There isn’t much more to say about the Chicago Bears disaster of a 2014 season. They came in with high expectations after a 2013 season that saw them miss the playoffs with an 8-8 record but with the 2nd ranked offense in football under new coach Marc Trestman. After an offseason that saw GM Phil Emery re-make the defense with high-priced free agent acquisitions and four of their first five draft picks spent on defensive players, few people expected this year’s Bears to be 5-10 heading into the final week of the season.
In addition to a poor record, there’s also been consistent reports of locker-room in-fighting and team dysfunction, including the benching of Jay Cutler for Sunday’s game against the Lions, a game in which they lost 20-14. Bears kicker Robbie Gould joined The Spiegel and Mannelly Show on WSCR-AM 670 in Chicago on Monday and questioned coach Marc Trestman’s decision to start Jimmy Clausen at quarterback.
“To be honest with you, I feel really bad for Jay. When you’re having a tough season like this, he’s not the guy to be the scapegoat or the guy to blame. There’s a lot of guys you could put that blame on. Unfortunately, I don’t know if necessarily he’s a guy that should take the entire blame because he doesn’t deserve it.”
Host Pat Mannelly asked Gould if perhaps Trestman was trying to send a message to the team by benching Cutler.
“I honestly don’t even know what the message is, Pat, to be honest with you. I just think it’s been a long season. I think he thought maybe he thought this was going to provide a spark to the team. That’s what he told us. I wish Jay was out there playing.”
Gould then had some interesting words that will surely raise an eyebrow or two in the Bears locker room this week.
“I think, for me, being around the organization for, now, 10 years, seeing guys like Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs, who most likely have walked through the tunnel for the last time, it’s tough because we weren’t taught this way under (former coach Lovie Smith). We weren’t taught to do these sort of things and we always stayed together as close-knit as we possibly could. You don’t have to like everyone. You don’t need to like everyone. But you have to respect them and show up to work and go to work every day for those people. So I think it’s very difficult because, honestly, this isn’t the Chicago Bear way.”
You don’t have to read between the lines to see what point he was making there, but it’s clear he’s lost faith in his coach. I wonder if his comments speak for the majority. Either way, would any Bears fan object if this season just ended already and the final week was skipped?
[Tribune]
