Bernstein: Blame For Bears Loss Is Obvious

By Dan Bernstein-CBSChicago.com Senior Columnist

(CBS) I’ve had enough of this whole Mike Martz thing.

We get it — he’s a brilliant offensive mind. We know how successful he was in St. Louis with the “Greatest Show on Turf,” and we know the Bears were down to a last-resort hire after other candidates declined. The hire was a bold crossing of fingers that magic could be recaptured.

Let me tell you, though, it’s just not working.

“It’s been a brutal night for this Chicago offense,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said late in the fourth quarter. And he’s right.

There’s no way Jay Cutler should have four bad interceptions in the glare of the national spotlight and look completely lost, making pressured, desperate throws to confused receivers. After another embarrassing loss at Green Bay — 23-10, this time — it’s clear that Martz’s arcane, outdated system is handcuffing everything.

The Martz playbook has around 430 plays, all of which he expects to be ready to run at any time in any game. That only creates needless confusion, and poor communication at the line that’s responsible for those inexcusable delay-of-game penalties, maddening false-starts, and ill-timed throws to bad places.

A different philosophy would allow the Bears to make use of the tight end like all the other, more potent attacks do, exploiting matchups in the middle of the field with route combinations that stress safeties and linebackers. But as long as Martz is here, that can’t happen. He sees tight ends as glorified tackles.

I think Martz is considered a genius because he had Hall-of-Fame players making a name for him. Those guys aren’t here.

If only this offense could join the rest of the league in the postmodern era of wide-open offense, with checks and audibles at the line and letting a talented passer see what he throws and throw what he sees. Give this guy some ownership — a chance to maximize his unquestioned talent and silence doubts about his demeanor.

Instead of being another Martz puppet, Cutler could be free to spread his wings and become the kind of gunslinger who combines a cannon arm and fearless play to carry a team to great things. But Martz’s bullheadedness and antiquated ideas are still creating headwinds, so it may never happen.

If only Cutler could be reunited with his old quarterbacks coach from Denver, with whom he shared an understanding of how to attack increasingly complex defensive schemes. That got him to the Pro Bowl, and it’s too bad it can’t be done in Chicago.

If only we could see the kind of throws he used to make to, say, Brandon Marshall – a genuine No. 1 receiver, a thoroughbred athlete the likes of which this city has never enjoyed. Back-shoulder stuff, go-up-and-get-it plays, 50/50 balls that take advantage of a big-time catching radius. That would be sweet.

The Bears could even draft a big, strong fast receiver to be part of something different and better. Not that they ever would.

If only pressure could be relieved by three-step and five-step drops, instead of the constant 7-step variety that asks that the offensive line do too much. These seven sacks are on Martz. If not for him, the porous Packers defense of last week would have been shredded.

If only plays could be called by someone with a more flexible approach, who appreciated the value of balancing run and pass, while respecting both his quarterback’s abilities and new rules that facilitate scoring. As long as Martz is here with this personnel, we’ll keep wondering what could have been in this wasted time.

We can dream, can’t we?

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Roughly translated: It wasn't Martz's fault. It's Cutler's.


I agree Bernstein.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Jay's bus tossing people tonight.

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Given a choice of getting rid of the line or getting rid of Cutler, I'd get rid of the line.

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You know me like that.

I'd rather have a good line and Orton than a bad line and Cutler. Maybe those 2 first rounders could have been put to use.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Aaron Rodgers isn't exactly a world beater against the Bears but I'll bet you'd keep him.

Some teams just have a guy's number.

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You know me like that.

He's won four games in a row against the Bears. That's good enough for me. I think Rodgers had an A+ game today. If his guys were catching the ball like they are capable of it could have been 38-10. He played outstanding. Only missed a couple throws, despite constant pressure.


I don't think Cutler will eer become consistent enough to be a true franchise QB. He kills the bad teams and gets killed against good teams. Not sure if that's preparation, mental, or what. But it's becoming undeniable. You can only make excuses for so long. He held onto the ball way too long on way too many possessions tonight. Just because others around him play bad doesn't give him an excuse to play bad also. Franchise QBs are held to higher standards.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Offensive line especially dumb penalties and Bennett not coming back for that catch or stop int killed bears more than cutler. Dee played well enough I thought.

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Elections have consequences.

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, DOUGIE, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! All the changes were made to coddle this kid and look what you get- TURNOVERS!!!! That's what happens when you build a team around a quarterback rather than a defense. I remember when I played we'd shut down the Packer offense and when Billy Wade was leading the offense onto the field, we'd tell him to hold them. THAT'S BEAR FOOTBALL!!!!!!!

