There is no indication yet the Bears will try to extend coach Lovie Smith’s contract during this season, nor is there much reason for either side to pursue the matter.
Smith, the lowest-paid coach in the NFL at $1.35 million, was ready to negotiate an extension last off-season after being named coach of the year for going 11-5. The Bears resisted.
“I feel good, but I want to feel better,” team President Ted Phillips said at the time.
At 5-0, Phillips doesn’t appear to have to wait until 16-0 to feel better, but now Smith has the leverage. That’s all right with Phillips, who was willing to take the chance the price might go up.
“It’s not about the money,” Phillips said last March.
Even if the Bears were ready to do a new deal, it’s Smith’s turn to roll the dice. If the success continues, he can command the kind of money the top six coaches in the league make, in excess of $4 million a year.
But it still is in the Bears’ best interests to wait too. If they stick to their intention of reviewing the situation after the season, they send a powerful message to players: If a successful coach has to wait his turn, so do they.
Smith refuses to complain about the situation, at least publicly. The only potential problem for the Bears is if Smith feels the team embarrassed him by allowing him to remain the lowest-paid coach in the league during an even better 2006 season.
Chairman Michael McCaskey’s off-season comment still appears relevant: “I think the emphasis here should be on how much we love Lovie. We’re all on the same page.”
Maturity wins
Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Vince Young refused to talk after their one-point loss in Indianapolis. It was the second time this year Young pouted despite efforts from coaches and public relations people to change his mind.
“I don’t regret it,” Young said later. “I think the media knew how I felt. I apologized for that, but I was real upset and I just didn’t feel like talking at the time. I’m a competitor, we’re 0-5, that hurts a whole lot to me and it means a whole lot to me. . . . I’m not used to losing, I’m getting adjusted just like anybody else, like LenDale [White], he’s aggravated. We just have to get used to it. Sometimes that’s just part of being professional. I’m understanding all that.”
Contrast Young’s immature reaction to Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, who seemed to understand how to be a pro from Day One.
Despite the disappointment of repeated injuries for his first three seasons, criticism from skeptical media and booing from fans as late as this summer, Grossman has yet to be anything but cordial and accommodating when it comes to media responsibilities.
The first requirement of a successful quarterback is a level head, so Grossman sounds amused by recent questions about how adulation might affect him.
“I didn’t care when people said we were bad and I don’t really care now,” Grossman said.
That attitude is similar to Jim McMahon’s, only more polite.
Other candidates
At least one other defensive player besides Bears Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher is performing at a player-of-the-year if not MVP level.
Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers, a notoriously slow starter, is off to the best start of his career. Peppers has six sacks in five games and has shed the reputation for taking off plays that plagued him in college and early as a pro.
“MVP man, that’s the bottom line,” Carolina safety Mike Minter said. “That’s what he’s going for and he’s deserving it right now. Six games into the season, I don’t see anybody else playing as well as he is. This guy’s taking control of the game and that’s what he’s supposed to do.”
Strahan and Taylor
Giants defensive end Michael Strahan has only a single sack but is two away from tying Lawrence Taylor’s team record of 132 1/2.
Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, who has been watching the league for more than 50 years, on Strahan: “He’s the best run-playing pass-rusher I’ve ever seen. I don’t mean to disparage sack kings, but Michael is able to play the complete game and there just aren’t many. For a guy who is going to go down in history as one of the greatest pass rushers ever and to play the run the way he does is unbelievable.”
McNabb and Favre
Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who was an assistant with the Packers in 1995-96, said Donovan McNabb is playing at the same level now that Brett Favre was then, when he threw for 8,000-plus yards and 77 touchdowns in those two MVP seasons.
“Donovan has put the hard work in,” Mornhinweg said. “And it takes hard, hard work. He was a great player since he stepped on the field as a rookie. However, he has learned how to play the quarterback position so well. You combine that with all of the great physical attributes he has, and you get what we have here.”
Not over yet
For the benefit of all the 1-3 and 1-4 teams, the Bears started 1-3 last year and finished 11-5 to win the NFC North.
In 13 of the past 16 seasons, at least one club has started 1-3 and/or 1-4 and qualified for the playoffs, including the 2001 champion New England Patriots.
Since the playoff field was expanded to 12 in 1990, 19 clubs that have started the season 1-3 and five at 1-4 have advanced to the playoffs.
Pain in the neck
When last seen, Chiefs running back Larry Johnson came close to getting his neck snapped by Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle at the end of a 78-yard screen pass that helped Kansas City win last week.
Johnson had to leave the game but is psyching up for Sunday’s game against the Steelers.
Johnson, a 2,000-yard rusher at Penn State, expected to be drafted by the Steelers in 2003 as the heir apparent to Jerome Bettis, especially after Pittsburgh traded up from the 27th pick to get the 16th pick belonging to Kansas City.
“I loved the fact coach [Bill] Cowher came to my workout,” Johnson said.
But the Steelers drafted safety Troy Polamalu.
“Who wouldn’t want to stay at home and play in front of their family and in front of their home fans?” Johnson said. “I’d be comfortable. I’d be in the same weather I played in when I was in school. It’s what everybody wanted to do is stay at home where you had a fan base since you were in high school.”
Not so strange
For those who thought it uncommon for the Bears to have a defensive back (Ricky Manning Jr.), linebacker (Lance Briggs) and defensive lineman (Alex Brown) all intercept passes in one game, the Washington Redskins did it last Dec. 18 against Dallas. Defensive back Dmitri Patterson, linebacker Marcus Washington and defensive lineman Cornelius Griffin did the honors
Cardinals fan
Patriots coach Bill Belichick came into a news conference during the week wearing a St. Louis Cardinals’ replica jersey with No. 10 on it.
“I’m a Tony La Russa fan,” Belichick said. “I was in training camp with him this year for a couple of days. It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot. I don’t know anything about baseball, but . . . Tony is a great leader, manager and tactician. Just the way he handles the team, sitting in the dugout with him down there and watching him manage the game and all, it was pretty enlightening.
“Tony is just totally consumed with baseball. He’s into baseball like I’m into football, like Billy Donovan and Pat Riley are into basketball.”
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dpierson@tribune.com
