Bears Blitz

Published by Antwan Fields on November 24, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The man in the picture above this article is one of the top 15 QBs in the NFL.

The man in the picture is also well known for throwing interceptions, as all QBs do.

However, he is being unfairly blamed for everything wrong with the Chicago Bears. And as a fan who had to sit through, to name just a few: Cade McNown, Steve Stenstrom, Henry Burris, Rick Mirer, Steve Walsh, etc, that doesn’t sit right with me.

When Jerry Angelo made the trade that brought Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears, a season or two after the greatest sports quote ever was contributed to the world by Dennis Green, there was jubilation from SOME Bears fans. Others would rather have had the first round picks and Kyle Orton.

This is ridiculous on so many levels. This team has been known for its defense throughout the Super Bowl era. And it’s never gotten us anything. Matter of fact, the one Bears Super Bowl-winning defense was complimented on the other side by an amazing running back, an above-average QB and for that time, good blocking WR’s, as well as an excellent offensive line led by Jimbo Covert.

When it comes to the NFL, I subscribe to this theory that I will bold just to show how much I believe in it:  You cannot win without at least a top-13 offensive line. Look at every Super Bowl winner. When the Colts defeated said Bears, Peyton Manning was protected by Tarik Glenn and Ryan Diem at the tackles, Rick DeMulling and I believe Jake Scott, and Jeff Saturday.

Those are two pretty damn good tackles, well, Diem is, Glenn has since retired. DeMulling was let go in free agency and Saturday is the uncompromising heart and soul of the line. In anoher example, notice that as soon as Willie Roaf and Will Shields retired, and John Welbourn got bad, the Chiefs dropped into the dregs of the NFL, where before they had always been near the middle, and spent more years above than below.

Oakland staked their No. 2 overall on getting a franchise tackle from Iowa named Robert Gallery. Gallery is now a guard because he couldn’t handle the pressures, and Oakland still sucks. And I’m a Raiders fan, trust me, it angers me to say it, especially since Madden 06 is convinced they’re an elite franchise and they win 10 games every year.

Also, when Miami took LT Jake Long first overall, I was taken by a stat that was reported many times during pre-draft coverage: Long was not called for a holding penalty his last two or three years at Michigan. Dolphins win 11 games in his rookie season. Funny how that works.

Which brings me to the Sunday night telecast. Al Michaels has won awards, but the way he opened the show I sure don’t see how. Because he lost much credibility when he called Cutler the savior. That annoyed me to no end, because that’s not what he was. He was not, nor ever was intended to be, the savior of this Chicago Bears team.

Joe Montana could be the QB and this team would be 4-5. Greg Olson is soft, Matt Forte couldn’t hit a hole belonging to a porn star, and this offensive line couldn’t block me and three of my cousins running at full speed.

And worse, this offensive line has future hall of famer Orlando Pace and he’s one of the worst offenders. If Antwan Odom wasn’t out for the rest of the season before that Bengals game, he might have put Cutler in the hospital. 

This is NOT to say Cutler should be absolved of all blame. I’m not saying that at all, because of his 18 interceptions, about nine of them are entirely his fault, and the jury’s still out on two of them, including the one to end the Eagles game. But it’s really hard for Cutler to have any faith in his receivers when they DON’T CATCH THE BALL.

Look at the end of the Eagles game. And I’m not taking anything from the Eagles, they played an excellent game. But Cutler went to Greg Olson in triple coverage. Stupid? Yes, but why was Olson standing in one place? Ball’s tipped up in the air, and one of the Eagles runs into an almost standing still Greg Olson, and the game’s over.

The Bears are not a good team. Weren’t before they got Cutler. And the defense took a hit with the loss of Urlacher and Nathan Vasher basically being a less mobile version of Thomas Smith. There’s a name from the past, Bears fans.

So if you’re going to blame anyone, Jay Cutler should not be first on your list. Ron Turner, Lovie Smith and the offensive line should shoulder a lot more blame than Cutler.

Before I explain why they should take more blame in ascending order…

Kyle Orton has Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and Daniel Graham (or is it Ben Watson, they’re always interchangeable in my mind) I could look like a Pro Bowler with that crew and the excellent Ryan Clady. And I couldn’t throw a spiral for a million dollars.

