CHICAGO -- Well, that confirms it. When Devin Hester's pants were inadvertently yanked down Sunday night by a Philadelphia tackler, it proved that a full moon hangs over this bedeviled city. Just what has happened to the parochial mojo here, anyway?Chicago was skunked in the race for the 2016 Olympics, out-Chicagoed by the backroom politics of smirky Eurocrats apparently unimpressed by President Obama's four-hour campaign stop and Oprah Winfrey's cheerleading charm. As for Winfrey, she is halting production of her TV show after next season, another setback for a town that feeds off her global starpower and cash-cow machinery. Two major trade shows have opted for smaller Orlando and Las Vegas, saying Chicago is much too expensive. Meanwhile, the once-invulnerable mayor, Richard M. Daley, is losing his power amid the ongoing sleaze of Chicago politics. Obama is struggling in the big chair in Washington, just 54 weeks after his starry, surreal speech on Election Night in Grant Park. The city's two newspapers, which used to brawl like bloodthirsty MMA toughs, are irrelevant, soft and straining to stay in business.
And, perhaps worst of all for the local self-esteem, the football team stinks, largely because Jay Cutler has stumbled into the NFL's longest-running black hole -- the quarterbacking futility of the Bears -- and reduced the offense to an eyesore. So between the O-lympics and O-prah and O-bama and the O-ffense and, of course, the 0-for-101-years losing skein of the Cubs, this truly is Chicag-O, wouldn't you say?
The Bears' championship window officially has closed, just as millions of Chicagoans shutter their windows for the long winter ahead. The acquisition of Cutler created Super Bowl hopes in a town that has won the big game only once, in a 1985 season to which many folks here still cling. But he has been a pouty-faced misfit, a drama queen who chews out the officials with annoying regularity and, via some of the most immature body language ever seen on an NFL field, has problems with some of his offensive teammates. In fairness, he hasn't been blessed with an able receiving corps, with the Devin Hester deepball project doomed in two ways: (1) He has developed no chemistry with Cutler, in part because he doesn't run the right routes or know the right plays; and (2) His kick return abilities, once legendary and right up there with the most electric entertainment in sports, have been slowed to a crawl because he runs too many pass patterns in practice and his legs are wearing down. Still, Cutler was supposed to make everyone else better with his explosive arm. Who knew, after a 3-1 start, that the Bears would lose five of their next six while fans actually chanted "Cut-Him!'' during a 24-20 loss to the Eagles?"We're running out of time," Cutler said after ending the game with his 18th interception of the season, 12 of which have been in the team's four nationally televised night games. "The window is getting smaller and smaller. Anything can happen, you get strange things happening in November and December, but for us it's smaller and smaller. We're not winning ballgames. We're not scoring enough points. And we're not helping out the defense."
This has been a season in which a fragile infrastructure has been exposed, to the point that the best decision by management would be to fire Angelo, coach Lovie Smith and the entire coaching staff and start over.
That the Bears haven't taken advantage of Cutler's big arm is an indictment of the coaching staff and general manager Jerry Angelo. This has been a season in which a fragile infrastructure has been exposed, to the point that the best decision by management would be to fire Angelo, coach Lovie Smith and the entire coaching staff and start over. Angelo, after building a title-caliber defense earlier in the decade, has been a feast-or-famine talent man who hasn't drafted a defensive impact player since 2004 and didn't acquire a gamebreaking receiver for Cutler. Smith looks totally out of his element these days, showing no emotion on the sideline or an ability, as Angelo cryptically pointed out after a horrendous loss to Cincinnati, to make critical in-game adjustments. He is a glorified defensive coordinator whose defense has turned to mush -- and the regression is all on him after he let go of the previous defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera, handed the reins to friend Bob Babich, then took control himself.
"This wasn't part of the master plan, but that's where we are," Smith said after the loss. "We felt like this was a playoff game for us. And we needed to, of course, win every game."
