Bears coach to be hands-on with defense

Two seasons after their defense took the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl, that same defense kept them out of the playoffs.

That sent coach Lovie Smith searching for a solution, and he found it without looking too far ... in his own mirror.

Smith, who was an excellent defensive coach before he got the Chicago job, will take a hands-on approach with the Bears' defense this year, in effect demoting defensive coordinator Bob Babich.

He is taking his cue from some of the offensive-minded coaches around the league who call their own plays, although that number has been significantly diminished by the firings of Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden, and the retirement of Mike Holmgren.