SB Nation User Blog: GeoMak

Jimmy Raye - Ken Whisenhunt

GeoMak — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:06:40 -0000

Ken Whisenhunt became the HC of the Arizona Cardinals in 2007. He was kind of a hot property after being the OC of the Super Bowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers of 2005. Landing in the desert he inherited players like Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. This is not a misprint. He inherited those guys. Three of the best at their perspective positions in the NFL.

Whisenhunt went 8-8 in his first season in Arizona. The Cardinals averaged 25.2 points per game.

Jimmy Raye is in his first full season with the 49ers. He didn't come close to inheriting guys like Warner, Boldin & Fitzgerald. Currentlly the 49ers are averaging 20.4 points per game.

The difference (right now) between the hot OC and his three studs, as opposed to the OC nobody wanted and all of his question marks at the QB and WR position is 4.8 points per game. Less than two FG's.

In today's Arizona Republic there is an excellent article about how much more Whisenhunt can do with his offense in his THIRD season, as opposed to his FIRST.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2009/11/17/20091117cardsinsider1118.html

Here's one quote from the article:

In his third year with the Cardinals, Whisenhunt and his offensive staff can make those adjustments at the last minute, something he wouldn't have dared to try in his first season

Really. It's well worth reading. It's something to keep in mind as people constantly bash Jimmy Raye.

He's had less than a season with his offense. Perspectve. It's really a beautiful thing.

26 Head Coaches

GeoMak — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:05:01 -0000

Have won the Super Bowl (12 of them have won it multiple times).

Someone here at WCG brought up the other day how long it usually took to win the Lombardi Trophy.

Here is the breakdown:

Lombardi: 8 years (Though that's inaccurate. He won the NFL Championship in his 3rd season. The SB wasn't invented until his eighth).

Ewbank: 6 Stram: 10 McCafferty: 1 Landry: 12 Shula: 3 Noll: 6 Madden: 8

If you count Lombardi as winning it all in his third season, you have an average of 6.12 seasons before these guys won it all.

The next group would start with the Bill Walsh era, 30 years ago.

Walsh: 3 Flores: 2 Ditka: 4 Parcells: 4 Gibbs: 2 Seifert: 1 Johnson: 4 Switzer: 2 Holmgren: 5

Shanahan: 3 Vermeil: 3 Billick: 2 Belichick: 2 Gruden: 1 Cowher: 14 Dungy: 5 Coughlin: 4 Tomlin: 2

I would toss out these four (Flores, Seifert, Switzer and Tomlin) as they had just taken over teams that had recently won the SB. I would also toss out Cowher because he is an anomaly. His 14 seasons was as much a function of the patience of the Rooney's as anything else.

You are left with the other 13 HC's averaging 3.23 seasons to win it all. If you include the five I just omitted you are left with 18 coaches averaging 3.5 season to win it all.

Lovie Smith is currently in his sixth season as HC of the Chicago Bears. Since the days of Bill Walsh, no HC has taken that long to win the Super Bowl, with the exception of Bill Cowher.

Lovie better hope that he wins it all real soon or that the McCaskey's have the patience of the Rooney's.

It's the Coaching (or Lack Thereof).

GeoMak — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:29:36 -0000

In 2006, the Chicago Bears rode the right arm of Rex Grossman (NFC offensive player of the month in September, half (10) of his 20 INT"s in just three games, playing as well as Matt Hasselbeck & Drew Brees in the playoffs) the legs of Devin Hester and an opportunistic defense to the Super Bowl.

Since then? 19-19. Sorry. That just doesn't cut it. By definition a team that reaches the SB is a good/very good/excellent team. There are no 'bad teams' in the SB. Those kinds of teams UNDERACHIEVE when they go 19-19 immediately afterwards.

By comparison the Steelers are 35-20 after their 2005 SB, the Seahawks 25-29 (they have alos underachieved and have a new HC) and the Colts 31-7 after their 2006 SB.

