By JEFF DICKERSON
Q: What will it take for Lovie Smith to take off the blinders? Are we fans the only ones that can see Matt Forte is not what he was cracked up to be? -- Cheryl Lewis, Goldthwaite, TX.
A: Despite a mediocre 2009 season, I'm still a believer in Matt Forte. You cannot overlook the two injuries he dealt with last year -- hamstring in the offseason / MCL sprain in the regular season -- and in my opinion, both played a role in his lack of burst as a runner. Plus, let's not discount how poorly the left side of the offensive line performed, especially the first six games of the year. It seemed like whenever Forte ran to the left, Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale were incapable of sustaining their blocks and opened up little space. When a running backs lacks faith in his offensive line -- my opinion, Forte never said that -- bad things tend to happen. All that being said, I know the Bears want to add another running back this offseason, a guy with a little "juice,” to pair with Forte in 2010. I'm all in favor of that line of thinking, but I think it's unfair to write off Forte after just two seasons.
Q: I love what the Bears are thinking with Pisa Tinoisamoa. I believe Tinoisamoa being healthy next year, with Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs back together, you could stamp that as a three-headed monster. Kind of makes me think back to the days of Rosie Colvin and Warrick Holdman. -- Tony, Peru, IL.
A: I don't think there's any question linebacker is the strongest group on the defense. Even with all the injuries last year to Urlacher and Tinoisamoa, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach and Jamar Williams stepped in and did a nice job. Tinoisamoa is a quality individual, and unless he gets a better offer from another team, he should come back on a one-year deal. That would give the Bears incredible depth, and perhaps allow them to shop around somebody like Hillenmeyer, who is coming off one of his best professional seasons. I still like Roach's athletic ability and versatility, so I would not rule out the Bears finding some way to utilize him next season, even if Tinoisamoa is the starting strong side linebacker. Any way you look at it, if Urlacher comes back healthy, this unit will once again carry the defense.
Q: If Devin Hester produced on special teams, why don't the coaches have him returning kickoffs? After all, isn't that what made him a household name? -- Mario, Atlanta, GA.
A: In case you missed it, Hester told ESPN 1000's Waddle and Silvy last week he wants to play more special teams next season. I'll believe it when I see it. The way for Hester to get paid is as a receiver, and the more hits he takes in the return game, the less chance he has to collect on those offensive incentives. I don't blame Hester for wanting off special teams (we all want more money, right?), I blame the Bears for anointing him their No. 1 wide receiver. When the head coach came out and announced to the team that Hester was going to be the Bears top wideout in 2008, that planted the seed for Hester to view special teams as a much lower priority. As expected, Hester hasn't been nearly the kind of impact player in the return game, scoring a grand total of zero touchdowns in 2008-09. Compare that to 13 special teams scores in his first two seasons. Coincidence?
Q: How much faith do the Bears have in Jarron Gilbert and Henry Melton to contribute at defensive end? -- Matt Siehoff, Spain.
A: Let me tell you, the Bears have a lot of faith in Gilbert and Melton, and some in the organization feel Melton will have a major impact next year. I don't quite share their enthusiasm, because I really never saw Melton do anything last year in training camp. In fact, I viewed his placement on injured reserve as the only way the Bears could have afforded to keep him around. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and look forward to seeing him compete at either end or defensive tackle in the spring. Gilbert also showed very little in limited playing time, so it's impossible for me to predict whether or not he'll make a splash this upcoming season. But here is what I can say with a fairly high degree of certainty; because of the lack of draft picks, and the uncertainty surrounding free agency, the Bears better pray these two turn out to be future starters.
Q: Mike Tice has the reputation for excelling in the run game. Mike Martz is a pass-first type of guy. Will they be able to co-exist? -- Mr. Cox, Greenville, NC.
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A: Even though everybody at Halas Hall is saying all the right things, the Martz/Tice relationship has the potential to be highly combustible. Notice I said potential, because at the moment, I'm inclined to give the Bears the benefit of the doubt on certain matters. Put it this way: what's going to happen next fall if after two plays Martz decides to scrap the entire 50-page game plan and begins to call things entirely on the fly? You think Tice is going to be cool with that? My guess is that could cause problems, and might lead to some very interesting dialogue over the coaches' headsets. It's always a little complicated when two strong personalities are on the same coaching staff, on the same side of the ball. But at least things won't be boring on offense this year, and I think most Bears' fans would view that as progress.
“He made a great impression,” Bennett told chicagobears.com about his meeting with Martz at Halas Hall on Monday, the coach's first full day at the office. “He’s a mastermind offensive coach who’s going to spread the ball around and wants to take us to that next level. I’m ready to work hard for him.”
Read the full story at Chicagobears.com.
- It's amazing how a short quarterback like Drew Brees can stand in the pocket and survey the entire field. Both Brees and Peyton Manning showed, for the most part, exactly how a quarterback is supposed to go through his reads and check down on certain plays. Even though Manning's late game interception was inexcusable, that 27-yard throw he made to Dallas Clark in the third quarter was incredible.
