-The team is bad.
-People need to be fired.
-No hope for the future.

Plenty of meatballs calling in about Jared Allen not being carried off the field on a stretcher..
Listen or don't.

By Dan Bernstein-
CBSChicago.com Senior Columnist

(CBS) Slam. Click.

That’s the Bears’ much-discussed championship window, closed and locked. Sealed until further notice.

During training camp, most of us looked at the aging defense and the questionable depth from too many barren drafts, considered the newly-fortified offense, and concluded that there was one more good shot before time and bad scouting conspired to take their inevitable toll.

Turns out we were off by half a season.

The 7-1 start was all giddy fun, watching the predictably unsustainable defensive scoring against also-rans and celebrating that the only thing crazy about Brandon Marshall was his stat line. Not too long ago, you were buying that “Peanut Punch” t-shirt, contemplating the Pro-Bowl candidacy of Henry Melton, and understanding why Lovie Smith waved off early overtures from management on discussing a two-year contract extension.

The 1-4 record since has been the harsh light of truth burning away layer after layer of wishful thinking. Jay Cutler and his primary target – remarkable though he may be – cannot fully cover for blocking that can’t be trusted. Marshall will break every franchise record he wants, and Cutler will call on every last bit of athleticism and toughness, but there just are not enough points being produced.

This battered old defense couldn’t conquer a team led by an incompetent quarterback and missing its most effective receiver, even as they found their footing after allowing Adrian Peterson 104 first-quarter yards. They could not set the edge when it mattered early, and could not match the physicality of play until it was too late, early though it was.

Any critical boost from special teams seems gone, too. The return game is no longer effective, the once targeted free-agent punter is ordinary, and now the taken-for-granted kicker is hurt. Devin Hester seems to influence games more by dropping passes and being lined up improperly than anything else.

It is time to stare into the abyss, and to feel the looming uncertainty of big-picture instability.

Smith would probably be done in by a second consecutive season marked by an excruciating collapse out of playoff position. GM Phil Emery’s power to fire him vests in three weeks — or after a likely loss in the wild-card round – and could be wielded unencumbered by the kind of meddling from above to which we have grown accustomed. If Emery wants a new coach, he’ll have one.

Cutler will need new paper of his own, and you can bet he’s wondering why he’s bothering to take these unending beatings, when it’s just not going anywhere and there’s nothing to show for the effort. If he really wants a ring, you couldn’t be mad at him for getting antsy about his chances in Chicago.

If the next wave of young talent was ready to go, we would have some idea of the names involved in the reconstruction. It sounds great when a coach sticks out his chin during times of attrition and declares “next man up.” That becomes a problem, though, when the next man sucks.

All of this may have been true before this game, there for anybody who cared to identify and examine the flaws. Voices of reason were audible even when lowly teams were being dispatched by healthy bodies and fortuitous bounces. Smart people asked good questions about actual quality.

Successful limp into the postseason or not, even the most optimistic observer would admit that this is not a Super Bowl winner. Those teams rarely look like this in December.

But it’s one thing to think you know it, something else entirely to keep seeing it.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Poor Jay, its just the Bears ineptitude thats keeping him from getting a ring. Not 100 yard pick 6's.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Or that he's got 1 useable (with Tice) weapon on offense in Marshall, runs for his life on most pass plays, and needs to thread the needle to that one guy on almost all passes for any hope of a completion. Oh wait there's that other great offensive scheme he has where Marshall is double/triple covered and his best chance is to still throw into it to a blanketed #15 despite 2-3 other receivers running routes and blanketed. Ooh then there's that slick play they run where he throws to a wide open Kellen Rock Hands Davis 20 yards downfield for a drop right after getting ass blasted by 2 monsters trying to turn his grey matter into a brown tao protein laced soup.

Other than that I loved the game and am enjoying the hell out of this offense...

Irish Boy, Farve Fan, BRick, he leave out any of the weekly excuses or did he cover them all?

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

I was on a plane to Orlando & missed most of the game. When I got here I read the game log & watched the highlights. Wow. Bears Defense has gone from great to bad.
Hows the 3rd quarter of the season going for the Bears? This team has lost 4 out of its last 5 games. The Bears players sure do play hard for Lovie, don't they? Its time to let Jay go, & clean house & bring in a new regime.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Oh I'd be happy to discuss more examples..I mean "excuses" from this game if you'd like. Don't want to hurt your narrative that the 20+ other guys out there sucking ass today on O and D weren't the problem.

Fair enough. What are the excuses from the other 3 years worth of games that have given us a huge sample size on which to judge Cutler?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I don't recall making any excuses for his other games in my previous post(s), just going off what happened a few hours ago against a team with one (albeit incredible) dimension on offense in Peterson.

