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This post for Football Friday for On Her Game really tested my patience as bits and pieces have been swirling in my head all week, but it was hard to find the time to write it out. Hopefully next week will be better, both in outcome and in written word.
As teams across the NFL saluted our men and women who have served
or are currently serving in the military the phrase, “No Guts, No Glory” came
to mind. Looking into its origin, the phrase was the title of
a fighter tactics manual written by Major Gen. Frederick C. Blesse of the United States
Air Force. The manual is considered the Bible of air-to-air combat and has been
used by a number of air forces around the world. My apologies to Major Gen.
Blesse, but in order to describe the Bears loss to the Lions, specifically the
decisions made by Coach Trestman, I say, guts do not always bring glory.
Going into last Sunday, there was a log-jam at the top of the NFC
North between the Bears, Lions, and Packers. While I believe the Vikings are
still technically playing football, they have not been much of a division
factor. As Greeny (Mike Greenberg) said on Mike and Mike in
the Morning, the Packers are about to fall off the face of the earth with
the injury sustained by Aaron Rodgers. So this game had all kinds of playoff
implications. The opportunity was there for the taking, and the Bears blew it
with a 21-19 loss!
The missed opportunity was then compounded with injuries. Charles
Tillman suffered a torn right triceps that puts him on IR with the designation
to return, and Jay Cutler is out indefinitely with a high ankle sprain. The
ankle injury would be in addition to the groin injury that I am not completely
sure was healed enough to warrant him playing all the way through to the last
two minutes of the game. Throughout the game Cutler looked like a baseball
player adjusting himself after reaching base. My husband reminds me I have
never worn an athletic cup, so I am just not going to understand. To which I
respond, yes but why do the cameramen continue to show it? No answer from him. If
you do not buy that baseball analogy, let me try another: Jay Cutler looked
like a starting pitcher who did not want to give the manager the ball. Perhaps
Jay was trying to prove his mettle to the critics who have called him weak (a
judgment that I will never concede). Or worse, his concern may have been even
more selfish in that his contract expires at the end of the season. Either way,
Coach Trestman had a responsibility to take Cutler out of the game much sooner
to give the Bears as a team the opportunity to win the game. For now at
least, thankfully, gone
are the days where the back-up quarterback felt like an automatic forfeiture.
As Golic of Mike
and Mike always says, you cannot ask the player if they want to come out of
the game – the answer will always be a resounding no. It is your job as a coach
to make those decisions for them.
Jeff Dickerson reminds us that Josh McCown’s veteran stock
continues to rise as he “stepped in for Jay Cutler at the end of the fourth
quarter against the Lions and promptly guided the Bears' offense on a 10-play,
74-yard scoring drive that culminated with an 11-yard touchdown pass to
Marshall. On the drive, McCown went 6-of-9 for 62 yards and the score.”
Cutler’s dismal second half play overshadowed the fact that Coach
Trestman went for a first down on a fourth and one when the Bears were within
field goal range early on in the game. Gould is as automatic as a kicker gets,
so perhaps that was the difference in the game seeing as how the Bears lost by
two points. While watching the game, my husband took issue with the call saying
you always go for the points. I was grateful that Dickerson backed up my
argument, “I didn't have a problem with the Bears going for it on
fourth-and-1 against the Lions, but I did take issue with the play call.” I
hated the play call, but I liked the aggressive play. For too long I watched
Lovie Smith coach conservative football, and I am over it. Bring on some emotion
and aggressive play, even if it may not always be the right decision. I take a
much greater issue with Trestman’s decision to play Cutler when he was clearly
not at his best. He has accepted responsibility for his thought process. Still
coach, please find a balance between the “no guts, no glory” mindset and the
reminder that you have to make the decisions for the whole team.
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