If There's Any Reason At All For A Coaching Change This Is It..............

What's Bears record when defense doesn't score?

Posted Dec 10, 2012



Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.

It seems to me that the Bears have a very difficult time winning when they don't score a defensive touchdown. What is their record when they don't score on defense?

Paul K.
Oak Lawn, Illinois

It certainly has been much tougher for the Bears to win when their defense doesn't score a touchdown. Over the past two seasons, they're 8-1 in games in which their defense gets into the end zone and 8-12 when their defense doesn't score. That's a pretty amazing stat that shows how dependent the Bears have been on their defense not only stopping opponents but scoring TDs.

I think this pretty well sums it up doesn't it?

Are you trying to say that other teams expect their offense to score more points than their opponents' offense?

Woah...that's some crazy shit. Had no idea.

Over the past two seasons with two different OCs the Bears offense has failed to reach a point where they can be counted on to win football games without massive help from the defense. Either the defense scores itself or they fall just short but leave the offense in position for a score or a gimme FG. I doubt if we went three years back the situation would be any different.

So the bottom line is that when the defense didn't get the job done for the offense we've lost 60% of the games we've played. That's not just an occasional poor offensive showing that spells offensive disaster and nothing has changed nor will it.

Mike Tice must go and with him several others members of the offensive staff. If Lovie isn't let go and isn't given an extension now (God forbid) then the only real choice we're likely to have is to promote Jeremy Bates to the OC spot and allow him to choose some assistants who he feels can come in and turn that offense around in 2013.

We won't find another capable OC willing to come to Chicago with Lovie in the last year of his contract. We've been through this before. It's either Bates or it's Toub. They're are the only two coaches under contract who could step into that role and I doubt it would be Toub over Bates just because of Bates previous record of success with Cutler and Marshall here in Denver.

Personally I really don't care if they keep Lovie on in 2013 or not. If he goes, he goes and we'll have a new coach and a huge roster shakeup over the next two years. Finding anyone better will be a challenge and hopefully Emery is up to it and the McCaskey's are willing to foot the bill if that's his choice. It may be far better to keep him around and do this.

I believe that IF the Bears had a half way decent, not even great, offense Lovie's skills as a defensive coach coupled with the respect his players have for him would be enough to make the Bears a consistently competitive team in the NFC. The real problems stem from the fact we have a terrible offense and have had terrible offensive coaching. Our record in games where the defense has not scored bears that out.

If Lovie stays Phil Emery must insist on a house cleaning of the offensive coaching staff save Bates if he's to be the new OC and anyone Bates and Emery, not Lovie, jointly decide should be retained. I would think at the very least we'd be looking for new coaches for the OL, TEs. Neither of them have been able to develop the talent given them nor has Tice in his stint as OL coach. At a minimum those three need to go because the offensive failures track directly to them. If Lovie won't agree to this and dismiss these guys immediately after seasons end then I believe Lovie has to go too and we start over now.

The sole reasons for the Bears lack for success over the past three seasons has been the failure of the offense to consistently mount scoring drives that lead to TDs. Even when we have been able to move the ball down field we've settled far too often for chip shot FGs. With the offensive talent we have at skill positions there's absolutely no excuse for that or for the number of turnovers that have come from receivers slipping, running poor routes, not finishing them, not contesting for the ball and ill advised passes thrown under pressure.

It's obvious the biggest problem as and has been the offensive line but little was done to improve upon that. Mike Tice, and to a lesser degree, Lovie himself need to stand for that. They were the ones who gave assurance that the offense could function behind that unit and it hasn't even been close. Week after week we see the same players making the same mistakes. If in three years Mike Tice could not manufacture a decent line out of all of the prospects who've passed through here then it isn't gonna get done in four either.

I think Phil Emery is a pretty sharp guy and I believe he knows talent when he sees it. Both in the player and the coaching ranks. Therefore where the Bears lack of offensive talent lies must be just as apparent to him as it is to the fans. I also believe he knows that major changes need to be made on the offensive side of the football and I think that's where we'll see him devote his efforts. If he doesn't then his credibility as GM will also slip just as JA's did.

