Pompei: 'I'm Not Hitting The Panic Button'
Heading into the bye week, the Bears are 4-3 and sitting on top of the division. However, three of their wins came against teams that are 1-5, and there has been endless criticism of the offense's ineffectiveness.
Dan Pompei spoke with Mully and Hanley and quickly touched on one of the hot topics with the Bears, Jay Cutler's performance. "[Cutler] repeatedly, throughout his career and throughout his Bears career, has not responded well to pressure and he makes foolish decisions under pressure. He does not know how to care for the football when he's got pass rushers around him," Pompei said.
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The blame for the offensive woes has been pretty evenly spread across the coaching staff and offensive players. However, "there were some encouraging signs [against the Redskins]," Pompei said. "In terms of running the football, because they did it better then they had done it, probably, all season."
Pompei's optimism doesn't stop with the running game, "I think the Bears are in a very good position," he said. "I'm not hitting the panic button."
The fact the rest of the NFC appears to be struggling along with the Bears is where Pompei draws some of optimism from. "It's going to be a matter of which team weathers the storms the best," Pompei said.
It may not take 10 or 11 wins to reach the postseason. If the Bears can win eight or nine games this season, they can be right in the chase for the postseason, and that's exactly where Pompei sees them. "I don't think they'll be an outstanding team, but I think they will be a team that's in contention for a playoff spot all the way through."
