It’s already been done ad-nauseum, so I’m not going to go into great detail on yesterday’s games. Indianapolis simply dominated the New York Jets, and New Orleans was lucky it wasn’t dominated. How a team only wins by three when it’s given six fumbles and two interceptions is beyond me. But nonetheless, congratulations to both the Colts and the Saints on reaching the big game.

The real purpose of today’s installment is to shed light on a franchise that’s making the Buffalo Bills’ search for a coach seem like a picnic. And I’m not talking about a team looking for a head coach. I’m looking at the coordinator-less Chicago Bears.

At the end of their disappointing season, the Bears fired their offensive coordinator Ron Turner, as well as defensive coordinator Bob Babich. Both moves were seen as a formality, but I never could have imagined that we’d be past the Conference Championships and Da Bears would still be without men to run their offence and defence. I’ll start chronicling the futility on the defensive side of the ball.

When Lovie Smith relinquished his play-calling duties, Chicago’s focus shifted to Perry Fewell. The interim Buffalo Bills head coach worked under Smith both with the St. Louis Rams and the Bears – but he chose the New York Giants instead. Since then, it’s been all-quiet on the western front for the Bears’ defence. With Smith still on board, a coach with Cover 2 background is a necessity. Some of the candidates being tossed around are Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, current defensive line coach Rod Marinelli (yes, he of the 0-16 Detroit Lions fame), and even, former NY Jets and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards.

Even more upsetting are the prospects at offensive coordinator. The Bears’ (and Jay Cutler’s) first choice was USC o-coordinator Jeremy Bates – Cutler’s confidant in Denver. He decided to join Pete Carroll in Seattle, as did another option, quarterback coach Jedd Fisch. Chicago wanted to interview Green Bay quarterback coach Tom Clements, but were denied. Ken Zampese (QB coach for the Bengals) and Rob Chudzinski (TE coach for the Chargers) have both been interviewed, but neither seem likely for the job. Mike Martz has openly campaigned to be up to the challenge, but he’s known to be quite a handful to work with. This one doesn’t look like it’ll be ending anytime soon.

The harsh reality for the Chicago Bears and their fans is that no one wants either job. We saw this just over a week ago with the Bills, until the ’settled’ on Chan Gailey. The Bears seem to be stuck with a long list of candidates, yet none of which they’re truly sold on. The solution? Well, the first option is to get rid of Lovie Smith. It’s painfully clear that people are shying away from the Windy City due to Smith’s job security, or lack thereof. If he’s terminated next season, the entire staff may be gutted as well, leaving whoever takes these jobs back in the unemployment line.

A second problem, at least offensively, is the presence of Jay Cutler. Yes Chicago finally has a franchise quarterback, but one who needs special attention and someone he’s comfortable working with. Cutler lobbied hard for Bates and Fisch, but neither wanted to reunite with him.

As for the defence, it’s tough to be motivated to take over a unit that’s statistically declined in the three seasons since Chicago’s Superbowl birth. With the insistence on the Cover 2 defence, potential candidates are clearly scared off by the lack of a pass rush, aging and injured middle linebacker, and questionable at best secondary.

The Chicago Bears are in a position no team wants to be in – respected personnel are staying away from the organization. They need to rectify the problem immediately, or it’s going to be a long season at Halas Hall.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- David Garrard, Pro Bowler. How utterly ridiculous

- the Jets released five coaches today. Interesting philosophy for a team that just exceeded expectations and made the Conference Championships

Forget Deion Sanders. A current player has taken over the title of “Primetime”. Unfortunately for this player, it’s for all the wrong reasons.

