Subplots aplenty in Bears-Lions matchup

DETROIT – It’s a good human-interest story.

Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith are close friends. They were on staff together for five years at Tampa Bay.

Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz and Smith know each other well, too. When Martz was the coach in St. Louis, Smith was his defensive coordinator for three years.

But it might be more than a subplot.

The familiarity the coaches have with each other could become the story behind today’s chess match in Chicago.

Is there an advantage for anyone?

“Well, if there is, I think it’s for Martz because he knows this defense pretty well – especially with coaching with Coach Marinelli, who is running the same defense,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said. “It’s got to be an advantage to him, I think, because he can always change his offense up a little bit.”

Martz competes in practice unscripted. He doesn’t know what the defense is doing; the defense doesn’t know what’s coming. He and Smith matched wits every day for three seasons in St. Louis. He knows Smith’s tendencies; Smith knows his.

Now, in Detroit, Martz is facing the same defense every day – a defense derived from the one the Buccaneers used to run under Tony Dungy.

“He has a good feel,” Marinelli said.

That said, the coaches play down the familiarity thing. NFL coaches watch so much film, they’re really familiar with everyone, and they don’t want to outsmart themselves.

“Mike is very familiar with (Smith),” Marinelli said. “I’m also very familiar with him. So we’ll talk. But sometimes, though, you can get too much information, and you just have to go back and do what we do.”

“You just can’t worry about those kinds of things, because it’s the players that ultimately play this game – right? – not the coaches,” Martz said. “You can’t worry about trying to out-trick somebody with this call or that call. You just go.”

“I don’t see who has the advantage on that,” Smith said. “I’ve known Mike a long time. He knows us. I think games are still won based on execution.”

The biggest thing, Marinelli said, is that the Lions will have an even better understanding of the Bears’ style now (the opposite is true, too). Marinelli has been teaching the Lions his style, and his style is Smith’s style.

“You know what you’re going to get,” Marinelli said. “You know how it’s going to be executed. I know what’s on the plate, and I know we have to be bringing our stuff.”