In their dreams.
The team president is Ted Phillips, working on behalf of the notoriously stingy McCaskey family. These are not people who like eating the salaries of employees who no longer work for them, so forget about a total housecleaning that would allow the Bears to hire Mike Shanahan -- who maximized Cutler's skills in Denver -- and give him total control of the football operation. If the chiefs are smart, something they're not accused of often, they will at least fire Smith, pay off the $11 million owed him the next two seasons and seek a coach that eventually can take over football operations when Angelo draws closer to his 2013 contract expiration. Shanahan fits the bill, with his Cutler ties and Chicago roots. So does Bill Cowher, whose jutting jaw is suited to the city's self-image. Mike Holmgren would love to be in the Midwest, and his interest in the Cleveland Browns' job, maybe the worst in the league, suggests he'd be eager to take on duty in Chicago. As awful as the Bears are right now, working here remains an attractive situation because of Cutler and the fact you could become an instant hero upon executing a turnaround.
Clearly, bringing back Smith, right, and offensive coordinator Ron Turner would spark a civic revolt. The franchise charges way too much for tickets at Soldier Field to ignore the fans' outrage. Since stumbling into a 2007 Super Bowl that I'm not convinced actually happened, the Bears have won 20 of 42 games and are playing out their third straight season without a playoff berth. The offensive line is below-average. Running back Matt Forte lacks the toughness expected in a city where Walter Payton's ghost eternally lives. The defense provides little or no resistance, as Donovan McNabb and the Eagles showed Sunday. WIthout a No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft -- part of the staggering package relinquished for Cutler -- the Bears will have to spend money for a receiver such as Vincent Jackson or the troubled Brandon Marshall, Cutler's ultra-talented target in Denver. Basically, the Bears have Cutler's right arm -- I don't like his head -- and the right foot of kicker Robbie Gould as they move forward. Without major changes at the top, this team could be lousy for a few years, which will turn Cutler into a basket case with all his double-chinned facial expressions.He didn't talk to NBC's Bob Costas before the game, part of an organizational decision that included boycotts by Smith and Angelo. They wanted the team's play to do the talking Sunday night, and as millions saw before flicking off TVs, the Bears do not walk the walk. McNabb, a Chicago native and a Bears fan growing up, made sure to have a private conversation with Cutler at midfield afterward. It was uncomfortably long, with McNabb issuing advice and Cutler nodding attentatively like the lost puppy he is.
"That's between me and him," Cutler said. "I will say, he's a first-class guy."
Said McNabb: "What we talked about, we are going to keep between us. It's the fraternity of the quarterbacks. I've been through a different situation, but somewhat similar to what he is going through right now."
The difference being, McNabb is part of a solid organization. Cutler is not. Rather than see Hester moon the world, 61,000 fans should have mooned the Bears.
In America's most passionate football town, the good people should get some redeeming satisfaction for their emotional and financial investment.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Good article, Mariotti.
It was sad seeing Cutler throw and throw and not connect.
Mariotti !
Mariotti !
Mariotti !
You're stomping on dangerous ground here.
Nobody criticizes Jay Jay Cutler to Bears' fans, not even just a tweek or two like in your article.
Sure, he had time to throw last night.
Sure, his OL opened up some decent running lanes.
Yes, his receivers ran better routes and his defense definitely held on for most of the game.
Okay, so Jay Jay missed badly - three wide-open receivers. Good Grief. Maybe they ran the wrong routes and Jay Jay was putting the ball where they were supposed to be ??
Yeah, so that pick on the last drive was a stare-down pass that my grandmother could have tipped.
Look, Jay Jay is young, he was 17-21 at Denver and he throws picks like you throw out opinions.
But it isn't his fault.
No at all.
He has that cannon arm.
He gestures to make sure the fans know
it was not his fault= wrong route, bad mojo..whatever". Embarrassing his teammates helps the fans understand who was wrong when the play failed. It was because of Jay Jay.