Jay Cutler has played in three primetime games so far for the Chicago Bears, and each start has been forgettable for the man who was supposed to be Chicago’s football saviour.  It all began in Week One, when the Bears faced off against NFC North rival Green Bay at Lambeau Field. Cutler, in his Chicago debut, tossed four interceptions to a new-look Packers defence, and the Bears fell 21-15.  Skip ahead to Week Six, and Cutler was at it again, this time tossing two picks at the Georgia Dome as the Bears fell 21-14 to the Atlanta Falcons. And then there was last night. On the NFL’s first Thursday-nighter of the year, Cutler throws five interceptions, and the Bears can’t even muster a touchdown in a 10-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

If you ask anyone watching those games, the Bears were the better team on the field. Not to say they were perfect, but Chicago could and should have come away with those wins. In those three games, Cutler has thrown three touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That ratio won’t even cut it in Cleveland. In Chicago’s non-primetime games, Cutler has 11 TD’s and six interceptions – three of which came trying to play catch-up against the Bengals in Week Seven.

In a discussion last night with some friends, I was asked if I’d rather have Kyle Orton at the helm, or Jay Cutler. It took me less than a second to answer: Cutler. The difference is simple. Jay Cutler can win you games, and he can lose you games (see Exhibit C – Week Ten vs. the 49ers). Kyle Orton can play games. He doesn’t win a game on his own, he doesn’t lose one for you – he just plays.

Any fan of the Chicago Bears has every right to be livid after watching last night’s game. Cutler tried to force the ball into too many dicey areas, and he was burned (picked off by a nose tackle? You’ve got to be kidding me). But before they go calling for General Manager Jerry Angelo’s head for making the move to get Cutler, consider watching the Denver Broncos passing attack. If Kyle Orton throws a ball over 20 yards, I’ll be amazed.

Chicago still has two more primetime games to go – next week versus Philadelphia Sunday night, and Week 16 versus Minnesota for the Monday nighter. For his sake, I hope Jay Cutler is able to handle himself a little better and cut down on the INT’s. If not, we may be looking at the NFL record holder for most interceptions in a season.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- I don’t care if you hate both teams with a passion – watch the Bengals at Steelers Sunday afternoon. It will be the tough AFC North matchup the Ravens were supposed to give the Bengals last week

- ESPN’s John Clayton took a real chance when he predicted his Super Bowl match up earlier this week: New Orleans vs. Indianapolis. Wow, thanks for that John. Anyone can take the two undefeated teams and schedule them for the big game. Me? Right now I like the Steelers to play the Vikings

With Week Nine in the NFL almost behind us, I’m left wondering yet again how teams fighting for playoff positions can come out so flat. I’m going to leave San Francisco and the New York Giants out of this (today), and focus on Baltimore, and the pathetic NFC North tandem of Chicago and Green Bay.

Last week Baltimore completely dominated Denver, handing them their first loss of the season, a 30-7 drubbing. Yesterday they traveled to Cincinnati to exact some revenge for a narrow Week Five loss to the Bengals. Yet what ensued was 60 minutes of lifeless football – with the Ravens not even mustering their score until the fourth quarter. Cincy was up 14-0 nothing before the Ravens even knew what was happening, and they were able to set it to cruise control for the rest of the game. Joe Flacco was dreadful, going 18-32 for 195 yards and two picks, and Bengals’ corners Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph had his receivers blanketed all day. Forgot the Ravens competing in the AFC North – they’ll be lucky to make the playoffs if they keep showing as little fire as they did Sunday afternoon.

When Tommie Harris missed Chicago’s Week Seven game against the Bengals, the Bears were pasted 45-10. I said it then, without Harris and Brian Urlacher in the middle of the defence, the Bears are useless. Well, just four plays into yesterday’s tilt with the Arizona Cardinals, Harris had a brain cramp and punched guard Deuce Lutui in the face – immediate ejection. Arizona went on to score on its first sixpossessions, en route to a 41-21 cake walk. Head Coach of the Bears Lovie Smith took over defensive play-calling permanently at the beginning of the season. After yesterday’s debacle, it’s amazing the Bears haven’t pulled a Daniel Snyder and stripped him of the responsibility. Jay Cutler and the offence tried, but they just couldn’t keep up. The Bears are a complete mess right now, and sit three games back of Minnesota in the NFC North. And just think Bears fans, the team doesn’t own its top two draft picks in 2010.

