The Chicago Bears have been a mix of bad, interesting and downright painful to watch this season. Those feelings peak on Sunday, last through the following days and bleed into the next week’s matchup. There is no break from the pain and suffering; and no positive outlook.
That is exactly how I feel watching the Chicago Bears.
It is also how I feel dealing with my lower left incisor, or bottom left front tooth. The pain I feel while waiting one week for a root canal is similar to the pain the Chicago Bears are inflicting upon fans like myself.
The 2014 season started out with so much promise and has seen some good to go with all that bad.
Much like my teeth, the pain was hidden behind those few good moments. The last two losses have exposed the roots of Chicago’s problems: undisciplined players and poor coaching. The inexplicable punt return by Carolina in week 5 may is the perfect example of both this season’s lack of discipline and its poor coaching.
Now comes the possible tipping point of the season for the Chicago Bears.
Next they visit the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome. Atlanta’s high-powered offense loves playing indoors, and Matt Ryan has only lost 10 of his 48 starts at home. The Falcons QB is going to eat like a big dog Sunday afternoon while I am forced to sip on broth.
What can the Bears coaching staff actually do at this point to help save a once promising season?
Get surgical.
There are certain aspects of the team that can be tinkered with and even removed. Joe Decamillis is the easy target for extraction.
He has yet to help identify a kick returner, has allowed opponents to return any kick with ease, and hasn’t coached his players to identify something as simple as playing through the whistle. Something as simple as that would have saved a touchdown against Carolina. The talent/depth may not be there for the Chicago Bears, but an average to above average coach can help field a respectable unit.
The defensive additions have been mediocre, at best.
Willie Young has been amazing and deserves all the attention that he has received up to this point. The rest of the revamped defensive line has been nonexistent. Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston have some work to do to impress fans. Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker should also be escorted out of Halas Hall for his inability to identify and adjust to opponents.
In the same breath, head coach Marc Trestman has failed to do all of the above and should also be expected to take as much of the blame as anyone.
I do not expect any major extractions by the time my mouth potentially has one (or two). That being said, if the Chicago Bears do not do major surgery in the coming weeks or months, I’d expect a full extraction by the end of the season.
Jeff is a production assistant @120Sports and contributor to hockey, football, and baseball for The Sports Bank. Follow him on Twitter @skcih_ffej.