Gary Kubiak, Lovie Smith and John Fox to Join Rest of Country in Unemployment Line
NFL November 30th. 2009, 1:00pm
Last season, per usual, the Texans finished 8-8, missing the playoffs but turning enough heads in the process that some pundits picked them to win the AFC South in 2009.
The Bears, 9-7 in 2008, acquired Jay Cutler over the offseason for a bounty of draft picks, a drool-inducing pickup that prompted Peter King to pick them to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Carolina, victimized by Jakedelhere’stheball’s playoff implosion in 2008, returned nearly every key member of that NFC South-winning squad, leading many to believe a repeat was on the way.
Oops. So much for scripting the NFL.
Houston has lost three straight to fall to last place in the AFC South, and the Bears and Panthers both dropped interception-strewn messes to the Vikings and Jets yesterday to fall to 4-7. And, thus, all the promise and potential of September gradually gives way to the December bitterness and backbiting.
But what about the guys steering these sinking ships? Is it time to start spinning the coaching carousel? Probably. None of the three possible openings scream SEX like the Notre Dame job, but let’s take a quick look at each three, anyway. Again, we’re just spitballing here. Keep it civil.
Houston Texans
What They Do Well: Offense, offense and offense. Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels are two of the best in the league at their positions. Matt Schaub is a top-8 QB in quarters 1-3.
What They Need: Steve Slaton has struggled in his second season, and the Texans’ running game along with it. Their secondary, Dunta Robinson aside, isn’t scaring anybody and is prone to late-game breakdowns.
Who’s a Fit?: Leslie Frazier. A defensive-minded minority candidate who has been passed over the past two years, Frazier is a Tony Dungy protege whose name has gotten lost in the Holmgren/Cowher/Shanahan shuffle. Frazier to the Texans would be markedly similar to Dungy to the Colts prior to the 2002 season, and that worked out okay.
Chicago Bears
What They Do Well: Um, now seems like an inopportune time to assess this. But hey, with Johnny Knox and Devin Hester, who has more speed on the outside? Reaching, I know.
What They Need: Sure-handed route runners. Defensive backs who don’t get consistently lost in coverage. An edge rusher who can draw a double team. A time machine for their offensive line. Actually, just a bunch of draft picks would work.
Who’s a Fit?: Mike Shanahan. Golden-armed Jay Cutler gets his guru back, Shanahan can remold the offensive line, and the Bears could take on a new identity as a offensive-minded team. But what would Butkus think? Who cares, the city of Chicago demands change!
Carolina Panthers
What They Do Well: Run the ball. Stats be damned, nobody does it better than the Panthers, led by the frightening DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart combo.
What They Need: Someone to burn all copies of the contract extension Delhere’stheball signed prior to the season. His numbers through 11 games? Eight TD’s vs. 18 INT’s, with a 59 QB rating. Shame.
Who’s a Fit?: Bill Cowher. He lives there. His mere presence would boost fan (and team) morale in the wake of Fox’s steadfast support of Delhere’stheball. He’d most likely install a 3-4 defense and get away from the quickly-disappearing Tampa 2. The downside? He’s looking for $10 million a year. Maybe Delhere’stheball could finance the first year of his salary?
69 Responses to “Gary Kubiak, Lovie Smith and John Fox to Join Rest of Country in Unemployment Line”
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November 30th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
to be a coach and gm and whatever else title he wants? one guy to do at least 2, maybe three jobs, increase revenue just by being on the team and drawing fans…worth every penny.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
And here we go… A first and second round draft pick aren’t going to do shit for the Bears. The ONLY draft pick I’m pissed about losing is the one Jerry Angelo gave TB for Gaines fucking Adams. There’s no way the Bears could even come close to fixing what’s broken with two fucking draft picks. Could they have drafted a good O Lineman? Sure. But with Jerry Angelo at the helm (a guy who couldn’t pick a decent offensive player if the guy came up and kicked him in the balls) the chances of that happening are slim to none.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
what about the Bills Cap Rooney? Can Tim Tebow save the Buffalo Bills franchise? Machine Gun Kelly is a believer
November 30th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
And another thing – The first person out the door from the Bears should be Ron Turner.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
can we agree that it wouldnt be a bad thing if the bears had first round picks the next two years
November 30th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Mike Martz made another unassuming young Christian into a surfire Hall of Famer. Tebow, Martz, and the Bills. It’s FAN-tastic!
November 30th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
What don’t the Bears need?
I’d rather see Jerry Angelo and Ron Turner get thrown out on their asses simultaneously.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
How much is Lovie’s buyout? I could be wrong, but firing him this year may be too expensive.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Jerry Angelo needs go first for Bears, he should not be allowed near another off season. Cutler fell in his lap.