Mike Nolan was 18-37 as the HC of the 49ers. That's a dreadful record. Mike Singletary took over that sorry team and is now 8-7 with basically the EXACT same players!

That's right, Mike Singletary is one game OVER 500, while Lovie is just AT 500 (since his SB appearance). That's Singletary taking over a .327 team and Lovie's record with a team good enough to just be in the SB.

To me, that speaks volumes.

Both teams, right now, are 3-3.

Personnel? You can debate that all day long. A couple of quick observations.

A). No intelligent person would say that, man for man, the 49ers have superior personnel than the Bears. Most would say just the opposite.

B). In recent years virtually all talk for 49er fans concerning their offense involved these three players:

Frank Gore: Stud.

Vernon Davis and Alex Smith: Massive underachievers or complete busts and total objects of scorn for the fan base there. Basically, those two were/are HATED in the bay area.

C). If QB is the most important position on a team, the Bears have had one guy (Kyle Orton) that Josh McDaniels WANTED on his team (and who is playing very well) and another (Jay Cutler) who is considered to be one of the best young QB's in the NFL.

By contrast, Mike Singletary has gone 8-7 with a guy (Shaun Hill) who was undrafted and who most know next to nothing about (and who today was benched for 'massive underachiever' Alex Smith).

Included in Mike Singletary's seven losses were two last season to playoffs teams on the road (Arizona & Miami) where the 49ers had the ball at the end with a chance to win the game. This season they opened up by winning in the dome in Arizona against the defending NFC Champs and losing two road games (Minnesota & Houston) by a combined six points.

Coaches (either through scheme and/or motivational tactics) are supposed to get the very best out of their players. That's their NUMBER 1 job. Help make the players better which should, in turn, help make the team better.

I don't see that happening in Chicago with Lovie Smith in charge. At all. There's an OLD saying: The buck stops here. It stops at Lovie's desk. PERIOD! Sorry. If you want to be the man in charge then you have to shoulder the respsonsibility when things go wrong.

Mike Shanahan had to do just that in Denver. His defense there was 28th & 30th in the past two seasons. McDaniels brings in a new DC and so far they are #1. Shanahan could have done the exact same thing. He didn't (and he's gone).

There's also an old saying that a team takes on the personality of it's HC (insert own joke here regarding Lovie). Samurai Mike's team takes on his 'personality' too. BIG DIFFERENCE! (Anyone who ever saw Singletary play or saw him lead his defensive teammates as their 'QB' knows what I mean here).

At the very least in SF, Mike Singletary, through sheer force of will and 'old school' coaching has taken a .327 team (18-37) to above 500 in his short tenure there.

Yes, the players and front office are also to blame in Chicago for this HUMILIATING, DISGRACEFUL, PATHETIC exhibition of football as seen in Cincinnati today. There's more than enough blame to go around for everyone.

But nobody can tell me that, since the SB in 2006, that the Bears should be a 500 team. Nobody. And that responsibility falls mainly on the HC and his staff.

BTW: Carson Palmer today was 20-24 for 233 yards and FIVE touchdowns. Phil Simms set a SB record for completition percentage (88%) when he went 22-25 for 268 yards and THREE touchdowns in SB XXI. Carson Palmer (83%) was in Phil's exclusive neighborhood today. Few ever get there.

20-24 for 233 & 5 TD's! That's almost hard to beleive. I had to do a double take to make sure I was reading it correctly. Who's the DC? Who's the HC? (Oh, nevermind).

The Bear defense led by Lovie Smith made Cedric Benson look like Jim Brown, Carson Palmer look like Joe Montana and #85 look like Jerry Rice. Congratulations! However, you're suppose to make OUR players look better . . . not THEIRS! Maybe Lovie just misunderstood the goal here.

BTW II: For those that are going to bash me for referencing (once again) my good friend, Mike Singletary, fine. I get it. After you bash me, however, at least find something intelligent to disagree with me here.