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

And if that's not bad enough, Matt Forte has what might be a high ankle sprain. When it rains, it pours...

Plenty of this as the guys broadcast live from Lamplighter Inn in Palatine for the "Bud Light 'Who Needs Two?' Tavern Tour" this afternoon to be sure on a special "State Farm 'Bears Friday'" on 670 The SCORE & 670thescore.com. Needless to say, Jay Cutler wasn't "in a better state" and appeared to me, for lack of a better word, wasted in the postgame after being on his back 7 times last night in that awful loss to Green Bay.

Then you're crazy. He had 1 pick in his own territory and threw another one right to Briggs that should have been his 2nd.

He played good enough for them to win but he was far from an A+. He was probably at B-/C+ given the pressure he was under.

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You know me like that.

Yeah Favrefan, I can't agree with your analysis. I don't think Rodgers or that offense has looked good at all, he has missed several throws that last year were money. They need to get there offense fixed, because it is not good now. Also, I will say that they have played 2 very good defenses so that has a say in it also.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

*SHARK Mode On*

B&B will be broadcasting the Bud Light Who Needs Two Tavern Tour live from The Lamplighter Inn in Boyd's old stomping grounds in Palatine. Unfortunately, Boyd can't be there because he is stuck at work and won't get to the area before the show goes off the air

*SHARK Mode Off*

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Not crazy. Was just drunk and happy last night.

I still think he played a B+ game. Some of his throws were a little off target, most of them hit the receivers in the hands. Jordy and Finley had some drops. His line got destroyed. He deserved the Briggs would-be INT but the other one was on the WR cutting up field and it was when they were up 20 with 7 minutes left in the game. He already had won the game at that point. He wasn't an A+ but he was damn good. That was no C+ game.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

u can put cutler on a leaky air raft and send him off to sea. what a pathetic piece of shit.

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

This is the part where I don't like you again.

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Like dolphin said in the other thread, Rodgers was under constant pressure, had guys dropping balls consistently, was missing his best deep threat and probably most talented WR, and might have been slightly injured. I think he played outstanding considering all that.

The offense is a problem so far, and Newhouse isnt cutting it. They need a speed back to compliment Benson. When's the last time they even had a speed back? Im getting tired of watching these between-the-tackle runners. I also expected a little bit of regression from Rodgers. A 123 QB rating is usually unsustainable for an entire season, it definitely wont carry over several seasons. But even given that, Rodgers has missed more throws than I expected in the first two games, most of them coming opening week.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

What happened last night?

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Mayock was in full defense mode for every throw that even touched the tips of a WR hand. There were a lot of difficult catches last night and I thought Rogers was frequently just a little off.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Holy crap, the world is ending. I agree with GD and Keeping Score.

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

No Friday open

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the world ended last night. there is no friday.

_________________
the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

No Friday open is made up for by the pbp/Sack Machine juxtaposition. Oh good lord.

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You'll get nothing and like it!

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-- source

Here's the "State Farm Bears' Friday" Game Plan from Lamplighter Inn-Palatine with the guys:

*4P: BTN's Gerry DiNardo-Big Ten/College Football Weekend Preview & Notre Dame ACC Bound
*5P: The SCORE/NF Post/Comcast/NBC SportsNet's Matt Bowen-Bears/Packers' Breakdown-A Look Ahead to the Rams Next Sunday
*5:30P: Mike from Milwaukee's Football Picks(?)

"Scoreboard Updates": Connor McKnight

Terry's "two favorite words", Laurence "DECAF PLEASE!" Holmes has 35 minutes of more Bears/Packers' postmortem @ 6P. Chris Rongey has the "Horseshoe Casino/White Sox Radio Network Pregame" @ 6:35P this eve from the SCORE Studios downtown in advance of White Sox/Twins. First pitch @ 7:10P from Minneapolis. After Rongey's "Xfinity Postgame", the 670thescore.com schedule has Joe Ostrowski listed hosting the latenight SCORE until 1A Saturday followed by "SCORE Overnight" in the form of Yahoo! Sports Radio live from Houston until 6A Saturday morning.

Oh Deion...

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This isn't your typical Friday show.

I'm sensing the fire and the passion from the Dan and the Terry. This should be a good show. Maybe the Bears should lose more often.

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Yeah ok fine lol

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Elections have consequences.