Lovie was okay for me until yesterday when they challenged an obvious fumble by Knox. He has no clue.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
bears reached out to cowher and his jaw last week. PFW reported it, Bears denied it, PFW sticks by it
November 30th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
funny urlacher story on yahoo sports today. mike silver spent a couple days hanging out with him
November 30th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
NO. Because I’d rather have Jay Cutler. I know Cutler’s been playing like shit but I put way more blame on Ron Turner and the offensive staff than I do on him.
Yes, Angelo and Turner fired at the same time would make me ecstatically happy.
The Bears organization should be camping out on Charlie Weis’ door step every day until he agrees to coach here.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Urlacher can go too.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
MU, would cost 11 million. have to figure out if another two lame seasons are worth saving that money. can’t rebuild through draft–first pick next year is in 3rd round. as they’re falling this year the cutler trade 1st round pick for broncos rises. with the fourth pick in the 2010 draft, the Denver Broncos select….
November 30th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
urlacher could fetch a 2ndd-round pick i heard an ‘expert’ say today. worth it
November 30th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Seriously? Firing Lovie would cost that much? Well then I think his job is safe. The McCaskey’s are fucking cheap skate assholes.
And I agree – Fuck Brian Urlacher. He whined to get more money even though he’s a mediocre player. Now that I think about it, there are maybe a handful of players I like on the Bears. Lovie has turned that team into a bunch of crybaby finger pointers. Shut the fuck up and do your job, assholes.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
yep sportsgal, weis would keep the pattern of horrible head coaches assisting the bears (see r. marinelli)
November 30th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I lived in Chicago from 03-07… and Bears fans might be the dumbest fans I’ve ever met. Every year they are like 3-5 to start the season and the fans think they have just gotten screwed. It is mind blowing that Ron Turner still has a job as offensive coordinator.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
they gave urlacher big unnecessary coin (10 million extra because he whined a couple of years ago) and cutler a fat extension and smith makes good money. i don’t know if they;re cheap. but definitely should be watching how their money’s being spent
November 30th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I’ve got a different description for giving up 5 draft picks and a starting NFL QB for Delhomme 2.0.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
shanahan is more likely to come here than to dallas. we are the broncos south.
dunta robinson isnt coming back. he wanted a huge contract and we didnt offer him one. he held out until week 1. ive seen him get beat too often this year to warrant that money.
im gun shy about a coordinator becoming a head coach. this team has a lot of talent and id rather get someone with head coaching experience.too often a good coordinator is a terrible head coach. we’ve had 2 already.
/would prefer cowher over shanahan
//wont scream if it is leslie. i just hope it works out.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Thanks vezina. Thought I heard one of my Chicago friends saying there is no way he gets canned this year bc of $. They are probably gonna have to go the route of what GB did last year which was fire all of the defensive coaches (offensive coaches in the Bears case) and bring someone who will run that side of the ball with little interference from the head coach which won’t be difficult for the Bears bc Lovie is a defensive guy.
Hello Charlie? Short move from South Bend.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
you can’t mold crap.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
mama, the dumbest ones, and i can’t tell if they are the majority or minority, are the ones who believe in: bear weather, that the team needs ex-bears to coach it (esp. if they went to the SB in 86) and that the coach needs to show emotion on the sidelines
November 30th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
It was 3 draft picks, not 5. And don’t make Orton sound like he was a top 10 QB when he was with the Bears. He’s the product of a better offensive line, better receivers and a better OC.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
hit the gym or you dont graduate
November 30th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
shanahan would be best–cutler relationship and he’s a chicago guy(evergreen park)
November 30th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Orton may not be a top 10 QB, but he did know that it was better to dump it off to Forte than force it to the worst WR corp in the NFL. That’s worth something…
November 30th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
mu, lovie is the DC
sportsgal has it right: the deck is stacked against cutler–bad OL, average WRs. he is guilty of bad decisions and trying to do too much. angelo is the goat–inexcusable to not give cutler tools and pass-pro
November 30th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
@Texans- it seems strange that they use BMI to measure that. if they have any bodybuilding types up there they might have to lose weight too
November 30th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Could you not just reverse that and say that Cutler was a product of the same?
November 30th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
You mean like Cutler last year?
November 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
i was concentration camp thin in the marines and my bmi put me overweight LOL
November 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
November 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
browns WR corps is worse…just sayin’.
but all that’s (orton) worth is an incredibly low ceiling for success.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
That point might make sense if it were still 2008. 2009 Forte has turned into a sophomore Anthony Thomas. He can’t run for shit.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
If you mean 1,000 less yards and 10 fewer touchdowns, then sure, exactly the same.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
so Forte’s running isn’t a product of Chicago’s OL but cutler’s struggles are?
