Based on the way Bears players have raved about Rod Marinelli this offseason, the transition to the new defensive coordinator appears destined to be seamless.
But will the defense be successful?
Linebacker Brian Urlacher believes the defensive intensity should at least crank up a few notches, and not just because Julius Peppers is now in the fold.
"If you listen to coach Marinelli talk, you want to run through a frickin' wall for him,'' Urlacher said. "When he talks, people listen.
"I like coach Marinelli. He knows football. He knows how to get guys in position to make plays. And he motivates people. I have a huge amount of respect for him."
Photo: Brian Urlacher is eager to play for new defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Tribune)
Marinelli will be the team's fourth defensive coordinator in five seasons, following Ron Rivera, Bob Babich and coach Lovie Smith, who surrendered the duties to Marinelli after last season's struggles.
Urlacher, nearly at full strength coming off wrist surgery, believes any changes made by Marinelli will be subtle.
"It's the same system and Lovie still oversees it,'' he said. "When it was Bob, it was Lovie. When it was Lovie, it was Lovie. Now that it's Rod, it's going to be Lovie. Lovie still has all the input in what we do. It's just a different guy making the calls.
"We tweak things every year. We try and find what we did wrong last year and try and fix it. We don't always do it right, but we're always trying to figure out what we didn't do right and do it better the next year.''
After the Bears finished tied for 21st in scoring defense, 23rd in rushing defense, and 27th in third-down efficiency defense, the only way to go is up -- or else more changes could be in the works.
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jason gentry, thank you for proving my point exactly. A typical Bear fan hoping against hope (and logic and reason) that things will work out.
No way Urlacher is an "elite lb" or a "defensive mastermind". Maybe 5 years ago he was elite, but name a team that would trade a quality player or draft pick for him now.
I'm a Bear fan but my eyes are open. I'll wear your #17 Cubs jersey if they do better than 8-8.
donkey crust,are you sure your a bears fan,and notta cheese head, or a vikes fan undercover?if you can honestly say he's not an elite lb and doesn't make our team better, your high on something,he has had the mike brown disorder on bad luck as far as injury the last couple of years,but he's a defensive mastermind as far as reading the offense, and having everyone alligned in the right spots.and i think we have a good combo with briggs and lacher together,throw in peppers and a newly motivated and healthy tommy (where ya been) harris,i think our new additions and coaching staff will bring new opinions and a new found liveliness in our locker room,we need a cb or safety and i'll take a cheap smart,atheletic, VET to fill that hole,we should be ok...oh yeah give manning a new deal please,he's a multi purpose player....the o line is a story of it's own,get the check book back out......beardown baby!!!!
Girlacher is the Mark Grace of the Bears. Good player, but satisfied with mediocrity which is why he's loved by the Bears organization. He's their poster boy, and we are all suckers. We should have traded him 3 years ago when he had some value. This town wants a quality middle linebacker so bad we are blind to the fact he's not been even the best on the team in 3 years. Remember the last time you saw him fight off a block, from anyone, and make a tackle? I don't. If anyone thinks his absence was a major cause of our defensive struggles, they are badly mistaken. He needs two monster, Pro Bowl D tackles in front of him to be a factor, and we don't have one.
There's a reason Marinelli is in Chicago. Even the worst teams in the league realize he's no good. We give him a job after going 0-16, then give him a better job after failing with the D-line. I can't believe no one in the Chicago press has the stones to bash this decision daily.
I'm excited about the recent signings, but the core issues of bad management and a poor head coach still remain. This team will not be able to overcome the shortcomings in leadership. We can only hope sanity takes over at the end of another .500 season and we get a real coach and head of football operations.
I guess the good news is; with all these changes now; they cant suck as bad as they did last year.
url is a great player and that shows on the field. look at last year, he got hurt and our defense went into the dumper. now it had a lot to do with lovie, but if you look at leadership on the field you see that there was no leadership at all. briggs is good but he is no urlacher. We need urlacher more than those fricken sports writers bleiev. chicaog is one of the few cities whos sports teams are run by the writers.I saw shut up and let urlacher do his job. He is the leader we need and i truley believe that he has at least 3 years left in him.
oh, and someone said Url was 100% healthy last year? Was that the year he was steamrolled by Jacobs??? Then Pisa STOPPED Jacobs COLD! Geez, Url was healthy and he was no good. Maybe some of those ____ (name withheld due to legal proceedings with the Williams) woulda helped all of em...think about it.....
I am optimistic about this team this year with the changes, but I sure wish the media would leave Url out of print untill he retires or does something to help us win.
