Tucker needs to be scapegoat for Bears defense

As the realization sets in that there will be now games for my Chicago Bears this weekend, the one thing clear to me (after the fact that Jay Cutler needs to be resigned) is that changes need to be abound on the defensive side of the ball, starting with Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker.

I'm not usually the guy that calls for coaches to be fired just for the sake of making the change, but in Tucker's case it seems like a logical move to start over for a unit that did nothing but disappoint after being the backbone of the team for so long.

This Bears defense was worst in the league in rushing yards per game (161.4) and per carry (5.35) and with Lance Briggs out for seven games the unit went on to give up 100-yard rushers in six straight games, another franchise record.

Yes, this defense was historically bad, but the question around how much blame to place in Tucker's lap goes back to the fact that seven of the 11 Opening Day starters missed significant time. That led to two starting rookie linebackers playing for most of the second half of the season and teams running at will on the Bears.

Tucker was brought in because head coach Marc Trestman's thought was to continue running the Cover 2 which had been so succussful under Lovie Smith. Tucker continued the status quo on that side of the ball and continued to use the same vocabulary even. 

Even at the start of the season, it was clear this wasn't Lovie's defense and us as fans hoped they could figure things out. Some improvements were made, but things took leaps backward in the Eagles game in Week 16 where they gave up 54 points.

Then there's the Packers game and two plays may have spelled Tucker's fate with the fumble that led to a free touchdown for the Packers and the scoring play for the Packers in the final minute. An all-out blitz with man coverage on the outside, that fell apart when Chris Conte decided to jump a route at the first-down marker. 

All of the progress that had been made over previous weeks fell apart over the final two weeks. Add to that the personnel changes that could be a big factor in things, as well, with Charles Tillman, Craig Steltz, Major Wright and Tim Jennings among the free agents that might not be back. 

After the team surrendered a franchise record 6,313 yards (breaking the 24-year record by 584 yards), a change of some sort has to be in the works. If GM Phil Emery and Trestman are going to retool the personnel, it would make sense they bring in a new coach, as well.

Would it be 100 percent fair? Not necessarily, but the Bears have a history of doing so. In Lovie's first year, offensive coordinator Terry Shea after he struggled. He had quarterbacks Craig Krenzel, Jonathan Quinn and Chad Hutchinson under center that year, so it was hardly fair. It had to be done though and three years later the Bears were playing in the Super Bowl.      

Resigning Cutler, McCown must be top priority to Bears

If Brandon Marshall said it, we have to believe it. Right? If we should believe Marshall, who will probably later be creditied as "a person close to the situation," at his postgame press conference Sunday night, Jay Cutler will be back as quarterback of the Bears. And with him Josh McCown needs to be back, too. But let's start with Cutler.

It seems all parties involved want there to be a contract signed to keep Cutler, the Bears' franchise leader for passing yards, under contract going forward. From General Manager Phil Emery and the signal caller himself, the writing seems to be on the wall.

The only group that seems to be torn on this matter is some Bears fans. To steal a line from Stephen A. Smith "The fact of the matter is this..." No Bears offense has produce like the Bears offense did this season, under this coaching staff, with these weapons, than it has in the history of the team.

Cutler, the all-time leader in passing yards in franchise history with 14,913 yards. And he did that in only five seasons under center. The sky seems to be the limit with Cutler having Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennet and Matt Forte to throw the ball to for the forseable future under the tutelage of head coach Marc Trestman. At some point over the next two years Cutler will become the all-time touchdown leader with the Bears, needing just 36 to tie Sid Luckman, who has 137.

We all knew what Marshall brought to the table this year. His numbers came down a little bit, with 94 catches for 1,221 yards and 11 touchdowns, but that helped the Bears offense become multidimensional and Jeffery emerged as a top-tier receiver in this league with 86 catches for 1,341 yards and seven touchdowns. Add to that Martelus Bennett's 64 catches for 744 yards and five TDs and the Bears have big targets to make defenses crazy.

Would a change make sense there? No. Keep the parties invovled intact moving forward and let them keep building a chemistry that could carry this team going forward. It's one of those things where if a change is giong to be made, there has to be good reason. Do not do it for the sake of making a change.

Going into the draft looking to land a quarterback would be something to do with Cutler on the tail end of his career. But not right now. 

To that end, that emplores the Bears to bring McCown back, too. Some would ask why he would settle to be a backup when some team has to give him a starting job, but he seemed content being the backup in Chicago this year and this system is one he flourished in during his time with Cutler out with injury. It only makes sense the Bears would entertain the idea and they should.

For those asking, why pay a backup QB decent money, take a look around the league. Sure the Packers made the playoffs this season, but it wasn't pretty and there was a huge let down. The Bears didn't have that this year. The backup quarterback is the most important guy on the team everyone hopes never sees the field. 

When called upon, McCown delivered by completing 149 of 224 passes for over 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns to just one interception, which computes to a 109 passer rating.

With Cutler's history of missing 12 games over the past three seasons, having a solid backup QB would be an important signing for stability of this team. That makes McCown, who is also one of Jay's best friends, that much more important to this team.

Note: This is my second blog in a week and I have plans for many more over the next month. Be sure to check my Twitter @acwilber for links and comment with any questions you have about my two favorite teams, the Bears and Brewers.

Nothing personal: All eyes on Cutler in Week 17

Nothing like a big game to bring Wilber's Way back from a near year-long hiatus! This one is for all the marbles. 

As much as the return of Aaron Rodgers to the Packers lineup Sunday seems to have pumped Green Bay fans with confidence, the key to the game lies with No. 6 Jay Cutler. Yes, Rodgers has flippped the point spread from three points in favor of the Bears to  4.5 points for the Packers, but everyone knows if Cutler has a good game, the Bears will have a shot in this NFC North title game.

His numbers against the Packers are not anything to get excited about. Since joining the Bears he's 1-7 against Green Bay during the regular season since joining the Bears in 2009. As Michael C. Wright writes on ESPN Chicago Cutler has completed 55.3 percent of his passes against the Packers for 1,702 yards with nine touchdowns and 16 interceptions. That adds up to a 61.5 quarterback rating. Comparitively against the rest of the NFC North, the Santa Claus, Indiana native has thrown for 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions during that span.

So why would a Bears fan have confidence in Cutler? Well, just as he said, he has not played against the Packers with this offense and this coaching staff. Marc Trestman pumped Josh McCown up enough that he was able to lead this Bears team to a 27-20 win on November 4 with 442 yards of offense.

It was the first time the Bears beat the Packers since the 2010 season. Yes, there was no Aaron Rodgers, but what the Bears offense was able to do that night at Lambeau Field has shown itself over and over this season, albeit with a backup quarterback.

Cutler said in his press conference at Halas Hall earlier this week, this game was not personal and it was not about just him and "it would take everyone on the team" for the Bears to win this game and he is right. He is going to need help if the Bears are going to win this game and make the playoffs, but he still holds the key to the outcome. 

"He is in a new offense, with new coaches all around him. And I think that's probably the direction and what he was thinking," Trestman said of Cutler's comments.

According to Football Reference, Cutler is having his best year since his Denver days in terms of completion percentage (63.1), yards per game (239.5), passer rating (88.1) and the ESPN equivalent, QBR (63.81).

Last week, he had a touchdown and an interception that was returned for a touchdown, but didn't play bad in the lopsided loss. One would be more apt to look back to the Cleveland game in Week 15 for a truer gauge of where Cutler is in his progression within this offense. Trestman has been dubbed the "Quarterback Whisperer" and has turned things around for McCown. The Bears and their fans have to hope he has his QB's ear this week to put his demons to rest in this game.