November 30th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Cutler is only 1 loss away from his umpteenth consecutive non-winning season. But, I’m sure it’s been the Off. Coordinator, WR’s, RB’s, OL’s faults wherever he’s been.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Were Orton’s numbers last year similar to Cutler’s this year through week 12?
/too lazy to look it up
November 30th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I mean 12 fewer INT’s and a likely playoff trip.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Well Cutler was night and day better than Orton on that team last year. So if you’re comparing the two, I’d say Cutler is a better QB.
I don’t think there’s a single QB in the league that could win behind the Bears offensive line. Not even Peyton could be successful with these guys, especially when you throw in a WR like Devin Hester who has raw talent, but a brain that is completely incapable of grasping an offensive playbook.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
god, not this again.
fuck you, steeler fans…FUCK YOU.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
The OL is part of the problem, but have you SEEN him run? He’s a shadow of the guy that ran last year. Probably because he’s playing through pain and they’re not saying anything about it to the media.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
sportsgal – Rodgers is 7-4 with >100 QB rating and has been sacked appx 764 times so you can be over .500 with a crappy o-line.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
first off, his record has little to do with how good he is.
second, the bears don’t have anyone even remotely near greg jennings or donald driver’s class of WR.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
jags to offically end texans season this sunday!
November 30th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Forte is a terrible running back. Even last year, 3.9 ypc is dreadful. What makes him valuable is that he’s a great pass catcher. But as a pure RB he’s shit and can never break a long run.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
its illegal to drive in florida without shoes…
November 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
good. fuck ‘em
November 30th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
forte also has the TB version of happy feet. it’s no biggie. lots of rookie RBs have good 1st years then fall off. may be toughest position after QB. maybe THE toughest physically, but QBs have a lot on their mental plate, too
November 30th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
right, but your argument was that no QB could win with that o-line. its not a good o-line, but its not the worst in the division. i think its more the WRs either suck or are young and the offensive scheme, IMO.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Yeah, except he has a decent running game and Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Find me one WR on the Bears that’s anywhere near as good as those two. The only person Cutler feels comfortable throwing to is Greg Olsen and the Bears have a coordinator that doesn’t think the TE is a viable offensive position.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
lovie is too stupid to fire ron turner
/rex grossman is our quarterback
November 30th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Rodgers is 7-4 with >100 QB rating and has been sacked appx 764 times so you can be over .500 with a crappy o-line.
And he also has two great receivers. Who run routes and know hot reads.
The Bears do not even have a NFL average receiver.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
texans, lovie should have no authority to fire turner. lovie has sucked at his job, too
November 30th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
the point i am making is that the bears o-line is not their primary problems. its 1) the WRs and 2) the scheme/play-calling.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
you just pissed off cowherd
/hes an idiot if he thinks play calling doesnt matter
November 30th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
I want to defend Lovie, but the Ron Turner loyalty is fireable alone. The fact that he can’t see how absolutely horrible his OC is makes me question everything about him. Despite that, I would take Lovie in a minute for the Browns if he brought a decent OC with him.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Weiss fired according to Daily News.
The Bears o-line sucks.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Things went downhill with Lovie when he helped push Ron Rivera out of town because the guys on defense didn’t like him. He picks his staff based on who his players like instead of picking guys who are capable of preparing a team full of cry babies to win a game.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Weis, please please please take the OC job in Chicago! PLEASE!
November 30th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Can I blame the play-calling, O Line, rookie WRs and ancient RB on Brady Quinn’s failures and still consider him the future once he gets some help?
/please’d
November 30th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
let’s face it–the whole team sucks. DBs, OL, WRs, no high draft picks upcoming, bad GM even if you had the picks, too much money to Tommie Harris, little pass rush, and someone on the team decided it was un to not double Jared Allen last night
November 30th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
yes. yes you can. and i’ll be on that bus with you.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
sportsgal, don’t forget the whole lovie-st.louis connection: archuleta, new LB who played two games, a couple coaches
November 30th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Dont forget the defense, the weather, the alignment of the moons, and my personal favorite, night blindness.
/cutler defenders
November 30th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Giants fans would love John Fox to reprise his role as the defensive coordinator for our franchise.
November 30th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Jay Cutler, through 11 games last year: 19 TDs, 12 picks.
Kyle Orton, through 11 this year: 11 TDs, 5 picks.
Yeah, statistically, they are in a totally different galaxy.