If it were up to me the season would be over tomorrow. I don't care whether we make the playoffs or not because with no offense we don't stand a chance of beating even one good team there so it's one and done. This isn't our year. It's pretty plain to see that now and if these changes aren't made then next year will look just as bad or worse. The only thing that's hurting us other than "Father Time" on the defensive side of the ball is the offense. That has to be remedied now.

I'm convinced that as long as Lovie Smith has any input into the coaching on that side of the ball we will never get the OC and offense we need. Lovie simply does not know offensive football from a standpoint of the attack and doesn't show any inclination to step in and make critical changes when they're needed. That "softsoap" and the "glass is half full" and "we're right where we want to be" crap doesn't cut it anymore. I don't believe him and if you took a poll I'd bet that 80% of the rest don't either.

So as soon as this season ends, one way or another, the wheels have to be set in motion and the changes need to come. It's either the offensive staff gets a make over or the entire coaching staff is dismissed save those that Phil Emery might ask to return and be considered to be retained by a new HC. I don't see that there are any other choices.

Yeah, damn Lovie for not throwing enough TDs...... damn him for dropping TD passes.... and damn him for not running the ball like a champion.

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Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Yeah, damn Lovie for not throwing enough TDs...... damn him for dropping TD passes.... and damn him for not running the ball like a champion.

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Isn't it a head coach's job to identify problems with the team and fix that problem or at least relate the problem to someone who can? Lovie/Tice has stated that the players they have on the offensive line can get the job done. Tice will not give up on Webb, other players get benched for playing bad, but not Webb. Also, Lovie has stated that Davis is just as good as any tight end in the league. Was Lovie correct with his evaluation?

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Originally Posted by inchibearfan

Isn't it a head coach's job to identify problems with the team and fix that problem or at least relate the problem to someone who can? Lovie/Tice has stated that the players they have on the offensive line can get the job done. Tice will not give up on Webb, other players get benched for playing bad, but not Webb. Also, Lovie has stated that Davis is just as good as any tight end in the league. Was Lovie correct with his evaluation?

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A head coach trusts the men he hires to give him a proper evaluation of the talent they control. Tice told him the line was fine, so Lovie took him at his word, and relayed the message to his boss, Emery. Emery (like Lovie) chose to listen to and believe Mike Tice.

As far as the WR and TE goes, Emery saw what we saw. He chose to listen to Lovie, when he SHOULD have known otherwise. The WR... again, Emery did all he could to improve them in a year. Brought in Marshall and drafted the injury prone Jeffery.

But, if Marshall (a Emery acquisition) and Jeffery (another Emery acquisition) caught TD passes a week ago, or Bennett (a Angelo over-paid re-signed player) caught one two weeks ago caught the TDs thrown at them, Bears would have a much better record.

If Cutler would stop throwing to Marshall every damn play, and threw to others..... like FORTE once in a while perhaps Bears would be playing better as well. Not every play is called for Marshall, Cutler audibles and throws to the only one he fully trusts.

That is not on Lovie, not really on Tice either.

Lovie's the one in charge of putting the assistants in place, and the person in charge of making sure the players are ready. If they are failing it's ulimately his fault.

I said early in the year that this O was unable to get going unless the D either gave them REALLY good field position or they outright score for the O. Seems it's been going on even longer then I would have guessed.

I hear that argument all the time. Please explain to me what you mean by "he didn't have his players ready"

If the players look like shit, on the field, it's a reflection of him. He's had a large say on who is staff is, and how the players are(not total on who was drafted/brought in but still a large say). So the staffs ability to prepare the players, and the players ability to perform are a reflection of Lovie.

This teams ability to beat the snot out of tomatoe cans tells you there is talent w/the players and the coaches, but there ability to perform like tomatoe cans when they have to face .500+ clubs, or even worse elite clubs tells you they are not well coached, or flat not good enough to compete for a SB. Either way that reflects back onto Lovie.

All this shows is why we need to keep Lovie and the DC and why we need a real OC.