The Bears future is unclear

The news that former Bears defensive back coach Perry Fewell will be the next defensive coordinator of New York Giants solidifies the fact the Bears seem to be lost in their search for coordinators on both sides of the ball.

GM Jerry Angelo called these decisions the most important of his career since he first hired Lovie Smith in 2004. Perry Fuel seemed to be the perfect fit being that he was a sought after coach who Lovie was comfortable with bringing back to Chicago.

You can't blame Fewell for not wanting to come into situation in which if the team didn't make the playoffs then he'd likely be out of job again in a year. New York likely outbid Chicago as I can't see the McCaskey's sinking too much money into a coach who might only be there for a year.

Chicago's defensive talent also doesn't stack out to the potential that New York has so by all means Fewell probably made the right decision. But where does that leave the Bears? Lost.

The Bears did however hire former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice as the offensive line coach for the 2010 season. The hire left some people scratching there heads as it might of been premature to hire an assistant coach before you hire a coordinator, but one cannot underestimate the importance of an offensive line coach.

The last few games of the season were a tell-tale sign of how important the big guys up front were to the Bears success. Jay Cutler is a different quarterback when properly protected. Look at the success Brett Farve has had this season behind the offensive line he has in Minnesota. It also appears that center Olin Kreutz will be back next year as Tice met with the former pro bowler as a part of his interviewing process.

Despite the addition of Tice the Bears are still without an offensive coordinator and there are little clues in what direction the organization will go with the coaching vacancy. The position will most likely go to a promising NFL position coach willing to take the risks that go along with joining a coaching staff on the rocks.

Some names that have been mentioned as candidates for the job include Colts wide receivers coach Clyde Christensen and San Diego assistant head coach Rob Chudzinski. Whomever Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith hire it will no doubt be a pivotal move for the Bears organization.
Who should the Bears hire? Any ideas? Can Lovie save his job in 2010? Share your thoughts below.

-Sean Heffernan

News reports out of South Carolina have confirmed that 26-year-old Chicago Bears defensive end Gaines Adams has died after being taken to the emergency room last night. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and University of Clemson star was pronounced dead at 9 AM ET Sunday morning in Greenwood, S.C. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday to be preformed by a forensic specialist. Adams had played in the Bears final game of the year against the Detroit Lions and the coroner told local news stations that he was in apparent good health before the time of his passing. SCnow.com is reporting that Adams suffered an apparent heart attack and was rushed to the ER.

By Sean Heffernan

The 2009 season wasn't pretty for Chicago Bears fans, but it's never to early to look forward to next year. The Jay Cutler trade made this season one of the most anticipated in history of the Bears organization which made the poor play on the field even harder to watch for the Solider Field faithful. For the Bears to avoid repeating the mistakes of 2009 they must make changes. Here's my two cents on what the big stories are for next season in the Windy City.

1. The Future of Lovie Smith

Lovie Smith will return next year as the head coach of the Chicago Bears having finished the season with two victories against Minnesota and Detroit for an overall record 7-9 in 2009. Since their 2006 Super Bowl appearance, the Bears have missed the playoffs three years in a row under Smith and have a under .500 winning percentage. Lovie’s saving grace is that the Bears owe Smith $11 million over the next two years. The McCaskey's fired Dave Wannstedt and Dick Jauron with one year left on their contracts, but insiders doubted they would let Smith walk away with that big of a check. Smith announced in a press conference Tuesday afternoon that he would not be the defensive coordinator in '10 in addition to being the head coach as was the case this season.  
 
2. Heads Fall at Halas Hall

Offensive Coordinator Ron Turner along with five other assistant coaches were not as fortunate as Lovie on Tuesday afternoon as they will not be returning to sidelines of Soldier Field next year. Turner had been under fire all season as the Bears' offense struggled both on the ground and in the air for most of the season. The additional assistant coached let go included Pep Hamilton (quarterbacks), Harry Hiestand (line) and Rob Boras (tight ends), and assistants Luke Butkus and Charles London.

Lovie Smith has will have the job this off season of hiring coordinators for both sides of the ball and filling in the assistant positions now left vacant. The incredibly unpopular Jerry Angelo will be retained for next year despite the public's call for his head. The Bears' GM was the talk of the town at the beginning of the season for his trade that brought Jay Cutler to town, but became a punching bag for pundits after most of his off season moves performed poorly in '09.