The Minnesota 'Mirage'?

GeoMak — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:16:20 -0000

Bill Parcells once famously said that "You are what your record says you are."

I agree. The Minnesota Vikings, at 6-0, are one of the best teams in the NFL.

But look a little closer. They have played three home games and three away games.

Their three away games have been against (in order) Cleveland, Detroit and St. Louis. Christmas came early for the Vikings this year. Cause I'm pretty sure that, if you had to 'order up' your first three road games in 2009, you'd probably pick such dogs as the Browns, the Lions and the Rams. Just guessing.

God is truly on your side when you have those three losers as your first road trips in 2009.

Compare that to the Bears (at GB, at Seattle and at Atlanta). Lambeau is always a difficult place to play. Even though Seattle is struggling in recent years, it's never easy to go West and play in Seattle, one of the loudest and most difficult stadiums for visitors to play in. Atlanta, of course, was a playoff team last season and one of the better young teams in the NFL.

It's no contest as to who has had the tougher road schedule so far in 2009.

The Vikings three home games in 2009 have been against the 49ers, the Packers and the Ravens. Not that it matters but they won those three games by a combined 12 points.

They barely beat SF, needing one of Favre's greatest last second plays to do so. They barely beat Baltimore, needing a missed FG by Baltimore at the end of the game to secure their victory. They did beat GB at home, but clearly they had a big emotional advantage what with Favre playing against his former team in the MetroDome.

To recap: Three road wins against three of the sorriest teams in the NFL (combined 2-16). Two home games victories (SF/Baltimore) that they could've/probably should've lost. And one home game victory (GB) where they had a clear emotional advantage.

Beyond that, the Vikings have allowed 400+ yards in their last three games. Previously, opponents reached the 400 yard mark just THREE times in their last 35 games.

They go to Pittsburgh tomorrow and GB next week. We'll see how good Minnesota is during this stretch, on the road against a couple of real NFL teams. Meanwhile the Bears have the Bengals and the Browns. It's CRITICAL that the Bears make a move now, so that their late season games against Minnesota aren't meaningless games.

An Answer To an Open Letter

GeoMak — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:30:43 -0000

Don't waste your time writing 'letters.'

Just study your Bear history.

1982: George Halas hires Mike Ditka as HC, retains Buddy Ryan as the DC and the Bears draft Jim McMahon.

1983: George Halas dies. Supposedly on his deathbed, he says "Anyone but Michael (meaning anyone but grandson Michael McCaskey to take over HIS Bears)."

Michael McCaskey DOES take over the Bears as President (so much for deathbed wishes).

1984-1985: Bears begin to dominate the NFL . . . and Mike McCaskey plays head games with HC Mike Ditka with regards to a contract extension.

1986: Bears win the Super Bowl XX in New Orleans.

AFTER the Bears won that Super Bowl two things happened:

1. Mike McCaskey (who NOBODY on the team could stand) walked around like HE was the reason the Bears won it all. Really. It's true.

2. Mike McCaskey started to get rid any and all who were part of bringing the Bears to NFL dominance (like GM Jerry Vanisi and then later Mike Ditka, among many others (players, coaches, front office)).

Once that was accomplished it was on with the "Michael McCaskey Show' in the Windy City.

A man who had NO BUSINESS running an NFL team was given the keys to the Chicago Bears.

This is roughly akin to the parents giving the house keys to son Joel (Tom Cruise) in the movie "Risky Business' (which coincidentally was partially shot in Lake Forest IL, home of the Chicago Bears).

And the rest, they say, is history. After firing Ditka, the 'young genius" Mike McCaskey replaced him with Dave Wannstedt. Wannstedt WAS the hot coaching candidate at that time after riding Jimmy Johnson's coattails in Dallas. Heck, even the NY Giants were interested in Wanny to replaced the ineffective Ray Handley. So that tells you something.

But see, Wannstedt wanted control over player personnel (even though he had done NOTHING in his NFL career to show he was worthy of that position).

