One thing I’ve always liked about the NHL is that when it’s time to make changes, teams don’t procrastinate very often. There have already been two firings this season, and you can bank on more to come as the season churns along.
Too bad some teams in the NFL are unwilling to utilize that same philosophy. Take for instance, the Chicago Bears. I realize it’s folly to put blame solely on any head coach in any sport. Marc Trestman is hardly the only one not getting the job done with this sorry outfit. But off what I’ve been seeing from this team all season, I think it’s safe to say that an overhaul is desperately needed, and that certainly would seem to include the head coach.
There were questions about the Chicago defense before the campaign ever started, and those fears have been realized. But the offense was supposed to be dynamic, and it has been anything but that.
What’s worse is the lack of focus this team has shown on a weekly basis. Jay Cutler is making more money than any other QB in the NFL this season. He’s terrible. Bad throws on a regular basis, absolutely no fire, and I’m really tired of hearing how “talented” Cutler is. Maybe the physical skills are there, but they’re hard to spot based on all the errors that take place virtually every game.
If I’m the coach, I’m sitting Cutler for the rest of the season. Simply stated, Trestman has nothing to lose at this point. Put in the backup and see if he at least generates some intensity. Fact is, if Trestman had true leadership skills as a head coach, he’d have absolutely made the move at halftime of last night’s lopsided loss to the Saints. But Trestman just kept sending Cutler out for the entire game, and that to me is enough to bluntly declare that Trestman isn’t the right man for this job. Great assistant, perhaps. Good head coach, sorry I can’t see it.
As for Cutler’s future with the Bears, I have no idea what they can do to salvage the situation. They’re going to have to pay him all those dollars. But at some point management has to simply admit they blew it with that monster contract, and the Bears have to move in another direction. This is a big swing and a miss, and that’s about all there is to it.
What do you think the Bears should do?