These are your criteria to hire a head coach? Wow are those bad reasons. Every professional league is full of failures who were hired for one or more of these reasons. What happened to leadership ability, managerial skill, ability to coach assistants, recognizing talent, communication skills, developing talent, demonstrated intellect, strategic thinking, in-game tactical management and proven results? Not saying Rivera doesn't have any of those qualities, but the three reasons you mention are like reasons 20, 30 and 50 as to why you hire somebody as your head coach. And if that is indeed why the Bears would hire somebody, then perhaps you have just identified why they have hired so many bad coaches.

Not trying to speak for Grid, but I think he meant that that's why the Bears would hire him...not why HE would hire him.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

The only factual information you've said is Rivera has been in 6 championship forgetting to omit that outside of 2 or 3 position players he had nothing to do with that success except when he was in Chicago. Which happened to end in failure of any SB victories.

Keep voicing your opinion and pulling things out of your ass. Maybe you should be a self proclaimed expert in ping pong because your football acumen is seriously lacking.

I'm not glossing over the passing defense. It's clearly the biggest issue atm. The defensive line is not getting pressure. Urlacher is merely average this year. Thank God JA signed Briggs over Berrian. Briggs has been the only bright spot on defense.

Is the defense an epic failure? No. There is some success to build on. That's all my point was.

...and deeper and deeper he digs. (but I do agree on your rare correct observation on the signing of Briggs over Berrian)

Thug you are wrong and this Detroit game proves it.

You can't stop the juggernaut Lions offense, you can only hope to contain them.

Same goes for thier offense I guess too eh?

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I'm wrong how? If you're talking about Rivera this game had nothing to do with him.

If you're talking about how the current defense just plain sucks... I'm still not wrong. They still suck ass at pass defense, thank you defensive line. But they still shut down the Lions running game. Lion's leading rusher Kevin Smith had 37 yards on 14 carries. In fact the Bears rushing defense is 6th best in the league. Giving up 23 points to Orlovsky is a freakin' shame.

This week Mac showed some evidence of cooling on Rivera's "greatness". Unlike Jurko who thinks letting Rivera go was "The biggest mistake" the Bears have made since the SB.

That's all I was looking for. Put the personal feelings aside. Rivera = Buddy Ryan? I think not. Since taking over as DC in SD Rivera's defense has averaged giving up 22.4 pts a game and the team has gone 1-4.

Yes, lets give Rivera a chance and see what he does next year with a full off season. I'm actually pulling for the guy. I just don't think he walks on holy ground as some Chicagoans would like to think. Until Rivera proves that he can keep playoff teams under 20 points OR can field a top 10 defense while missing one or two key injured players Rivera is just another guy to me.

I agree with Thug, anyone from Roselle is a friend of mine. I'll by you a beer
at "On The Rocks" next we connect. The bigger shame was letting go of
Danny Abramawicz back in the day. The guy should be brought
back to coach special teams to make Hester a monster again.....

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Blackhawk goal, scored by number 20, Al Secord.

Oh, wait, you're serious. How about getting Johnny Roland back?

Hey Thug, so since Rivera took over one of the league's worst defenses, how has he done?

And how are they doing tonight against one of the league's best offenses - with a playoff spot on the line?

Let's see...
11-9 KC 19 pts allowed 339 yards
11-16 Pit 11 pts allowed 410 yards
11-23 Ind 23 pts allowed 341 yards
11-30 Atl 22 pts allowed 348 yards
12-4 Oak 7 pts allowed 163 yards
12-14 KC 21 pts allowed 277 yards
12-21 TB 24 pts allowed 342 yards
12-28 Den 21 pts allowed 402 yards

SD gave up an average of 18.5 points per game w/ RR at DC. That puts them at a top 6 defense. They averaged giving up 328 yards a game. Good enough for 15th best.

Certainly the defense has improved over the first part of the year but you also have to consider the offense has been lights out averaging 26.8 points per game (3rd best). Definitely helps the defense to know teams will be passing more often playing from behind. The last 8 opponents combined record was 61-67.

So ok he's improved the defense he's been apart of that ranks around 22nd best overall for the entire season. I'll give him that. Hardly worthy of "godship" status he sometimes gets around this city though.

