Week 17 The Scoreboard Watching Bears @ Detroit Lions

[UMFan83]

Henry Melton made the Pro Bowl? Hmm ok

[Smack]

Bears have 5 probowlers. Yet, none of them have been the best player on the team this year.

 

Tillman, Jennings, Melton, Peppers and Marshall are in. Briggs is not.

 

I think you could make the case for Marshall being the best, but that really sucks for Briggs. I bet he ends up getting a nod if anyone gets hurt.

 

It's ridiculous that the OLB spots all go to 3-4 pass rushers.

 

Yep, Briggs got passed over because he doesn't have the flashy sack total.

 

Also, lol at Jeff Saturday making the roster. He was benched by the Packers in favor of Evan Dietrich-Smith.

[rawaction]

Henry Melton made the Pro Bowl? Hmm ok

He's a top 3 DT in the league this year.

[Thed Hoyerstein]

Henry Melton made the Pro Bowl? Hmm ok

He's a top 3 DT in the league this year.

 

He's been awfully good, but is it me or does he seem to disappear from time to time? Although I suppose missing two weeks will distort my short-term memory.

[Guest]

Henry Melton made the Pro Bowl? Hmm ok

 

Odd player to criticize when Peppers made it. Melton is deserving.

[cubbyvirus00]

Henry Melton made the Pro Bowl? Hmm ok

 

Odd player to criticize when Peppers made it. Melton is deserving.

 

Agreed. Melton has had a great year

[rawaction]

Henry Melton made the Pro Bowl? Hmm ok

He's a top 3 DT in the league this year.

 

He's been awfully good, but is it me or does he seem to disappear from time to time? Although I suppose missing two weeks will distort my short-term memory.

That was last year. This year he's made plays pretty consistently in the run and pass game. He is among the league leaders in tackles and sacks from his position.

[cubbyvirus00]

Speaking of Melton, Dominic Raiola just commented on the trash talk in the media, calling Suh and Williams more deserving of making it to the Pro Bowl then Melton.

 

He made it to the Pro Bowl? This guy made the Pro Bowl?” said Raiola of Melton. “He made the Pro Bowl? Come on. You got a defense full of superstars and you don’t hear from the guys that carry weight in my book. This guy?”

[Smack]

Well, we should get some fireworks on Sunday one way or another. Raiola is an idiot too.

[UMFan83]

Thought this was interesting....this is a list of the year each team last played a road (not neutral) playoff game

 

2011: ATL, BAL, CIN, DEN, DET, HOU, NO, NYG, PIT

2010: GB, NYJ, SEA

2009: ARI, DAL, MIN, PHI

2008: IND, SD

2007: JAC, TEN, WAS

2006: KC, NE

2005: CAR

2004: STL

2002: CLE, SF, TB

2001: OAK

2000: MIA

1999: BUF

1994: CHI

[Banedon]

Thought this was interesting....this is a list of the year each team last played a road (not neutral) playoff game

 

2011: ATL, BAL, CIN, DEN, DET, HOU, NO, NYG, PIT

2010: GB, NYJ, SEA

2009: ARI, DAL, MIN, PHI

2008: IND, SD

2007: JAC, TEN, WAS

2006: KC, NE

2005: CAR

2004: STL

2002: CLE, SF, TB

2001: OAK

2000: MIA

1999: BUF

1994: CHI

 

Not surprising that it's mostly bad teams at the bottom of that, but yeah, the Bears being there is weird. Feast or famine I guess.

[Banedon]

Urlacher practiced today. Limited.

[rawaction]

So much for Sean Payton. Signed a 5-year extension to stay in NOLA.

[Magnetic Curses]

So much for Sean Payton. Signed a 5-year extension to stay in NOLA.

 

yahoo reporting that lovie is safe. but then they also are saying whisenhunt is safe which doesn't make sense.

 

i have a feeling that if they fire lovie, they will first go to the packers for clements, and this time they can't say no. and i will be ecstatic.

 

then, sign jake long and draft a tackle high, move carimi permanently to guard and your offense is instantlly legitimate.

[Soul]

So much for Sean Payton. Signed a 5-year extension to stay in NOLA.

 

yahoo reporting that lovie is safe. but then they also are saying whisenhunt is safe which doesn't make sense.

 

i have a feeling that if they fire lovie, they will first go to the packers for clements, and this time they can't say no. and i will be ecstatic.

 

then, sign jake long and draft a tackle high, move carimi permanently to guard and your offense is instantlly legitimate.

 

Doesn't make much sense to say Lovie is safe right now. Whisenhunt certainly isn't safe. That's bad reporting.

[UMFan83]

The mentioned article:

 

The Cardinals’ Ken Whisenhunt, Chicago’s Lovie Smith and Detroit’s Jim Schwartz are all predicted to be safe for another season, according to Yahoo Sports. The word around the league is that the three head coaches are safe, given the precedent set by all three teams to fire coaches conservatively, especially coaches that still have money owed to them.

 

The struggling Cardinals have reportedly considered replacing Whisenhunt, but might instead keep the head coach and replace upper management. Smith could still face termination if the 9-6 Bears miss the playoffs. Schwartz signed a contract extension last June, which would suggest he’s safe for at least one more season.

