NFL Week 17: Turn out the lights, the party's almost over

So does 10-6 but no playoff spot get Lovie Smith fired? With a win Sunday, his teams would have an all-time record of 84-66, including playoffs.

 

It's pretty hard to fire a coach after a winning season. It doesn't happen often and usually when it does, there's a reason for it (Schottenheimer in SD). Dungy in Tampa was a rarity... Firing Smith after a winning season would stun me.

 

Lovie won't get fired because there's a year left on his deal.

 

Almost a certainty. Tougher schedule and a couple of close ones that go the other way easily could mean a 7-9 or worse record.

Kind of like in Manning's second season, Colts went 13-3 against a bad schedule with a few close wins, then "regressed" to 10-6 and 6-10 before everything came together.

 

Week 17 means the last time the Red Zone Channel is on for another nine months.
It's like saying goodbye to a summer camp crush.

 

I thought I just read that he had two left... But you're right... The Bears don't like to eat contracts...

 

he's serviceable Who replaces him?

 

The three-four hours starting at 10:00am Pacific have been the best hours of my week, since September. It kind of falls off for the late games.

I will miss the Red Zone. God, I will miss it.

 

OK, alternate question:

When's the last time an NFL head coach missed the playoffs 5 out of 6 years and kept his job?

This could be the third year in the last six where the Bears had at least 9 wins but missed.

 

From 2003-2008, according to Wikipedia, Marvin Lewis made the playoffs 1 time (the Palmer injury game) and kept his job. In that 6th year, he happened to finish 4-11-1.

 

Smith is back regardless.

 

Agreed. Now Mike Tice, on the other hand ...

Is there a more thankless, can't-win-no-matter-what-you-do OC job in the NFL than Chicago?

(Don't get me wrong. Tice has been awful)