I'm sure the story will be told on air tomorrow. How Dan could let his son play such a violent sport is mind boggling .

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I wonder if it's hard for Dan, you know, raising a kid that is a 100% racist meatball. Seriously though, he's just a dad watching his kid play sports. If he spent a couple hours a week shitting on youth hockey I might have more of a problem with this but for now, meh.

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zomg Cutler and Marshall are so so so so so great but the rest of the team keeps letting them down

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The Bulls haven't done anything wrong, and they're not going to do anything wrong.

I don't. Give a fuck about Bernstein or his kid....Marshall is outstanding, Cutler is average ...if he were above average. The bears win today...and last week.

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Barndon Marshall was objectively fucking amazing in that game. Cutlers two pick sixes, not so much.

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Bernstein's column is right on for the most part. Funny thing is, if you called his show with the same sentiments two weeks ago you would have been mocked right into the next commercial break.

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Not a mult.

No need to argue with Dave here, you're wrong and he's right. Marshall might have dropped a pass thrown to him today that led to the Bears downfall.

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Brandon Marshall wasn't the reason the Bears lost today.

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I know that and you know that, but Dave knows more then both of us combined about it. Marshall is the reason for the Bears failures on defense along with the horrendous offensive line play. This is all on Marshall.

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Who can say who's to blame? Cutler and Marshall are both beyond reproach, but there just are not enough points being produced.

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The Bulls haven't done anything wrong, and they're not going to do anything wrong.

I would love a caller to call in with this thought.

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If he framed it the way Dan framed it (ie. anti-socially and less related to parochialism) then he might be commended.

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"I don't like the Bears because there's this middle-aged, annoying guy on the radio who thinks he invented football. If he's unhappy, I'm happy."

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The Bulls haven't done anything wrong, and they're not going to do anything wrong.

Exactly.

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Especially if they called about now wanting Lovie extended where they'd get moon pounded immediately as a dumbass who needs to kiss a sick monkey's ass.

Unless my memory is mistaken a few weeks ago B&B were both pretty adamant that Lovie's return and extension was a lock per their guys. Although Lovie is constantly being an ass in/to the media for no good reason it's not a groundbreaking thought he's good coach who's done well given lack of talent overall and specific for success of his system. However, his long track record of OC and DC decisions have almost all been disastrous with the a select few ascending to the title of mediocre. This nullifies much of the positive he's provided as a coach. Coordinator coaching carousels like that makes things way more difficult for pro players who thrive on consistency . Lovie has flubbed most of his choices, and his players are put in that position almost yearly on both sides of the ball putting them at a disadvantage from the start. Especially when that new coach never even held that position and is learning on the fly themselves as they try to lead. Can't instill much confidence.

I know he's a defensive head coach but he's still the damn HEAD coach and there's no excuse for the horrid clock management he's allowed to continue FAR too long. More lip service without any results. Yet again nearing end of 2nd and 4th quarters they're huddling and too often use much of the play clock, lining up with at their typical pace without much time left and needing multiple scores just to TIE. Cutler has shown he can successfully call plays and lead a drive efficiently in hurry up, the coaching seem disinterested in doing so. Why I have no idea but I don't remember a Lovie team in 5+ years that ever ran a hurry up or 2 minute offense when appropriate. Hell, with this season's lack of offensive success (#15 and #6 excluded) I don't see much reason not to use on occasion during even regular offensive series. But at the minimum they need to demonstrate calm and preparedness when time is tight.

Then there's the constantly wasted timeouts the last 3 years from bad communication or process by either OC, all on Lovie directly. Do it yourself or demand they fix it. But hey that's one of many issues these coaches promise to "clean up" after games. Problem is it's been another consistent issue throughout multiple OCs now. Lovie is the common denominator and obviously these clean up efforts have been ineffective and inexcusable especially for an experienced head coach demanding pay on the high end of NFL coaches.

He's had elite talent or been looking for it and failed on defense. And that's all he cares about. It's a bad plan!!!

We kick our presidents out after eight years even if they're good. What's this guy done to deserve ten?

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"Well, I mean...I would need to know who the alternatives were, and determine if any of them were definitely better than Lovie, so it's tough to say."

/crosspost

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The Bulls haven't done anything wrong, and they're not going to do anything wrong.

wow a hawkeye siting...

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

How about the two dropped TDs?

btw: I love how Dan slips into passive voice whenever he discusses the ineptitude of the passing game, as if a team just acquires a quarterback and a wide receiver and then sits back and pops the bubbly as points are magically "produced." The Bears aren't failing to generate points because of some inscrutable natural law; they're failing to generate points because the passing game, including Cutler and Marshall, is still garbage, you fucking meatball.

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The Bulls haven't done anything wrong, and they're not going to do anything wrong.