An 8-8 record in 2013 is not much of an improvement for the Chicago Bears. Do we have reason to be worried about the new administration for the Bears?
The Bears are in the midst of a metamorphosis. They’ve been a defensive oriented team for as long as fans can remember, but the introduction of Marc Trestman is changing that philosophy, and it’s about time. The Bears have only had one Super Bowl appearance since the 1985 win. So what does Marc Trestman bring to the table that his predecessors did not?
For many fans, the decision to hire Trestman came out of nowhere. He led the Montreal Allouettes to two Grey Cup victories, sure, but who really cares about the CFL, right? Well, his journey to becoming the head coach of the Chicago Bears has been more varied then just competing up North. Like many coaches, Trestman also competed in the NCAA and the NFL. As the quarterback coach/offensive coordinator he led Rich Gannon and the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl in 2002, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
Under Trestman’s leadership, Rich Gannon was elected as the NFL MVP, and this has become his calling card ever since. Trestman has since become known as a quarterback whisperer of sorts. In fact many chalk up veteran Josh McCown’s success up to Trestman’s leadership. So how does he do it?
Well Trestman played quarter back for the University of Minnesota back in the 1970’s. That youthful exuberance, those flowing locks of hair, there’s no doubt that this man was meant to instruct quarter backing greats for generations to come. In fact, during his tenure in the CFL, he had the privilege to work with Anthony Calvillo, the most successful QB in the history of that league.
Let’s not forget who hired Trestman. Phil Emery has made his intentions for an NFL championship very clear. As do most GMs, but the first thing Lovie Smith said as the Head Coach for the Bears was that his number one priority was beating the Green Bay Packers. It’s a great sound bite, but beating your biggest rival will surely be the by-product of having a Super Bowl winning team. It’s even more disheartening considering that Lovie had a losing record against the f**king Green Bay Packers.
So what is Trestman’s philosophy? First of all, he believes that everything begins and ends in the locker room, which is a refreshing sentiment after the Incognito fiasco this year. He also operates under the West Coast offensive style. This has been around since the 1970’s, but has become a very solid offensive style in the current quarter back happy culture of the NFL. Basically it relies on high percentage passes to stretch the defense instead of a hard-nosed running game. This is not traditional Chicago Bears football, but with the weapons that the Bears have on offense, including Matt Forte at running back, this is the most logical move.
The 8-8 record, many argue, is because of the Bears dilapidated defense. Marc Trestman is very hands off on the defensive side of the ball, and he entrusts the play calling to Mel Tucker. I am not sold on Mel Tucker. I often complained that Lovie had an outdated system that was easily picked apart from the quarter back elite. It relied on the player performing their jobs, but it would be nice if the DC would throw in a wrinkle. Well, as this guy explains, Mel Tucker brings more of the same. To beat quarter back like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and, uh, I don’t know, Aaron Rodgers, you need to disguise your coverages and that hasn’t happened in Chicago for a very long time. At least Lovie got his boys to play hard for him, but I haven’t seen any evidence that would suggest Tucker has the same talent.
The 2013 season had its ups and downs. The offense showed signs of being great, and that’s what Trestman can bring to the table, but the defense will likely have the same scheme, and the same problems. Hopefully the personnel changes can make a big impact, but my beer’s half empty on that regard. But, hey, I’d be very happy to be wrong.
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