Here are Bears coach Lovie Smith's postgame remarks after the 21-14 loss today to Green Bay:Opening Statement:
"First, you have to give the Packers a lot of credit. They made plays down the stretch to win the football game. I thought our guys played hard. We did some good things throughout the game. After starting the way we did, we got ourselves back in position and got momentum back on our side.
"Normally, in games like this, there are a couple of critical plays that determine who wins and who loses, and we didn't get it done. It's tough. It's tough in the locker room when you have an opportunity to keep our dream alive. To lose a game like this, what else can I say - it's not a good feeling at all. The Packers haven't swept us in a long time, but they made plays today. Injury-wise, we don't have a lot of injuries to talk about. Again, I thought we continued to play hard, but just didn't make enough plays."
Photo: Bears coach Lovie Smith watches the 21-14 loss to the Packers. (Brian Cassella/Tribune)
On the timeout sequence:
"For the first timeout, things just weren't right and we needed to call a timeout to take care of some things. That is separate. After that, I had to make a decision on the situation about whether it was worth us challenging and possibly getting a first down. I made that decision. In the end, the timeout really didn't hurt us. I think you should use a challenge any time it can benefit you. To me, there were two separate incidents and situations that happened, and that's what we did."
On why the Bears had a slow start:
"I wish I knew. The guys had a great week of practice, and they knew the importance of this game. Things happen. That's about the only answer I can give to you. But, when things do happen, you have to be able to come back, which we did, and get ourselves in position."
On why he called the first timeout:
"Why do you ever call a timeout? When you have a situation that isn't the right play, or just don't have enough time to get things in. Without going into detail, I called it for the same reason you always use a timeout - things weren't right and we wanted to make sure we were in the best situation. Again, after that, it was two separate situations. Then you have to make a decision on whether it was worth possibly getting the first down."
On Ryan Grant's long touchdown run:
"It was really just a basic run. Normally, when there is a long run, there is someone out of the gap or there are bad angles involved. Those were the two things that happened on that play."
On the play of the Bears' receiving corps:
"I thought they stepped up today and did a great job. Devin Aromashodu really made plays throughout the game. Johnny Knox also made plays. Just not those two individuals, of course, they haven't played a lot and I really like what they did today. We got ourselves in position and did some good things in passing downs."
On the interception to Nick Collins:
"Without going into great detail on who was wrong on the play, the execution wasn't right, and the Packers made a great play."
On the penalties:
"They hurt. We aren't a team that has been penalized that much. Some of the penalties were in critical situations for us. Whenever you lose yardage on a day like today, of course, that hurts you quite a bit."
On being swept by the Packers:
"This is the first time we've been swept by the Packers [during my tenure]. This is the situation we're in right now. This season hasn't turned out exactly the way we would have liked. This hasn't happened a lot of times, so I don't know quite how to respond to it. But, we just have to do something about it in the future."
"For the first timeout, things just weren't right and we needed to call a timeout to take care of some things. That is separate. After that, I had to make a decision on the situation about whether it was worth us challenging and possibly getting a first down. I made that decision. In the end, the timeout really didn't hurt us. I think you should use a challenge any time it can benefit you. To me, there were two separate incidents and situations that happened, and that's what we did."
On why the Bears had a slow start:
"I wish I knew. The guys had a great week of practice, and they knew the importance of this game. Things happen. That's about the only answer I can give to you. But, when things do happen, you have to be able to come back, which we did, and get ourselves in position."
On why he called the first timeout:
"Why do you ever call a timeout? When you have a situation that isn't the right play, or just don't have enough time to get things in. Without going into detail, I called it for the same reason you always use a timeout - things weren't right and we wanted to make sure we were in the best situation. Again, after that, it was two separate situations. Then you have to make a decision on whether it was worth possibly getting the first down."
On Ryan Grant's long touchdown run:
"It was really just a basic run. Normally, when there is a long run, there is someone out of the gap or there are bad angles involved. Those were the two things that happened on that play."
