What happened, Ron Riveria?

February 5, 2007

Thomas Jones The Superbowl turned out to be one big 2nd half of disappointment. Everyone’s on Rex for the two interceptions and the two fumbled snaps (one he recovered). The reason we lost the game is deeper then that.

Bears were down 16-14 at half time coming out of a horrible second quarter. Horrible because we fumbled twice and Peyton Manning was having his way with the defense. The only thing that kept the game close was Peyton’s inability to score in the red zone twice. Still we go into half time only down 2 points. The coaching staff is allowed extra time during the half to make adjustments thanks to our friend Prince (sarcasm).

The whole second half of the game the DEFENSE PLAYED EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE FIRST HALF. They played their precious cover two taking away the deep pass, effectively taking away Wayne and Harrison but left the rest of the colt nation open underneath. EXACTLY the same thing as the first quarter. If the defensive line was getting pressure on Manning that would be one thing, but they weren’t. Manning was only touched TWICE all game! One time he threw a TD and the other he was sacked. Even when we desperately needed the ball in the fourth quarter we played that same defense. At one point even Urlacher yelled over to the sideline to say “we are playing too conservatively”.

Brian Urlacher I heard a radio personality say after the game that losing Rivera is the same as losing Buddy Ryan after Superbowl 20. What a bunch of BULL CRAP! Buddy Ryan created a defensive scheme no one had ever seen before. Buddy Ryan ran stunts on the defensive line (Do you remember seeing even 1 stunt in the Superbowl?), and most importantly Buddy Ryan knew how to make HALF TIME ADJUSTMENTS!!!

For crying out loud, if you give a hall of fame quarterback time to throw… you’re cooked. That’s why Tom Brady beat us and that’s why Peyton Manning beat us. The Bears crushed Joe Montana on their way to Superbowl 20. You have got to pressure the QB, ESPECIALLY when you’re playing in a driving rain. Remember on the first TD to Reggie Wayne that ball was a complete duck Peyton threw up. If the corner was in man, OR if Chris Harris had played his position correctly that ball is knocked down, intercepted, at the very least Wayne is tackled.

So after four playoff games in the last two years our vaunted defense has given up 29 pts to Carolina, 24 pts to Seattle, 14 pts to the Saints, 29 pts to Indy. Giving up TWENTY FOUR points a game in the play-offs is not the characteristic of a top rated defense and ESPECIALLY not the characteristic of a top rated defensive coordinator. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE RON RIVERA GO AWAY.

Side notes to the Superbowl. Thomas Jones was all set-up to be the MVP just as I predicted 130 all purpose yards a 7.5 yard/carry average. Devin Hestor ran one back, as I predicted. In the end the defense and turnovers were the factor, we gave the game away. Mushin Muhammad should be fined a game check for not finishing the tackle on the interception that was run back for a TD. Cedric Benson better have a freakin’ broken leg. Rex isn’t totally off the hook but I do think he deserves another season to mature. Lets see how much he grows between the start of this season and the end of next season. With all his faults he still brought us to the Superbowl which is more then we can say about 24 QB’s we’ve had since Jim McMahon.

One more thing, after Devin ran back his record sixth kick Coach Smith said “We’ve got to get the ball into Devin Hestor’s hands more” and Lis said “You think?“. Devin Hestor was not on offense once after Smith said that. You’d think at the VERY LEAST Devin would line up as WR go in motion fake the end around and hand off to one of our running backs up the middle. We have the most feared open field player in special teams history and coach doesn’t even use him as a decoy???? Come on now.

February 5, 2007 | Filed Under Sports

Comments

9 Responses to “What happened, Ron Riveria?”

carol meanlinglis giannone on February 5th, 2007 10:48 am

Don’t you think it was a combination of things that caused the Bears to lose? The defense didn’t touch Manning which was the biggest mistake. I could have made a couple of passes with that kind of time. Rex was horrible (can’t win a game when the offense is out to lunch). Defense got tired out because of him. No thrilling plays, all ho-hum. Hester on the bench (just plain stupidity). I was sure we would come out after half time ready for bear, we are a second half team, but within seconds we looked awful and ho-hum again. The team that played the best won.
Redman on February 5th, 2007 10:12 pm

I hate to say it, but we lost, because we didn’t play to win. The blame needs to be on the whole team, because on every side(except for special teams), there were huge mistakes made. From letting Wayne run up the field uncovered, to bad Rex throwing up cream puffs, to bad coaching and adjustment making, we just didn’t look like the NFC Champions that we played like two weeks before. We laked emotion, the better team won, and that we were not. On the bright side today is the first day of the 2007 season where I can look forward to getting back Mike Brown and Tommie Harris, and hopefully keeping Lance Briggs around.
Lis on February 19th, 2007 8:03 pm

I TOLD YOU SO!!!!