My main criticism of Rivera has been his playoff record. He's always been a solid coach in the regular season (especially when his team is healthy). So lets see if this defense is any different from Rivera's last 4 playoff appearances when he averaged giving up 24 points a post season game.

I also still find it a joke that the previous DC was fired for "lack of pressure" when in the 3-4 the LB's are responsible for providing that pressure. And who was the LB coach again?

second WMCJ quote I have read on the board in a week.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Chico was the INSIDE linebackers coach - usually not the guys being asked to pressure the QB.

I don't think Rivera is some cure-all - I do however think that once Lovie Smith got more power and started annointing his butt buddies - and started getting more say on who the Bears draft - the Bears have started to get worse.

It's also not lost on me that the positional coaches the Bears have are mostly from the college ranks. In other words, they come much cheaper. ...and you get what you pay for.

I'm sure Rod Marinelli will be brought in as some kind of Defensive Consultant or some BS like that.

I want Darryl Drake ousted ASAP. I'm tired of our WRs that don't seem to know what's going on. When that pass hit Marty Booker in the back yesterday - that summed up the Bears wideouts under Drake imho.

I think it is time to start putting a share of the blame when a coach gets fired to the person responsible for the hire in the first place. By firing a coach you are in a sense saying he was wrong for the job. Lovie and Angelo need to start being held accountable for the coaching staff being cheap talent.

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'Why doesn't the fattest man in the world become a hockey goalie?' - Steven Wright

The common knowledge is that Lovie runs the defense, always has. Rivera tinkered with it after he got criticized for Steve Smith running all over the Bears in the playoffs a few years ago.

Lovie got the job because of the Cover 2 - and that's how it shall remain. There will be no tinkering with his beloved defense.

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Disclaimer: Most of my posts are not suitable for work or home viewing.

The name's Rockmore. Beef Rockmore

As it has been pointed out here many times, the Bears hardly ever play cover 2 anymore.

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

If they don't hardly play the cover-2, then what DO they play?

I've heard they play it 30% of the time - and they lost AT LEAST a couple of games because of it this year.

Back on point - some emailer just made a good point on the Waddle/Silvy Show with DeFalco/Griffith: Now that Ron Rivera doesn't have Lovie Smith making or questioning all of his defensive decisions, let's see how Rivera does against Peyton Manning in the playoffs.

Game on.

Exactly....

Under/Over is 24 points allowed.... What does everyone say?

I'll take the over.

Time will tell.

If Harrison's out, things don't bode well for the Colts. The same can be said for LT being hurt for the Bolt.

It's gonna be a great game though. I think all of this week's games will be fun. The next two weekends are my favorite during the season. For whatever reason the Conference Championship games don't live up to the hype. And the Super Bowl? Just give me a close game that comes down to the last minute and I'm happy.

Harrison has been in and out the last 2 years. He's not as big as a factor as he used to be. Still I'm sure Manning would love to have Harrison in the lineup.

Defense wins championships... right Tom Brady?

Anyone else going to take the over or under on Indy scoring 24 points?

It's only halftime, but Manning looks a lot more befuddled by Rivera's defense than he was in the Super Bowl. So either Rivera has learned a lot - or he had Lovie's 'way' shoved down his throat and had little control over things.

I hope Lovie is watching this.....Cover 2 my balls. Chico is sending Safties, DB's , linebackers , versions of the 46 at Manning and getting pressure and stuffing the run.

Lovie blows and his cover 2 can kiss my hairy bean bag.

The quick snap just killed them but other than that they are doing well. Go Chargers!!!!

That was an awesome blitz Chico sent on Goober on that 3rd and 2.

Why are these teams so quick to give up on their running game? I think that was just plain stupid to go empty backfield on 3rd and 2 with a lead - run that clock down.

Great finish - I think we're headed to overtime.

Indy was playing too conservative there. They've been getting to Rivers. SD should have gone for it.

Did you guys know that Sproles is 5'6"?

Good game by the Charger D, except for that 1 play where Daneal Manning was playing corner. Thumbs up to Al Michaels for making the allusion to Wayne and the Super Bowl where there was blown coverage.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."