On the play of the Bears' receiving corps:
"I thought they stepped up today and did a great job. Devin Aromashodu really made plays throughout the game. Johnny Knox also made plays. Just not those two individuals, of course, they haven't played a lot and I really like what they did today. We got ourselves in position and did some good things in passing downs."
On the interception to Nick Collins:
"Without going into great detail on who was wrong on the play, the execution wasn't right, and the Packers made a great play."
On the penalties:
"They hurt. We aren't a team that has been penalized that much. Some of the penalties were in critical situations for us. Whenever you lose yardage on a day like today, of course, that hurts you quite a bit."
On being swept by the Packers:
"This is the first time we've been swept by the Packers [during my tenure]. This is the situation we're in right now. This season hasn't turned out exactly the way we would have liked. This hasn't happened a lot of times, so I don't know quite how to respond to it. But, we just have to do something about it in the future."
Please somebody tell Lovie to just shut up. I'm so sick of him accepting no responsibility for sucking. "After the Super Bowl season, we had a letdown for whatever reason, that's happened to more teams than just us." Just come out and say I didnt get the job done in the way I was supposed to. There are ways that I feel I can improve as a coach. He's always talking about finding ways the players can perform better each week, well how about looking at your own performance Lovie. If you knew what you were doing each week, instead of looking like a deer in headlights all the time maybe we could win, a couple of those winnable games. You're right we were in a lot of those close games and could easily be 8 and 4, but were not. Coaches are responsible for helping to win the close games. Thats the difference between a good coach and a bad coach. I hope youre at least smart enough to figure out what kind of coach you are
When you have idiot fans that sell out Soldier Field why would anything change? I hope Phillips, Angelo, and Smith stay and honor their contracts. Hell offer them extensions.
As long as the money is rolling in those 3 are succeeding at their jobs.
I saw Sid Luckman play his last game in the 40"s and have suffered with both the Good and Bad Bears over the years, even when I lived in other NFL cities. The worst was my 17 years in Detroit, where I saw what lousy ownership will do to a franchise. Sadly, I'm afraid there is little to look forward to until the younger ownership rises to the top.
We have very little to look forward to until someone ends the regime that's allowed this great franchise to dissipate to the level it's now; Worst of all,next year's draft will be a joke as the bears have given away so many low round draft choices, so any "new blood" will be hard to come by.
On top of that, it's also obvious the Bear management has allowed the team to age in many of those positions, both on D and O, that the team must rebuild over several years. no quick fixes!!!
Wow, more of Lovie's vague, never hold anyone accountable, safe answers. What amazes me is how he is still the head coach of this football team. Three straight season of no playoffs, after a super bowl, and his job is still safe. Too bad millions of american citizens don't have that kind of job security.
Wow, more of Lovie's vague, never hold anyone accountable, safe answers. What amazes me is how he is still the head coach of this football team. Three straight season of no playoffs, after a super bowl, and his job is still safe. Too bad millions of american citizens don't have that kind of job security.
kyle orton and 2 first round draft picks for cutler so the coaches could turn cutler back into orton. brilliant! I despise cheap shot artists. they are normally knee jerk reactions from idiots. but, if you can't see the ineptitude of this coaching staff. i watch other teams too and they all allow pass completions, but there is usually a defender in the picture. in the bears scheme the receiver has to search out a defender or else he'll be lonely. the defensive scheme is a joke and has been for years. when you make a scheme so complicated that it takes 3 days of watching the film to determine who screwed up then the coaches are more responsible than the players.
Lovie certainly doesn't sound like a coach that's expecting to not be given an opportunity to right the ship. Truthfully, despite everything i do expect Lovie to be back for the 2010 season minus Ron Turner. Usually the H.C. is also held responsible for a team's penalties, so considering the OL has been responsible for probably the largest amount of the penalties, i look for the OL coach to be let go as well. Things best improve greatly in 2010 though, or i believe the McCaskey's might be willing to eat one year of Lovie's deal, and truthfully Angelo should be concerned as well. He has the Bear's personnel in a mess right now.
It's time for Chicagoland to stand up, be heard and their voices in unison say "I'm as mad as heck and I'm not going to take it anymore". Ted Phillips, Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith need to be run out of town and McCaskeys' need to spend whatever it takes to bring powerhouse football management and coaCHING in. The bears are the laughing stock of the country courtesy of those three stooges.
