Cutler and Bates United at Last

[muse]

I agree. Bates was amazing in 2008 as a first-year playcaller. He seemed to be bringing along Barkley quite well the year after. Not sure what happened in Seattle. Seems to have been an issue with Hasselbeck being too set in his ways in the Holmgren-style WCO.

I wouldn't say that Bates was 'amazing' in 2008. I agree that we had some amazing offensive games that year (the game against the Jets in particular), but there were certainly some very ordinary games too - the game against JAX, MIA and the second Raiders game in particular where Cutler was just throwing bombs all game (and missing).

Also, the problems in the redzone were pretty obvious - true, the discontinuity at RB didn't help, but some of that has to fall on the playcaller (i.e. the failure to convert on 1st-and-goal against the Titans this year). I always thought our best drives in 08 were early on in the game (the scripted plays - Shanny would've had his hand in those) and our two-minute offence.

In the end, I didn't agree with his firing as the guy obviously has potential, but - like so many - he seems to be another guy who some people remember more fondly as he was done away with by McDingles.

[AC1]

Not that I don't disagree with you on the Bears offensive line, but I don't think much will be done this year. I think the new OC Mike Tice is happy with the five guys he had to start the 2011 season, Webb, C. Williams, Garza, Louis, Carimi. I think what the Bears are doing is looking inside the numbers a bit. In the 10 games Cutler started he was sacked 23 times, but 14 of those came in the first 3 games, only twice in his last 3 games. You also have to remember this was in a Martz scheme, and if you run that scheme your QB is going to get hit and sacked.

The three things that are going to help this line in protection. 1) Scheme change, get the ball out of Cutler's hand quickly, fewer 5 and seven step drops, move Cutler around, allow him to use his legs. 2) More of a run based attack. This line may of had problems in protection, but they sure could run block. In the run game it did not matter who was in there, Forte, Bell or Barber, they all got their yards, every one of them had at least one 100 yard game. 3) Cutler himself. He is a great athlete who has the ability to make a line look better than it is.

Fair post. I just think that the Bears/Tice need to value blindside protection a little more. Webb might be a good player, but to run a top-flight offense in this league you typically need a top-flight LT. Drafting Ryan Clady made a huge difference to the Broncos in 2008. I expected Chris Williams to have a similar career for you guys, but he doesn't seem to have been given the opportunity (or been healthy enough to take advantage of it). He seems to be set at guard now though (the other knock on him coming out besides being injury-prone, was having a wingspan more suited to guard than tackle).

I've had these arguments in the draft and FA forum about positional value since 2008. I think it goes QB, LT, pass-rusher. You guys have two of the three locked up, but the third is a question mark. Pretty much every other position can be upgraded via free-agency. But the best left tackles are either first-rounders (Jake Long, Ryan Clady, Joe Thomas, D'Brickshaw Ferguson, Jordan Gross) or high second-rounders (Roos, McNeill).

Just my opinion.

[AC1]

I wouldn't say that Bates was 'amazing' in 2008. I agree that we had some amazing offensive games that year (the game against the Jets in particular), but there were certainly some very ordinary games too - the game against JAX, MIA and the second Raiders game in particular where Cutler was just throwing bombs all game (and missing).

Also, the problems in the redzone were pretty obvious - true, the discontinuity at RB didn't help, but some of that has to fall on the playcaller (i.e. the failure to convert on 1st-and-goal against the Titans this year). I always thought our best drives in 08 were early on in the game (the scripted plays - Shanny would've had his hand in those) and our two-minute offence.

In the end, I didn't agree with his firing as the guy obviously has potential, but - like so many - he seems to be another guy who some people remember more fondly as he was done away with by McDingles.

You have to remember that 2008 was his first year calling plays. Add to that, 8 out of 11 day 1 offensive starters had less than three years of experience. On top of it, we had 8 RBs on IR. Combining all those things, I'd say Bates did a tremendous job.

The hiring of McDaniels was stupid on many levels, but simply considering that we had a version of him already in place in Bates made it enormously stupid. Bates also had an established working relationship with Dennison and Bobby Turner and keeping those three intact should have been a priority.

Regardless, Bates did a very good job. The red-zone issues seemed to disappear when Pittman or Hillis were running the ball, suggesting that it wasn't on the playcaller. Converting on third-and-short and third-and-goal are on the personnel, the OL and the RB (the latter moreso in the ZBS) IMO. Regardless of whether that's Bates, McDaniels or McCoy, it's not on the playcaller.

8 RBs going on IR is a rare condition. That our offense was functioning at a high level despite that says a lot about everyone involved with it.