3. Can Cutler Carole the Curse of the Quarterback?

Jay Cutler was not quite the quarterback messiah fans had hoped he'd be when news first broke that  the Bears had acquired the former Denver Bronco. His season can be basically summed up in his stats: 27 TD, 26 INT.  Some of those interceptions you can credit to miscommunication with a young, inexperienced wide receiver core or the constant pressure he felt behind a poor offensive line, but you have to wonder how many more games the Bears would've won had Cutler made been better decisions with the ball. 

The lack of a running game didn't help Cutler and getting Matt Forte back on track next season could really take a lot off of the quarterback's shoulders. The Bears next offensive coordinator will have to find a way to reinforce the running game. The Bears would benefit from bringing in another running back to help carry the load on the ground as most successful teams in the NFL now utilize two to three running backs in their offensive packages.
 
4. A New Hope at Wide Receiver

On a positive note, one of the biggest worries before this past season was over the wide receiver position that lacked a true go-to-guy. As the season progressed, Johnny Knox became a deep threat for Cutler with his blazing speed and knack for making the big play. Devin Hester and former Vanderbilt teammate of Cutler's Earl Bennett both averaged 13.3 yards a catch as the Bears' leading position receivers.

 In the final few games of the season Devin Aromashodu showed signs of being a great target for Cutler next season catching four touchdowns. Aromashodu didn't see the field until week 10 which makes you wonder why Lovie & Co. didn't give this kid a shot earlier in the year.  The receiving core could benefit by adding an experienced player in the off season, but the wide out position is not on the top of Jerry Angelo's "To Do" list this coming off season.
 
5. Success Starts With the Big Boys
 
The difference in Jay Cutler's tremendous form the last two games of the season compared to the horrid stretch of ten games where the Bears only won twice could be credited to the fact that against the Vikings and Lions he didn't spend most of the game running for his life. Needless to say the offensive line is a position the Bears need to improve upon  in 2010 if they want to make a run at the playoffs. Future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace was an utter flop in Chicago at left tackle and looked very much like a guy who had played one too many years in the NFL.  

Chris Williams struggled most the year in his first season as a starter, but showed some potential the final few games of the year. Williams kept arguably the NFL's best pass rusher in Jared Allen at bay on Monday Night football when the Bears pulled off a riveting overtime victory over the NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings. Williams along with veteran center Olin Kreutz should return to the lineup next season, but Pace and free agent signing Frank Omiyale need to be replaced for next season.  To do so the Bears may need to be creative with their limited draft picks or in free agency, but something has to be done.

On the other side of the ball a number of reserve players got valuable experience with all the injuries the Bears' defense racked up this year.  Brian Urlacher should be back for next year barring any more complications with his wrist injury that saw the six-time pro bowler miss almost all of 2009. Urlacher has always flourished when he's had two skilled defensive tackles to keep off opposing linemen from obstructing his path allowing him to use his speed and instinct to get to the ball.

This will be the first off season that Tommie Harris will not undergo surgery in three years and with hard work in off season he hopefully will return to his 2006 form. Harris' numbers were down this season and  he didn't endear himself to fans  when he was thrown out of a game against the Arizona Cardinals for punching an opposing player in the face. Anthony Adams had two six tackle performances in the final four games of the year, but was far from the dominant force the Bears need in the middle of the line. The Bears should look to add at least one more defensive tackle to compete for the job next year.

What do you think about Lovie Smith staying in Chicago for at least one more year? Where do the Bears need to improve the most? Share your thoughts below!

Jay Cutler will be a Bear for the next five years

 By Sean Heffernan

Jay Cutler has signed a two year contract extension with the Chicago Bears putting the future of the historic franchise directly on the 26-year-old quarterback's shoulders for the immediate future. With a possible lock out looming on the horizon in the NFL in 2011 Cutler and agent, Bus Cook, were looking to make a deal this season. Over the next five seasons with the Bears, Cutler will make $50 million dollars with $20 million guaranteed in the agreed contract. ...

In his debut season with the Chicago Bears, Cutler has seen both the good and bad in navy, orange, and white. Last weekend Cutler passed for 300 yards and threw two touchdowns, but was intercepted twice by Atlanta Falcon defensive back Thomas DeCoud.  On the final drive of the game Cutler made a poor pass on fourth down that fell out of reach for tight end Desmond Clark and the Bears lost a game they could have won 21-14.

To add further harm to injury, Kyle Orton (who the Bears traded to Denver as apart of the Cutler deal) is undefeated and playing the best football of his life. The Bears are sitting 3-2 in the NFC North behind the 6-0 Minnesota Vikings and will have to make up some serious ground in the coming weeks if they want to stay in the hunt for the division title.

