Forget getting off the bus running.  Why not just grab a scape-goat, and throw him under it?  As expected, the Bears fired Ron Turner today.  But was anyone at all surprised?  It seems like Jerry and Lovie stuck together and took care of the coaches on the defensive staff.  Ironically, no one on the defensive side of the ball was let go - so far.  And it looks like they may be bringing on another Cover 2 guy (Perry Fewell, from Lovie's days in St. Louis, of course) to be the new defensive coordinator.  Apparently the key to job security on the Bears is to be a defensive coach.

Don't get me wrong.  Our offense had plenty of problems this year - and Turner definately called some questionable plays at key junctures of the season (see red zone problems).  But was the offensive play calling the reason why we got blown out big against the Bengals, Cardinals and Vikings during a key stretch where we lost 6 of 7 games?  I don't think so.  The key to our late season turn-around was clearly on offense, where we scored 73 points in our last 2 games and Cutler threw 8 TDs and only 1 interception.  The play calling improved and the offensive line actually looked like an NFL offensive line.  Chris Williams looks like he's capable of protecting Jay's blind-side and the young receiving corps is looking very capable, if not dependable.  Conversely, the defense finished the year very shaky - giving up 84 points over the final 3 games.  Not exactly a strong finish for our head coach and defensive coordinator - Lovie Smith.

I was a vocal critic of Turner's for most of the season.  I thought his play calling was poor, and at times very predictable.  The lack of creativity seemed to be especially lacking in the red zone.  But most important of all, the play-calling just did not seem to blend well with Cutler's (or the line's) strengths.  Having Cutler stand back in the pocket as it collapsed and Forte running behind the left side in the red zone seem to be recurring themes that stick in my mind. 

But to blame all of the teams' (or even just the problems on offense) entirely on Ron Turner is as short-sighted as it is hypocrytical.  By the way, who brought in Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale to "anchor" the left side of the line to start the year?  Oh, that's right!  That would be Jerry Angelo, the guy who still has a job.  Turner may well have worn out his welcome in Chicago.  Many of the fans on this site certainly turned on him this year.  But to cut Turner lose and then stop there is doing a piss-poor job of assigning blame - and accountability - for the melt-down that we witnessed this year.

Some could argue that Turner did the most with what he was given to work with.  Yes, Angelo, to his credit, pulled off what was arguably the gutsiest off-season move in franchise history when he made the trade for Cutler.  I think from that point on, Turner was basically toast.  The expectations in Chicago were soaring after we made the deal to bring in our first "franchise" quarterback.  Once the bar was set, if Turner and the offense didn't deliver, he would be an easy scape-goat for the teams' failures.  Angelo kept saying things like "the quarterback makes the receivers better."  All this did was build expectations higher and put more pressure on Cutler and Turner to deliver.  What followed was very predictable.  Orlando Pace turned out to be a bust, the young receivers struggled early and often to create chemistry with Cutler, and the running game was among the worst in the NFL. 

But in the final evaluation, Turner was the guy left holding the bag.  No one stopped to tell Angelo what a horrible move (and terrible investment) the Pace signing was.  Or how bad Lovie's beloved cover 2 got torched by the Bengals, Cardinals and Vikings (even in the game we won at the end of the year).  No, Lovie and Jerry came together, closed ranks and convieniently blamed everything on the guy who tried to mold together a new QB and 6 new starters on offense - in a year where expectations were higher than they'd been since the Super Bowl.

Well, despite all of the critcism about the soft and ineffective play of the offensive line this year, at least one member of the unit is taking a different approach...

