," Moore said. "You can see on somebody's face how mad they are. You can feel the words for yourself."

"Upset, you could say that [I was]," Smith said. "We weren't happy about what was happening outside. The message though, was just to play the way we're capable of playing. I know they were doing some good things. It's hard to stomach missed tackles on critical plays. Letting a team go over 90 yards in two plays ... we should have had them stopped."

The second half was a different story for the Bears' defense, as the Lions only managed three points -- the result of a Jay Cutler fumble deep in his own territory. Detroit managed to move the ball only 49 yards on 24 plays after halftime.