Bears Blitz

Published by Gene Chamberlain on November 24, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

When a football team is 4-6 and looking forward to a January of watching the playoffs on television, playing for the future only makes sense.

The Chicago Bears will never do this under coach Lovie Smith. They never have, and never will.

Already, we’re getting indications Smith will stick with his usual philosophy of winning as many games as possible rather than looking at some young talent.

On Sunday night, running back Kahlil Bell stunned everyone with a 72-yard burst between left guard and tackle on his first Bears rushing attempt since being promoted from the practice squad as injured Garrett Wolfe’s replacement.

It was stunning to see a running back actually stick with the blocking scheme and give it a chance to develop. Matt Forte has gotten into a habit of trying to cut back against the flow and into the teeth of the defensive pursuit.

It was the longest run by a Bears running back in 20 years. At the very least you’d think coach Lovie Smith would put out the idea of giving Bell plenty more chances.

After all, what’s wrong with trying to light a fire under a player like Forte when it looks like he could use one?

Forte has had only one game with more than 41 yards in the last six, and that shouldn’t count because the 90-yard effort came against the Mistake by the Lake, the Cleveland Browns.

So does Bell have the chance to take some carries from Forte, Smith was asked Monday at Halas Hall?

“I don’t think (so), first off, you know Matt did some good things last night,” Smith said, alluding to Forte‘s 14-carry, 34-yard effort. That’s 1,224 inches for you small thinkers.

“I know his yardage, the rushing total didn’t say that,“ Smith continued. “But I liked the way he hit the holes, but just talking about Kahlil, Garrett Wolfe was a part of our rotations. He’s out, Kahlil has taken his place.

“You need more than one good running back. We’ve even played three good running backs around here, so to answer your question, I do see Kahlil continuing to be a part of our offense, and with production like that, why not?”

So he’s going to get Wolfe’s number of carries, or about three or four a game.

It almost sounded like former Bears goof, er, coach Dave Wannstedt when James Allen had run for 163 yards against the Baltimore Ravens in 1998.

Wanny said,  “Let’s not put Tremayne Allen in the Hall of Fame yet.” Couldn’t even get the guy’s name right, confusing him with a backup fullback-tight end who was a wasted draft pick.

Then there is the continuing saga of wide receiver Devin Aromashodu. At 6-foot-2, with long arms and good vertical leaping ability, it would only seem plausible that a team with so much trouble in the red zone on offense might give him a good look.

Last week Jay Cutler said he wanted to see Aromashodu, particularly near the goal line. When Cutler’s comment was brought to Smith’s attention late in the week, the Bears coach laughed.

“Aromashodu has been around here for a while. We endorse him like we always have. No more than that,” Smith said.

And that was that. Aromashodu was invisible again Sunday night and Cutler found Devin Hester four times for a whopping 18 yards and Johnny Knox twice for 16 yards.

What in those totals said Aromashodu just can’t play here?

Nothing.

The team’s first draft pick in 2009, Jarron Gilbert, hasn’t been seen or heard from in seven games. He’s been active in two games and played special teams in his only appearance this year.

What’s wrong with getting him snaps at this point? After all, they’re letting defensive end acquisition Gaines Adams play.

Morticia Addams looked more like a football player than Gaines Adams does. She had a more solid physique, but then again, she wasn’t acquired in a trade by general manager for a second-round draft pick who could have been used next year to bolster a poor offensive line or improve a struggling secondary.

There are even veterans who they should probably take a look at just for the sake of the future. Kevin Shaffer has been on the sidelines almost all year but it’s hard to see how he could be worse at tackle than Orlando Pace.

At least they haven’t given up entirely on the idea of changing around players. Corey Graham is going to get to continue playing nickel back now even with safety Kevin Payne returning from a back injury.

This means Danieal Manning will stay at free safety all the time, which is probably better because he’ll get to focus on one position rather than play nickel back part-time and safety part-time.

That’s about as far as you’ll see Smith go with experimenting. Even when the team is officially eliminated from playoff contention, expect them to continue using this conservative approach.

They refused to get Josh Beekman playing time his rookie year of 2007 and last year wouldn’t put wide receiver Earl Bennett on the field.

Then again, with this regime’s record for failing to draft well, why take a good look. What you don’t know can’t hurt you.

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