The Final Bears Mid-Season Reflection: Who’s to Blame?

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D-Coordinator, Mel Tucker: Can someone please tell me what this man has done to earn and have a protected spot as a defensive coordinator in the NFL? Anyone? Last year, it was stated that Tucker wasn’t able to run “his defense” and that was a big reason for the failures. All of the position coaches from last year have been replaced and Tucker is now running “his defense.” Now what’s the excuse? Tucker has managed to lead one of the worst 1.5 year spans of defense in Chicago Bear history. Only once in 7 years as a coordinator in the NFL has Tucker led a defense that finished higher than 21st in overall defensive ranking. I think the time has come to make a change – enough is enough. For those out there who feel that firing a coordinator mid-season may cause more harm – tell that to the 2012 Ravens who fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron midway through the season and eventually won the Super Bowl later that year. Who did they promote? A guy named Jim Caldwell, who was mentioned earlier in this article.

Special Teams: After years of special teams dominance from coach Dave Toub to Robbie Gould to Devin Hester to Patrick Mannelly,

Aug 8, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (L) and wide receiver Brandon Marshall (R) talk prior to a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

this unit has become a liability. It has been said that special teams usually accounts for 2 games per season, which can be the difference between a division title or not. Special teams coach Joe Decamillis is another coordinator whose role needs to be reviewed. Robbie Gould has missed field goals, the return game has been non-existent and there have been breakdowns in protection on field goals and punts. Since most of the players in the NFL usually have little special teams experience throughout their careers, a solid special teams coach is a very underrated asset, in my opinion. They’ve been a part of the problem and definitely not the solution.

Offensive Players: I’ve been a big defender of our quarterback and it is NOT just his fault. However, he needs to protect the football much better than he has done. One of my main disappointments this year from Jay, however, has been his inability to improvise and elude pass rushers. He’s done much better in previous years. Jay has all of the skills to be a top 5 QB in the league: he’s mobile, he can be very accurate (as evidence of his solid completion %), he’s tough and he’s smart. I hear people say that he is not a leader, but I’m not sure how someone can question his leadership skills through a TV set. When looking at career stats, little do people know that Jay is 25th all-time in career quarterback rating – 25th!!! He’s ahead of Troy Aikman and Jim Kelly, who both had far superior surrounding casts and consistent coaching. What does this mean? It means that he has the physical skills to be a successful passer and that’s hard to come by. Now he needs to show his mental toughness, which has been an issue.

OT Jordan Mills has been a disaster this year and has been the weak link on the line, accounting for numerous false starts, holds and turnovers. Yes, an offensive lineman who gets beat leading to a turnover deserves the blame for that turnover – not the quarterback. The dynamic wide receiver duo in Chicago has not been so dynamic and there have been multiple times where the WR and QB were not on the same page. I’ve heard Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett, in a post-game press conference, take the blame for running incorrect routes leading to a turnover.

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