Kyle Orton is not a great QB. He’s a system QB. San Diego is reminding Denver that THEY are the class of the AFC West (which isn’t saying much) and Marshall and Knowshon Moreno had a bit of a difference of opinion on the sideline yestersday.

Jay Cutler, on the other hand, has a soft Greg Olson, Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, who nobody heard of before this year, and an offensive line that right now is varying degrees of fat, old and bad. I’ll say it again: You cannot win without a good to great offensive line. You will not win. I guarantee it.

Starting with the Offensive Line. Orlando Pace, Frank Omiele, Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza/Josh Beekman, and Chris Williams. Reading off those names, you have: A hall of famer, a low draft pick who made his name through toughness, a center who is the leader of the team, a self-made scrapper and brawler who is always hurt with bad knees, a young kid who will probably be the center once Kreutz leaves, and…a first-round pick.

The NFL is the toughest league for a first-round pick to succeed, bar none. But the Chicago Bears have had it tougher than any other team in the NFL when it comes to drafting in the first round. The aformentioned Cade McNown. Curtis Enis. And of course, my favorite, Michgan WR David Terrell, who had much talent, no sense in how to utilize it, and was quickly out of the NFL, as even the Patriots had no use for him. 

One could say Houston is just as tough, as David Carr was their first pick ever. Carr had all the tools to succeed…but what got him? If you say lack of talent, the sound you just heard was a buzzer followed immediately by the Price is Right tuba. Carr was immensely talented. But he was sacked over 200 times as the QB of the Houston Texans.

The offensive linemen of the Houston Texans from that period, especially Chester Pitts, should all be ashamed of themselves for that disgusting performance. Hell, they should hang a plaque outside Reliant Stadium. “Here lies the tattered remains of David Carr’s career. In Memoriam.”

Getting back to this story, the play of the offensive line this season has been inexcusable. But, people keep overlooking that to jump on Cutler. THAT is also inexcusable. Cutler is constantly under pressure, and Matt Forte usually gets buried after a yard or so. How anyone can ignore that is just stunning.

So we come to Ron Turner.

Turner as offensive coordinator is a mistake. The offense he built was designed for someone with moderate arm strength. Someone like Kyle Orton. Jay Cutler is not Kyle Orton. He’s demonstrably better. Screen passes work only with, let’s say, Hester. Runs over guard work if your guards are any good.

If your guards are, let’s name two good ones at random if I can, Alan Faneca/Steve Hutchinson and Mike Wahle/Marco Rivera (had to consult my memory bank for the Madden 06 ratings) then it works.

If your guards are below average, you’re going to get buried. Watch the next game, which I believe is against the Vikings. When Forte attempts to run over guard, Pat Williams is going to eat him like the shark got Robert Shaw in Jaws. And for a “317”-pound man, it won’t matter which guard, Williams will be there waiting.

Turner’s stubborness prevents the team from throwing anything different at opposing defenses, and when that happens, Cutler gets murdered. Can Turner be rehabilitated? Of course, but will he?

So, Lovie Smith.

I defended Smith. I think he’s a good head coach. But in the end, it all comes down to him. In the end, he is the one responsible for the play of the team. I said in my last article the Browns have quit on Eric Mangini, maybe the Bears quit on Lovie Smith as well.

You see it in their body language. Cutler and Hester are angry when they come off the field after a three and out. The defense mostly looks beaten before the ball is even snapped.

I have no idea what Peanut Tillman is doing, but he can’t expected to be Champ Bailey. Zack Bowman is…well, I really can’t tell. Releasing the always hurt Mike Brown seems to have had the wrong effect on the secondary, because the team’s been hit by waves of injuries in what seems like a husband having sympathy pains for his wife.

But a smart coach adjusts to unforeseen circumstances and plans for changes, good or bad. A smart coach only gambles when he’s sure he’ll succeed. The fake punt in week one against Green Bay was a prime example of bad gambles, especially in Lambeau Field.

So every time you hear Bears fans attempt to blame Cutler for things beyond his control (below-average receivers, an offensive line that’s out there collecting a paycheck, catastrophic injuries, and horrendous coaching) and not give him credit for what he does that’s good.

And unless you’re as dumb as Al Michaels, you’d do well to keep Dennis Green’s oft-copied, never-topped statement about this team in your mind for the 2009 season, and possibly the 2010 one as well:

“The BEARS ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!”

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com