Thread: This Is The Guy Who Should Be Running The Bears Offense.......

I'll just leave it at this. I think the Bears have a Mercedes in the offensive garage but for whatever reason they keep deciding to drive the old pickup truck to games every week.

Jeremy Bates has successfully run an offense with Cutler and Marshall at the head of it and it ranked #3 in the entire NFL. So why is he not doing the play calling let alone the game planning?

Typical Bears. Always doing things the hard way!

Maybe Bates would be a good choice, but maybe not. Bates has 1 year of OC experience. He was fired after his first season, after his offense was ranked #28 in the NFL (this was in 2010 for the Seahawks). Bates did help call plays in 2008 for the Broncos, where he was the QB coach that year. That offense was #1 in the AFC that year.

I don't know. Maybe it would be OK to let Bates call plays and see how he does. But here's the deal. Our December schedule is here. Sunday is "show time" for the playoff push. It's not a good time to be screwing with something this important. Our oline is a mess. Lots of injuries to key people. I wonder if we'd be wise to see if Tice, Bates & Cutler can closely collaborate, and allow Cutler some freedom to call some of his own plays and audible - but not turn over everything to Bates right now, as far as anointing him our play-calling Czar.

After the season, evaluate what worked and didn't work & if you want to put Bates into an OC role, then fine. Tice (or the collaborators together) called a darned good game against the Vikings IMHO. Let's see if this can be a trend now. Build on that success.

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

Maybe Bates would be a good choice, but maybe not. Bates has 1 year of OC experience. He was fired after his first season, after his offense was ranked #28 in the NFL (this was in 2010 for the Seahawks). Bates did help call plays in 2008 for the Broncos, where he was the QB coach that year. That offense was #1 in the AFC that year.

I don't know. Maybe it would be OK to let Bates call plays and see how he does. But here's the deal. Our December schedule is here. Sunday is "show time" for the playoff push. It's not a good time to be screwing with something this important. Our oline is a mess. Lots of injuries to key people. I wonder if we'd be wise to see if Tice, Bates & Cutler can closely collaborate, and allow Cutler some freedom to call some of his own plays and audible - but not turn over everything to Bates right now, as far as anointing him our play-calling Czar.

After the season, evaluate what worked and didn't work & if you want to put Bates into an OC role, then fine. Tice (or the collaborators together) called a darned good game against the Vikings IMHO. Let's see if this can be a trend now. Build on that success.

Bates was the de facto OC for the Broncos in 2008 and did 100% of the play calling. Because Mike Shanahan was considered an offensive guru himself the Broncos QB coach often had that role but without the title OC.

Denver Broncos

Bates joined the Denver Broncos in 2006. In his first season he served as an offensive assistant, helping offensive coordinator Rick Dennison coach the offensive line. In 2007 he served as wide receivers/quarterbacks coach, and in 2008 as quarterbacks coach, both seasons working closely with quarterback Jay Cutler. In 2008, Bates called the offensive plays for the Broncos, helping Cutler become a Pro Bowl selection and the team to have the NFL's second-most productive offense (1st in the AFC).^[3]



Along with Shanahan he created the game plans in 2008 and Bates was without question the main play caller all year. In 2009 he was at USC and in 2010 in Seattle with Pete Carroll and in both situations he was the sole offensive play caller. That gives him three more years experience with it than Tice has had.


It's a moot point anyway because Lovie has said Tice keeps the job so he will. This is just my little rant about why I think that's a dumb decision but then what else is knew. Gimme a buck for everyone of those they've made in the last ten years and I'd be flying to Chicago right now to see Sundays game in person from 50 yard line seats.

I'm curious how much input Bates & Cutler have now. The offense looked much better last week. Bates has the headset on when you see him (not just Tice.....yes, Tice is holding the play chart, but I have to believe there's a lot more collaboration going on with Bates).

Also, I'd be shocked if Bates and Cutler didn't have input now into game planning. Also, it's not ALL on the play calling.

Much of the problems this season has been poor execution. Guys dropped key passes. Guys couldn't block. Guys got stupid penalties that killed drives. Cutler made poor decisions. And yes, there was some stupid play calling too.

But everyone seems to be settling down and performing better (coaches and players). It's not unreasonable to conclude that as people got more time and game reps (coaches and players), that they're performing better.

Part of our problem is that we fail to understand that we've changed significantly on offense this year. New key players, players being used differently from last year, different starters, new OC, new QB coach, new scheme, new Bears GM.