 

This article is a bunch of nonsense with no actual reporting involved it looks like.

[biittner77]

The mentioned article:

 

The Cardinals’ Ken Whisenhunt, Chicago’s Lovie Smith and Detroit’s Jim Schwartz are all predicted to be safe for another season, according to Yahoo Sports. The word around the league is that the three head coaches are safe, given the precedent set by all three teams to fire coaches conservatively, especially coaches that still have money owed to them.

 

The struggling Cardinals have reportedly considered replacing Whisenhunt, but might instead keep the head coach and replace upper management. Smith could still face termination if the 9-6 Bears miss the playoffs. Schwartz signed a contract extension last June, which would suggest he’s safe for at least one more season.

 

This article is a bunch of nonsense with no actual reporting involved it looks like.

 

Coach x could get fired unless they decide to keep him and fire Y from the organization instead. In other news, unless they win or tie their next game, team Z will lose.

 

If the Bears win and finish the season 10-6 but still miss the playoffs, they probably will fire Tice instead of Smith.

 

Look, now I'm a reporter.

[UMFan83]

The silly thing is basing it off teams being conservative in firing coaches. If Phil Emery really does have the power to fire Lovie this offseason we have no idea whether he will be conservative about whether to hire or fire him. If he doesn't have the power then that's another whole depressing conversation to have regarding hiring a GM and not giving him the power to build the team as he sees fit. If the Bears miss the playoffs even at 10-6 and keep him it opens up a ton of questions like this, especially because Lovie would be on the last year of his deal next year unless they decide to extend him. I doubt a 2nd year GM wants to deal with his non hand picked coach being on a 1 year deal.

[rawaction]

There is rising speculation that Lovie is actually safe. Emery is said to really like him and will give him another year with a winning season. Plus the stuff about Cutler wanting a consistent OC may keep Lovie around if he gets rid of Tice and gives the job to Bates. Of course, hiring a new coach would conceivably give the bears more future stability at OC as the new guy would probably get a 5-year deal and presumably get to coach at least 3 years of that with the same OC. But does Jay want to start all over again or go back to a guy that is around now and was there when Cutler had his most success? I tend to think Jay would rather stay with Bates and hopes some of that magic comes back from Denver. Especially with 1 year left on his deal. Get a new offense that still doesn't work and Jay may be looking to get out of here.

[UMFan83]

I don't hate the idea of keeping Lovie to be honest. But if the Bears don't make the playoffs regardless of whether they win or not its hard to look at his track record and not think he should be fired. Their playoff odds were around 97% this year, last year they were near 90% at 7-3. 3 playoff appearances in 9 years. Just not good enough.

[rawaction]

I don't hate the idea of keeping Lovie to be honest. But if the Bears don't make the playoffs regardless of whether they win or not its hard to look at his track record and not think he should be fired. Their playoff odds were around 97% this year, last year they were near 90% at 7-3. 3 playoff appearances in 9 years. Just not good enough.

 

Definitely not good enough. But it's in that gray area where it may not be bad enough either. It's definitely time for a change, but I slightly understand if the FO wants to give Lovie a chance with a real offense. They drafted the RB, got the QB, got the WR...all in separate offseasons. If they can get the OL this year and maybe 1 more weapon....this team is ready to take that next step. Lovie has shown he can get a lot out of mediocre talent, maybe with good talent he can do more.

 

This will be the 3rd time the Bears have had a chance to make a logical change in direction and if they bring Smith back and continue to hover around a 9 win team, it's their own fault.

[Guest]

You'd think Emery would want to get "his" guy as coach.

[UMFan83]

You'd think Emery would want to get "his" guy as coach.

 

That's just it. He could run Lovie out there in a potential lame duck year but if Lovie over performs he pretty much has to extend him and Lovie becomes his guy. If Lovie fails he's gone and it takes an extra year from his initial hire grace period to get his coach, staff, etc in place.

[Magnetic Curses]

There is rising speculation that Lovie is actually safe. Emery is said to really like him and will give him another year with a winning season. Plus the stuff about Cutler wanting a consistent OC may keep Lovie around if he gets rid of Tice and gives the job to Bates. Of course, hiring a new coach would conceivably give the bears more future stability at OC as the new guy would probably get a 5-year deal and presumably get to coach at least 3 years of that with the same OC. But does Jay want to start all over again or go back to a guy that is around now and was there when Cutler had his most success? I tend to think Jay would rather stay with Bates and hopes some of that magic comes back from Denver. Especially with 1 year left on his deal. Get a new offense that still doesn't work and Jay may be looking to get out of here.

 

jay isn't going anywhere

 

star players don't move in the NFL unless they force their way out via trade(which he won't do again) or their team decides it's time to move on.

[Banedon]

I'm not buying that Lovie is safe if they miss the playoffs. I'm not buying that Lovie gets to try with another OC, even if it's Bates. If they miss the playoffs, that'll be two collapses in a row. It'll be time for Emery to bring in his own choice.