Thread: Thinking the Unthinkable

Originally Posted by bearsinhouston

yep. Makes sense.

Do you think Lovie would accept a lame duck position?

Do you think the Bears would go that route?

I honestly don't have a feel for either one of these.

If the Bears lose against the Lions next week and miss the playoffs, then I could see the Bears firing Lovie. We'll be 3rd in the NFC-N again. Bottom feeders with Detroit (and with Detroit having just beaten us).

If we win next week, and we make the playoffs then Lovie probably stays. I'm not saying he should stay, but just saying the Bears will not fire him.

Lovie would stay in a lame duck situation.

Here's an unthinkable situation: What if they keep Tice? lol and discuss...

The problem I see is the underlying premise (no offense BIH), If Lovie is not extended, then he may well be able to read the writing on the wall and simply quit.

Presuming that he chooses to stay, the only way to get a decent HC, is to hire him on as an OC with the understanding that he will be given the HC job after Lovies' contract finishes out, although this may lead to Lovie quitting. I'd rate this idea as "possible, but highly unlikely".

The next best options would probably be to promote from within. This means either Bates to OC (likely), or Toub from ST coach to OC (less likely). It should be noted that it is also possible that Tice COULD be kept as OC....(LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!! lets call this one... highly unlikely, but not impossible). Please keep in mind that people do win the lottery, get hit by lightning, and bit by sharks, and I think any of these are more likely than Tice being retained as OC.

Also, in all cases I am presuming that Lovie will have little or no input as to whom is coaching on the offensive side of the ball. I would also think that Lovie would have to go through Emery to influence the offense.

The only preference I have is that Emery do something that will make us of the offensive talent on this team. The play school yard football on offense and continue to make the same kinds of mistakes game after game after game. As disciplined as the defense is the offense is not.

I have no idea what to do other than get Tice the hell out of the OC chair as soon after our season ends next Sunday as possible. The only people I'll feel 100% certain that should lose their jobs are Tice, DeBord, Drake and Holt. That pretty much wipes out the core of the offensive coaching staff and as Lovie would say, "we'll go from there".

The defense still works. It hasn't fallen apart without Urlacher and both of our Golden Agers; Pep and Izzy had good games today. They aren't totally worn out and over the hill yet. So if keeping Lovie means keeping that defense intact and still performing well enough to win a championship then keep him. I can live with that.

What I can't live with is another year of Tice running that offense or any other OC from outside of the organization that Lovie Smith has a God damn thing to do with hiring. The man can't coach offensive football and he doesn't know how to find anyone to work for him who can. Enough is enough!

Originally Posted by bearsinhouston

Interesting choice.

So two questions.

1. I am assuming that you feel Lovie would be ok to stay on as a lame duck coach?

2. How do you propose that you make it attractive for an OC to come here? Remember, if he makes things work, people will just say that Lovie just needed a good OC and so the OC will have saved Lovies job. That means any incentive for him to get the HC position goes away with his success. Kind of if you win you lose scenario for the OC. Do you still think a top OC would come here knowing that it could be a one year only deal for him if Lovie is let go at the end of his contract?

If he does well with th O, despite a non playoff season, he gets first crack at HC

I think we should extend Lovie, but let Emery call the shots from here on out. Lovie and JA were great at trying to acquire a defense, unfortunately this league is all about offense now, so it was simply the wrong time for them. The players respect and like Lovie, and we HAVE won games with Lovie, including playoffs and a SB appearance. However, we are always "close," so we need something else to push us over that precipice, and that something has to come from Emery, not Lovie. Lovie has had his shots, some worked (Marinelli, Defense drafts), and some havent (every OC ever, every offensive draft ever).

So...keep Lovie, keep Marinelli and hopefully Toub, but let Emery pick out a new OC for us, and try and fix our offensive line and TE problems this off season. I still think this team has what it takes to win a Superbowl, we dont need to overhaul it and start from scratch, we just need to tweak it. But we need to keep Lovie far away from the tweaking tools.

Originally Posted by Jimmors

I think we should extend Lovie, but let Emery call the shots from here on out. Lovie and JA were great at trying to acquire a defense, unfortunately this league is all about offense now, so it was simply the wrong time for them. The players respect and like Lovie, and we HAVE won games with Lovie, including playoffs and a SB appearance. However, we are always "close," so we need something else to push us over that precipice, and that something has to come from Emery, not Lovie. Lovie has had his shots, some worked (Marinelli, Defense drafts), and some havent (every OC ever, every offensive draft ever).

So...keep Lovie, keep Marinelli and hopefully Toub, but let Emery pick out a new OC for us, and try and fix our offensive line and TE problems this off season. I still think this team has what it takes to win a Superbowl, we dont need to overhaul it and start from scratch, we just need to tweak it. But we need to keep Lovie far away from the tweaking tools.

The more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to think this is the best move. I know a lot of folks won't agree.