Is Olsen being asked to do too much?
It's always tough to win, to force your will on an opponent, but it's nearly impossible when you create a reward system based on draft status, contract numbers or personal ego. Bears coach Lovie Smith seems to understand. He was asked if he was worried about looking as if he's playing the blame game by benching left guard Frank Omiyale in favor of Josh Beekman.
''You can't go on what anything looks like,'' Smith said. ''You do what you feel is right, period. It's no more, nothing else more about feelings, what it looks like. It's what gives us the best chance, and we go with it.''
(Tom Cruze/Sun-Times)
If only it were that easy. Unfortunately, opportunity far too often seems like a gift with the Bears, instead of something that's earned. Take tight end Greg Olsen, for instance. He was elevated to the starting job over incumbent Desmond Clark in the offseason because he was projected to be a better player. Olsen formed a quick, easy alliance with new quarterback Jay Cutler, and his promotion was expected to pay big dividends when the season started. Through six games, the situation has gotten complicated, to say the least.
Olsen has been a disappointment. Or has he? Certainly the numbers don't look good -- 19 catches, 175 yards -- but you wonder if he's being put in a position to succeed. It's a question you can ask of many Bears. Take safety Kevin Payne, who lost his starting job after his part in a blunder that allowed Green Bay to score a 50-yard touchdown and win the season opener.
Payne was benched for not being able to defend the pass, but, lo and behold, he's now used as a deep safety in nickel downs because the player starting ahead of him, Danieal Manning, moves down into the box in passing situations. In other words, Payne, who isn't good against the pass, is only used in passing situations. Does that make sense?
''You'd have to ask the coaches about that,'' he said. Olsen said virtually the same thing. The response is a form of player-speak that translates into: ''I won't comment on that for fear of what I will say, but please bring it up with the coaches.''
What about it, Ron Turner? Why was Olsen put in a position Sunday in which a 280-plus-pound defensive end steamrolled him and helped create the Bengals' only sack of Cutler. If you missed the play, it's perfectly understandable. Olsen was on the right side, faced off with defensive end Robert Geathers, but the sack came from fellow end Frostee Rucker over left tackle Orlando Pace. Geathers did much of the heavy lifting with a bull rush that got Olsen backpedaling awkwardly but, mercifully, didn't knock him to the ground. That might have been the case because Chris Williams attempted to help out, too late to prevent the pressure but enough to save Olsen a tiny bit of dignity.
A veteran said asking Olsen to stand up to a pass rusher was asking too much. Olsen isn't known for his blocking, and a defensive end is paid to rush. Olsen is paid to catch the ball, not to block.
Turner didn't argue the point.
''Tight ends in this league are going to have to do that at times, and it's tough,'' Turner said. ''We have to look at the positions we're putting him in and be smart about that. If we are not getting it done, then we have to get someone else to do it when we go to that.''
Turner said Olsen was in that position because he's the starting tight end, and the team can't replace him on pass-protection plays because it will tip their play to the defense. The Bears have relied on Olsen to block, even using him at times at fullback. Part of the problem is that teams have gone to five defensive backs and covered him with a cornerback when the Bears go to two-tight-end sets. Turner said the Bears would rather go with Johnny Knox as a third receiver than simply split Olsen out wide.
''I'm frustrated, and he's frustrated that the production hasn't been more than it is right now,'' Turner said. ''It's not anyone's fault; it's just a culmination of things. We're going to continue to try and get it to work because he's a playmaker.''
There doesn't seem to be a limit to the number of players the Bears have working in positions where they might not be able to succeed. Moving Hunter Hillenmeyer back to middle linebacker in a swap of the strong-side linebacker spot to Nick Roach might help get the plays called faster and clearer, but if you think Hillenmeyer is going to do a better job of lining people up, consider the fact Hillenmeyer could've done that from strong safety last week. Are any members of the secondary outside of Peanut Tillman in a position to win?
There's only so much the coaches can do, of course, but this is the week to do it.
Mike Mulligan and Sun-Times colleague Brian Hanley host ''The Mully and Hanley Show'' from 5 to 9 a.m. weekdays on WSCR-AM (670).