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BY MIKE DITKA October 28, 2014 10:55PM
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/30710321-606/4-downs-with-mike-ditka-on-bears-its-the-worst-defense-ive-seen-in-a.html#.VFD56TQtCFk
Coming into the season, the expectations were very high for the Bears. They’re 3-5 and in total disarray heading into the bye week. Who’s to blame for this mess?
I think everybody deserves a little bit of the blame. But I think it starts with the fact that they are not a very good team on defense, and that creates a lot of problems for the offense. They consistently put the offense in a position where they have to score to win. Their defense hasn’t been able to stop anybody, that’s for sure. You can point the finger at anyone you want, but the players on the field play. Coaches coach — they don’t play. Owners own — they don’t coach or play. It’s foolish to blame one person.
First of all, they’re not out of anything right now. I know it doesn’t look good, but they could turn this thing around. But things have to happen. You can’t wish them to happen. You can’t just say, ‘‘We’re going to get better on defense.’’ The only way you’re going to get better is if the play on the field improves. That’s what has to happen. It’s not a complicated thing.
Several former Bears, including Dan Hampton, Doug Buffone, Ed O’Bradovich and Dick Butkus, expressed their embarrassment about this team. Are you embarrassed by them?
It’s the worst defense I’ve seen in a long time. No question about it. I can understand why Dick, Dan, Doug or any of these guys would be vocal about it. The one constant throughout Bears history has been their defense. You know, in ’63, our defense carried us. We did some good things on offense, but our defense carried us. In ’85 we won a championship — our defense carried us.
You can sit here and indict the coach. You can indict the general manager. You can indict the owner. That doesn’t make any sense because they don’t play the game. Now, I understand they put the package together, and if that package isn’t good enough for the coach, then you have a problem.
It’s hard to change personnel eight games into the season. All they have to do is get back on track. I don’t have an answer, but I’d certainly start by handing the ball to Matt Forte 25 times a game. I’d try to shorten the game, keep the other team’s offense off the field as much as I can. I would play more of a ball-possession-type game if I could. Then again, I don’t know if people have that much patience. But I do know, you can’t run before you walk. I wish I had an answer for this. If I did, I would call Marc and tell him what it is.
Is there a quick fix?
I don’t think there is. You have to focus on your next game — Green Bay. That’s all you can worry about. You can’t worry about what has happened or what happened last week. I understand that New England has a great quarterback and a great coach. But that was disturbing to watch. It looked like a track meet out there.
I don’t have a remedy for it. I just watch. What I see when I watch is guys on defense that don’t look like they know what their assignment is sometimes. Then, when they do know it, they don’t do it very well. I don’t know who you blame for that any more than the individual.
How would you have reacted when Lamarr Houston blew out his knee celebrating a meaningless sack late in the game?
It’s doesn’t matter how I would have reacted or how they reacted. The problem is they lost a good football player for a silly reason.
You don’t celebrate, first of all. You play the game. The only time you celebrate is after the game — if you win. If you don’t, then don’t celebrate.
You know, every time a guy makes a play, there has to be all kinds of gyrations and actions. It actually becomes embarrassing to the game. The game is bigger than the people playing it. These people don’t seem to understand that.
How would you have reacted when Lamarr Houston blew out his knee celebrating a meaningless sack late in the game?
It’s doesn’t matter how I would have reacted or how they reacted. The problem is they lost a good football player for a silly reason.
You don’t celebrate, first of all. You play the game. The only time you celebrate is after the game — if you win. If you don’t, then don’t celebrate.
You know, every time a guy makes a play, there has to be all kinds of gyrations and actions. It actually becomes embarrassing to the game. The game is bigger than the people playing it. These people don’t seem to understand that.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/30710321-606/4-downs-with-mike-ditka-on-bears-its-the-worst-defense-ive-seen-in-a.html#.VFD56TQtCFk
Coming into the season, the expectations were very high for the Bears. They’re 3-5 and in total disarray heading into the bye week. Who’s to blame for this mess?
I think everybody deserves a little bit of the blame. But I think it starts with the fact that they are not a very good team on defense, and that creates a lot of problems for the offense. They consistently put the offense in a position where they have to score to win. Their defense hasn’t been able to stop anybody, that’s for sure. You can point the finger at anyone you want, but the players on the field play. Coaches coach — they don’t play. Owners own — they don’t coach or play. It’s foolish to blame one person.
First of all, they’re not out of anything right now. I know it doesn’t look good, but they could turn this thing around. But things have to happen. You can’t wish them to happen. You can’t just say, ‘‘We’re going to get better on defense.’’ The only way you’re going to get better is if the play on the field improves. That’s what has to happen. It’s not a complicated thing.
Several former Bears, including Dan Hampton, Doug Buffone, Ed O’Bradovich and Dick Butkus, expressed their embarrassment about this team. Are you embarrassed by them?
It’s the worst defense I’ve seen in a long time. No question about it. I can understand why Dick, Dan, Doug or any of these guys would be vocal about it. The one constant throughout Bears history has been their defense. You know, in ’63, our defense carried us. We did some good things on offense, but our defense carried us. In ’85 we won a championship — our defense carried us.
You can sit here and indict the coach. You can indict the general manager. You can indict the owner. That doesn’t make any sense because they don’t play the game. Now, I understand they put the package together, and if that package isn’t good enough for the coach, then you have a problem.
It’s hard to change personnel eight games into the season. All they have to do is get back on track. I don’t have an answer, but I’d certainly start by handing the ball to Matt Forte 25 times a game. I’d try to shorten the game, keep the other team’s offense off the field as much as I can. I would play more of a ball-possession-type game if I could. Then again, I don’t know if people have that much patience. But I do know, you can’t run before you walk. I wish I had an answer for this. If I did, I would call Marc and tell him what it is.
Is there a quick fix?
I don’t think there is. You have to focus on your next game — Green Bay. That’s all you can worry about. You can’t worry about what has happened or what happened last week. I understand that New England has a great quarterback and a great coach. But that was disturbing to watch. It looked like a track meet out there.
I don’t have a remedy for it. I just watch. What I see when I watch is guys on defense that don’t look like they know what their assignment is sometimes. Then, when they do know it, they don’t do it very well. I don’t know who you blame for that any more than the individual.
How would you have reacted when Lamarr Houston blew out his knee celebrating a meaningless sack late in the game?
It’s doesn’t matter how I would have reacted or how they reacted. The problem is they lost a good football player for a silly reason.
You don’t celebrate, first of all. You play the game. The only time you celebrate is after the game — if you win. If you don’t, then don’t celebrate.
You know, every time a guy makes a play, there has to be all kinds of gyrations and actions. It actually becomes embarrassing to the game. The game is bigger than the people playing it. These people don’t seem to understand that.
How would you have reacted when Lamarr Houston blew out his knee celebrating a meaningless sack late in the game?
It’s doesn’t matter how I would have reacted or how they reacted. The problem is they lost a good football player for a silly reason.
You don’t celebrate, first of all. You play the game. The only time you celebrate is after the game — if you win. If you don’t, then don’t celebrate.
You know, every time a guy makes a play, there has to be all kinds of gyrations and actions. It actually becomes embarrassing to the game. The game is bigger than the people playing it. These people don’t seem to understand that.
