Week 13 - Bears (6-5) at Minnesota (2-8-1) - 12:00 PM, FOX

[UMFan83]

Vikings had to have like 15 things go their way to win this and they got them all

 

That's quite an exaggeration. The Bears also had a lot of things go their way also. It was just an amazing collection of errors and [expletive] ups by both teams.

 

hawkeye its more about the Bears coming so close to victory and the Vikings converting. Off the top of my head the Bears probably win in regulation if:

 

-Jennings doesnt barely get his 2nd foot down on his TD catch, instead of a TD thats a FG and the Vikings need a TD to win

-The Bears don't idiotically run up the middle twice on 2nd and 3rd and 1 from the Vikings 40 when we've consistently failed on those situations this year. If they pick up the 1st they are just outside of FG range and at worst the Vikings get the ball back with 2 minutes left instead of 4 mins left

-The Bears can't stop a 4th and 11 with 1:55 left with the Cassel throwing from his own end zone. If the Bears get a stop the game is all but over

-The Bears have the ball at midfield with 14 seconds and 3 TOs left needing to get at least 10 yards to get a legit FG try and they only pick up 2 yards

-Allen commits a late hit penalty that would the Bears a 1st down in Vikings territory, a flag is thrown and somehow it is picked up

-Then Trestman commits a Trestman and elects to kick a 47 yard FG on 2nd and 7.

 

I get that the Vikings threw a tipped interception in the end zone as the Vikings were driving for the lead late. I get that the Vikings should have won if there wasn't that inexplicable facemask call, but the Bears should have won this game several different times and all went against them either by luck or by not performing or bad coaching.

[hawkeyecub]

Vikings had to have like 15 things go their way to win this and they got them all

 

That's quite an exaggeration. The Bears also had a lot of things go their way also. It was just an amazing collection of errors and [expletive] ups by both teams.

Terrible refs helped the Vikings in a huge way

 

Won't argue that.

[UMFan83]

I definitely think its an overreaction to want Trestman fired. If you want Trestman fired you want Emery fired, which admittedly may align for some people. But a head coach doesn't get fired after year one without wholesale changes elsewhere too. Hell, throw Philips in there as well (again I may be preaching to the insane choir here anyways)

 

Definitely perplexed by the decision to go for it there. It would seem to me to go against the analytical angle of weighing outcomes (which I think has been Trestman's claim). I do think the penalty/turnover risk wasn't sufficient enough as an excuse, so long as the right plays are called. To me it reads as too much confidence in Robbie Gould. Don't follow your confidence, just keep looking at the outcomes and trying to improve your chances of winning. Everyone thought Robbie would make that, but it isn't good enough reason. Good post by UMFan above outlining the fact that Forte and Peterson where the two backs in the game, and for an OT with 4 minutes left being played between the two 30's, it was in our favor to keep going.

 

Also this could be stupid because I have no idea how this would effect a kicker, but Robbie Gould's wife had a kid at 7:30 this morning. Gould was likely up all night at a hospital while his wife was in labor and then flew from Chicago to Minnesota this morning in time for the game. It's more than possible he was less than focused whether he wanted to be or not. But then again I could be completely off.

[minnesotacubsfan]

2nd and 7, let's kick

 

WTF

 

Also, can we finally give up in Mel Tucker? That guy came from one of the NFLs worse D's, and has done so with ours DT injuries be damned

[jersey cubs fan]

Letting him attempt a 79 yard field goal and then giving all faith in his ot kick makes me think he had a bizarre confidence in Goulds new daddy storyline

[rawaction]

I have no interest in canning trestman at this point. No interest at all. And I think he's insane

 

I don't either. Just frustration. But [expletive] he's a terrible in-game decision maker. He can say all the [expletive] he wants to try to sound smart, but he is clearly coaching scared right now. You go for 4th down on your own side of the field with a lead in GB, but you don't go for it on the opposite side of the field on 4th down with a lead today? You don't coach to prevent a penalty. Turnover yeah, don't [expletive] throw it. He's pretty much lost 2 games this year with bad coaching decisions. Not even 2nd guessing [expletive]. Straight up bad decisions that are preventable with common [expletive] sense.

[jersey cubs fan]

2nd and 7, let's kick

 

WTF

 

Also, can we finally give up in Mel Tucker? That guy came from one of the NFLs worse D's, and has done so with ours DT injuries be damned

Def coaching staff needs overhaul, but that is expected and possible 1- year into trestman era.