In 50 years of watching the Bears, I have never seen the team more unprepared,unfocused, and just playing to get the game over. Even in the Jim Dooley & Abe Gibron years, the team played with more heart. Angelo and Smith lost this team when they fired Ron Rivera and hired Smith's buddy. Remember how poorly the defense played last year, The play calling was poor. This year the defense turned it down a notch. How many times have teams scored in the first quarter. The defense took one quarter to find out what the other team was doing. It can only be poor preparation by the coaching staff or poor play calling by the defensive coordinator. Or maybe the team does not trust a coach who will not accept blame for the terrible preparation that goes on each week.
Then there is the offensive line. It is offensive. How much did Angelo pay for the two free agents who are worthless. And do not forget the offensive coordinator. He is, and has been, for the entire two terms, the worst coordinator ever.
Clean house and bring in a new GM, Coaching staff and start next year now. Fire them all.
Who Ya' Crappin'
Does not quite cover Lovies comments but comes close!
Man I hate Lovie Smith. He's the worst Coach you possible have because he doesn't know how to adapt. A good coach always fits a scheme around the strengths of his team. Instead we Have Lovie that runs the 4-3 cover two come hell or high water.
Honestly 9 of 11 defensive staters could be injured and this guy would still play a cover two no matter what. I'd love to get a coach that knows how to adapt.
For instance a coach that after he loses his best MLB who is perfect in coverage for a Cover 2 scheme, who stands up says you know what, since we lost this guy and our safety's our young and pretty much suck were going to run a 3-4 this year. Instead we have the old stubborn bastard that would rather stick with some BS defense that he doesn't have the personal to run because he's doesn't know any thing else to run.
Best example I can give Joliet Catholic in 1997. I went to St. Pats and we beat JC that year. They ran some weird offense with 3 RB's playing out of a wing formation. They ended up starting out like 3-0. After their piss poor start the players went to the coach and said this offense doesn't fit us, let us run a I normal I formation. Honestly, their coach did it (he adapted to their strengths). After their 0-3 start, and after switchig to a I formation type offense, they ended up winning the state championship.
Why? Because their coach adpated, he didn't force a scheme that wasn't working and that didn't fit his personal because he was stubborn and didn't know anything else.
Read and hear some his rematrks and he can't even describe what happened during the game. Whenm a coach can't address the issues without using vague and non-descript words then what type of communication can he give to his players? Certainly nothin g of value and leadership sucks on this team. It comes from head coach and no one else. After 3 years of frustration can't the powers to be realize they need a change. I hope they lose the rest of their games. HArd to say but I mean it, maybe then something would happen.
Ron Rivera would not waste two timeouts on the same play and he also figured out that the 1990 Cover Who doesn't work any longer !!!! Bye Bye Jerry, Bye Bye Lovie,Bye Bye Tiger (sorry I had to throw that one in!)
This is why Lovie has to be fired.
He said that he took the fist timeout because things were not right and needed to be sorted out.
That is what the challenge flag would have allowed, had he had the sense to throw it out right away, but Lovie must be clueless to that.
The challenge would have stopped play, allowed the Bears to get any substitution, play call or any other thing they needed to get worked out, worked out, and all without the cost of a timeout.
Now after the play was ruled, then the Bears would have lost the timeout. There was NO reason not to challenge the play from the start but to challenge a play, AFTER you take a timeout, well you should not even be coaching Bogan Tech with moves like that.
Lock Phillips, Angelo and Lovie in the tank under a porta potty at Taste of Chicago for six hours on a hot July afternoon!
Any Bear head coach who gives credit to the Packers should pack his bags immediately. At least Ditka would admit when his teams sucked. Smith ranks right up there with Charlie Brown, the head block-head. I won't watch another game with him as head coach. Best thing that could happen to the Bears is a work stoppage in 2010. It would just be a coninuation because they stopped working a long time ago. If Jerry Angelo had any "nads", he would resign.
"But, we just have to do something about it in the future."
Yeah, like get a new coach...