That was good Sam
Coach Ditka defined pro football as, "blood and snot, pain and tears". We all know that pros are supposed to play at an elevated emotional level because of the big money involved. But, I think Urlacher is alluding to the motivation needed to dominate in the latter parts of games and the season. I'm sure that Marinelli will get the most out of our D from start to finish.
For those who struggle with math and history. The Bears have 9 championships. The Super Bowl hasn't been around that long. They are second in championships to Green Bay's 13. Do your homework guys.
Geez, I realize that may not have been the kind of world-changing quote they put in your obituary, but I'm happy to see that he's enthusiastic about the new season. I'd like to see them make at least one more FA signing, like the FS from the Rams, but at least they didn't just fold up shop and do nothing like I figured they would do. Maybe Angelo will pull a few nice draft picks out of his @$$ and shore up some much-needed holes, and then the season will be more entertaining than last year. But don't cap on the guy cuz he's pumped about next year already...
is this the same Urlacher who said last off season after Cutler's trade"you'll all see how much better we'd be" and then in the middle of regular season said we were better off with Kyle Orton.
WOW! 2 in 50 years, now thats so much more impressive than 1 :P
Run through a wall?? Howsabout just tryin to run through the Oline this year Url....I am assuming you are not including the Dline when you said that???
I think it is absolutely stupid to be talking a Super Bowl in 2011. I would imagine it's the same people that were saying that last year after we traded for Jay Cutler. And, yes, I am a JC fan. We still need offensive line help, maybe a safety. I think our receivers will be fine. The signings this year in FA definitely will help. I am hoping for a better year than last, but we still have the """3 STOOGES""" in charge.
Hey Virgie, thanks for spending some money. I believe your families reputation has taken a hit the past couple of years! maybe more so than the past 26 yrs.
Dufus alert on March 12, 2010 12:00 PM
I guess 1 win in 50 years is enough for some of the clowns out there.
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Time to go back to remedial math class. It's been TWO in the last 50 years. NFL championship in '63 and Superbowl win in '86. Since there was no Superbowl until '66, the NFL championship should count.
NOBODY knows SQUAT until July and camp. ANY conjecture is b*******........So many have so much fun typing nonsensical buffoonery.
Didn't the Detroit Lions run through a wall with Marinelli?
0-16 right?
With the way Matt Forte and the offensive line run you'd swear they wear pajamas with the feets to bed at night.
Since people run through walls for Marinelli can we get him to coach the offensive line and running backs?
so whats up with u guys? Really talkin shit about a season that hasn't started yet! This team is lookin better and better everyday, You all know that Brian is the defense and cutler the offense so start lookin at the 2010 team! If they suck then Lovies gone and so are alot of players! Wehave some very good young guys just waiting to kick it out there SO QUIT UR BITCHIN TILL SEPTEMBER
GO BEARS 12-4 AND TO THE BIG DANCE KICK ASS ON THE WAY SO LOOK OUT BRETT WERE COMING FOR U
Urlacher's comment implies that the defense needed to pick up intensity. While that's obvious to those of us who watched this team, it still is mind-boggling. Why in the world do these highly paid, highly skilled, highly competitive adults need a coach to remind them to, uh, play with special intensity? I'm really tired of hearing excuses like that for lousy play and lousy execution. It makes me think things aren't going to change much with this current group. Hope I'm wrong.
"Wouldn't you think these guys would just shut up, at least until they win a couple times against teams not named Detroit or Cleveland or St. Louis?"
Ya mean like maybe the Vikings or the Steelers?
Duh!
You guys are haters have some faith in your team remember this when the big bad bears are making a run for the SUPERBOWL in Jan chumps
Hey Brian, I remember last year you also barked up all this bravado BS just to hurt your limb wrist in the 1st half of the season openner. So, before you start talking CRAP about going thru a brick wall...try to go thru a running back without hurting your other limb wrist on the first play of the season openner...you Mary! Should have been traded a few years ago with your sister Ms. Tomika Harris!
Urlacher and Harris - Fearsome All Pro Talkers.
Harris got physically whipped by opponents O-Line MANY times last year and Urlacher has been getting physically whipped by linemen for a few years. Not fast and strong enough to get off them anymore.
And Marinelli, yeah, those Detroit 0-16ers sure got results when they listened to his inspirational speeches. And, look at the great results he got last year with our D-Line sacks. Not.
Wouldn't you think these guys would just shut up, at least until they win a couple times against teams not named Detroit or Cleveland or St. Louis?