The signing of Cutler for the next five years does give the Bears a franchise quarterback to build around. Despite, the number of frustrating mistakes Cutler has made thus far this season I don't think anyone can doubt his talent. Last Sunday night while getting clobbered by blitizing defenders, Cutler made two throws down the middle of the field to tight ends Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark . Cutler simply makes plays with his arm that no other Chicago Bears quarterback has ever been able to make.

The real problems with this year's installment of the "Monsters of the Midway" lies in the under-performing offensive line and the beaten up linebacker core on the defense. The Bears rushing game has been a huge disappointment coming off of Matt Forte's breakout rookie season last year where the former Tulane star rushed for over 1,000 yards.

The new faces on the O-line in Orlando Pace, Frank Omiyale, and Chris Williams have not lived up to their billing. After missing his entire rookie season with a injured back, the Bears' 2008 first round draft pick has looked exposed at left tackle in the first five games. Free agent pick up Omiyale himself looks to be half way out of job at left guard with Josh Beekman waiting in the wings. Orlando Pace has been servicable protecting Cutler's blind side, but the future hall of famer isn't looking his former Pro Bowl self by any means. If the Bears cannot develop a running game this year they have little chance of winning the division.

The injuries of Brian Urlacher, Pisa Tinoisamoa, and Hunter Hillenmeyer have been difficult for the Bears' defense to overcome this season with inexperienced linebackers such as Nick Roach and Jamar Williams attempting to fill the void. This week it looks like Hillenmeyer may be back from a rib injury with the Bengals welcoming the Bears to Cincinnati. The Bengals are off to a surprising 4-2 start and are leading the AFC North division. Former Bears running back, Cedric Benson, is undergoing a rebirth in form for the Bengals as he has rushed for the third most yards in the NFL so far this season.

Sunday's game is a pivotal test for the Bears where they could see themselves either make strides towards catching the Vikings or revert to a mediocre .500 team dreaming of a late season wild card run. With all the hoopla over the Bears in Chicago stemming from the Cutler trade, a defeat on Sunday would be a huge set back for the franchise.

Can the Bears turn it around? Let us know what you think. Comment below.

ChicagoBears.com featured this viedo recaping last weekend's win over the Lions.

The Bears will be DeAngelo Smith's third team in his rookie season

After being waived this season already by the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys, first year defensive back DeAngelo Smith has signed with the Chicago Bears on waivers. The Bears, themselves, waived injured cornerback Trumaine McBride to make room for Smith (who was drafted in the 5th round this year by the Cowboys).

Who is DeAngelo Smith? He was three year player at the University of Cincinatti. He had a breakout season his junior year in college when he led the nation in interceptions with eight picks. His senior year he only had two interceptions, but helped the Bearcats to their first Big East Championship.

How will he help? Who knows? It's not good that the Bears's answer to a problem is to pick up a guy that has already been waived by two teams. That said, after Nathan Vasher's performance last Sunday against the Packers, GM Jerry Angelo needed to do something about the secondary.

Hit Me...?

Da Bears had their lunches handed to them. Jay Cutler looked Rextacular. Urlacher's done for 2009. The o-line looked like a set of turnstiles. The wide receivers are young. Forte couldn't get it going. It was the God Damn PACKERS!

Glad we got that out of our systems. We good? Everybody out of breath to stop yelling long enough for this?

IT WAS WEEK 1!!!!!!! RE-LAX! Jeez Louise... Am I the only one that feels like the "Gas Man" in Dumb & Dumber during the most annoying sound in the world scene? GUYS! GUYS!!

EHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

It happened. Yeah, it was brutal. Tough to watch. And what made watching it worse is that it was a complete 180 of what Bears Nation was expecting to feel. We cracked beers for Sunday Night Football expecting to feel like Dirk Diggler and ended up feeling like John Wayne Bobbitt; which is to say we all felt completely emasculated. It was like not seeing your prom date naked after all the build-up.

Here's what we have to hang onto going into week 2 against the Steelers:

It's still Jay Cutler. It's not Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton or Chad Hutchinson or Henry Burris or Cade McNown or Shane Matthews or Johnathan Quinn or Craig Krenzel... do you get it or do I need to go on? It's not Chris Chandler or Moses Moreno or Rick Mirer (**Moment of Silence for Notre Dame's fallen program... Thank you very much**) or Steve Stenstrom or Mike Tomczak or Brian Griese. Okay, I'm done... or Dave Krieg. Seriously, I'm done. I promise.

