Thread: After 8 games, grade the Chicago Bears

A = Head Coach Lovie Smith

C- = Offensive Coordinator Mike Tice

A+ = Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli

D = Offensive Line (D+ for Webb, C- for Rachal, C for Garza, B for Lance Louis, F for Carimi)

C = Quarter Back

A = Brandon Marshall. The others = incomplete (do we have anyone other than BM?)

F = Tight Ends (Rodriguez our H-back too). They can't block or catch.

A = for Forte & C = Bush. A (Running Backs)

A = Defensive Line

A = Linebackers

A = Corners (best cornerback tandem in the NFL)

A = Safeties

B = Special Teams

A = Overall Grade

.........................................

The offensive line needs a serious upgrade in the off-season. All of our TE's blow.

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Title says it all. What grade would you give the following aspects

Head Coach Lovie Smith

Offensive Coordinator Mike Tice

Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli

Offensive Line

Quarter Back

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Running Backs

Defensive Line

Linebackers

Corners

Safeties

Special Teams

Overall Grade

Head Coach Lovie Smith: A (The only reason he is not getting a grade of A+ is because of his failure to rein in Mike Tice from pulling another Mike Martz job with this offense. This is easily the best team Lovie Smith has had since 2006 through the first eight games, and this defense is definitely as strong as those great defenses from 2005 and 2006. There is not a reason in the world why this team can't win the division and make a serious run for a Super Bowl with the type of defense we have couple with the fact we have an above average offense on a good day.)

Offensive Coordinator Mike Tice: F (Tice is essentially Mike Martz v2.0. He rarely utilizes tight ends, if at all, during most games, though I can cut him some slack in knowing that most of our tight ends can neither block nor catch balls effectively. He doesn't call enough running plays, even though in the Titans game, there were more running plays called than passes; he should call more running plays than passes every game because that plays to the strength of this offensive line, which has gotten worse instead of better in the three years Tice has coached them. Lastly, on the point of drafting players, the only good drafted offensive player he has been in on is Alshon Jeffery; the others -- Carimi, Rodriguez, and Webb -- have all been flops/miserable failures, or grossly misused thus far in their young careers. When Lovie Smith goes to evaluate his coaching staff at the end of the year, he needs to strongly consider firing Tice because of his poor eye for talent and inability to improve the offensive line's pass blocking.)

Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli: A+ (Simply put, he's the best offensive mind the Bears have had since Ron Rivera during the 2004-06 seasons. He may be as intelligent at defense as guys like Buddy Ryan and Vince Tobin, but then I might be out of my mind for making such a conjecture. In his third season as the defensive coordinator, he has the best set of pass rushers in the entire NFL and arguably the best secondary in the league as well. As a whole, we have the league's top scoring and run defense, and our pass defense isn't too shabby either. I look for this defense to continue to make a splash the rest of the way for the Bears and finish at least 5-3 or 4-4 the rest of the way. If the Bears are fortunate enough to play in the Super Bowl again, it will be on the strength of Marinelli's defense.)

Offensive Line: F (This is the worst offensive line in the NFL, period. Webb and Carimi as an offensive tackle tandem are every bit as bad as the Webb and OMG couplet. The line has already given up 28 sacks on the year, and is on pace to give up 56 sacks, the very same total the 2010 team gave up and ten more than what last year's group allowed total. Mike Tice and Tim Holt have done a terrible job in coaching up this cast of characters, but then again, when you've neglected to improve the offensive line through free agency and the draft over the course of several years, what kinds of returns on the product on the field can you expect?)

Quarterback: B+ (I can't grade Cutler any higher than a B+ because of the poor play of the players surrounding him on the offense. When he's had time to throw the ball, he's been very good and very accurate. When he's not had time, well, he looks like Rex Grossman. I think Cutler is the best quarterback the Bears have had since Sid Luckman; he's certainly the most talented. But in order to be a difference maker in this offense, you have to have adequate protection surrounding you as a quarterback, and Cutler does not have that. He also doesn't have tight ends to use as safety valves when his receivers are available as they are all just pitiful. His saving grace is that he does have the best running back tandem in the NFL to lean on during a defensive front seven's onslaught. If we don't address the offensive deficiencies this offseason, I hope that Cutler is smart enough to ask for a trade because he will never reach his full potential here in Chicago.)