@Ben...
Kramer has some decent numbers.... JC will improve; the line will improve(slightly) if no draft pics or FA's come in, Martz has lost more knowledge than Turner ever had, the recievers are gonna be more experienced, And JC has two Solid Backs Behind Him Now. It Could? Be a Record Season?Quit Hating on JC, if we had Neck Beard or GrossMan we'd been even worse...
#54 said Lovie over see's The Defense.... He mustve been blind when playing Cinci, Minnesota, GB and all the Other teams with decent/Good QB's. There was Little Defense on Too Many Sundays last season. If this Season doesn't pan out? Lovie and co. Need to hit the unemployment office, these Coaches/Upper Management have not Kept up with the Division(We had the best Team 4-6 years ago) and got Worse! The Defense let us Down more then the Offense in the Last Couple Seasons(Lovies Specialty) and haven't picked up enough athletes and players(Angelo) and Team Prez isn't holding either accountable... No Reason in this Storied/Great Franchise, we should be slumping now! J.Pep will get More Sacks than Jared Allen, I Said it, Take it! A Rodgers will get sacked 9 times against us! And We'll Have 3 Pro Bowlers on Defense This Year! My Predictions' Also JC will take the TD Record and Bears Win 11. Just my Opinion!
Bear Down!
There is no doubt Martz and Cutler will re-write ALL of the Bear QB records I mean c'mon how many INT's were dropped last year when they were right in the DBs hands? He can easily throw 36 picks next year. Let's just hope Martz doesn't kill him before he breaks his own record, Cutler is know for never allowing more than 6 plays to be used per week before he gets so confused he starts crying about his teammates to cover for his stupidity. Record books shattered in 2010.
There is no doubt Martz and Cutler will re-write ALL of the Bear QB records I mean c'mon fans look at our QB's we had .... Nuff said'. I dont see why fans are excited? I mean look it at from both sides, If you cant stand Lovie and Angelo and Phillips like I cant, Then this is a great sign of either they finally got their shit straight or all 3 are done at the end of next season. So either way its really a win win situation for the Bears fan who wants change into a winning direction. With the new head coach if Lovie faults will have a serious young vicious arsenal at his disposal who knows the type of coach they will bring in say Bill Cowher? Another good side of the ball is at the the McCheapskates are so frugal these days and they may shell out the dough for a top notch talent and really shown they are going to make a serious push this season. I havent been excited since the Cutler trade and even then I was amazed for the good on what Cutler has passed this season. And he did it with literally no help now you see the WR's are actually good, we got a OC that is awesome (maybe not head coachin material but OC he is the best) And I feel the Bears will address OL help in the draft and maybe pick up a James Lilja incase of injury.
There's a lot of movement going on this offseason because of the constant losing and the embarrassing blowouts the Bears have absorbed over the last three seasons, but hopefully the desperation being shown by management will rub off on the Bears and their new free agents, draftees, and returning players. Almost every year when the season ends on a disappointing note in Chicago, I reboot and prepare for a productive offseason to restore the dominance that Halas and Ditka once brought to Bears fans. Maybe Urlacher will show flashes of his old self, Tommie Harris will rebound and be disruptive again, and Peppers will be motivated by his new teammates and all that damn loot. Maybe Martz and Cutler will rewrite all of the team's record books on offense and the special teams will once again be a top ten unit. Maybe we won't suck in 2010. If the unthinkable happens and we blow once again, I'll just sit there and take it like usual while hoping the new regime that's bound to take over has a clue.
2010 - the year when Urlacher puts keyboard heroes in their place.
If we could only find a team dumb enough to trade a pick for Urlacher it would be a miracle. Unfortunately, we are the team dumb enough to do that.
Brian has not done anything for the last 3 years except sit on the bench and flap his mouth. I am sure he will hurt his little pinkie the first game out and have to sit out for the whole season. He is past his prime and should be traded!!!!
M. Brittian on March 12, 2010 2:06 PM
Hey JD, All of us who are true bear fans are dorks you say?
........
No, he was calling you a dork for having to call yourself a "true" Bears fan. And I second it.
chris on March 12, 2010 1:53 PM
im a little embarased to be grouped with you guys. But then again you are all just waiting for the bangwagon to pull up. so i forgive you, you fair-weather fans
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Your post makes no sense.