Hunter Hillenmeyer filled in serviceably for Urlacher when he missed 7 games in 2004. Yeah, it was a long time ago, but that's how long ago it was since Urlacher served as a complete stud.

Brian Urlacher hasn't been the best linebacker on this team for 3 years now. Lance Briggs is this defense's stud.

The defensive line played well. The secondary held its own with the exception of Afalava's biting on the play action en route to Greg Jennings' winning touchdown catch. Chalk it up to a rookie mistake in his first NFL game. I'm fine with that.

Has everybody settled down now? Good. Week 2 against the Steelers will be a better measuring stick of how good this team can be anyhow. Let's call the start of this season the beginning of the cliche "The Hotter The Fire, The Harder The Steel". This Bears team is chock full of veterans top to bottom; and what's better is that the Bears have a cocky, yet respected veteran at the most important position on the field. (That's right, I just brought it back full circle to Cutler.) Everything is in place for this team to handle adversity. Simply put, they'll bounce back.

Look to see more of what Cutler put out in the second half. He'll be fine. He made Devin Hester look like a legitimate wide receiver, Johnny Knox look like a prime time deep threat, and Earl Bennett look like he had seen the field once or twice last season.

And that's just Da Bears as they relate to Jay Cutler.

Are you ready for the most uplifting--and overlooked--takeaway from the world's worst possible week 1?

The Bears lost the turnover battle 4-0 and STILL could have won the game.

Translation: Give it another few weeks before we all hit the Panic Button. Nobody was expecting another Super Bowl Shuffle in February 2010. Let's not confuse things. The reality is that this Bears team is still a 9-7/10-6 team with potential for the post-season only via the Wild Card. Isn't it a foregone conclusion that the Vikings are winning this division? Everything was magnified last night because it was Sunday Night Football, it was the Packers, it was Urlacher's last game of the season. Let's let this season breathe a little bit before we start pinning our hopes on the Blackhawks and Bulls.

Chill. Everybody just chilllllllll.

 by Sean Heffernan

Prior to the Bears kicking off to the Packers last night there was a sense of optimism in Chicago about their football team that hadn’t been alive since the days of the ’85 Bears. By remarkable circumstances the Bears’ GM, Jerry Angelo, had scooped up disgruntled Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos. After years of wallowing at the shaky arms of terrible to mediocre quarterbacks for decades, Bears faithful now had a star thrower to lead their team to greatness.

Expectations for the 2009 season grew with each day drawing nearer where to September 13^th where at Lambeau Field the “Cutler Era” would begin against their dreaded rival to the north. As Robbie Gould kicked off into the Green Bay night, Chicago Bears fans collectively breathed a sigh of relief as the most anticipated season in the history of the 90-year-old organization had finally begun.

That sigh was about all the relief Bears fans got last night.

 No one could have dreamed of a worse start to the season. Jay Cutler looked anything, but the savior Bears fans have hoped he’d be this year, throwing a career high four interceptions. To be frank, Cutler looked like a Bears quarterback: confused, pressured, panicky, and frustrated. Cutler, who’s known for his risk taking, got off to a terrible start in the first quarter rolling out and throwing across his body straight to Packers safety, Nick Collins, who then returned the ball 31 yards.  

It was evident all night that the Bears’ receivers were not on the same page with Cutler. Cutler did connect with Devin Hester a number of times for good gains including a 36-yard touchdown pass, but the rest of the receiving core looked lost most of the game. Earl Bennett caught only 7 of the 14 balls Cutler threw to him. Tight end Desmond Clark struggled finishing his routes, leading to one of Cutler’s interceptions. Clark also dropped a touchdown in the second quarter that would have been a easy catch had he not broken off his route early. Cutler went on to throw two more interceptions both of which involved miscommunications with rookie wide out Johnny Knox.

In the face of Cutler’s terrible debut in a Bears uniform, the most devastating part of last night’s game manifested itself today, as the Bears announced that middle linebacker Brian Urlacher was out for the season after hurting his wrist in the first series of the second half against the Packers. No doubt the Bears’ defense will miss their leader who was poised to have great year after recovering from back and neck ailments that had plagued him in previous years.

To add further harm to injury starting outside linebacker, Pisa Tinoisamoa, injured his right knee in the first quarter only a few snaps into his 2009 season. Tinosamoa is currently day to day with a sprained PCL, but hasn’t been ruled out for next Sunday’s home game against the Pittsburg Steelers.