Blame Lovey and the GM and the OL and the D and the WRs. I'll bet quite a few teams would love to have Olsen at TE and Johnny Knox outside, but those guys just aren't up to Jay's high standards.
No #1 in 2010? So what, Jay will turn it around and the Bears will win the Super Bowl next year... just like the Broncos did with Jay at the helm.
Oh boy, am I excited. Jay Jay- you are better than all of 'em. And you never make a mistake. Just ask Bears' fans.
Mariotti is the Joke....as always. I never saw a writer kiss the ASS of Sammy Sosa daily as much as Jay.
Sammy OBVIOUSLY was doing something. Nope, Jay didnt see that.
Jay KISSED HIS ASS
and then...........
Oh my Sammy was doing something illegal!
What a hack
BTW, im speaking of Marrioti, not Cutler.
Cutler has probably the worse body language for playing football. My God, the first series he comes out...........he looks like hes going in for a colonoscopy.
THAT was funny, man.
The colonoscopy thing was priceless !!!
Recruit Vick. He needs a team and we need a Quaterback and we have already given up too much to get Cutler. Cutler is not Elway and he is not going to bring a Superbowl to Chicago. For the record I hate Vick and think he is a vile POS, but everybody deserves a second chance and Philly is not going to use him. It might just be the right chemistry for Da Bears!
This is a very well-written article by Jay.
Got to get rid of Head Coach Snuffy Smith
Jay Mariotti:
Good piece on the Bears.
Would have liked to have seen some comparison between the '08 Bears and the team Cutler now leads.
I believe last year's 9-7 team had an offense geared to its philosophy of ball management and consistency.
This year, the "home run" attitude of Cutler has taken the entire team out of sync.
You need patience and stability to go with the 7-yard dinks and 9 yard hooks. Cutler has the big arm mentality, which means he loves the deep ball and the long scoring pass.
The real problems with Cutler are he's immature and arrogant.
The Bears' fans won't tell you this because they are still in "adoration mode" and see the blame everywhere else but in their QB.
By this time next year, that will change.
Given, as your article said, the Bears have no first-rounder in 2010 and their ownership doesn't spend heavily in free agency, how will Chicago get better?
It probably won't, all because of the price paid for (and the lack of maturity on the part of) Jay Cutler.
Just don't say that to a Bears' fans.
They only see Cutler's "big arm".
They will excuse Cutler all the way to the bottom on the division.
Does anybody not see Detroit on the rise?
I've said this since the mid 90's and I'm sticking with it. I wish McCaskey would sell the team to someone who give's a "BEEP"!
The son of bitch doesn't care because the loyal bear fans will borrow, steal, whatever to pay to see their team. Why try to fix something when the money is just rolling in?
If he trades the team, this is what happens:
Better "president"
Better GM - just a bunch of jokes over the decades
Better Coaches
Better Scouts
Better Players
Better TEAM. Is this hard to figure out?
Cuter is the problem? Go seek counseling then.
You don't need a microscope to figure out this problem, it's systemic.
Favre on the team? Maybe a couple of wins more? Ok, now the SUPER BOWL? Ok, then you really need therapy.
Have a nice season.
Broncos fan for 25 years here.
I've seen Jay Cutler play more than Mariotti and any Bears fan out there. I can tell you all, this is why Jay Cutler was welcomed to leave.
Broncos Coach Josh McDaniels listened to offers for Patriots QB Matt Cassell. He then whined his way out of Denver in the most childish and unprofessional manner, ignoring calls from staff, management and the owner. It seems it was all motivated by money now, as he got his big expensive contract that an interception machine is surely worth.
Dan Marino and John Elway were discussed in trades during their careers, they didn't whine about it or demand to be traded. They let their feelings known publicly about it, but they didn't pull off anything like that. Mind you they were FAR more accomplished playoff QBs at the same time too.
