Bears Blitz

Published by Max Kienzler on May 28, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have a Quarterback!

Miracles do in fact exist. Praise God!

When the news was announced, 90 percent of Bear fans got drunk on the Jay Cutler koolaid. The other 10 percent sat there and said something similar to the following, “OK, now what?”

I realize that is a negative way to view a situation that just potentially erased all of those hated memories from the past decade, but seriously, now what?

What, in Ron Turner’s two separate tenures, makes us believe he can get the best out of Jay Cutler?

Turner has not exactly been the most successful offensive coordinator of all time. I will give him credit, his first 20 “scripted” plays of each game are decently put together. But once he has to improvise and come up with something on the fly, he lacks imagination.

I mean, Kyle Orton seemed to play his best (for that matter, so did Brian Griese) when they were in the two-minute drill, that is, when they were calling their own plays.

But now we have “savior.”

The answer to all of our prayers. A legit Pro-Bowl quality QB. 

So the question should be, “How will Ron Turner improve his play calling ability?”

Here is a couple helpful suggestions to Ronny to make himself look better:

1. Deep pass to Devin Hester. This should be a staple in the offense. Called about every 15 plays, minimum.
2. Fade route to Greg Olsen. While this play was amazingly ineffective with Orton and Olsen, Cutler has a little bit better touch on these passes and Olsen has the height and the vertical to make this play dangerous.
3. Remove the Full Back Dive! It worked twice last year—twice. Yet Turner ran it about 20 times. Just get rid of it—for the sake of all.
4. Screen pass to Forte/Wolfe. Orlando Pace is a veteran. So is Kruetz and Garza, so the lineman should be able to sell the screen. Use it more often. All it would do is give Forte room to run in the open field with blockers in front of him. And that’s a good thing, right?
5. Do not throw any more wide receiver screens to Hester. Nine times out of ten, Hester gets nothing out of this play. And that one, Hester will gain four yards. The defense is looking for it, so stop calling it. Period.
6. Turn Des Clark into a first down machine. Institute two tight end sets with Hester on the outside and let Clark beat the linebacker to the first down marker. Clark is a skilled, cagey veteran who has very good hands.
7. Having nothing to do with Jay Cutler, please, PLEASE use Kevin Jones for at least ten carries a game and a minimum of 15-20 plays on the field. Last season, Forte was our run game. Give him a break every once in awhile and he will become more effective at the end of games and more importantly, the end of the season.
8. Start running the Wildcat formation with Hester as the QB, Forte as the RB, and Israel Idonije as the FB. Idonije is quick enough and still has the size to punish who ever gets in his way. That said, under no circumstances, ever, should Hester be allowed to throw the ball.

So there are some changes Tuner should institute.

Maybe not all of them, but some change is needed because if Turner calls this year like he did last, the results will be eerily similar.