Hey JD, All of us who are true bear fans are dorks you say? You forgot to mention which team you are a fan of. I would guess after that comment you must be a Packers Princess or maybe just a fan of the Arena Football League LOL
so if the bears do well this year, which one of you guys are going to say "ha i told you so!'? you guys are fans? wow. im a little embarased to be grouped with you guys. But then again you are all just waiting for the bangwagon to pull up. so i forgive you, you fair-weather fans
M. Brittian on March 12, 2010 1:34 PM
" I guess you think your pathetic negativity will turn this team around and get us into the post season."
;;;;
Yeah, and you are helping them get in.
;;;not that I want to jump into your little slappyfest, but the bears have won once in the last fifty years, and anyone who needs to call himself a "true" Bears fan is a dork.
Thanks for your time princess.
Dear Mr. Dufus Alert: I never stated it was a well run team. If Urlacher is fired up about working under Marinelli, as a true bears fan that should be something you might like to hear. The guy was 100% healthy last year for the first time in a while when the freak wrist injury occurred. One would have to believe that he is more eager than most to get on that field this year. I guess you think your pathetic negativity will turn this team around and get us into the post season. It seems like you are the one who is living in fantasy land. By the way it's been 25 years not 50!
Creighton,
You beat me to it. If he could shed a block, it wouldn't matter what scheme we were running, he could be successful.
Marinelli knows how to put players in a position to be successful? Based on what? His time as a defensive coordinator? Oh, that's right, he's never been one before...His experience calling plays? never done that either...His tenure as a head coach? That didn't work out so well...His stellar work as a DL coach for the Bears? Not much of a result there. The only success he had is that Anderson played better in the second half of the season.
I am all for optimism, but I don't think for a second that Marinelli should be any kind of source of it. The players have to step up and play better, no doubt, but at the same time, we need to get away from the Tampa 2 as much as possible and throw something at defenses that they aren't ready for. That is how we can win games on defense, and I don't think Lovie or Marinelli are capable of that.
Urlacher is such a Bozo, I wish he would finally go away.
Honestly do we as fans need to have this type of pandering to get us jacked up. I do believe if we're top 15 that should be enough for a playoff birth. I do think our front 7 will make us a top 15 defense. As a player you should want to run through a wall for anyone because you're a football player,so this is more of an indictment on Urlacher then an endorsement of Marinelli. Marinellis reputation precedes him. I do think its interesting he didn't say when it was Rivera it was Lovie. Thanks for confirming Lovie has his puppets firmly in place Brian. Although I'm not so sure he wanted you to give that away.
When I'm near my mother-in-law I want to run thru a brick wall also. Better yet I want to fly far away from her.
Ready to run through a wall? I would be happy if he just ran through a fullback or guard for a change.
Hypothetically, if Urlacher did run through a wall and assuming it was a brick wall, would it make him dumber or would the swelling help his brain?
"It's the same system and Lovie still oversees it,'' he said. "When it was Bob, it was Lovie. When it was Lovie, it was Lovie. Now that it's Rod, it's going to be Lovie. Lovie still has all the input in what we do. It's just a different guy making the calls."
Wait, so is Urlacher running thru walls for Marinelli or Lovie? I'm a little confused...
M. Brittian on March 12, 2010 11:53 AM
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Yes, everyone should live in a fantasy land with you and pretend this has been a well run team. That should help.
I guess 1 win in 50 years is enough for some of the clowns out there.
Maybe you all should become Green Bay or Detroit fans. And don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out! But then again I don't believe those teams would want you as fans either because your negative attitudes SUCK!
At the end of the day, if everyone on this team plays to the best of their abilities, they are still just a 500 team in 2010.
10 yrs ago the cover 2 was innovative.Thankfully this will be the last year for Lovie and Jerry after 4th straight season of no playoff appearances.
What's the phrase? Its not about the X's and O's, its about the Jimmy's and Joe's.
I'm not sure how much the play calling matters if you have the B-team out there or your talent is so-so. Just like if you have a bunch of studs who all need to be double teamed on the DL and a bunch of playmakers behind them... anyone can look like a genius coordinator.
Peppers, a healthy Urlacher and a healthy Tommie Harris (even if neither Harris nor Urlacher are at the peaks of their careers) will help them look a lot better no matter who the DC is. Best D in the league? Maybe not. But top 10 isn't out of the question when you consider how good the front 7 could look.
Did the D-Line "run through a wall" for Rod last year Brian? Don't think so. How many tackles will you be credited for this year that you weren't involved with? I'm setting the over/under at 50.
I may be getting old, but I remember back when Brian Urlacher said something and it mattered.
"Urlacher ready to run through a wall for Marinelli"
What a meathead…
3-4 years ago when Urlacher was still a good player, this would have mattered.