The Giants told him to get lost. QUICKLY! Our man McCaskey told him to sign on the dotted line.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Incompetent ownership. PURE & SIMPLE.

Want proof? The two teams with the longest championship droughts are the Chicago Cubs (100 + years) and the Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals (60+ years).

The Cardinals have LONG been considered to be one of the worst examples of ownership in the NFL.

And they were in the SuperBowl in 2008 (just like the Bears in 2006).

The above example regarding the Cardinals is there to cut off any talk that "Hey, were can't be that bad. We were in the SB a years ago." BIG DEAL. Even the woeful Arizona Cardinals recently made it there.

THAT'S not ENOUGH!

The simple fact is this: The Chicago Bears, founded by George Halas, are one of the original and greatest teams in the history of the NFL. And (unfortunately) through DNA, are saddled with the McCaskey's as owners. An ownership group who followed up the Ditka/Ryan Super Bowl regime with the likes of these three HC's: Dave Wannstedt, Dick Jauron and Lovie Smith. Sorry.

And MOST importantly, have COMPLETELY failed in understanding one simple, yet CRITICAL, fact.

The #1 job of a HC is to get the very best out of his players, either through scheme (think, say Bill Belichick) or through motivation( think, say Bill Parcells).

Anyone who knows ANYTHING about football at the NFL level knows that Mike Ditka was able to get the very best out of his players, through motivation (Dan Hampton called Mike Ditka the best motivator he had ever been around).

You would think (LOL) that the McCaskey's actually figured that fact out . . .considering that Mike Ditka coached THEIR team. You'd think, wouldn't ya?

Has anyone EVER accused guys like Wannstedt, Jauron and Lovie as being able to get the most out of their players? I didn't think so.

Meanwhile, one of the greatest Bears of all, a man who has shown the ability to get the most out of his players, currently is the HC for the hated S.F. 49ers. One Mike Singletary.

That's the SAME Mike Singletary that was turned down for a job back in 2003 by the McCaskeys.

Don't write letters. Just deal with reality and accept it. The Bears are NOT terrible (actually they are pretty good). And (most importantly) they are NOT GREAT! Nor, will they likely ever be great.

Why? They have some excellent players and some very good coaches (as do most teams). They also have incompetent ownership. Pure and Simple.

Acceptence. I think it's one of the 12 steps. And it's a beautiful thing. Am I happy about the fact that the McCaskeys own the Chicago Bears? Absolutely not. Do I understand the fact that they do because George Halas has a daughter named Virginia. Yes. It's a 'Family Thing.'

Have I accepted the fact that the Bears will probably NEVER reach their potential because they are owned and operated by those same McCaskey's?

Yes I have. I made my peace with that one a long time ago.

SO SHOULD YOU!

The Lunacy of Lovie Smith

GeoMak — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:47:11 -0000

Coach Lovie Smith has said that he would like his offense to be known as a unit that comes off the bus running the ball but can also pass it effectively. (This from Larry Mayer on the Bears website).

Actually, NO. Wake up Lovie! (Sometimes this guy scares me).

Your GM didn't make that huge trade for Jay Cutler for you to keep saying that nonsense. You 'get off the bus running' when you have good running backs and QB's who SUCK when it comes to throwing the ball (and yes, we all understand that that, for the most part and with few exceptions, that pretty much sums up Bear offensive history).

Few people know more about QB play and the NFL in general than Ron Jaworski. According to Jaws:

1. Jay Cutler is one of the best young QB's in the game. He even repeated this after the debacle in Green Bay. He said that Cutler played terribly and that his mechanics were way off in that game. Still, Jaws then said that he has ALWAYS loved Cutler and that Jay is one of the best in the NFL at the QB position.

2. In today's NFL, you SCORE in the passing game, not the running game.

If you want to argue either #1 or #2, send your complaints to Ron jaworski, c/o ESPN. Those are HIS words, not mine (of which I do happen to agree).

