4 DOWNS WITH DITKA
1 You coached a great running back in Walter Payton. What do you think about Matt Forte and what he has done as a Bear?
Matt Forte is a whole different back, and he’s used differently. Walter was our bread- and- butter. He was the foundation of our offense. Matt Forte gives coach Marc Trestman so many options with his versatility as a running back and as a receiver. It’s very hard to find a player who can do that. He’s an outstanding runner with the football, but his bigger value to the team is as a receiver. I guess you would call him a hybrid. He’s awfully good.
2 With Lance Briggs out, some of the young linebackers stepped up. Do you think Briggs is nearing the end of the line?
You have backups for a reason. When they get an opportunity to play, they better step in and be ready to play. I don’t think Lance is at the end of the line at all. If he’s hurt, he’s hurt. If he can’t go, the other guys have to be ready to step in. There’s a chain of command, and that’s the way it is. Sometimes when the other guy gets in there and looks good, it makes the coach think a little bit. I don’t think they have a problem with Lance, but I think the coaching staff is glad to see the progress of the young guys. I thought the young guys played well at linebacker and in the secondary this past week. That’s the kind of defense they have to play. They have to get after people.
3 The Bears have been so up and downand can’t get the offense and defense in sync. The Falcons game was may be the first time all season both played well. What do you say to your team to fix this?
I always tell the story about when we went out to play the 49ers in 1984. We had the best defense in football. But we didn’t have a good- enough offense. We didn’t attack people with the personnel we had. That was my fault. And I told them that after the game: We will be back in this position again, and we will beat these guys because we’ll have an offense that not only can score points, but can control the clock and the ball. We did that, but we had to work at it. The defense was no problem. Actually, I inherited a darn good defense. It took us time, though, to put the offensive pieces together. So now you have a good offense and defense, what about your special teams? You have to have a good punter. You have to create field position. The special teams are like the stepchild at the family picnic. Nobody talks about them until they screw up. Then everybody talks about them. They’re just as important as offense and defense.
4 In a report, Jerry Angelo said the NFL would cover up domestic violence and police incidents, then he later backtracked on his comments. Your thoughts:
I disagreed with what he originally said, and I said that on my radio show. If you didn’t say that and you didn’t mean it that way, then, fine, I understand that. You have to understand in today’s media, you have to be very careful. Your words are going to be twisted. They’re going to say this, say that. You don’t ever do that. First of all, it’s 20 years ago, so why would you even bring it up? It just doesn’t make any sense. I understand what he was trying to say because it’s his job, and the coach’s, to keep players on the field, not in jail. I know what he was saying, but at no point is there a right time to say it.