So let’s recap.

After 10 weeks of the 2011 season, the Chicago Bears were flying high. Winners of five straight and sitting with a 7-3 record, the Bears seemed to be a playoff lock. Only one player of significance had been lost to injury for the season, left guard Chris Williams.

Then following the win over the Chargers, word began to trickle out that Jay Cutler had suffered an injury that perhaps would sideline him for the regular season. No big deal we thought, our confidence in backup Caleb Hanie showing. Hanie gets us wins in three of the final six games and we’re probably in the playoffs, when Cutler may be back. Read the rest of this entry »

This is not an article, just a series of disjointed comments on the final day of the the Chicago Bears season for all intents and purposes.

- Good buddy Doug, fellow section 249 resident before the game: “has their ever been a team in such a good position that had such a dramatic turn to their season…?” Prophetic. I don’t know. Today we witnessed the final nail in the coffin of a team that started 7-3, a shoo-in for the playoffs, and played their own way out by losing four in a row. Read the rest of this entry »

1. Bears receiver Sam Hurd charged with allegedly running a large cocaine and marijuana distribution operation. Astonishing is all that can be said. While the rest of us scrape by every day, a man with a $4.5 million contract with over $2 million guaranteed has to run a large-scale drug operation. Sad. Read the rest of this entry »

After Sunday’s reports that Bears GM Jerry Angelo may retire following the 2011 season “depending on how it turns out,” many of us may have found ourselves excited and relieved. We shouldn’t if the Bears’ answer is to promote Tim Ruskell to GM, but that’s another discussion.

To me it’s hard to rate Angelo as great or terrible. Since taking over the Bears in 2001, the team’s record is 94-79. Contrast that with the record of 51-77 from Mike Ditka‘s firing to Angelo’s hiring. So nobody can say that current GM has been an absolute bust, especially considering that under his watch the team has won the division four times, made the conference championship twice and even gone to a Super Bowl. Read the rest of this entry »

What a season, this 2011 Chicago Bears season. Let me get this straight. Hopes are suspect entering the season, the the Bears throttle one of the supposed top teams in the conference. Following that impressive win, Chicago is suddenly considered one of the top teams in the league.

Then the Bears lose the next two games to NFC contenders, then ultimately begin 2-3 and are on life support. Read the rest of this entry »

1. I’m surprised at myself. I did think that at some point in the year I would consider the ramifications of the Greg Olsen trade. But I’m surprised I’m just thinking of this now. When the trade went down, I agreed with it based on the fact that it was a necessary step in the “Martzification” of the Bears offense. Fair enough, the Martz offense requires large blocking tight ends more than pass-catchers. But I did think at the time that “what if Martz leaves after 2011, and the next offensive coordinator’s system requires a tight end with great pass-catching skills.” And here we are. I am convinced that Martz will not be back in Chicago in 2012, no matter what window dressing Martz and the Bears organization try to put on the situation. What will be next? Trying to find another pass-catching tight end? Again, great move for the Martz’ offense. Very short-sighted if Martz isn’t back. Read the rest of this entry »

I am rarely overly optimistic about the Bears. To me, that just comes with the territory when you’ve been a fan for 33 years. But today, I told one of the vendors at Soldier Field that I felt confident that they would win today.

That, my friends and fellow fans, is exactly why I’m rarely overly optimistic about the Bears.

All I can say about today’s game is:

Matt Forte knee injury.
Extreme fluke of a hail mary pass is the only touchdown Kansas City needs.
Bears 0-11 on third down.
Chief defense enters the game with 13 sacks, then records seven on the day against the Bears.
Roy Williams turns tying touchdown into interception. I’ll say it again, RELEASE Roy Williams.

Two weeks ago the Bears were 7-3, their offense was clicking, and the top wildcard seed seemed very likely. Then our star quarterback was hurt. One loss at Oakland to an improving Raider team, with backup Caleb Hanie getting better in the second half, we thought was an aberration. Now the Bears are down to 7-5, and the most optimistic thing I can say is that unless we see a totally different Hanie, one that is an average NFL backup, the Bears might only win one more game this season.

Jerry Angelo has liked to repeat over and over that in the NFL, if you have a high-priced starting quarterback, you don’t have the money to bring in a known commodity for a backup. I question whether that’s true when the Bears played in 2011 with a $19 million surplus.

But I’ll say this to Jerry: you reap what you sow.

1. I’ll shorten my usual twice-per-year, full-post rant on Chicago Bears organizational policies toward the fans to just one-sixth of one post, but as always it must be said. I along with my fellow season ticket holders received our letters instructing us to pay for playoff tickets this week. Despite everyone knowing that absent the Packers losing their final five games to drop from 11-0 to 11-5, the chances of the Bears hosting a playoff game are practically zero. Read the rest of this entry »

As soon as the Bears copped to Jay Cutler‘s injury following the Chargers game, my gut reaction was that there is no way we will be seeing Cutler again during the 2011 regular season or playoffs.  Yes, the Bears, Lovie Smith in particular, claimed that there is every reason to be hopeful that Cutler will be able to throw with his pins and screws in the thumb, but I never believed it. Read the rest of this entry »

Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic today is reporting that Mike Martz “has interest” in the now vacant head coaching position at Arizona State. Martz had previously served as an assistant coach at the school in the early 1990′s. Read the rest of this entry »