Yes, you want to be able to run the ball. You want to have some balance to keep the defense guessing. You want to be able to chew up clock (after your team has passed for the lead).

But Lovie and his staff desperately need to understand ONE thing. The day they traded for Jay Cutler, they also traded in their 'BUS' for a 'JET AIRPLANE.'

Stop with this nonsense about 'getting off the bus running (and passing effectively). Actually the exact OPPOSITE is now true: The Bears need to get off their 'Jet Airplane' passing (and running effectively).

BTW: What team in 2008 was one of the best passing teams (#2) and the ABSOLUTE WORST rushing team (#32)?

The Arizona Cardinals, who came within 2:37 of winning it all.

The team that beat them (Pittsburgh)? (17th in passing and 23rd in rushing).

In 2005 when the Steelers also won it all they were 5th in rushing and 24th in passing.

They have evolved over time and with Big Ben under center from a 'power rushing team' to much more of a passing team.

Please Lovie, stop all this talk about your 'old, decrepit BUS.'

It's now the TWENTY FIRST CENTURY. You have one of the best young QB's in the game (who also owns one of the strongest arms in the game).

The Bears will go as far as their PASSING game (and defense) will take them.

NOT THEIR RUNNING GAME!

The 49ers are for Real.

GeoMak — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:51:38 -0000

Some comments by former player (and current Cardinal broadcaster) Ron Wolfley this morning on his radio show in Phoenix.

"The 49ers are for real."

"The 49ers had no 3rd down conversions (0-11) compared to Minnesota's 50% (10-20). The 49ers, without Frank Gore, were outplayed and yet were a few seconds from victory."

"You don't go on the road, in one of the most hostile environments in the NFL, only to get beat on the last play of the game, if you aren't for real."

"Shaun Hill wins games and he's a lot better QB than most people realize. It took a great play by Favre to beat him yesterday."

After the 49er victory against Arizona opening day, Wolfley said that the difference in the game was that the 49ers pressured Warner by only rushing four, while Arizona had to blitz to pressure Shaun Hill.

Wolfley was a crazy special teams player who was known for love of physical football. Even though he's a complete Cardinal homer, one can't help but feel the admiration he has for Mike Singletary's 49ers when he talks about them on the radio.

Sometimes it's good to get the opinions of differing voices, especially those who have played the game like Wolfley.

Don't Baby These Players

GeoMak — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:49:14 -0000

Cause it makes me sick. About working them ‘too hard’ in camp.

Are you kidding me?

The incomparable Walter Payton made 650 K in 1985. For some of today’s players, that's a ONE week game check (out of sixteen). Some two weeks. Prices haven't risen that much in 25 years.

Cost of a new home in 1985: $100,800. A gallon of gas? ($1.20) A gallon of milk? ($2.26)

(Hell, Jason McKie made more in 2008 than what Walter made back then). Jason McKie should never make more than the greatest Bear of them all, no matter what century he plays in).

These guys are making a ton of money to play the game of football. Don’t baby them about ‘working too hard.’

It's disgusting.

BTW: In the Donte Stallworth case, teammate Braylon Edwards spent $3,443 at the club the club where they were at, including $1,500 on Perrier-Jouet Rose champagne and $695 on Grey Goose vodka.

But the game has changed GeoMak. Don't you know that? (Yeah. I do. They make too much money now and many (certainly not all by a long shot,) are way too soft.

Ever notice how, when some of these guys cash a lottery size signing bonus paycheck, that their game tails off?

I have.

Lendale White, in a contract year, just dropped 30 pounds by not chugging tequila anymore. I'll give the guy credit for honesty but, are you kidding me? Was chugging tequila part of your workout routine?

Pathetic.

Toughness involves both physical toughness and mental toughness. Vince Lombardi toughened up his players both physically and mentally when he took over the sadack Packers. He had to. They sucked.

He turned them into a dynasty, in large part, because of the way he ‘toughened’ up his players. He was an accomplished offensive mind in his day and that too was a factor, but toughness came first.

