Smith explains timeout calls on play challenge
Lovie Smith was still explaining his decision Monday to challenge the "incomplete" call on the pass to tight end Greg Olsen with just less than five minutes remaining that resulted in the Bears using two timeouts Sunday against the Packers.
The first timeout was called because the play clock was running down, and then Smith decided to challenge the call, which cost the Bears another timeout when their challenge failed.
"I'll go over that one more time," Smith said. "It seems like that's been a topic of conversation quite a bit. You call a timeout, boom, a timeout is done. After that, you go to the next sequence, (It would have been) third-and-22. Slim chance that we would get it."
Smith said he decided to take his chances on a call reversal that would have given the Bears a first down near midfield.
"You take that chance," Smith said. "Every time something doesn't work the way you want it, a call or a challenge, you say, 'Well, maybe we shouldn't.' But in that situation, you have to take a chance on that, which we did."
Do the math: Marcus Harrison has started the past five games at nose tackle and has a total of 5 tackles. Anthony Adams has been the backup in those five games and has 19 tackles, including 6 solos against the Packers, and should regain the starting spot he held the first four games of the season.
"Anthony Adams is one guy I can say who really played well from start to finish," Lovie Smith said. "We evaluate everything based on that week and we'll do the same this week."
Don't ask: After the Bears missed the playoffs last season, defensive line coach Brick Haley, linebackers coach Lloyd Lee and defensive backs coach Steven Wilks were fired and Lovie Smith took the defensive playcalling duties from coordinator Bob Babich.
Smith wasn't in the mood Monday to discuss another purge of his staff when asked if it were a possibility.
"We are thinking about the Baltimore Ravens this week," Smith said. "What are you going to be doing three weeks from now? Do you know? I don't. Right now, the Ravens are occupying all of our thoughts, and it's only on that. We are trying to put a better product out on the field this week than we did this past week."
By any other name: Lovie Smith was asked if he thinks his team has underachieved.
"We're 5-8," he said. "So whatever word you want to give it. We're 5-8, and we expected to have a lot better record. That's what it is."
Up and out: Offensive tackle James Marten was elevated to the active roster from the practice squad Monday and seven-year veteran linebacker Cato June was waived.
The 6-foot-8, 310-pound Marten has been on the Bears' practice squad all season. He originally entered the NFL as a third-round selection (67th overall) of the Cowboys. June spent two weeks with the Bears and played special teams in the Rams game.