A mind-blowing loss

After the Bears blow a late 10-point lead and fall in overtime, Tribune reporter David Haugh questions their mental toughness David Haugh On the Bears 10:41 PM CDT, September 21, 2008 Pick apart the roster ...

[Larry Richton Park]

Although the Bears didn't record a sack the defense put a lot of pressure on Griese to the tune of three or four turnovers and unless the Bears offense start producing Matt Forte is going to be facing a lot of eight and nine man fronts.

[Patrick]

If you look at Lovie Smith during games he doesnt have any emotion no matter happens. I dont see the fire in his eyes, I dont see the burning sensation to win. In the 4th quarter, I didnt see it in the players eyes either. It bothers me that the coach is so mellow and losing a game doesnt seem to bother him. I feel like I, as a die hard bears fan cares more about the outcome.

Guess thats my fault.

[SDS]

"Ten out of 10 times we will [take a knee]."

You have to like flexibility in a head coach. Does that mean even if they had got the ball at the 50 yard line - they wouldn't have tried anything?

Great to have that must trust in your offense. Then again given that interception Orton threw in the first half.

[Bob Mallory]

It looks like we sent the wrong QB to Tampa Bay. We should have kept Griese & sent Grossman.It will be a long season.

[Brian]

It was pathetic that penalty on Tillman. There are 3 refs and how they didn't see harris getting punched was a joke. But a frickin 3 and 2 you do a play action with Orton? Turner is a moron Forte could have picked up 2 yards! It's a joke how Turner tries to call plays.

[Wayne]

"Ten out of 10 times we will [take a knee]."

It seems to me that it would have been worth throwing it down-field. Even if it was intercepted, what are the chances that it would have been returned for a touchdown? With no time on the clock, I think it was worth the risk. Maybe even (gulp), put Grossman in for the final toss, since he has a stronger arm.

[ANDY- DEKALB NY]

I would fine Charles Tillman and sit him down a game. HE more than anyone gave that game away at the very end. Just plain stupidity.

[Mgray]

When games come down 2 coaching on Sundays.....the Bears will LOSE every time.

[EBF]

Blame the defense every week if you must,but how many times have they either given the offense the ball in the redzone only to have them kick a field goal or turn the ball right back over to the opposing defense? Just like last week against the Panthers,the defense and special teams put the Bears in position to put the game away early,but the offense can't seal the deal.As usual,the Bears coaches send a very bad message to their team...we are scared.They'd rather go to a knee than go for a win.

[gline]

That is Lovie's outlook on everything! We better not try to win, something bad might happen!!

[overthehill]

Brian wrote:

It was pathetic that penalty on Tillman. There are 3 refs and how they didn't see harris getting punched was a joke. But a frickin 3 and 2 you do a play action with Orton? Turner is a **** Forte could have picked up 2 yards! It's a joke how Turner tries to call plays.

Maybe the NFL should start using replay to accurately assess major penalties like fifteen yards and a first down in game changing situations. It's clear that they can't see the game as well as the tv audience can. Still, Tillman was an idiot for charging in to that situation when he couldn't accomplish anything but get his team in trouble.
So far, we have had bone-headedness take the Bears out of two games and almost the third.
Still there were positives. Orton actually looked like a quarterback for at least one quarter, and the defense showed up for a half. Soon this team will be able to actually play a whole hour of football.
The Bears lost that game when they couldn't get a first down with three minutes left in the game. We need a real offensive brain, not the predictability of Turner. The coaches lost that game, not the players.

[Vinny]

Lovie took a knee on a FREE PLAY. What, did he WANT to lose this game?

[Rob]

I wonder when poor, aged Virginia will realize how the Bears wasted $186 million in contract extensions in the offseason on this kind of garbage and get rid of everybody from Ted Phillips on down? Pathetic.

[DagoT]

Generally, I feel Lovie Smith is pretty freakin' stupid, but he got THIS one right: He IS to blame ...

With just a few minutes to go, Orton had 244 yards passing, Griese had 242. I thought what poetic justice when the Bears win this one. Silly me ...

Hilgenberg got it right (again!) on the post-game radio blather: Forget finishing; this team needs to learn to start ...

My local TV market had another game, but went to this one in O.T.-- until a quarter after the hour, when they went to a bunch of retards in a studio yammering on about dumass stuff. Supposed NFL rule. Except I remember a time last season when the Bears had the late game and Fox brought us "bonus coverage" when this market's game one ended early. The bonus game went into O.T. and they got us back to the Bears game with three minutes left in the first quarter! GAWD -- even the NFL is legislating ways to keep the Bears off TV!

[mike]

Attention All NFL Teams:
All teams in dire need of a victory;
please contact Lovie Smith!
His team promises to roll over in the fourth quarter.
Tampa Bay

PS- You can't gift wrap a game better than that. Thanks Lovie!

[Annoyed]

Bob Mallory wrote:

It looks like we sent the wrong QB to Tampa Bay. We should have kept Griese & sent Grossman.It will be a long season.

No. We didn't send the wrong QB to Tampa Bay. Grossman, ORton, Griese are all no good. The only reason Greise looked so good is because he had the Bears Defense to play against. And we know what kind of defense we have ... NONE, but a bunch of overpaid whiny losers.

[Forceplay]

Please do not compare yourselves to military personnel. You may be LIKE soldiers, but you are still men playing a game. There is a life and death difference between what soldiers do and what athletes do. It is a rough game, to be sure, but no one is going to die if you keep your cool and stay out of minor scuffles that will cost your team the game.

[Gino]

Lovie's correct: "Only something bad could have happened" but we knew that when they hired him

[Hardliner]

Come on people, the Bears are just not that good. We all knew that going in and if you thought otherwise you were either ignorant to the facts or just a hopelessly optimistic fan. Get used to this. If they win 7 games this year they will have maxed out their talent.

I spent yesterday afternoon golfing not wasting one of the few nice Sundays left watching this rag tag group on TV.

[WTF]

As long as Lovie and his staff are in Chicago the Bears will be a joke in a bad division.

Hester should have been traded for a QB, Grossman is a waste of money on the sidelines (in the NFL) he should have never been resigned. Lovie should have never been resigned early and his defensive coordinator managed to wreck a number one defense. Harris was stopped cold by a ROOKIE and a QB they wrote off, rightfully so, took them apart in a game of bad teams. The defense looked old, tired and fat.

Lovie should be sent packing now before he sends Grossman back in.