[UMFan83]

I have no interest in canning trestman at this point. No interest at all. And I think he's insane

 

I don't either. Just frustration. But [expletive] he's a terrible in-game decision maker. He can say all the [expletive] he wants to try to sound smart, but he is clearly coaching scared right now. You go for 4th down on your own side of the field with a lead in GB, but you don't go for it on the opposite side of the field on 4th down with a lead today? You don't coach to prevent a penalty. Turnover yeah, don't [expletive] throw it. He's pretty much lost 2 games this year with bad coaching decisions. Not even 2nd guessing [expletive]. Straight up bad decisions that are preventable with common [expletive] sense.

 

Lost 2 games and could have easy lost the Ravens game by holding onto his TOs as the Ravens were driving for the game winning score.

 

I've calmed down too, I don't want him fired but I'm starting to seriously question him. I'd be one thing if he was a new coach getting acclimated to head coaching but this guy is 57 yards old, had been coaching in the league as far back as the 90s, and has been a head coach the last several years, albeit in the CFL. I know the CFL has different rules and all, but it can't be that much different to the point where you need an entire season to adjust to coaching in the NFL.

Edited December 1, 2013 by UMFan83

[WrigleyField 22]

I definitely think its an overreaction to want Trestman fired. If you want Trestman fired you want Emery fired, which admittedly may align for some people. But a head coach doesn't get fired after year one without wholesale changes elsewhere too. Hell, throw Philips in there as well (again I may be preaching to the insane choir here anyways)

 

Definitely perplexed by the decision to go for it there. It would seem to me to go against the analytical angle of weighing outcomes (which I think has been Trestman's claim). I do think the penalty/turnover risk wasn't sufficient enough as an excuse, so long as the right plays are called. To me it reads as too much confidence in Robbie Gould. Don't follow your confidence, just keep looking at the outcomes and trying to improve your chances of winning. Everyone thought Robbie would make that, but it isn't good enough reason. Good post by UMFan above outlining the fact that Forte and Peterson where the two backs in the game, and for an OT with 4 minutes left being played between the two 30's, it was in our favor to keep going.

 

Also this could be stupid because I have no idea how this would effect a kicker, but Robbie Gould's wife had a kid at 7:30 this morning. Gould was likely up all night at a hospital while his wife was in labor and then flew from Chicago to Minnesota this morning in time for the game. It's more than possible he was less than focused whether he wanted to be or not. But then again I could be completely off.

Sports psychology is a pretty tricky field. You have guys like Phil Jackson with the reputation of being wizards at it, but at the end of the day I'm not sure anyone has a leg up in that realm. I don't think you let the baby thing into your mindset there. He had essentially 3 good kicks (even though one was short) and did a fine job on kickoffs too. I'm not sure you can point to it as a factor of him missing or let if affect decision making.

[jersey cubs fan]

I have no interest in canning trestman at this point. No interest at all. And I think he's insane

 

I don't either. Just frustration. But [expletive] he's a terrible in-game decision maker. He can say all the [expletive] he wants to try to sound smart, but he is clearly coaching scared right now. You go for 4th down on your own side of the field with a lead in GB, but you don't go for it on the opposite side of the field on 4th down with a lead today? You don't coach to prevent a penalty. Turnover yeah, don't [expletive] throw it. He's pretty much lost 2 games this year with bad coaching decisions. Not even 2nd guessing [expletive]. Straight up bad decisions that are preventable with common [expletive] sense.

His weaknesses in that area are worse than I expected. But his strengths in making the offense move are better. I think in theory how weakness is fixable. But that's just theory.

[rawaction]

I have no interest in canning trestman at this point. No interest at all. And I think he's insane

 

I don't either. Just frustration. But [expletive] he's a terrible in-game decision maker. He can say all the [expletive] he wants to try to sound smart, but he is clearly coaching scared right now. You go for 4th down on your own side of the field with a lead in GB, but you don't go for it on the opposite side of the field on 4th down with a lead today? You don't coach to prevent a penalty. Turnover yeah, don't [expletive] throw it. He's pretty much lost 2 games this year with bad coaching decisions. Not even 2nd guessing [expletive]. Straight up bad decisions that are preventable with common [expletive] sense.

His weaknesses in that area are worse than I expected. But his strengths in making the offense move are better. I think in theory how weakness is fixable. But that's just theory.

 

Same thing we said about Lovie.

[jersey cubs fan]

I have no interest in canning trestman at this point. No interest at all. And I think he's insane

 

I don't either. Just frustration. But [expletive] he's a terrible in-game decision maker. He can say all the [expletive] he wants to try to sound smart, but he is clearly coaching scared right now. You go for 4th down on your own side of the field with a lead in GB, but you don't go for it on the opposite side of the field on 4th down with a lead today? You don't coach to prevent a penalty. Turnover yeah, don't [expletive] throw it. He's pretty much lost 2 games this year with bad coaching decisions. Not even 2nd guessing [expletive]. Straight up bad decisions that are preventable with common [expletive] sense.

