Lovie Smith's Career Meltdown; Why Is He Qualified?

Throughout his tenure in the NFL Lovie Smith has done some great things. Helped define the Tampa-2 defense, helped mold the career of Warren Sapp, he was the defensive coordinator with the "Greatest Show On Turf" and most impressively he was just involved in the first Super Bowl hosting two African-American coaches. But let's keep in mind that Lovie Smith did all of this while not calling offensive plays.

At heart Lovie Smith is a defensive coordinator. His resume speaks the volume of his extensive defense knowledge. From 1980 until 2003, Smith was a defensive mastermind. Working his way up from the High School level to the BCS level until eventually getting his chance at the NFL level with Tampa Bay in 1996 as the linebacker coach. It was their Smith helped transform guys like Derrick Brooks into the Hall of Fame caliber careers they had.

After his stint with the linebackers in Tampa smith went on the be the defensive coordinator on a team with one of the most high powered offenses in NFL history. The St. Louis Rams who had the likes of Isacc Bruce, Torry Holt, Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner. Basically Smith's job was to keep the offense on the field. He didn't have to do much, it wouldn't have taken a defensive guru for that offense to win games. But non the less his stint with St. Louis awarded him an NFL job with the Chicago Bears.

Smith started head coaching tenor with a team in rebuilding stages, no real offensive threat (Cedric Benson was a bust for the Bears) and an amazing defense. Lovie did what Lovie does and took the Bears defense over the top. With Lovie as the head coach the "Monsters of the Midway" reinvented themselves and even found themselves facing the Colts in Super Bowl XLI. They lost to the Colts 29-17 but it was still enough for the Bears organization to sign him to a contract extension.

Now we fast forward to the start of the 2009 NFL season. The Bears just landed a quarterback in Jay Cutler that they believe in enough to call him their franchise. So only naturally Smith decided to take over the offensive play calling. They went from "coming off the bus running" to coming off the bus throwing interceptions. In Week 10 against the San Fransisco 49ers the Chicago Bears threw the ball 52 times while rushing it 20. Even after Cutler threw 3 first half interceptions, Smith and his coaching staff insisted on continuing to throw the football.

After 20 plus years of calling defensive plays and working with defensive players, what make Smith qualified to coach a player on offense. Not to mention a player who is so complicated and skilled as Jay Cutler? Is it all the years with Warren Sapp that makes Smith qualified to call a hail mary play on third and short? Or was it just all the years of watching Warner, Bruce, Holt and Faulk run all over his first team defense in practice? I'm not a general manager, and maybe this is why. I can't wrap my head around Lovie Smith saying, "We come off the buss running" then call 52 passing plays with a struggling quarterback behind scrimmage.

I'm not one to throw a coach under the buss just because his team isn't winning, but it's time to hand over the offensive coordinator hat and get the Bears identity back Lovie. It's okay to let a guy like Cutler show off his arm strength some throughout a game, but to completely throw out the rest of the play book is just plain ignorant. The Bears have no real number one receiver and oh, by the way, your defense is struggling too. Get back to doing what you do best Mr. Smith. I understand your middle linebacker, and team leader, Brian Urlacher is out for the season but it's time to concentrate on "The Monster's of the Midway" again. Maybe Cutler, the defensive and offensive line aren't the only problems in Chicago, maybe you are too. I'd get things figured out real quick Lovie because Mike Shanahan is still available and he's a proven winner, who has worked with the teams "franchise" quarterback before.