- I still want Colts safety Antoine Bethea on the Chicago Bears next year. Too bad he'll be a restricted free agent if 2010 is played without a salary cap.
- Saints running back Pierre Thomas was the most impressive person I interviewed this week. I had no idea he was so charismatic off the field. On the field, he's quickly developing into an upper echelon running back, and it's sad Ron Turner's pleas for the Bears to sign Thomas back in 2007 fell on deaf ears at Halas Hall.
- For my money, there is not a single more exciting moment in sports than the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl. I've been lucky enough to cover the last six, and I get chills every single year when all those flashes go off around the stadium.
- The crowd was dead when The Who performed at halftime. Maybe it's time the NFL went back to scheduling current acts for their Super Bowl halftime show. I nominate Lil' Wayne and Lady Gaga for 2011, but seeing that the game will be played in Dallas, I have a hunch it'll be a well-known country music performer.
Brees: Saints had to take chances to win
That's the best way to describe the New Orleans Saints quarterback’s performance in the biggest game of his career. Brees completed a remarkable 32 of 39 pass attempts for 288 yards and two touchdowns. But maybe just as important, he never turned the ball over.
"We knew that would be a key statistic coming into the game," Brees said. "We knew we had to win the turnover battle, take care of the football, and convert of third downs and score some touchdowns.”
New Orleans also took some chances in their 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts, the biggest being an outside kick to start the second half.
"That's the type of team we are," Brees said. "We play with a very aggressive mentality and a lot of confidence. We came into this game knowing we had to play loose and take a chance in order to win."
"He made a good break on it, and just made a heck of a play," Manning said in his postgame interview.
The Colts made a few bizarre decisions Sunday night, including calling a run play for Mike Hart on third-and-1 from their own 10-yard line with only :51 seconds left on the clock. Indianapolis failed to convert, the Saints got the ball back and eventually kicked a field goal as time expired in the first half.
"We gave them a short field, so that was a disappointing series," Manning said.
It was also odd to see Indianapolis try to run the ball with Joseph Addai on their second-to-last offensive play of the night. Addai was stopped for a two-yard loss. Then on fourth down from the Saints’ 5-yard line Manning threw an incomplete pass to Reggie Wayne.
For an offense that was so precise leading up the Super Bowl, it's puzzling why Manning and his teammates seemed to struggle for a good portion of the game.
Saints' Thomas shines in Super Bowl win
Thomas played a major role in the Saints’ offensive attack, compiling 85 all-purpose yards, including a 16-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.
"It was one of our regular screens we always run," Thomas said. "It was a quick little draw fake, and I thought I was going to get held up by one of their linemen, but luckily he fell down. My offensive line and receivers did a heck of a job setting up their blocks downfield, and I just read my blocks. All I kept thinking about was to get in that end zone because this was going to be a big momentum swing."
"Pierre is a great player with a lot of heart," fellow Illinois alum and Indianapolis defensive back Kelvin Hayden said.
So just how long is the party going to last in New Orleans?
"Forever," Thomas said, smiling wide.
Richard Dent denied entry to Pro Football Hall of Fame
Dent did survive the first cut -- where the 15 finalists are trimmed to 10 -- but was eliminated from consideration in the second round of voting.
"I think he should have been in years ago, and I think some of the people they put in recently ahead of him are unjustified in my opinion," Dent's former teammate Jimbo Covert told ESPNChicago.com earlier in the week. "There's a few people who will say things like he didn't play the run or he was only a pass rusher, I don't know, I played against him every day in practice and I think he did a hell of a job. The Hall of Fame is about people who have excelled and gone above and beyond, and he certainly has done that."
Dent amassed 137.5 sacks over his 15-year NFL career, and was selected to play in four Pro Bowls.
The Hall of Fame class of 2010 includes: Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, John Randle, Rickey Jackson, Floyd Little, Dick LeBeau and Russ Grimm.
The Chicago Bears promoted Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator, the team announced Friday.
The team also hired Eric Washington as defensive line coach, Shane Day as quarterbacks coach, Andrew Hayes-Stoker as offensive quality control and Mikal Smith as defensive quality control.
Marinelli, who remains an assistant head coach, was in charge of the defensive line last season. The Bears' defensive front tied for ninth in the NFL with 24 sacks this season.
Read the full story.
Goodell: Talk of lockout won't help negotiations
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A day after NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith rated the seriousness of the league's labor situation a 14 on a scale of 1-10, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell used far softer rhetoric on the subject.
"I couldn't make that prediction, and I sure hope he's wrong," Goodell said Friday. "I sure hope it doesn't become a self-fulfilling prophecy. We don't need a lot of focus on that, we need to take advantage of the opportunity we have right now to structure an agreement, and sit down and negotiate. That's how this is going to get done, and we will have an agreement. It's just a matter of when."
"But talking about options like work stoppages is not going to get us there. We need to sit down and make those deals and figure out how to structure something that makes sense. A work stoppage is not a positive outcome for anybody. Both sides will lose money, and the fans most importantly, will lose football."
"We have got to avoid that, and our commitment and our determination is to work hard to do that."
Goodell claims owners have lost $200 million since 2006.