THIS NEWS MAKES MY DAY!!!!
BEARS LET RIVERA GO!!! YES!

Bears won’t renew Rivera’s contract
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6485778

Jay Glazer / FOXSports.com
Posted: 4 hours ago

Bears head coach Lovie Smith is making long-term plans for the future of the team and one of the plans could surprise many Bears fans.

FOXSports.com has learned that Chicago has decided to not renew the contract of defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. Team sources say that Smith and Rivera met recently and agreed to allow Rivera to pursue other opportunities. The sources also contend that Smith will likely end up promoting Bob Babich from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.

People inside the Bears saw this coming for a while as Babich has been reached out to from a handful of teams in the last two off-seasons and Smith, who unlike many other coaches does not block his assistants from moving up, did not want to lose him. Thus, the head coach had a tough decision to make and promoting Babich was his choice.

Babich is also viewed as more of a long-term option for Smith as Rivera was in the running for several head coaching jobs this off-season and last year. To this point, however, he has failed to land one. He did not sign an extension last off-season, which allowed him to be a free agent after the Bears’ Super Bowl run. Most teams figured he’d get one of the vacant head coaching openings and as a result has been left out in the cold.

As for a defensive coordinator opening, there’s only one open right now and that is Ted Cottrell’s for the taking in San Diego. Still, now that Rivera is officially free another team may decide to make a run at a man who helped guide a unit to this year’s prized game.

Rivera has been with Smith since he took over the head coaching duties in Chicago.
Sleeper on February 22nd, 2007 10:40 am

It looks like you need the unbiased view of a Packers fan to help you with this one.

Don’t be confused, this was never Ron Rivera’s defense. This is Lovie’s defense all the way.

Lovie’s a Cover 2 guy from his Tampa days. Rivera is a 46 defense guy from his early Bears days. The defense you saw Manning pick apart was Smith’s. He’s the guy who didn’t make adjustments during the Super Bowl, he didn’t make adjustments to stop Steve Smith the year before and he’s the guy who thinks Grossman an NFL quarterback. (In my best monotone voice) “Rex is our quarterback.” No wonder they’re taking so long in extending his contract.

And as for Hester, he’s a return guy and that’s all he is. He couldn’t play offense or defense in college, what makes you think he can play either in the pros. He showed he couldn’t play defense in the Pro Bowl. And to simply play him on offense as a decoy is silly. Rex has a hard enough time throwing to the guys that can actual catch the ball.

I’m sure the Bears will win the North again next year and do well in the playoffs in the below average NFC, but I think they missed their chance at a title. And with Favre coming back, you can count on one home loss for the Bears.
Lis on February 27th, 2007 6:49 am

I agree it’s Lovie’s defense but Lovie’s coaching style is to delegate control and Rivera called the plays. That’s why when Urlacher yelled over to the sideline his anger was directed to Rivera.

The word on Hester is that he’s dumber then rocks which is why he never played offense in college. But how hard is it to run an end around once in a while, or fake one? I don’t think Rex has any factor on Hester playing O.

It’s also looking like Lovie may have wanted Rivera to leave because he was forced to work with Rivera when Smith was originally hired. Who was Lovie’s first coach hiring? Babich. Our new DC.

Also Hardy Nickerson is looking like a good pick up as line backers coach as he was apart of the original Tampa 2 defense.
dad l on March 1st, 2007 1:18 am

a big howdy to you lis-1 or 2—
how do you like your bears now? cheap ownership is showing up–lovie might not resign with the bears–could
that mean rivera will return as head coach? stay tune–
after next season end for the results - after another
misable playoff loss— but the holy grail[the 2nd coming
of the greats d in profootball] THE cover 2 will be on display in chicago this coming season–rest asured.[baaaaa]
and finally–sleeper your right on except you bleed to
much green and puck[gold]——–farve is back–is that suppose to upset chicago or the rest of the nfc north?
Lis on March 1st, 2007 10:16 am

Ah… when dad l wrote this Lovie was already resigned ;).

Rivera’s days as a Bears are gone forever, get over it. There’s nothing wrong with the cover 2. Both teams in the Superbowl played the cover 2. My beef is with how we stayed in a vanilla cover 2 most of the season. Ever remember seeing a corner or safety blitz? Or more then 2 blitzes in the Superbowl?
dad l on March 2nd, 2007 1:26 am

hi over there–
just so the record is clear— i sent part one at about
midnite on wed in to thur.
so i m pecking at the keyboard to say im wrong on lovies
signing only—–the rest stands as is—call it plain–
vanilla;can t call a blitz/ no pressure up front-bad
secondary coverage—–can you say dull/cover 2 together?
thats what you will be watching this year—baaaaaaaaa– and ps–
frank johnson defence secondary help to back up brown
left the team as of wed.
Indications for fioricet. on March 15th, 2007 1:19 am

Indications for fioricet.

Indications for fioricet.