Chicago Bears Offense Will Not Miss Adam Gase

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The Chicago Bears will need another new offensive coordinator, their sixth in the last eight years.  Go ahead and blame

for chasing yet another OC out of town.  If only Cutler and the Bears offense hadn’t been so damn, um, what’s the word I’m looking for, so damn average, maybe Gase could have stuck around another year to help the Bears offense to guide them to mediocrity.

Adam Gase was THE hot coordinator this offseason and the Miami Dolphins made him the first domino to fall in the coaching carousel by signing him to a five-year contract.  Gase had been cited for his work with Jay Cutler as the main reason for his rapid ascent up the NFL coaching food chain.  It’s true, Jay Cutler posted a career high passer rating in his one season working with Gase.  It had better be Cutler’s performance that propelled Gase, because I can’t possibly imagine that it was the Bears offensive rankings that made him a can’t miss head coaching prospect:

It’s hard to argue that the Bears offense was handicapped the entire season.  From rookie wide receiver Kevin White’s stress fracture before training camp that cost him his season to Kyle Long‘s abrupt (but necessary) move to right tackle to Alshon Jeffery‘s status as Questionable for most of the season, the Bears offense was off by a beat all season.  You could credit Gase for doing more with less while his offensive weapons dropped like flies every week.  Has anyone thought to actually credit Jay Cutler for his good season?

Maybe Jay Cutler is a “late bloomer” when it comes to finding his way as a professional quarterback?  Maybe it took his marriage and “couples therapy” to finally let things click?  Think I’m joking about the therapy?  Cutler opened up about it with the Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh:

"Did you deal with a mental coach in the offseason or somebody who helped sharpen your focus or awareness?We have somebody on staff here. Kristin and I have done couples therapy also. I’ve never met with a quarterback guy or any (mental coach) in that regard. But just couples therapy and meeting with Gloria (Balague), who’s our in-house sports psychologist, you start getting insight on some things. You start seeing things differently. That’s definitely helped me deal with stuff."

How is it that we didn’t blame Marc Trestman/Aaron Kromer and Mike Tice and Mike Martz and Ron Turner for Cutler’s previous failures but now we credit Adam Gase for his success?  Isn’t it possible that Cutler can take what he learned from Gase and carry it forward to another coordinator?  If Cutler’s proven anything over his tenure in Chicago, it’s that he’s able to learn a new offense and a new system?

People are in a hurry to promote quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains to offensive coordinator.  Why not leave him in the role he’s had success with, working day to day with Cutler as the quarterbacks coach?  Go get an experienced offensive coordinator like Ken Wisenhunt or Pat Shurmer to carry John Fox’s “system” forward?  Let’s leave it on Cutler to be professional enough to take the things he’s learned and continue to grow.  For all the good that Gase has done, the Bears offense in 2016 will have to grow and exceed the 2015 performance if the Bears want to climb from the NFC North cellar.

Congrats to Adam Gase on his new gig, but let’s keep it in perspective.