His weaknesses in that area are worse than I expected. But his strengths in making the offense move are better. I think in theory how weakness is fixable. But that's just theory.

 

Same thing we said about Lovie.

Very true, but offense matters more, so I'm willing to hope.

[rawaction]

The 2011 Giants were 6-6 after 12 weeks. Moved to .500 after a heartbreaking loss on a last second Packers FG. They the won at Dallas the next week and beat Dallas in Week 17 to get to the playoffs. The rest is history. Bad news is they got in at 9-7. 9-7 isn't likely to do the Bears any good.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Well, at least the packers still suck

[Splendid Splinter]

Well, at least the packers still suck

 

 

And the Bears gotta suck the same year they do.

[minnesotacubsfan]

The 2011 Giants were 6-6 after 12 weeks. Moved to .500 after a heartbreaking loss on a last second Packers FG. They the won at Dallas the next week and beat Dallas in Week 17 to get to the playoffs. The rest is history. Bad news is they got in at 9-7. 9-7 isn't likely to do the Bears any good.

 

Problem with this analogy: the Giants had a D and ??'s on O. We can't stop anyone

[UMFan83]

Man I'm so glad the Metrodome is done. In the last 12 years the only times we won here were:

 

2006: a strip sack by Tommie Harris with 2 minutes left takes away a likely loss

2011: Last game of the season and both teams were done and AP didn't play

[Guest]

The 2011 Giants were 6-6 after 12 weeks. Moved to .500 after a heartbreaking loss on a last second Packers FG. They the won at Dallas the next week and beat Dallas in Week 17 to get to the playoffs. The rest is history. Bad news is they got in at 9-7. 9-7 isn't likely to do the Bears any good.

 

Problem with this analogy: the Giants had a D and ??'s on O. We can't stop anyone

 

The good news is that being good on offense and shaky on defense is better than vice versa.

[Guest]

2011: Last game of the season and both teams were done and AP didn't play

 

aka the game that took away productive urlacher for good

[minnesotacubsfan]

The 2011 Giants were 6-6 after 12 weeks. Moved to .500 after a heartbreaking loss on a last second Packers FG. They the won at Dallas the next week and beat Dallas in Week 17 to get to the playoffs. The rest is history. Bad news is they got in at 9-7. 9-7 isn't likely to do the Bears any good.

 

Problem with this analogy: the Giants had a D and ??'s on O. We can't stop anyone

 

The good news is that being good on offense and shaky on defense is better than vice versa.

 

Yea but we look like the [expletive] 2008 Cincinnati Bengals

[cubbyvirus00]

Not surprised by the loss. We've lost at least 3 winnable games this year and the Bears flat out suck like I said.

 

The lone bright spot is the development of Alshon. Has anyone else developed?

[jersey cubs fan]

Not surprised by the loss. We've lost at least 3 winnable games this year and the Bears flat out suck like I said.

 

The lone bright spot is the development of Alshon. Has anyone else developed?

Flat out suck would suggest a different record.

[cubbyvirus00]

Not surprised by the loss. We've lost at least 3 winnable games this year and the Bears flat out suck like I said.

 

The lone bright spot is the development of Alshon. Has anyone else developed?

Flat out suck would suggest a different record.

 

Well they took the first 2-3 games to the wire and have survived with a 36(?) year old journeyman backup QB. As a team, they aren't good.

[UMFan83]

Not surprised by the loss. We've lost at least 3 winnable games this year and the Bears flat out suck like I said.

 

The lone bright spot is the development of Alshon. Has anyone else developed?

 

We've also won multiple loseable games this year (CIN, MIN, BAL). Seems like the mark of a .500 team and look at that were 6-6. That doesn't mean we shouldn't lament on the Washington, Detroit and Minnesota games that we easily could have won but it kind of is what it is. A team that has been ravaged by injuries, execution in critical moments, and questionable coaching decisions but has fought to at least remain quasi relevant in the playoff picture (at least until today)

[WrigleyField 22]

Wait, sucky teams survive journeyman 36 year old QBs?

 

Actually they probably do suck more than their record. They've been incredibly lucky with offensive injuries to the point that if you gave us normal injury luck on both sides of the ball, our offense could easily sputter and our defense still wouldn't be that great. This team still needs big improvements throughout the roster; some depth on offense and basically everything on defense. Fire Mel Tucker, or don't, I'm not sure it matters. He hasn't done anything to me to question his ability as a league average D-Coordinator, but I think there's little downside of his replacement being worse too. But if our defense improves next year, it will be mostly because of better players, and any new hire will be there mainly as some type of symbolic turnover and transition.