What’s Bob Brenly say about baseball? "You can always hustle. You might be having a tough time at the plate or in the field, but you can always hustle your ass off."

Same thing with being both physically and mentally tough in football. That’s just attitude.

In his first team meeting, Lombardi said "Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it because nothing is perfect, But we are going to relentlessly chase it because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely in being just good."

Then he went out and rode them like dogs (he closed the country club at camp).

Phil Simms has been playing and broadcasting football for almost 35 years. As a broadcaster he spends most of his time watching tape and talking to players and coaches. You may or may not like him, but all he knows is football.

In Super Bowl XXI, Simms set SB records for consecutive completions (10), completion percentage (88%) and QB rating (150.9)

Simms, in his book written in 2004 (not in 1984), says this:

"If I had to cite the one factor that determines the winner in the NFL, it would be the team that is winning the physical battle."

"An old coach of mine once said, ‘It just comes down to which teams big guys are going to beat up the other team’s big guys to give the small guys a chance to have success.’"

"As much as we all like to talk about what wins and loses in football, how much the game has changed, how much time coaches invest in drawing up all those wonderful plays, it still just comes down to this: Which team is hitting the other one harder? Twenty years from now, that’s still going to determine who is going to win football games."

"As a QB, I knew when my line was winning the physical battle without even having to think about it. The space I had in which to throw the football told me everything. . . Interceptions thrown by a QB almost always result from a lack of time."

Anyone that watched the 2006 Bears Super Bowl (not the ‘85 Bears) saw one thing:

The Bear defensive line being manhandled by the supposedly finesse, indoor, warm weather, Indianapolis Colt offensive line. Had a lot to do with the Bears giving up 191 yards of rushing (almost double their total in the regular season) and just one sack.

There is no substitute for physical and mental toughness in the NFL, and that starts every year in camp.

BTW: Injuries? Please. They happen in the NFL. Dan Marino started 145 consecutive games before he tore his achilles tendon in 1993. Did he get hit by a huge lineman? Not really. He wasn't touched. It happened while planting his right foot (something he'd done a million times before) as he was making a ten yard completion.

Sporting News Survey - The Chicago Bears

GeoMak — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:18:01 -0000

The Sporting News surveyed 21 former Bears for answers to these questions.

Here are some of the questions and a few Bear responses.

#1: Is Jay Cutler the right answer at QB?

Yes: 15

Wait and See: 5

No: 1

"Cutler has the Tools. Let's see if he has the leadership and the head." Robin Earl.

#2 Is Brian Urlacher still at the top of his game?

Yes: 8

No: 13

"If the top is a 10.0, Brain is a 9.0." Ted Albrecht.

#3 Matt Forte is the best Bears RB since . . .

Neal Anderson------9

Thomas Jones-----6

Walter Payton-------6

"Since (Payton), there hasn't been a Bears RB to strike real fear into the opposing defense, the kind of fear that makes coaches stay up late at night game-planning against - until Matt." Erik Kramer.

#4 Lovie Smith: Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Up: 13

Jury is out: 5

Down: 3

"Total thumbs down. Football is a game of emotion; he has none." Kurt Becker.

The Greatness of Jim McMahon

GeoMak — Fri, 22 May 2009 06:23:15 -0000

I never saw Sid Luckman, the man commonly considered to be the greatest QB in Chicago Bear history, play football (I’m old . . . but not that old).

And now, as we go out with the old (Rex & Kyle) and in with the new (Jay Christopher Cutler) I feel that this is a perfect to time to stop and pay tribute to the ‘man-in-the-middle.’ One Jim McMahon.

And nothing makes me angrier as when people (ESPECIALLY Bear fans) either ignore the greatness of Jim McMahon or speak of him in less than reverential tones. I almost expect and can almost deal with that from 49er fans, or Packer fans, or anybody else‘s fans, but Bear fans? That really elevates my blood pressure. Makes my blood boil.

