Former Colts head coach/current NBC analyst Tony Dungy and Bears head coach Lovie Smith are buddies. So, Dungy provides good things concerning his pal’s club.
Dungy appeared on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Thursday and talked about the vastly abused Bears – everyone’s pecking team for 2011.
“I think they will get better on defense. I think Jay Cutler with another year in coach [Mike] Martz’s system, they are going to improve offensively. I think everyone is looking at their offensive line and maybe that’s the reason, people are saying they lost Olin Kreutz, and they lost some key members there. But I like the Bears. I like they way they put things together.
“Now they are in a tough division. Green Bay obviously, is very very good. Detroit has impressed me in the preseason. So, maybe that’s a thing people are looking at. Does Detroit catch Chicago this year? But I don’t think so. I think Chicago is going to be very formidable.”
“I heard the criticism about him not playing at the end of the playoff game last year. I thought that was absolutely ludicrous,” Dungy said. “Jay Cutler, you can question some things, but you can’t question his toughness, his desire. I mean, I’ve seen the guy stand in the pocket [and] deliver balls while getting blasted, and I just thought that was totally unfair.
“I did think that he needed to mature as a quarterback when he got there, and I think he’s done that. I think Coach Martz has really helped him. He’s getting that chemistry with his receivers, and I do think he is playing better than he did two years ago.”