By JEFF DICKERSON
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- NFL players are creatures of habit, so many have struggled over the years to stay focused during Super Bowl week.
“We’re on our normal schedule," Saints head coach Sean Payton said Friday. “There are a few little nuances just in regards to the bus logistics.
”This event here is a little different. We’re in meetings right now. But this is something that we’ve done before in regards to travel and relocate. Our London game last year; Houston in the preseason this year, with [Hurricane] Gustav last year we relocated to Indianapolis. You know, you set up shop in the hotel much like you would at training camp. You get your meetings established, you get your itinerary established and you try to stay in routine. Those are things that are important.”
Friday marked the final time Payton and Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell will be made available to the media prior to Sunday's game at Sun Life Stadium.
NFLPA exec: Potential for NFL lockout 'serious'
"How serious is it that football might not be played in 2011," Ochocinco asked. "Where are we right now, basically is what I'm asking."
"On a scale of one to 10, it's a 14," Smith responded. "Look, everyone wants to talk about what's the most significant dates [in the] current CBA negotiations. ... I go back to late 2007 [when] the National Football League hired as their chief negotiator the same person who locked out hockey. Right after that they negotiated television contracts that will pay them money even if the games are not played. We know that they've renegotiated some assistant coaches’ contracts to envision a lockout.
"If you look at what those steps are, all of those steps have been unilateral. For us, and for our fans and teams, we have pushed hard to first get a proposal and to now understand the justification for a roll back in player share that would put us back to 1992-93. It's that serious"
Here are the highlights from the players' perspectives:
- Even though NFL owners take $1 billion off the top of total league revenue, the league wants players to reduce their share of remaining revenue from roughly 59 percent to 41 percent.
- The NFLPA views the new television contract, which would pay the owners $5 billion if there is not football in 2011, as lockout insurance.
- The union has been advising players to save 25 percent of their salary in anticipation of being locked out.
- Teams still refuse to open up their books to show average profit margin of NFL franchises.
- Smith insists it would be virtually impossible to go back to a salary cap system if 2010 is played without a cap.
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will hold his annual state-of-the-league address Friday to present the owners’ side of the argument.
Turley: Martz a better coordinator than head coach
"I didn't care for the guy as a head coach, but I heard a lot of great things about him as an offensive coordinator," Turley said Thursday at a press conference supporting Gridiron Greats. "I hope the best for that team. ... Lovie [Smith] is a great guy and that team deserves to win. I think their offense can be a lot better with a coach like Mike Martz as long as he's got somebody who keeps him where he needs to be. That proved itself when he was with the Rams -- what his capabilities are."
Turley thinks the Bears’ success in 2010 will depend on whether Martz and Smith can find balance.
"I feel like Lovie, being a defensive-minded coach, can keep a handle on what [Martz] is doing in certain situations, you know maybe keep a governor on him, because the guy is full tilt and wants to get in that end zone as fast as possible,” Turley said. “But that doesn't necessarily help out what you're trying to do on defense, you don't want to get in shootouts. I think if there is a balance there, they got a real good opportunity this season."
"I am still day to day," Freeney said. "Like I said, every time I wake up in the morning I reassess the situation. I haven’t seen the trainers yet this morning, so I haven’t heard what they have to say about it. I’m just feeling it out. It’s starting to feel a little better and it is starting to look more like an ankle now.”
“It is definitely a little sore. I think that is the nature of the injury, but it is making progress.”
Freeney plans to test out the ankle for the first time on Friday.
“The Bears, they had Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson that were running the ball," Colts safety Antoine Bethea said. "This week, this time, we have to prepare for Drew Brees and that passing sector that they have. Not to disregard the running back that they have [Matt Forte], they do have a great running game. They’ve got real good balance. It’s going to be a good chance for our defense and no better showcase to see it rather than in the Super Bowl.”
The Colts benefited from five Bears turnovers back in Super Bowl XLI, as Rex Grossmanthrew for just 165 yards and a pair of interceptions. Something tells me Brees will be a little more efficient than Grossman was three years ago.
By JEFF DICKERSON
MIAMI -- The Saints learned some tough lessons in their 2006 NFC Championship game loss to the Bears.
"We didn't finish that game," New Orleans defensive end Will Smith said. "If I remember correctly, that was a close game until the Bears opened things up in the fourth quarter. We missed a couple field goals here and there and failed to take advantage of some opportunities. We all learned that if those opportunities present themselves, you have to capitalize."
It's a different looking Saints' team this time around from a defensive standpoint -- led by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams -- a reason Smith says this group was able to rebound in a timely manner.
"After that loss to Chicago, we did struggle for the next two years, but Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis built this organization back up. They brought in a lot of new guys through free agency and it's really paid off.
"We have more weapons now. Did I think that team three years was good enough to go to a Super Bowl? Absolutely. If we would've played that game in New Orleans, I think we would've won and went to the Super Bowl. That is something we talk about from time to time."
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Jeff Dickerson
Dickerson is our Bears beat reporter and weeknight host on ESPN 1000. He also handles Bears coverage for ABC-7 and appears on "The Chicago Huddle."