With that in mind, it’s long past time for GeoMak to set the record straight for any and all non-believers. Jim McMahon was a GREAT Quarterback! Period. End of story. This, my friends, is non negotiable.

Now, if you define a great QB as one who got under center and lasted 10 + years (like say, a Dan Marino or Peyton Manning) then Jim doesn’t fit that bill. If that’s your criteria, then you have my permission to disagree with me.

However, here’s how I define greatness at the QB position:

Leadership:

Jim was a born leader. As a sophomore at BYU, Jim McMahon replaced starter Marc Wilson who had gotten injured.

As teammate Clay Brown recalled: "Jim came in with so much confidence, it was like he had been there for ten years."

Bill Ring: "I have a lot of respect for Marc Wilson and he was a terrific QB, but competitiveness was what really separated Jim from Marc."

Jim’s leadership skills were never more evident than in the 1980 Holiday Bowl, where BYU overcame a 20 point deficit against SMU with only four minutes remaining to win the game. Key play in that game? In the fourth quarter, BYU faced a 4th and two near midfield. HC LaVell Edwards sent in the punting unit and McMahon refused to come out of the game. Refused to come out!

McMahon sent the punter off the field. Edwards called a timeout. Jim told his offense to stay on the field and he then went to the sideline where he started yelling at Edwards: "What? Are you giving up? That’s BullS---!"

Edwards: "The guy was upset to no end, so I said ‘OK, go back in and we’ll go for it.’"

BYU converted the fourth down and eventually won the game on a Hail Mary pass on the games final play.

(BYU scored 21 points in the final 2 ½ minutes of that game).

Going over to yell at your HC for attempting to throw in the towel, to wave the white flag, to just give up? That’s leadership, and that’s why his teammates at BYU and in Chicago loved him. With Jim under center, his guys always felt like they were in the game. They won that game because of QB Jim McMahon and in spite of HC LaVell Edwards.

Geo reminds you...

Steve Young played behind Jim at BYU (the school named after Steve’s great, great, great grandfather, Brigham Young). Steve Young: "I learned how to play quarterback by watching Jim McMahon."

Passing Skills:

Jim is, statistically, the greatest passer in college football history. McMahon broke or tied 56 NCAA Division 1-A records. His arrival in Chicago in 1982 (as the 5th pick in the first round) signaled an end to the motley QB’ing crew of Bob Avellini. Mike Phipps and Vince Evans. The Bears now had a real, genuine, passer. And not just a ‘hander-offer.’

The incomparable Walter Payton (and to a lesser degree) Buddy Ryan’s defense were being wasted in the Windy City because the Bears had no NFL caliber QB. Thus, they were basically a defensive team with a ‘four play’ playbook:

1. Walter left.

2. Walter right.

3. Walter up-the-middle.

4. Cross your fingers and hope against hope that the Bears can complete a pass on third and a mile.

Walter was getting killed (Cowboy RB Preston Pearson: "Walter Payton, on every play, was taking a pounding. Every play") and the Bears had almost no hope of ever winning it all.

First, like a Bull (or a Bear) in a china shop, in blew Iron Mike in 1982.

And then in walked Jim McMahon, holding a can of beer in his hand for his introductory press conference at Halas Hall.

And (thankfully) the Chicago Bears would never the same.

Geo reminds you...

The year before McMahon was drafted (1981) the Bears averaged 14.5 points-per-game. In 1985, for example, the Bears led the NFC in scoring, averaging 26 points-per-game. This total doesn’t include any defensive TD’s or safeties. Just the offense. That’s a difference of two TD’s per game and that’s a HUGE difference in the NFL.

Also, in the third game in 1985 in Minnesota, Mad Mac came off the bench and threw three TD’s in FIVE minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I don’t know if that is an NFL record, but I’m guessing not too many NFL QB’s have ever thrown three TD’s in five minutes.

