MULLIN: "Bears 2012 season guaranteed to make someone happy…unless…"

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06-02-2012, 01:07 AM
JustAnotherBearsFan99

MULLIN: "Bears 2012 season guaranteed to make someone happy…unless…"

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Quote:

Do you realize that the 2012 season, still more than three months away but it already is all but assured of making one group of watchers happy no matter how it comes out?

Here’s how that works:

Good year

If the Bears do well, as in the third consecutive “10-6 or better” assessment of CSNChicago.com (the 2010 call was right; the 2011 one was as well at 7-3 before Jay Cutler went down), the majority of Chicago will be generally happy. Players and coaches don’t always get this, but Chicago wants to love its Bears.

The over-under point for the Bears is 8.5 wins, which has the faint feel of a sucker’s bet since the Bears won eight games last season without Cutler for six games, Matt Forte for almost five and Brandon Marshall for any.

Bad year

Nothing is ever assured in the NFL, including the Bears improving from last season. So a team that should win 10 or 11 could wind up losing that many; just ask Mike Ditka’s last team (5-11 in 1992 from 11-5 in 1991).

That fall from grace was enough to get Ditka fired despite playoffs the previous two and seven of the previous eight seasons. Obviously, if the Bears miss the playoffs for the fifth time in the six seasons since Super Bowl XLI, Lovie Smith won’t be back for a 10th season (Ditka had 11).

That would make happy the Smith-haters who didn’t think Smith deserved any more of a pass on last season’s collapse than Jerry Angelo got.

Gregg Rosenthal over at NFL.com is the latest to note the obvious that Smith is under immediate pressure to win, something made amply apparent in post-Angelo-firing remarks by George McCaskey and Ted Phillips and even more so in the hiring of Phil Emery.

Either way, somebody will be happy with the way this season turns out.

Unless…

Smith signed a two-year contract extension in February 2011, running through the 2013 season. Matters will get interesting should the Bears go, say, 10-6 but don’t make the playoffs.

Could happen. The 2008 Patriots went 11-5 and missed. The 2010 Buccaneers and Giants went 10-6 and missed, then New York went 9-7 last season and won the Super Bowl.

Then what do the Bears do?
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06-02-2012, 05:22 AM
soulman

I'm pretty certain I can answer that last question.

Coaches contracts are guaranteed unless they contain some kind of buyout provision. So I don't see the Bears eating $6 mil of Lovie's contract and another $4 mil or so for the rest of the staff for 2013 and then having to pay top dollar for an equivalent to replace him.

It's probably a moot point because with this team I can't see how they're not gonna win at least 10 games as long as everyone stays healthy. Lovie needs a winning season in order for the natives not to get restless but I believe he'll at least finish out his contract unless there's some kind of disaster heading his way we can't see.

As Mullin points out the Bears were 7-3 when Cutler went down, on a five game winning streak and one of the hottest team in the league at that point in time. They were rolling into 4 straight games against a very weak AFC West and should easily have come out of that at 11-3. One more win out of the last two and they finish 12-4 and firmly in the playoffs.

That team was missing an awful lot of the pieces that this one now has. If we could have gotten that far with that patchwork line we had playing Martz's offense I'd say we should be far better off now. As usual I think people are underestimating these guys, the talent, and the desire on the part of a bunch of aging vets to win a SB. If we don't win one or come damn close then yes I think Lovie will be gone but not just on the basis of this season alone.

There is no way they eat those contracts. This is the McCaskey's we're talking about, not Daniel Snyder.
06-02-2012, 12:26 PM
JustAnotherBearsFan99

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulman

As Mullin points out the Bears were 7-3 when Cutler went down, on a five game winning streak and one of the hottest team in the league at that point in time. They were rolling into 4 straight games against a very weak AFC West and should easily have come out of that at 11-3. One more win out of the last two and they finish 12-4 and firmly in the playoffs.

I agree with all of your post, but the above comment in particular. I think last season was a fans worst nightmare come true. We DID have everything in place for a deep playoff run - and then the wheels came off. Over the years I've noticed other seasons where the Bears HAD the players to go deep in the playoffs (in September/October), but injuries killed us. It's heartbreaking.
06-02-2012, 12:49 PM
soulman

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I agree with all of your post, but the above comment in particular. I think last season was a fans worst nightmare come true. We DID have everything in place for a deep playoff run - and then the wheels came off. Over the years I've noticed other seasons where the Bears HAD the players to go deep in the playoffs (in September/October), but injuries killed us. It's heartbreaking.

That's why I'm saying that a decision was made to not let ourselves fall victim to that again this year so they signed Campbell. We spent a good chunk of cap space for an insurance policy but after last year I think everyone from Lovie all the way up to Georgie M decided we will not get embarrassed like that again. And it was embarrassing to see a championship caliber team get shot down like that because we had no one prepared to take Cutler's place. Losing those games to the AFC West was pitiful.

You really can't hold Lovie responsible for that fall last year and if they expect him to win big this year that flaw needed to be corrected. No more inexperienced #2 QB's. McCown doesn't have the arm to be a great QB so he has to play #3 or we bring a rookie into that spot. I don't think we will though unless we find a good prospect who we feel we may lose if we put him on the PS.