That's significant change.

It's not realistic to think we can stir all of that together and have it running to it's potential in part of one season. Bates as OC in Seattle had a #28 ranked offense and was promptly fired. I'm sorry, that doesn't exactly build my faith in him to be a solid OC for us.

Whatever the collaboration is on offense now (Tice, Bates, Cutler) let's see if they can pull this thing together for THIS season. It's like the plane is in the air approaching the airport. Why try to change out an engine now? Yeah, we may crash, but our options are not so hot in mid flight. I'm laughing as I type this. It's like the "funny noise" in the engine went away in the Vikings game - but all of us fans are buckled in, scared witless as we approach the "playoff airport".......I've got my seat belt buckled and praying I live through the 2012 playoff landing

After this season, then evaluate what (and who) worked well - and what needs fixing. Emery is going to need more than this 1st season to fix the Chicago Bears right. I believe he's up to the job, including firing Lovie if needed. But now is not the right time to do major changes. Just make the best use of what and who we have right now.

IMHO, that's the best we CAN do.

I think that if Tice continues to call plays like he did against the vikings, we have no need for a new oc..

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I'm curious how much input Bates & Cutler have now. The offense looked much better last week. Bates has the headset on when you see him (not just Tice.....yes, Tice is holding the play chart, but I have to believe there's a lot more collaboration going on with Bates).

Also, I'd be shocked if Bates and Cutler didn't have input now into game planning. Also, it's not ALL on the play calling.

Much of the problems this season has been poor execution. Guys dropped key passes. Guys couldn't block. Guys got stupid penalties that killed drives. Cutler made poor decisions. And yes, there was some stupid play calling too.

But everyone seems to be settling down and performing better (coaches and players). It's not unreasonable to conclude that as people got more time and game reps (coaches and players), that they're performing better.

Part of our problem is that we fail to understand that we've changed significantly on offense this year. New key players, players being used differently from last year, different starters, new OC, new QB coach, new scheme, new Bears GM.

That's significant change.

It's not realistic to think we can stir all of that together and have it running to it's potential in part of one season. Bates as OC in Seattle had a #28 ranked offense and was promptly fired. I'm sorry, that doesn't exactly build my faith in him to be a solid OC for us.

Whatever the collaboration is on offense now (Tice, Bates, Cutler) let's see if they can pull this thing together for THIS season. It's like the plane is in the air approaching the airport. Why try to change out an engine now? Yeah, we may crash, but our options are not so hot in mid flight. I'm laughing as I type this. It's like the "funny noise" in the engine went away in the Vikings game - but all of us fans are buckled in, scared witless as we approach the "playoff airport".......I've got my seat belt buckled and praying I live through the 2012 playoff landing

After this season, then evaluate what (and who) worked well - and what needs fixing. Emery is going to need more than this 1st season to fix the Chicago Bears right. I believe he's up to the job, including firing Lovie if needed. But now is not the right time to do major changes. Just make the best use of what and who we have right now.

IMHO, that's the best we CAN do.

Well if Bates is now wearing a headset (something he wasn't doing earlier) then it's possible that he's being given more authority as far as play calling but if it's only as a go between for Tice and Cutler it's a little unnecessary as far as I'm concerned.

One thing for certain is that the offensive approach changed somewhat for the better last game so whether that was because Bates was calling plays or simply was allowed more say in that it seemed to have worked. Given the situation with that line this is what they should be doing and I've been saying it for weeks.

As for Bates track record in Seattle all I can say is that he didn't have Cutler and Marshall in Seattle but he did in Denver and he does now. So let's look at what he's done with those tools at his disposal rather than others when we imagine what might be possible if he was allowed full rein off the offense.

This has nothing to do with changing the engine in a plane that's been in a nose dive for more than half the season. This is about letting the co-pilot take over before that plane actually does crash on landing. The engine hasn't changed. Just the man with his hand on the stick. To me that is making the best use of who we have at our disposal.

Originally Posted by Henry Burris

I think that if Tice continues to call plays like he did against the vikings, we have no need for a new oc..

I wouldn't count on just the results of one game to make that decision when for most of the others Tice has been far from an adequate game planner and play caller.

The approach was better yes but it was against the Vikings and the offense still played from a short field on most of those scores. I want to see that offense take the ball 90 yards down the field for a score like teams have been able to against us.

When that starts happening with some regularity then I might believe it's under control but now? Nah, not yet, not even close.