Intelligence:

Along with his leadership and passing skills, one of Jim’s greatest abilities was in reading defenses. Few if any NFL QB’s have read defenses as well as Jim McMahon. He had an almost ‘Larry Bird, Wayne Gretzky’ like quality to see the entire ‘field’ ahead of mere mortals.

Jim watched little film (he pretty much only had to see things once and he got it . . . and besides, he didn’t like the overhead view of the coaches tape). This caused some friction between him and Ditka because Iron Mike was used to guys like Roger Staubach, who watched a lot of film in Dallas. Jim didn’t because he didn’t need to.

My favorite story regarding this:

During a nondescript regular season game at Soldier Field (I’m not sure about the year/opponent) McMahon called an audible at the LOS and threw a TD pass to TE Emery Moorhead to beat the oncoming blitz. In the Chicago Tribune the next day, Moorehead expressed great surprise at McMahon’s ability to read the blitz and audible to a play that turned into a TD pass to him.

Moorehead explained that usually, a quarterback SEES the DB creeping up towards the LOS and THEN calls the audible. McMahon called the audible BEFORE the DB ever made a step towards the LOS. Moorehead was bewildered as to how Jim McMahon knew the DB would blitz before the DB ever signaled his intentions by moving closer to the LOS.

Jim’s answer: "I could see it in his eyes." That’s right, McMahon could tell the DB was going to blitz just by reading his eyes. That’s pretty impressive. Jim McMahon had an acute intuition for the game of football that’s missing from many who play the position.

Jim McMahon: Great team leader, great passer and extremely intelligent. Other than that, I guess, he really wasn’t much as an NFL quarterback.

Oh, and his reputation for getting injured? That’s fair. But as Ditka said: "Those guys (the O-Lineman) would have done anything to protect Jim McMahon. He didn’t play the game like a QB. He didn’t have any respect for his body. He played the game with reckless abandon."

SMU HC Ron Meyer (who later coached the Colts and Patriots) had this to say about Jim’s reckless, no regard for his body, style of play: "I don’t think he ever took a safe slide like you see the quarterbacks today. Is that smart? Ahh, probably not. But does that win? You bet. And that’s Jim McMahon."

I personally think that Walter Payton was the greatest ‘all-around’ player to ever play the game. And there isn’t a bigger Buddy Ryan fan than myself. But the Bears, with Walter (1975) and Buddy (1978), didn’t win squat. And they weren’t going to. They needed a real QB. And they finally got a real one in 1982 with the arrival of Mad Mac.

He was the spiritual leader of that offense. Whether it was head-butting his lineman after a TD or ignoring the play sent in by Ditka ( "F--- that" he would often say in the huddle . . . We’re running this play") Jim was a key component in leading the Bears to the greatest single season in NFL history.

Mike Ditka: "I never did try to control him because Jim McMahon wouldn’t have paid one bit of attention to what I said. If I would have said ‘Don’t run’ he would have ran. I said ‘Slide’ he would have jumped over people. It didn’t matter. There’s no point getting into that."

Jim’s teammates fed off his rebellious energy. It helped to bond them as a unit. Which led them to say this:

"We listened to the coaches from Monday to Saturday. Sunday was OUR day."

Jim McMahon ran the offense. Mike Singletary ran the defense. And for one brief moment in time, the 1985 Bears were the greatest team in the history of the NFL. And nobody can take that away from us. NOBODY!

Oh, and another thing Mike Ditka is on record as saying: "I don’t care how great Walter Payton was. I don’t care how great our defense was. We don’t win the Super Bowl without McMahon. Period."

Now, are any of you ‘non-believers’ man enough to take exception with ’Da Coach’ regarding the previous paragraph? I didn’t think so.

I mean, you can talk smack to the GeoMak. You can attack the GeoMak.

But argue with Mike Ditka? I don’t think so.

Class dismissed!

* (Most quotations from ESPN's 'SportsCentury - Jim McMahon' which first aired on January 24th, 2001).