Despite historic blowouts, no changes for Bears' defense

No one needs asbestos long johns more than Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, who is on a seat so hot, it could burst into flames at any time.

His defense has allowed back-to-back games of more than 50 points, a mark of futility matched only once before in the history of the NFL, by the Rochester Jeffersons in 1923.

Counting the 54-11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Dec. 22, Tucker's troops have had more than 50 dropped on them three times in their last 11 games.

Before that, the Bears played 759 games and allowed more than 50 points three times: a 55-20 loss to the Detroit Lions in 1997, a 52-14 defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in 1991 and a 52-24 loss to the 49ers in 1965.

Tucker says most of the pressure he feels comes from within, and he insists the current heat isn't much different from what he has felt in defensive coordinator jobs with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns.

"I just feel pressure to coach the best that I can," he said. "I've never been anywhere where there wasn't pressure to win and there wasn't pressure to play well. I've never been in a situation where it wasn't like that on a day-to-day basis.

"I don't feel any pressure other than what I put on myself. And that's a lot of pressure."

The dilemma the Bears find themselves in is not all Tucker's fault. Players have missed assignments, missed tackles, given halfhearted efforts and, most recently, even appeared to quit.

"It was very disappointing for everyone that was involved, players and coaches," Tucker said of the most recent humiliation Sunday at Green Bay. "Then, looking at the tape (Monday), even more so."

In falling behind the Packers 42-0 after two quarters, the second-largest halftime deficit in NFL history, the Bears seemed unprepared, especially on defense.

"Obviously we were not prepared enough, and our effort and everything we do needs to be better," Tucker said. "There is nothing that was good enough. If we thought we were ready going into the game, obviously we need to make sure we are even more ready going into this next game."

The Bears have allowed an average of 30.8 points per game, the worst in the NFL. Last season they surrendered 478 points, the most in franchise history. This year they're on pace to snap their own record of futility and allow 494 points.

They have given up 94 points in the first halves of the past three games, 133 overall.

"There are a few things we need to get corrected," Tucker said. "We need to challenge balls better. We need to get a better, more consistent pass rush. We've got to do a better job in man(-to-man), and we've got to do a better job breaking on the ball in zone. We've got to do a much better job of recognizing play action."

Tucker isn't planning any changes to the starting lineup. Somehow he believes the same players who have embarrassed themselves the past three games can rise from the dead.

"There are always things we can change," Tucker said. "There is nothing set in stone. But the group that we're going to put out there (Sunday vs. the Minnesota Vikings) will give us the best chance to win this game. We plan on going in with the group that started the (last) game.

"We need to get them better, they need to play better, we need to coach them better."

That makes Tucker either the most loyal or the most optimistic man in the world.

Or something else entirely.

"The answers are in our building," he said. "They are in our meeting room. They are on the practice field. They are within each individual player and each individual coach.

"That's where the answers are. That's where we've got to find them."

To do that, Tucker will need a couple of bloodhounds, a private investigator, a metal detector and a forensic scientist.

If there were any heart, pride or self-respect on this crew it should have surfaced in the past two games, instead of failing as no other NFL defense has failed in 91 years.

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