Written by :
Published on :
Price Per Head betting customers know that the Chicago Bears weren't half bad last season; in fact, they tied the Minnesota Vikings for the final NFC playoff spot, only to lose the tie-breaker. But that was not enough to keep Lovie Smith around, and so the team brass made the decision to bring someone into the head coaching slot who was a little more offensive-minded.
Enter Marc Trestman, who is hardly a new face around the NFL.
The 57-year-old has had stints as an offensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders, was an assistant head coach with the Miami Dolphins, and spent seven years as coach of the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League, winning Grey Cup titles in 2009 and 2010.
Trestman has not always gotten results; he is a cerebral type with a system that might not be as exacting as, say, that of Mike Martz, who was the Bears' coordinator a couple of years ago, but is not the easiest to understand nonetheless. Jay Cutler (+5000 to lead the league in passing yards at WagerHome.com) knew he was going into this situation with his work cut out for him, and Trestman was not completely sold on his quarterback's ability to get the hang of it. In fact, Cutler had expressed that he wanted to work out a contract extension, but that isn't happening. The new head coach wants to wait and see what takes place with his guy, who has been known to be erratic.
And some critics still, right or wrong, have not forgiven him for leaving the 2010 NFC title game with a knee injury, in what was a winnable situation against the Green Bay Packers.
The Bears (-110 to make the playoffs according to the odds sportsbook software customers on PPH will use at WagerHome.com) rebounded from a woeful effort in the opener against Carolina to beat the San Diego Chargers by a 33-28 score this past week. But that is not because there was an aerial assault. Chicago quarterbacks threw the ball just fourteen times, as opposed to 37 runs. And though Cutler went four of five, all five of those passes were intended for Brandon Marshall. What the Bears really need is another receiver who can go down the field. That was the same problem they had last year. Marshall was the target on 40% of the pas attempts. It would seem unlikely that a team could win a championship being that predictable. and the strong possibility is that Cutler could find himself running for his life with Marshall blanketed with coverage.
Backup Matt Blanchard went down with a hand injury, so Trestman is bringing in some insurance at quarterback, as Jordan Palmer (Carson's brother) and Trent Edwards were quickly signed.
Price Per Head bettors will be interested to see how much patience Trestman will have with Cutler in the event things go very slow at the start of the schedule. if Cutler gets yanked in favor of someone else, it will undoubtedly affect his ability to command big money on the free agent market if that is what unfolds. Maybe Chicago, which is +270 to win the NFC North in the pro football betting odds, puts a franchise tag on him; maybe they don't.
WagerHome.com customers know that if Cutler does not get the job done, the backup quarterbacks are not going to rescue this team, so if there is an issue regarding the confidence this coach has in his leader, and that affects Cutler's play, this becomes a big gamble in the Windy City.