And then there’s Green Bay. I don’t care how composed Josh Freeman looked/played in his debut – you do not lose to the 2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No team in the NFL should have lost to this years’ Bucs, they’re simply terrible. But Green Bay, attempting to keep pace in the NFC North, allows a rookie quarterback to toss three touchdowns and lead his team to victory, even after they’d taken a 7-0 lead under three minutes into the game. Let’s just hope the Packers didn’t make people in Tampa all superstitious - or else we may be in for more of the creamsicle jerseys.

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- how can people consider New Orleans a better team than Indianapolis? New Orleans was down 24 points at half to Miami two weeks ago, and down 14-0 in the first quarter to Carolina yesterday. If they even try that in the playoffs, they’re going to get bounced by a team that knows how to finish

- I know Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger have both won the Superbowl, and they’re both good-to-great players, but Philip Rivers is the best quarterback from the 2004 draft class. Week in, week out he’s simply outstanding, and watching his game-winning, last-minute drive against the Giants was a thing of beauty

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

Depending on whether you’re a fan of football or hockey, there are two games tonight featuring teams that have something to prove.

In the Monday Night-er the Philadelphia Eagles swoop into the US Capital to battle with the Washington Redskins. The Eagles were involved in arguably the biggest upset of the young NFL season last week when they couldn’t muster a touchdown in a 13-9 lose to the Oakland Raiders. Quarterback Donovan McNabb was sacked six times and only completed 22 of 46 passes. The Redskins have been absolutely dreadful so far this season. So bad, that owner Dan Snyder coaxed Sherman Lewis out of bingo-calling retirement to replace head coach Jim Zorn as Washington’s offensive play-caller. Redskin’s QB, Jason Campbell must fell like he’s playing with a bulls eye on his back. Over the off season Washington pursued former Bronco and current Bear Jay Cutler. Snyder also wined-and-dined Mark Sanchez days before the draft. Campbell’s play has been off and last week he was benched mid game. He’s in his last year of his contract and every game is an audition, not only for Washington, but the other 31 teams in the league.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have played eight games so far this season. All eight have ended in loses (one in overtime) and every time the opposition is the first to score. Tonight the Leafs play the Anaheim Ducks for the one and only time this season. Things haven’t been that great for Ducks either. Anaheim has lost three straight at home by a combined 15-6 margin. In their last game, the Ducks gave up six goals over the second and third periods in a 6-4 lose to the Columbus Blue Jackets. For Toronto this is the second game of a five game road trip. Toronto hit the road with four goaltenders in tow. The Leafs hope Jonas Gustavsson will be healthy enough to return to action as he’s battling back from a groin injury. The Monster could be activated tonight. Vesa Toskala is also expected to make his return from injury on the road.

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

The NFL regular season is less then two weeks away from starting and most preseason games are no longer tryouts, but are being played as warm ups for week 1. Fro anyone who caught the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos clash last night the first three quarters felt like a play off game. I guess Jay Cutler making his return to the Mile High State had something to do with that.

Tonight the Minnesota Vikings and the Brett Favre Experiment make their way to the Lone Star state to take on the Houston Texans. There are several rumours out there that the Vikings locker room is divided into three – Favre supporters, Sage Rosenfels backers and Tarvaris Jackson followers. Favre will get the start and if he struggles expect the critics to get louder. The Houston Texans look to be in great position to improve on their 8-8 record last year. They have young gunslinger, Matt Schaub, behind centre and arguably one of the most talented wide receivers in the game Andre Johnson. Add to the mix second year running back Steve Slaton and you have one of the most potent offences in the AFC. Slaton rushed for 1282 yards, nine touchdowns and led the conference in yards from scrimmage. If the defence can play as well as the offence this Houston team could challenge New England, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and San Diego.