Give Smith credit for admitting mistake
Talk about an upset.
In a perverse way, there's reason to admire Lovie Smith for his shocking change of heart that allowed Devin Hester to finally return kicks again.
Consider that few NFL head coaches are more arrogant, thin-skinned, stubborn and unwilling to admit a mistake.
There are times when Smith appears to believe he really is a genius, despite all evidence to the contrary, and in the past he's told us to trust him, which turned out to be laughable.
Despite it all, Smith has just admitted the worst of mistakes by putting Hester back on kick returns, opening Smith up to questions again about why he ever removed Hester in the first place.
He and GM Jerry Angelo took the best weapon in the NFL, the best returner in NFL history, someone who consistently changed the game and field position, and made him disappear.
Hester was as big a reason as any for the Bears reaching the Super Bowl four years ago, and he was a huge part of their victory Sunday against Minnesota.
He never should have left full-time returning, and now that he's back on kicks and the more he performs, more will be the questions about why they ever did it.
But knowing how Smith likes to admit he's wrong, you have to give him credit for doing something so drastic.
In the process, he's reminding everyone that his GM has never been able to find a No. 1 or No. 2 receiver, and that the coach compounded the mistake by moving Hester to a new position.
Allowing Hester to return kicks is a gutsy move some would say a desperate move but knowing what we know about Smith, it is also admirable.
It's a move that changed Sunday's game and might be the one that changes the Bears' season.
If he lets Hester continue to return kicks, Smith will deserve all the credit in the world for that.
Embarrassing
Did anyone look more the fool than Jared Allen on Sunday afternoon?
The Vikings defensive end danced around like a clown after recording 1 sack on Jay Cutler with 9:50 left in the third quarter, and the Bears ahead 17-10.
This is a guy with 4½ sacks in 2010 after averaging 14 the last three years. He was mostly invisible Sunday, rendered helpless by the Bears' infamous tackles.
Then, with his underachieving team trailing, the underachieving star gets to Cutler once and celebrates like a buffoon?
Shameful.
Say what?
I confess to frequently having trouble understanding Lovie Smith's explanations.
And when asked about the offense being able to convert on third down Sunday, Smith said, “We are getting ripped about too much pass and (not enough) run. It's hard to get anything going when you're not converting on third downs. We are converting now offensively on third downs.”
So they couldn't run on first or second down before because they couldn't convert on third down? But now they're converting on third down so they can run on first or second?
If you speak Lovie, please explain this to me.
Scripted
One of the more interesting items to emerge from the Dolphins' win over Tennessee is what occurred when third-string quarterback Tyler Thigpen entered the game.
Up 6 points Thigpen drove Miami 64 yards, ending with a 9-yard TD toss to tight end Anthony Fasano that sealed the victory.
Apparently, each week all of Miami's QBs give the coaching staff a sheet of plays they're most comfortable with, and even second and third stringers have those plays ready to go if needed.
The TD throw to Fasano was called off Thigpen's comfy sheet.
So the Bears probably will want to look at that drive for clues since there won't be much time in a short week for Miami to add a lot to Thigpen's plate, even though the Dolphins say he has a full grasp of the offense.
Condolences
To the family of longtime broadcast engineer Mark Zerang, who passed away Friday at the age of 49 from lung cancer.
A genuine pro in a legendary radio engineering family, Mark worked the last couple of years while sick and didn't reveal his condition until two weeks ago, always getting the job done with excellence and a smile.
Among many friends and family members, he leaves behind wife, Sandy, young son, Jonathan, and brothers Michael, Paul and Steve.
Contributions may be made to the Jonathan Zerang Trust Fund, c/o Steven Zerang, P.O. Box 25180, Chicago, 60625.
Long shot
If the Bears are among the luckiest teams in football, there's no sign of the horseshoe disappearing any time soon.
On top of losing two QBs and several players on defense Sunday, Miami also lost Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jake Long to a shoulder injury.
There's talk Long may try to play, but with a dislocated shoulder not separated, mind you Long could be in for a nightmare facing Julius Peppers if his arm is strapped down to avoid another shoulder dislocation.
The quote
A relieved Jay Cutler, on the offensive line: “Those guys are finally coming together.”
And finally …
Brian Urlacher on Devin Hester: “The guy is unbelievable. The guy is awesome. He's the best ever. He's a game-changer. He's scary out there. He's a bad man.”
brozner@dailyherald.com