There’s a school of thought that it’s truly do-or-die for coach Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears in 2010. Brian Urlacher told ‘NFL Total Access” the team knows changes will happen if the wins don’t.

Charlotte Observer columnist Tom Sorensen isn’t buying Julius Pepper‘s story that he wanted to stay with the Panthers, especially after he rejected a 2007 contract offer that would have made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

Mike Martz arrived in Chicago on Friday to interview for the Bears’ offensive coordinator position, NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi confirmed through a league source.

Lions owner William Clay Ford spoke publicly for the first time since firing general manager Matt Millen and head coach Rod Marinelli after a winless 2008 season, telling Mlive.com that the two probably weren’t ready for the job.

On the same day that Rod Marinelli accepted the Chicago Bears’ assistant head coach/defensive line job, his son-in-law also found work.

Moments ago, former Lions head coach Rod Marinelli agreed to become the assistant head coach/defensive line of the Chicago Bears.

Despite rampant speculation that former Lions coach Rod Marinelli will wind up working with his former roommate, Lovie Smith, in Chicago, there’s at least one scenario that could prevent it from happening. Marinelli has been talking to the Seahawks and considering taking a job with them. Now some people around the league believe Marinelli will wind up in Seattle.

Former Lions coach Rod Marinelli spent the past few seasons visiting Chicago and he did it again Friday. A decision about his future could be made early next week.

The Detroit Lions set an NFL mark for futility on Sunday, becoming the NFL’s first 0-15 team.

It’s a safe bet that Lions coach Rod Marinelli has faced nearly every type of question from the media during the course of an 0-14 season. But how does he deal with it?

If the Detroit Lions avoid becoming the NFL’s first 0-15 team Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, they’ll do it with Dan Orlovsky as the starting quarterback.

It certainly couldn’t have been an enjoyable postgame press conference for Lions coach Rod Marinelli, whose team tied a franchise-worst 0-12 start to the season with Thursday’s 47-10 loss to the Titans.