Bears Blitz

Published by Jeff Kayer on February 26, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Get ready to feel some more Lovie Bears fans as the coach was signed to a two-year extension through 2013 this week. The move comes as a turnaround of fortunes for a coach who this time a year ago, was rumored to be fired. It’s been an interesting journey for Smith over the past five seasons.

In 2006 the Bears went to the Super Bowl, putting forth a less than superb performance en route to losing to the Indianapolis Colts. 

While the team enjoyed success that year and the one prior, the Bears went from a Super Bowl contender to one of the league’s most inconsistent teams just one season later, a pattern that became all too frequent for Bears fans.

The easiest target to point blame at for the failure of the team was their coach Lovie Smith, a very quiet coach who, if you didn’t know, often acts like he doesn’t care about anything. Jokes are often made at his expense over his lack of emotion off and on the field. 

Though he brought the team to the Super Bowl, many people wanted his ouster after a third straight season at missing the playoffs in 2009 and many felt it was bound to happen. Much to the dismay of the fans though, General Manager Jerry Angelo brought Smith back, as long as he essentially fired himself from defensive coaching duties. 

Smith was allowed back, though he has to bring in a whole new group of assistants including Mike Martz as offensive coordinator, Mike Tice as offensive line coach and Rod Marinelli, who was promoted to defensive coordinator. All of them were given an ultimatum for 2010: win or get out.

And despite a horrid preseason, win they did as the Bears went 11-5, won the NFC North and narrowly lost the NFC Championship to the rival Packers despite their star quarterback Jay Cutler going out of the game with a torn MCL. 

Still, despite a team with one of the worst offensive lines in football, no true threat at wide receiver and a defensive line who had Julius Peppers and a cast of nobodies, the Bears came one game away from the Super Bowl. And Smith has now been rewarded for this success.

The news will obviously come with a mixed reception in Chicagoland. There are those that are still convinced that Smith and his coaching style are holding the team down. On the other hand, there are fans that are welcoming the stability the team has and is excited what the team can do with these coordinators that helped change the look of the team.

Being someone who was an “anti-Lovie” type of fan, I have to grudgingly agree with the move that was made, and the fans that have never supported him should too. Lovie may be the least personable coach in the game, and he makes maddeningly bad decisions at times (i.e: not calling challenging a would be touchdown against the Redskins).

I ask you, though, what coach out there is better than Lovie Smith? The Jon Gruden and Bill Cowhers of the world were not coming out to coach in this uncertain NFL climate. If you have a coach that has been there for seven seasons versus someone that would bring in a new system while forcing your franchise quarterback to learn his third system in three years, you’d think the decision would be easy. 

Lovie Smith isn’t the most popular coach in the league, but the fact is, in seven seasons he has won three division titles, made a trip to the NFC Championship this year and the Super Bowl in 2006. With the labor situation going on, it’s good the Bears know who will be coaching this team next year and the two following.

The major concern now lies with Jerry Angelo, who absolutely must draft better in the next several years while stars like Brian Urlacher, Jay Cutler and Lance Briggs are still in their prime. If they can build a better offensive line, sign a top flight receiver and help Cutler become more consistent, the Bears and Lovie Smith can perhaps overtake their northern rival as Super Bowl champions. 

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