The Packers’ defensive line made the Bears’ offensive line look pitiful. Newly signed guard Frank Omiyale got manhandled throughout most of the game. Even with Cutler under center, the Packers were forced the Bears to beat them on the pass and in the end the Bears failed miserably. Offensive Coordinator, Ron Turner, didn’t do Cutler any favors.  

In the fourth quarter the Bears were threatening to go in for six on the Packers’ five yard line, but three bad play calls forced the Bears to settle for a field goal. Turner called two straight running plays into a defense that had bottled up Matt Forte the entire game. In Forte’s defense, he had little chance to get in the end zone as the Bears’ formation on first and second down lacked any real passing threats.

Why run two predictable running plays when the other team has been shutting down your running game consistently up to that point? On third down Turner called a roll out pass for Cutler where his only option was Greg Olsen who was covered by a mess of Packers. The Bears had to settle for three points and went on to lose the game.

Had the Bears scored a touchdown they most likely would have won in spite of of Cutler’s interceptions and Urlacher’s injury. Another strike against the Bears coaching was Lovie Smith’s two missed penalty challenges that left them with two timeouts they could have used on the final drive had Cutler not thrown his final interception on the first play.

The Bears’ 2009 season opener was nothing short of a disaster. For the Bears to have any chance of winning the division this year some unheralded players are going to have to step up. The Bears’ inexperienced receiving core is going to have to get on the same page with their star quarterback while the defense copes with the loss of their captain.

If the Bears can defeat a good team in the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers next week we might be singing a totally different song a week from now, but after last night’s debacle I doubt any Bears fan will be in the mood for a song soon.  

What do you think? Can the Bears rebound next week? Share your thoughts below.

Bears looking forward to Saturday night's clash with hated rival Green Bay

Jay Cutler on the Packers and his first real game for the Bears. Continue reading for Lovie Smith's and Matt Forte's thoughts on the upcoming season opener.

Head Coach Lovie Smith on Saturday's game vs. the Green Bay Packers.

Matt Forte on Packers' defense and his expectations for 2009

What are your thoughts before Saturday night's opening season game against the Packers? Will the Bears leave Green Bay with a W? Share below.

by Sean Heffernan

The Bears trade for Jay Cutler has made this year the most anticipated season in the organization's recent history, but although having a top quarterback will make a big difference in the Bears' passing game much of the team's success this year will fall upon the shoulders of second year running back Matt Forté. The 24-year-old from Slidell, Louisiana is coming off last season where he lead all rookies in total yards from scrimmage as well as breaking the Bears team record for yards from scrimmage by a rookie that Gale Sayers had held for 43 years. If Forté can put up the same kind of numbers both rushing and receiving as he did last year it will make Jay Cutler's life a lot easier under center.

In the pre-season the former-Tulane running back has scored three touchdowns including a 32 yard scamper against the New York Giants. Forté took the hand off from Cutler to the left, realized a Giant defender had over pursued leaving a hole in the defense, and instantly hit the crease at full speed leaving the defense unable to even to get a hand on him. The touchdown run was a great example of the intelligence with which Forté plays the game. Against Jay Cutler's old team the Denver Broncos Forté showed his recieving attributes catching a 6 yard touchdown out of the backfield.

Before the diaster that was Cedric Benson the Bears had three years of success with Thomas Jones in the backfield, but decided to let him go after Chicago's 2006 Super Bowl run. Jones went on to rush for over 1000 yards the next years with the New York Jets. However, Forté offers a skill set different from the find the hole and run hard style of Thomas Jones. Forté can make guys miss, catch the ball, see the field, break tackles. Forté doesn't have the cutting ability of Barry Sanders or Ladainian Tomlison, but has a keen sense of when he should change direction none the less.

A second round draft pick in 2008, Forté went much later in the draft likely because he sat out most of his entire junior year with an injury and he played at smaller school in Tulane. Forté  spent four years in college and graduated with a degree in Fiance (Not exactly a B.A. in basket-weaving). In high school he was a honor student at Slidell High School. Click here to see Forte explain how to eat Cajun food. A Cajun man at heart who loves fishing with his Dad and eating his Mother's gumbo, Forté like Walter Payton is the type of player that teammates love playing with: confident yet unassuming. It's amazing that the Bears got a guy with their second round draft pick in 2008 who's a quality person with the potential to be one of the premier running backs in the NFL. He has the makings of becoming the best all-around back since the days of "Sweetness" and the 85' Bears. Most of the limelight will fall on Cutler this year, but the soft spoken Matt Forté could truly be the pivotal component in the Bears' success in 09.