Let's Play Da Bears Blame Game

For the first time in the Lovie Smith Era, the Chicago Bears did not earn a win over the hated Green Bay Packers.  And if I remember correctly, one of Smith's priorities when coming to Chicago was beating Green Bay.

Without that win, place a value on the 2009 season?  Priceless -- no.  Worthless -- yes.

Blame Jay Cutler all you want.  It just means you're overlooking the real problem.  Please take this elevator to the top floor, please.

Coaching Carousel

Lovie told Bears fans to trust him when he sent Ron Rivera packing for getting too big, too soon.  He told us to trust Bob Babich to keep Rivera's hard-hitting defense going.  When it faltered, he took the playcalling duties upon himself, and somehow the team found a way to get worse.  When the defensive line was made the next scapegoat, he axed one friend in favor of Rod Marinelli.

It's easy to point out these classic Lovie foibles, but the problem is that it doesn't end there.  Remember the Terry Shea experience?  How about Jonathan Quinn, the back-up quarterback who was so excruciatingly bad, he made Craig Krenzel look like an above average quarterback and Ron Turner's offense look like an improvement.

A Tale Of Two Devins

Not only did Smith's statement declaring Devin Hester a potential No. 1 wide receiver option cost the Bears organization lots of guaranteed cash, it also cost the team its most dynamic player.  Since coming a full-time wideout, Hester has struggled in the return game to the point where he is no longer the team's best special teams player.

Having to learn an entirely new position, with a coaching staff that couldn't teach Einstein basic mathematics and one quarterback with a noodle arm and another fans swore was color blind with the way he thrw the ball to the players in other jerseys, Hester was set up to fail from the outset.

The one area in which the Bears had a decisive edge over everyone else in a thing of the past.

Then there's Devin Aromashodu, who it took Smith and his staff 13 weeks to get on the field.  Bravo, Bears bosses.  For the second straight season, the Bears buried their best receiving option.  You would have thought the team would have learned after finding ways to keep Earl Bennett off the field.  There might not be a move more damning than ignoring Aromashodu, especially when you consider the franchise quarterback begged for his presence in the line-up.

In The End, It All Falls On Jerry Angelo

Jerry Angelo brought in Lovie Smith ... only after being unwilling to share some player-personnel duties with Nick Saban.  Angelo had to OK Smith's hires including Shea, Turner, Babich and Marinelli.

He has whiffed on draft choices and in free agency.  In the trade market, I refuse to knock the Cutler trade because he turned Kyle Orton and draft picks that were doomed to fail into a very talented quarterback and Johnny Knox.  And everyone loves Johnny Knox, right?

However, Angelo did turn a second round pick into first-round bust Gaines Adams -- a player who couldn't find the field with a GPS and a travel guide.  Now the Bears are left without a first or second round pick and are left to fill holes throughout the offensive line, defensive line, defensive secondary ... among other places.

If Angelo wants to keep his job, the first step in the right direction would be starting over.  Not just a new coach, but a set of new philosophies.  No more Tampa 2.  No more rink, dink and stink offense.  You can say you want to get off the bus running, but when you trip over your own two feet upon getting off the bus, you're not doing yourself any favors.

But if Angelo wants to do Bears fans a favor, he puts Lovie and his gang out of their misery.  Then, Angelo will show himself the door it's all over.