Preseason Week 3: The Next Chapter in Chris Conte's Career Begins

Chris Conte is the new Steve Bartman. Sure, there are not many similarities between the two men. One is a potential starting safety in the NFL while the other is a former travel baseball coach who continues to hide from the public spotlight, eleven years after being thrusted into it.

The one characteristic that the two individuals do share is that they are both labeled as scapegoats for a failure that cost two beloved Chicago teams a chance to either make the playoffs or the World Series.

While Bartman has been all but forgotten since that fateful night at Wrigley Field in 2003, Conte continues to be a huge topic in the Chicago sports scene. Fans' hate for the man still exists thanks to his horrific lapse in judgment that allowed Randall Cobb, and the Green Bay Packers, to trot into the playoffs.

Conte has become the symbol for the awful season the Bears defense had in 2013. Yes, the safety was horrendous at times. His inability to tackle in open space and prevent deep receptions was head scratching. There is no excuse for his play, but there is no way he deserves all of the blame for the fact that the Bears did not make the playoffs yet again.

The 2013 Bears defense was historically awful. Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker's unit ranked last in almost every statistical category. The defensive line could not generate any pressure and played a significant part in the defense giving up, on average, over 200 yards on the ground from week six on.

Since the season began last year, the linebacking position was a revolving door for Chicago. Thanks to injuries and inconsistent play from a plethora of players, there was no stability at the position. Guys were thrown into spots they had not played in years, and the lack of consistent playing time at a certain position took a toll on the effectiveness of the entire unit.

While the cornerbacks, especially Tim Jennings, were a lone bright spot on the defense, the safeties were unbearable to watch. Deep throws that resulted in touchdowns by opposing quarterbacks became the norm as the lack of pressure up front gave receivers plenty of time to get open down the field.

As a whole the defense was the Achilles' heal for last year's Bears team, not just Conte. It's easy to throw all the blame his way due to the season deciding play that sticks in everyone's mind. However, people are quick to forget the Bears contest against the St. Louis Rams when Benny Cunningham had the game of his life, rushing for 109 yards. That winnable November game was an embarrassment but fans seem to forget that one. There were other games throughout the season that indicated that the Bears defense as a collective unit would prevent the squad from reaching the promise land.

It is time to stop labeling Conte as the reason the Bears failed to make the playoffs. He is an average safety that could be productive, like he has shown in previous seasons, if the pieces around him are upgraded. General manager Phil Emery did just that by revamping the defensive line. Now it's up to Conte to take his game to a whole new level.

The safety's first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks will be a great test to see where he is in his physical and mental recovery process. If Conte can transform into a quality safety, he will go from scapegoat to just another footnote in Bears history.


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