Blown Out The Door

There is not much to smile about anymore for
Jerry Angelo.

With the Chicago Bears missing the postseason for the fourth time in the last five years, team president Ted Phillips decided to begin his spring cleaning a little earlier this year.

Just two days after salvaging the final game of their season, beating the Minnesota Vikings 17-13, and ending a five-game losing streak, Chicago has announced longtime general manager Jerry Angelo has been relieved of his duties. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz and quarterback coach Shane Day will also not be retained. But head coach Lovie Smith will be returning to the team for the 2012-13 season.

The releasing of Angelo, truly signifies the end of an era in Bears football.

Hired by Phillips in 2001, Angelo quickly turn the Bears fate around. After finishing the 2000 season 5-11, prior to his arrival, Chicago went 13-3 in Angelo's first season at the helm, winning the NFC Central division and making the postseason for the first time in seven years. There they would lose to their divisional round matchup with Philadelphia Eagles, 33-19.

However, Chicago would finish third in their division each of the next two seasons, causing many to wonder if Angelo really was the right man for the job.

Following a 7-9 finish in 2003, Angelo promptly fired then-head coach Dick Jauron and hired Smith as the sixteenth head coach in franchise history.

In Smith's first year as the top dog, the Bears finished last in the NFC North, posting a 5-11 record. Despite the team's regression from a year ago, Angelo was able to keep his job and rewarded ownership for their faith.

Chicago would win back-to-back division titles the next two seasons and play in their first Super Bowl in over twenty years. In Super Bowl XLI, Angelo's Bears would get off to an exciting start. Rookie Devin Hester, who was drafted by Angelo just months earlier, returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the first time that had been done in Super Bowl history.

Although, Chicago was unable to overcome their five turnovers and ultimately lost to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, 29-17.

Three more postseason-less seasons would follow, even with the acquisition for Pro Bowl and gun slinging quarterback Jay Cutler.

Prior to the 2010-11 season, Angelo signed Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers to add to an already well accomplished defense and hired Mike Martz to replace Ron Turner as the team's offensive coordinator. With those moves, the Bears were able capture the No. 1 seed in the NFC and host the NFC Championship.

There they would be upended by the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, 21-14. A game they basically played without Cutler, who missed most of the second half with an apparent knee injury.

As for this season, Angelo and Co. saw the team get off to an impressive 7-3 start and hopes of returning to the postseason. That was before Cutler broke his thumb in a win against the San Diego Chargers on Nov. 20. The injury would require season-ending surgery and the former Denver Bronco was placed on injured reserve more than a month later.

Two weeks later, Angelo would see yet another one of his offensive stars fall to injury. In the midst of a breakout season, running back Matt Forte suffered a Grade 2 sprain of his MCL and would not take the field again this season. Forte was turning into one of the games most complete backs, catching 52 passes for 490 yards and narrowly missing his third and second consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season with 997 on 203 attempts.

It was Angelo's inability to provide capable backups that really ended his tenure as Bears GM. The 60-year-old saw seven of his starters go on the IR this year, including five on the offensive side of the ball.

During Angelo's more than a decade long stay he was the architect of four division winners, appeared in two NFC Conference Championship games and a Super Bowl. He leaves Chicago with a 95-81 record during the regular season, but a 3-4 mark in the postseason.

Angelo is also responsible for drafting a number of Pro Bowlers. In the last six years, he has seen 16 Pro Bowl selections for men he took on draft day, including first timers Forte and Corey Graham this season.

It is unclear who Angelo's successor will be, but director of player personnel Tim Ruskell seems to be the most logic choice as he will take over the team's personnel department until they find the now-former GM's replacement.

Martz's offense grew stagnant without Cutler
and Forte. 

For Martz, his fate was decided by Smith in what is being called "a real difference in philosophy" decision. Despite the Bears finishing ninth in the league in rushing (2,015 yards), their best total since 2005 and only the second time they have eclipsed the 2,000 yard plateau since 1990, Martz's complicated offense never flourished in the Windy City.

Last season the Bears finished just 28th in passing and 22nd in rushing under his watch. Now, Cutler will not only be face with the challenge of recovering fully from his thumb injury, but need to learn his third offensive system since joining the Bears in 2009.

Day, who prior to being the Bears' quarterback coach was the quality control coach in San Francisco, came with Martz from 49ers and now departs with him.

A changing of the guard on the South Side.