I’ve noted with interest the incredible media attention directed at the search for a new Bears coach, as if Lovie Smith will make a big difference in the Bears’ performance next year. Coaches are not magicians; they simply try to get the best out of the players they have. The problem is that, almost without exception, all 32 head coaches in the NFL are excellent coaches who prepare their teams well, so they tend to cancel each other out on game day.
The difference, of course, is the players on the field and their relative levels of talent, experience and toughness, especially at quarterback and in the offensive and defensive lines. Players are motivated principally by two things: money and playing time, the latter of which they individually believe is the key to their team’s winning.
Dick Jauron got the most out of what he had and Lovie Smith can be expected to as well. Just don’t expect miracles from him.