SI did a poll of some 296 NFL players back in September. The poll asked them to rate the dirtiest players in the league. Our starting center came in 12th on the list. Well, if you can't block your guy legally... Actually, maybe Olin's on to something. It seems that overall, our offensive lineman are just too damn nice and polite to those opposing D-lineman and linebackers. Maybe a little extra pushing and hitting when the refs aren't looking is just what we need. lol

On Friday, the Bears gave up their 2010 2nd round draft pick for Tampa Bay defensive end Gaines Adams.  Adams was the Bucs' 2007 1st round pick (fourth overall).  While the trade is very intriguing at the very least, it is a bit of a risk - considering the Bears already didn't have a 1st round pick next year.  Now they will have to sit out the first 2 rounds of the 2010 draft. 

As soon as the trade broke, I tried to find out as much as I could about Adams - as he hasn't exactly been on the front page very often over the past couple of years.  What I found out was encouraging, namely that Adams is extremely athletic.  He ran a 4.64 40, with a 35 inch vertical at the combine.  The knock on Adams is that he may be a little undersized, even at 6' 5", 260 lbs.  Scouts generally seem to think that he could add about 10 pounds in the weight room.  He is considered a "speed rusher", who doesn't provide much else in terms of power or technique.  He did a modest 21 reps of 225, on the bench-press at the combine in 2007.  He doesn't appear to have gained much size or strength since then.  Numbers-wise, he averaged 6 sacks over his first 2-years in the NFL.  While these numbers are very average for a defensive end, he did lead his team in '07 and '08.

via www.chicagobears.com

Although Adams was one of the most sought-after players in the '07 draft (picked 3 spots ahead of Adrian Peterson), his coach on the Bucs (Raheem Morris) felt that he was an under-achiever.  Morris had basically given Adams an ultimatum in camp this year, telling him that if he didn't register double digit sacks, he would be considered a "bust."  Adams responded by getting only 1 sack in his first five games this year.  However, it doesn't appear that the Bucs were shopping him, so much as Jerry Angelo coveting the third-year player from Clemson.  I'm sure Lovie Smith and Rod Marinelli were fully aware of the situation, and they probably had signifigant input in the trade as well.  In any event, after Cedric Benson's "re-birth" on the Bengals, maybe we're due to have someone come to Chicago and turn their career around.  Here's hoping that Marinelli can work his magic with this kid and help develop him into a stud pass-rusher!

Our Bears are looking like a playoff team this year - and everyone is excited about the way Jay Cutler has been winning games with his amazing 4th quarter drives.  With the game on the line, Cutler has been nothing short of spectacular this year.

But some people are making the case that the blockbuster trade with Denver may have actually been good for both clubs.  At 4-0, the Broncos are the talk of the NFL these days.  And rightfully so.  My initial impression of Josh McDaniels as a young, smart-alec, know-it-all appears to have been off base.  Brandon Marshall actually came up and hugged him during the post game press conference this past weekend.  Where'd that come from?

via www.chicagobears.com

Anyway, our beloved "neck-beard" has a sparkling 97 QB rating through 4 games, and he has yet to throw an interception this year.  Remember, last year he hadn't thrown a pick in over 200 attempts prior to that Sunday night melt-down in Minnesota.  I'm happy for KO, and I'm not at all surprised that he's playing so well in Denver.  Don't get me wrong, I still love the trade and I think that Cutler is going to be solid in Chicago for years to come.  Since Green Bay, Jay has been playing at a pro-bowl clip - with 100+ ratings in his last 3 games and only 1 interception.

The NFL finally took action against Pittsburg safety Tyrone Carter for his vicious, blind-side hit on tight end Greg Olsen last Sunday.  After reviewing the play, the league determined that Carter had "led with the crown of his helmet," and that the hit was illegal.  Carter maintains that he had hit Olsen in the shoulder, and the play was clean.   

"He was a big-target receiver, he's like 6-6 or something like that," Carter said. "Here I am 5-9. How am I going to hit a guy 6-6 in the head? And I got hurt on the play [bruised thigh]. It's crazy. But that's what they said and that's what they fined me for, but I can't let that stop me how I play the game."

Olsen was shaken up after the hit, but he came back to make a key, 4th quarter, 29 yard reception to help the Bears come back and win the game 17-14. 

via blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com