Smith: A lot has gone wrong for Bears
by Rick Gano coaching staff next season, Smith said he last year right up until the last game of the sea-
wouldn’t look three weeks ahead or to next son. After the Super Bowl season, we had a let-
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Coach Lovie Smith, year. He insisted the team was focusing solely down for whatever reason, that’s happened to
under intense criticism for a poor season that on beating this week’s opponent, the Baltimore more teams than just us. To this year. A great
will keep the Chicago Bears out of the playoffs Ravens. start and we just haven’t been able to finish. If
for a third straight year, says there’s a lot of After making the Super Bowl following the we knew all the reasons why, we wouldn’t be
blame to go around for the team’s downfall 2006 season, the Bears have been on a slide. in this situation.”
since a Super Bowl appearance. Not long after their loss to the Colts on a Smith, who has taken over defensive coordi-
“A lot of things have gone wrong when you rainy day in Miami, they didn’t retain defen- nator responsibilities this season, also defend-
don't make it three years in a row,” Smith said sive coordinator Ron Rivera, despite having ed his decision-making late in Sunday’s game.
Monday, a day after a 21-14 loss to the rival one of the league’s best defenses at the time; Trailing by a touchdown with just under five
Green Bay Packers. top running back Thomas Jones was traded to minutes left, the Bears called a time-out
The sloppy Bears committed 13 penalties the Jets; and Smith got a contract extension because Smith said things weren’t right for the
Sunday, quarterback Jay Cutler threw two through 2011. next play, which was going to be a third-and-
more interceptions to run his season total to 22 Since that season, Chicago posted records of 22. And then Chicago decided to challenge the
and Chicago’s decision making was ques- 7-9 and 9-7 and now things have only gotten preceding play - a pass from Cutler to Greg
tioned after it used back-to-back time-outs late worse. The Bears can reach .500 only if they Olsen that had been ruled incomplete when
in the game when a challenge on an incom- beat the Ravens, Vikings and Lions to close it Olsen lost possession.
plete pass failed. out. When the Bears lost the challenge, they also
Smith told reporters that three of the Bears’ The Bears have struggled to run the ball and lost another time-out, leaving them with one.
eight losses so far were “legitimate,” but they their defense, missing injured linebacker Brian “In that situation you have to take a chance
had chances to win the other five. Urlacher, has been spotty. Cutler’s intercep- on that, which we did,” Smith said.
So, what went wrong in those five? tions have hurt.
Lovie Smith
Smith said he’d seen no evidence that his
“I think in most games the same things kind “It just hurts to see us not reaching our team lacked effort and didn’t expect that to be
of stand out. Turnover ratio, you can look at potential, just not doing the things that we’re Angelo. This season started out 3-1 before the a problem with nothing left to play for.
some penalties, just not executing the way we so good at,” defensive tackle Anthony Adams slump - seven losses in nine games - that “That hasn’t been the case at all,” he said.
need to - coaches, players and all,” Smith said. said. “We’re not able to do it on the field for includes lopsided losses against Cincinnati, “They are trying to do it the way we want it
“As much as anything we didn’t get the job whatever reason and it’s disheartening.” Arizona and Minnesota. done. We just haven’t gotten the job done.
done. It’s kind of as simple as that.” The dismal performance has turned the heat Now, no playoffs - again. Sometimes that’s the only answer you can
Asked if he could foresee changes in the up on Smith and general manager Jerry “It’s hard,” Smith said. “We’ve been close, give.” AP
Prairie View rallies past ‘Bama A&M for SWAC title
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Prairie View A&M, hit by Prairie View’s Anthony Peck, and time you got a big play, it was called back.
a program once synonymous with football Quinton Spears made his second fumble Those were significant moments in this foot-
futility, is a conference champion for the first recovery of the game for the Panthers. Black ball game. And obviously, we could not over-
time in 45 years. then connected with Anthony Weeden for a come them.”
K.J. Black threw for 258 yards and three 22-yard touchdown pass and a 30-21 lead The teams exchanged the lead six times in
touchdowns, two coming in the fourth quar- with 7 minutes remaining, and the Panthers the game, and neither team led by more than
ter, and the Panthers ralllied for a 30-24 win held on from there. four until Prairie View pulled away in the
over Alabama A&M in the Southwestern “All anybody was talking about this year fourth quarter.
Athletic Conference championship game on was a championship,” Black said. “When “It was a great football game on both
Saturday. you can see that in somebody’s eyes and you sides,” Frazier said. “We both made adjust-
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Prairie know everybody is striving for the same ments, we both countered. It was chess
View coach Henry Frazier III. “Nobody on goal, it makes you want to work that much match out there. Both teams played extreme-
this staff, nobody on this team was born in harder. That collective effort got us to where ly hard, and it came down to the last play.
1964. This is a special time.” we are right now.” That’s what you want in a championship
Frazier is the one most responsible for The game lasted nearly 4 hours, thanks in game.”
turning around a program that gained notori- part to 22 penalties and several replay Osaze-Ediae had seven receptions for 106
ety during the 1990s by losing 80 consecu- reviews. yards, and Weeden had four catches for 82
tive games. Alabama A&M had a long second-quarter yards. Donald Barbers led Prairie View on
“It’s a special occasion,” Frazier added. touchdown pass wiped out by a holding the ground with 78 yards and a touchdown.
“I’m very proud of this football team.” penalty, and a late fourth-quarter TD toss The Bulldogs’ Mason passed for 154 yards
Alabama A&M (7-5) led 21-17 early in the overturned by the replay official, who ruled and a touchdown while rushing for 110 yards
fourth quarter before a 23-yard touchdown that receiver Quintin Carlock bobbled the and another score. Tailback Ulysses Banks
Prairie View quarterback KJ Black (7)
pass from Black to Gabe Osaze-Ediae put ball and did not maintain possession in the added 109 yards rushing and a touchdown.
throws while under pressure from Alabama
Prairie View (9-1) ahead 23-17 with 11:21 to end zone. It was the fourth SWAC championship
A&M defender Vernon Marshall (6) during
play. “Anytime you take seven points off the game loss in the past 10 years for Alabama
the SWAC Championship NCAA college
Moments later, Alabama A&M quarter- board, it’s huge,” said Alabama A&M coach A&M, whose lone conference title during
football game at Legion Field on Saturday
back Deaunte Mason lost the ball following a Anthony Jones. “You’re frustrated. Every that span occurred in 2006. AP
in Birmingham. Photo/ Butch Dill
Chicago Defender • ChicagoDefender.com • December 16-22, 2009
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