In Denver he was wanted, he was the golden boy, he was to be the heir apparent to John Elway. He had the support of the fans, the franchise, and the staff in his earlier days.
It's pretty sad when you realize the team was better off with Jake friggin' Plummer leading the Broncos offense.
When the Broncos needed him the most in 2008 in their final 3 games for a division title and a playoff berth, he laid down like a beaten carpet, threw more INTs than TD passes, DESPITE how bad the defense was. He did nothing but contribute to the collapse of a team that costed Mike Shanahan his job. The Broncos were leaderless and uninspired, and he did nothing but drag them down further.
His mechanics are horrible, he plays emotionless, he pouts on the sidelines, has zero leadership qualities, zeros in on WRs like I zero in on a hot chick's ass, blames the refs, and in no way has made the Chicago offense any better.
He is the equivalent of Jeff George. He has all the wows with arm strength, but that is not enough.
If you think Mike Shanahan is the cure-all for Chicago's woes, think again. In 10 Elway-less years in Denver, he has won ONE Division title and ONE Playoff game. He has produced 3 other Playoff teams that all ended in first round blowouts.
Shanahan's teams were always undersized and playing with no urgency. But the last 3 years in Denver, it was worse, they were poorly conditioned, ravaged by injuries, looked sloppy and uninspired, terrible losses to bad teams... and that's just the start of it.
Shanahan has done nothing without John Elway. If you are a diehard Bears fan and think Shanahan reuniting with Jay Cutler would be similar to his reuniting with John Elway in the 90's (who was far more accomplished than Jay Cutler ever could be), that Chicago would be destined to be NFC elites, you are in for a rude awakening and massive disappointment.
Maybe Shanahan just stayed too long in Denver and could shine in a new atmosphere. I'd like to see how he would do with a total trainwreck of a team like Cleveland having to build from scratch. That would be a measuring stick of his former nickname 'The Mastermind.' He is no motivator, brings in horrible cheap free agents (I could write a book on blown draft picks and free agents alone) and betrays his veterans (see Plummer, Jake).
Best of luck in the future Bears fans. Enjoy Thanksgiving. I will try, as things are not looking so good in Denver right now. None of those problems would have been cured had Jay Cutler still been here though, I assure you of that.
Marc, you must have forgotten that your precious John Elway threatened to play baseball for the New York Yankees unless he was traded after the Baltimore Colts drafted him in 1983
Darn! I missed the news the day the Pope canonized John Elway. If Bronco fans are going to compare every quarterback they suit up with Elway they're destined for disappointment. I hope they give Orton a chance and not judge him too hastily.
Jay I miss reading your column everyday in the Sun Times, please come back!!! Great article!!
1- Elway said *Before He Aas Drafted* that he didn't want to play for Baltimore. Baltimore tried to shop the pick but had no takers and they selected him anyway. This was before he played a game in the pros too. That and what Cutler did after 3 seasons as the Broncos QB in Denver and crapping on the new Coach and the owner are two totally different animals, and it all seems it was in the name of money now.
As far as measuring Cutler to Elway, it was CUTLER who measured himself to Elway. He was not brought in to be the next John Elway, and fans didnt; expect that. He was brought in to make the kinds of throws in the Broncos offense that Brian Griese and then Jake Plummer couldn't.
Most Broncos fans are very happy with Orton thus far. Sure he's banged up now and so is the whole OLine, but he makes smart throws and protects the ball, something Cutler DOES NOT DO.
Hopefully the Broncos will bounce back against the NYG on Thursday.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Wow I finally found jay mariotti. Thought you were lost. Good artcile on the Bears and I agree the whole staff should be fired and let's start fresh with one of these Super bowl coaches that are available. Hey by the way Jay. Did the Sun Times go bankrupt yet?
mariotti is mr flipflop and a total phoney . he always refers to lovie smith as a cigar . plus he was in love with jay cutler to cutler refused to autograph footballs for him that he sells on ebay