Wide Receivers: B- (The only reason I don't give this receiving corps a C is because of the great play of Brandon Marshall and, when he's been healthy, Alshon Jeffery. Those two guys have been godsends for this team this year, and they'll be in Chicago for years to come as both are still young, especially Jeffery. They are big, which is what the team has needed, and they almost make up for the fact that the Bears don't have a solid tight end to throw to. Earl Bennett has been okay, but inconsistent because of injury. And Devin Hester has been plain mediocre. Hester was never meant to be a receiver, but Jerry Angelo decided to go cheap and instead of solving our receiver problems a long time ago, forced Lovie Smith to utilize Hester as the team's #1 receiver. As a result, his kick return averages and effectiveness have suffered. I still believe that we need to go after another wide receiver in the draft to replace Hester, one who is over 6'0", and thus give us a tandem of receivers who are all over 6'0".)

Tight Ends: F (For the third year in a row, we have the worst usage of tight ends in the league. This year, we're on pace to have even fewer passing yards to tight ends than what we had in 2011. My question is this: didn't the ownership force Mike Martz to resign? The tight ends the Bears do have are below average to just ineffective and complete failures altogether. All of them drop the ball more than they hold on to it when Cutler targets them, particularly Kellen Davis, who has a ton of upside. Also, they are poor blockers, and they get called for false start and holding penalties a lot. This is inexcusable. While I'm glad the Bears have Brandon Marshall, I am a little peeved that the one tight end we had who had the potential to become something great -- Greg Olsen -- got traded to Carolina for the pick that would ultimately be the reason why we were able to get Brandon Marshall. I look for the Bears to possibly draft a tight end this year in the first three rounds, one who can block, who can catch, and has good size.)

Running Backs: A+ (The Bears have the best running tandem in the league, and they haven't disappointed. They are currently something like 7th or 8th in the league in rushing yards per game and are on pace to once again top the 2,000 yard barrier as a team. This tandem of Forte, Bush, and Allen is capable of leading the league in rushing yards gained if only Mike Tice would utilize them in that way. Currently, the Bears are averaging gainig approximately 128 rushing yards per game. It's capable of putting up more than 200 on any opponent since the one thing this offensive line can do is run block. Forte is a great receiver out of the backfield, and that aspect of his game has also been mismanaged badly by Tice. What I don't understand is why has Tice totally abandoned the run when that was what worked so well for him up in Minnesota when he was the head coach? One can only wonder.)

Defensive Line: A+ (This is the best defensive line in pro football. The defensive line is second in the league in sacks with 26 and are on pace to accrue approximately 52 on the season, which would be ten more than any other Lovie Smith coached team has ever amassed. It is number one in rushing yards allowed per game, although that might not be the case after today's game since Chris Johnson burned them for 141 yards and a touchdown, but considering that the CJ2K 80 yard scamper came against the scrubs and in garbage time, we need not give the starters too much grief.)

Linebackers: A+ (This is also the best linebacking corps in the league. Urlacher and Briggs continue to dominate, particularly Briggs. Urlacher is doing very well considering he damaged his knee at the end of last season and it is just now starting to heal. Nick Roach is the weak link to the group, but even he is playing relatively well. Both Briggs and Urlacher have returned interceptions for touchdowns this season.)

Corners: A+ (The best corners in the league, bar none. Both Tillman and Jennings are ball hawks and they create takeaways that sometimes lead to touchdowns. Tillman or Briggs should get consideration for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Both are having career years and are relentless pursuers of the football versus opposing defenders. However, I just started talking about a linebacker under the corners slot to discuss. What is this world coming to? LOL Anyway, Tillman leads the league once again in forced fumbles, including forcing four against the Titans, and Jennings leads the NFL in interceptions with six. Tillman has two picks that were returned for touchdowns. Is there any reason why the Bears don't have the best defense in the league?)

Safeties: A- (These guys are good, but green. Neither of them have played long than three years, and this is both Major Wright's and Chris Conte's first year as starters. They occasionally have lapses in concentration and give up big plays, but overall, they are excellent compliments to the corners as part of the secondary. Both have tallied interceptions this year. D.J. Moore is also a solid player when he is in at nickel.)

Special Teams: A- (Believe it or not, this is a down year for the special teams unit. With the constant turnover of players on the special teams, even Dave Toub can't keep them as the top unit in the league year-after-year. Still, they do very well in stopping kick returns, punt returns, and kicking field goals. However, returning kicks and punts has been a problem this year, with only one punt return by Devin Hester that was returned to about the 10 yard line of the Titans being a return of any significance. There have been no returns thus far this season. Perhaps Hester is either worn down from his duties as a receiver or Father Time is catching up with him. One can only wonder.)

Overall Grade: B+ (This would be an A or an A- if there were so many deficiencies in the offensive playcalling, on the offense in general as a result of the poor play from the offensive line, and by the absolutely putrid corps of tight ends.)

I agree with JABF 100%, so i'm piggybacking his response, but adding that we need to see how rodriguez does as a pass catcher. Shoulda kept clutts, and used this dude as a real H-back. Tice knows an H-back is not the same as a fullback.