Thread: Bears' Smith: 'Tournament has begun for us'

By Brad Biggs, Tribune reporter

1:29 p.m. CST, December 17, 2012

When it comes to picking up the pieces after a Chicago Bears loss, there is a lot more shrapnel and debris this time around.

First, wide receiver Brandon Marshall marched into the postgame interview room Sunday at Soldier Field and called for accountability with jobs when it comes to the flailing offense

Then, injured middle linebacker Brian Urlacher made his weekly paid appearance on WFLD-Channel 32 and responded to criticism by saying, “Two of the people I don't care about: fans or media.”

On Monday, a day after the team lost for the fifth time in six games, coach Lovie Smith said the tournament has started for the Bears.

Losing is getting to the Bears and time is quickly running out to get things turned around in a season that began with hype, expectations and a 7-1 start. Ever since the slide began with a 13-6 loss to the Texans on Nov. 11, Smith has been able to stand tall the day after defeats and point out the Bears still control their destiny.

That is no longer the case. After the 21-13 loss to the Packers on Sunday at Soldier Field, the Bears are in need of help. First, they have to help themselves with road games at Arizona and Detroit to close out the regular season. At 8-6, the Bears can finish 10-6 and miss the postseason. Their clearest path to the playoffs is winning out and having the Giants (8-6) and Vikings (8-6) each lose at least once. But the way the Bears have played of late – averaging a meager 14.2 points per game in the last six – the odds are mounting against Smith and the Bears.

“Realize what the score is, we lost to them again, but for us, yesterday’s game was a must game for the NFC North championship,” Smith said. “Besides that it wasn’t a must game as far as what can happen with our season. This week we’re to that must game, I mean the tournament has begun for us, so it’s about Arizona as soon as the players get a chance to watch the video. We have to find a way to get to 10-6 and see what happens.”

Smith said there will not be any changes on his coaching staff. It certainly sounded like that is what Marshall was hinting at after Sunday’s loss.

“Everybody involved in offense should be held accountable, even if that means jobs,” Marshall said. “Everyone on offense should be held accountable. It’s been this way all year. There’s no excuse. We still have two games left. There’s still hope but at the same time, we need to be held accountable.”

Said Smith: “I would like to think that all throughout the season we’ve stressed being accountable with every position, with all of us — coaches, players and all of us. I don’t think anything has changed from that.”

As far as Urlacher’s remarks where he staunchly supported the coach and rebuked anyone that would disagree, Smith said he had not heard them.

“First off, it would be hard for me to respond to those comments when I haven't heard the comments,” Smith said. “I just know who Brian Urlacher is. I know that he loves being a Chicago Bear. He's helped us win a lot of football games around here. He's a leader. He's disappointed like we all are right now in a position we were in yesterday and he's going to come to work this week getting ready for Arizona.”


http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...0,947470.story