The coach of the 10-2 team sounded more worried than his record warranted.
“What we have to do is do what it takes to get it back right. We’re not very far, but you can’t say everything’s fine when it isn’t fine,” he said at his Monday news conference.
One thing he won’t do is change quarterbacks.
“It’s nothing phenomenal, no system changes, no personnel changes,” the coach said.
But he admitted: “We’re certainly not as sharp as we need to be going into the stretch run.”
The coach was Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts, finding himself in a similar situation as one of his proteges, Lovie Smith, whose Bears also have a 10-2 record. One big difference: There is no outcry in Indianapolis to bench Peyton Manning.
Manning threw two interceptions and the Colts lost 20-17 to Tennessee on Sunday. The Bears’ Rex Grossman threw three interceptions and won. One big difference: Manning’s passer efficiency rating of 98.8 was 97.5 points better than Grossman’s.
Dungy’s concern revolves around issues other than quarterbacking, but Smith shares his mentor’s steady demeanor and resistance to change. Both believe refocusing is better than revising.
After becoming the last two undefeated teams, the Bears and Colts each have lost two games in the last month.
“If we play like we can play, I think we’ll be OK,” Dungy said. “If we don’t, it probably doesn’t matter anyway.”
What stretch?
It’s a good thing the Bears-Rams game is on a Monday night. It gives the Rams reason to show up. The alternative is to forfeit and embarrass friends and family around the country who are counting on watching.
According to the Rams’ normally reticent quarterback Marc Bulger, he already is playing with teammates who have their off-season bags packed. He claimed after Sunday’s loss to Arizona there was “more than one guy in this locker room who could care less.”
That brings up a potential problem for the Bears, who find themselves scheduled against four teams who have no apparent reason to care.
The 5-7 Rams are the winningest team remaining on the Bears’ schedule, ahead of the 3-9 Buccaneers, 2-10 Lions and 4-8 Packers.
Is this playoff “preseason” any way for the Bears to prepare for a Super Bowl run? And what if Smith would play Brian Griese? Would it prove any more than the summer exhibitions did? What if Grossman gets hot again? Does that necessarily prove anything against these dog teams? Inquiring minds have reason to wonder.
Linehan reacts
Rams coach Scott Linehan downplayed Bulger’s comments at his Monday news conference, calling him “a competitor venting a little bit about a loss. Sometimes you just have to get something off your chest.”
Linehan refused to pile on his players and Bulger didn’t name names in his criticism. The coach said he had no problems with effort or commitment. Speculation centered on right tackle Alex Barron and center Richie Incognito, second-year starters who have been penalized frequently.
NFC: Not for competition
The Bears aren’t the only team facing a curious December stretch run. All four NFC division leaders have at least two-game leads.
Home field is still at stake, but the Bears have a chance to wrap that up as soon as two weeks depending on what Dallas and New Orleans do.
Romo tip
How did Dallas quarterback Tony Romo end up with the Cowboys as a rookie free agent in 2003? Coach Bill Parcells’ quarterback coach at the time was Sean Payton, who persuaded the Cowboys to take a chance with his fellow Eastern Illinois product.
Now Romo will face off against Payton’s Saints on Sunday night in Dallas in a game between two 8-4 teams that could decide who shares the NFC bye week with the Bears. Win or lose, Payton can say, “I told you so.”
The running QB
Former Bears quarterback Bobby Douglass took more than his share of fan and media abuse. Turns out he was just 34 years ahead of his time.
Atlanta’s Michael Vick needs only 40 yards rushing to break Douglass’ season record for a quarterback of 968 yards set in 1972.
Randall Cunningham of the Eagles got close with 942 in 1990 and Vick got to 902 in 2004. Douglass outrushed the Bears’ leading running back, Jim Harrison, by 346 yards during that 4-9-1 season. Douglass averaged 6.9 yards a carry. Vick is currently at 8.8.
Giant deal
With the Giants losing their fourth straight game, the New York tabloids are going after coach Tom Coughlin.
New York Post: “It’s Tom to Go.”
New York Daily News: “Clock Ticks on Coughlin”
The Daily News already has a list of possible replacements, leading with Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis, a former Giants assistant.
The surprising 7-5 Jets under first-year coach Eric Mangini, youngest coach in the league, aren’t allowing Coughlin any slack.
And in Minnesota
If you think Lovie Smith has problems, how would you like to lose to a quarterback with a 1.3 rating?
Vikings coach Brad Childress benched 38-year-old quarterback Brad Johnson during Sunday’s loss even though Johnson’s passer rating of 10.3 was far superior to Grossman’s.
Backup Brooks Bollinger sprained his left shoulder and rookie Tarvaris Jackson sounded star-struck Monday when he recalled his first action against the Bears for Minnesota reporters.
“It’s totally different from looking in your book,” Jackson said. “Yes, I know what to do, but it’s totally different when you have a defense out there moving around and doing stuff, especially the No. 1 defense in the league. So it was a lot different than it was when I went out there in the preseason against the twos and the threes and guys who weren’t the starters.”
Childress said he doesn’t know who will start Sunday. The good news: The Vikings play the Lions, who are so bad they actually have been eliminated from the NFC playoff race with their 2-10 record.
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dpierson@tribune.com
