The Chicago Bears won four division titles and reached the Super
Bowl while Jerry Angelo was general manager. They also crumbled in
a big way this season.

Now Angelo’s out.

He was fired Tuesday following a team collapse marked by
injuries to Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and a drug scandal involving
Sam Hurd.

Angelo had been on the job 11 years, but the Bears called for
change after an 8-8 season. A questionable draft record and an
inability to fill big holes, particularly on offense, led to his
ouster.

His dismissal comes after a wild season in which the Bears at
one point seemed a lock to make the playoffs. A five-game losing
streak spoiled a 7-3 start, keeping Chicago out of the playoffs for
the fourth time in five years, and Angelo wasn’t the only one on
his way out on Tuesday.

The Bears also confirmed that offensive coordinator Mike Martz
and quarterbacks coach Shane Day won’t be back. Martz had an
expiring contract, and there had been plenty of speculation he
would be gone after two seasons.

Coach Lovie Smith, however, appears safe for now. The team said
on its website he will remain in his job and “continue to evaluate
his coaching staff.”

Angelo was signed through the 2013 season, but he was undone on
a number of fronts. The next GM will inherit a team that could use
help on the offensive and defensive lines, at wide receiver and in
the secondary. Forte’s rookie contract is up. Pro Bowl linebacker
Lance Briggs would like a new one even though he has two years left
on his six-year deal.

Still, the Bears believe they can make a run next season. Angelo
won’t be the one overseeing it, though.

“I have tremendous respect for him and am sorry to see him go,”
Smith said in a statement. “But I also will embrace the opportunity
that comes with change. As I said yesterday, we have an excellent
core in place. I look forward to working with a new general manager
to bring a championship to Chicago.”

Cutler broke his right thumb trying to help make a tackle
following an interception during a victory over San Diego on Nov.
20, and the Bears didn’t win again until the season-finale at
Minnesota on Sunday.

It didn’t help that Forte sprained a ligament in his right knee
against Kansas City on Dec. 4, leaving the offense without its two
best players. Those would be blows for any team, but they were
crippling for Chicago. Throw in Hurd’s arrest on federal drug
charges in mid-December, and what looked like a promising season
turned into a disaster for the team and organization.

The injuries exposed a glaring lack of depth as the Bears
tumbled out of playoff contention.

The low point might have been the loss at Denver when Marion
Barber ran out of bounds late in regulation. That stopped the
clock, giving the Broncos enough time to tie the score. If that
weren’t enough, he lost a fumble in overtime, helping set up the
winning field goal.

Meanwhile, backup quarterback Caleb Hanie was a bust filling in
for Cutler, going 0-4 as the starter before the Bears turned to
Josh McCown.

Chicago claimed Kyle Orton off waivers after Cutler went down,
but Kansas City had priority and got him. The Bears then brought in
Josh McCown, and Angelo left himself open to second-guessing when
he decided not to go after Donovan McNabb once Minnesota let him
go.

The lack of a reliable backup quarterback, continuing issues on
the offensive line and the inability to land a top-tier receiver
increased the heat on the general manager.

Roy Williams struggled to hold onto the ball and get open in his
first season with the Bears after an unsuccessful run in Dallas.
Hurd, another Cowboys import, was quickly waived after being
charged with trying to set up a drug-dealing network following his
arrest with more than a pound of cocaine.

The arrest only compounded Angelo’s problems. Now the Bears are
picking up the pieces.

For all the criticism, Angelo did have successes. The Bears won
those four division championships, including the 2006 team’s run to
the Super Bowl and last year’s trip to the NFC title game.

He traded for Cutler and signed Julius Peppers. But he also had
a spotty draft record that included such high-profile
disappointments as Cedric Benson and Rex Grossman.

Former first-rounder Chris Williams has mostly struggled, and
first-round pick Gabe Carimi missed most of his rookie season with
a right knee injury. Angelo also was unable to find a top receiver,
through the draft, a trade or free agency.

Chicago didn’t have anyone ready to step in when a solid but
aging line that helped the Bears reach the playoffs in 2005 and
2006 began to go downhill.

Martz called for deep drops and Cutler took repeated poundings.
That changed after Cutler made his feelings clear. The Bears
started getting the ball out of his hands quicker, handing the ball
off more to Forte and piling up wins. But just when it looked as if
they had saved their season, everything came apart.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Jerry Angelo was fired as the Chicago Bears‘ general manager Tuesday following a team collapse marked by injuries to Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and a drug scandal involving receiver Sam Hurd.

Angelo had been on the job 11 years, a stretch in which the Bears reached one Super Bowl and advanced to another NFC championship game. An 8-8 record this season, a questionable draft record and an inability to fill big holes, particularly on offense, led to his ouster.

His dismissal comes after a wild season in which the Bears at one point seemed a lock to make the playoffs. A five-game losing streak, however, spoiled a 7-3 start and kept Chicago out of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

Cutler broke his right thumb trying to help make a tackle following an interception during a win over San Diego on Nov. 20. The Bears didn’t win again until the season-finale at Minnesota on Sunday.

It didn’t help that Forte sprained a ligament in his right knee against Kansas City on Dec. 4, leaving the offense without its two best players. Those would be blows for any team, but they were crippling for Chicago. Throw in Hurd’s arrest on federal drug charges in mid-December, and what looked like a promising season turned into a disaster for the team and organization.

The injuries exposed a glaring lack of depth as the Bears tumbled out of playoff contention.

The low point might have been the loss at Denver when Marion Barber ran out of bounds late in regulation. That stopped the clock, giving the Broncos enough time to tie the score. If that weren’t enough, he lost a fumble in overtime, helping set up the winning field goal.

Meanwhile, backup quarterback Caleb Hanie was a bust filling in for Cutler, going 0-4 as the starter before the Bears turned to Josh McCown.

Chicago claimed Kyle Orton off waivers after Cutler went down, but Kansas City had priority and got him. The Bears then brought in Josh McCown, and Angelo left himself open to second-guessing when he decided not to go after Donovan McNabb once Minnesota let him go.

The lack of a reliable backup quarterback, continuing issues on the offensive line and the inability to land a top-tier receiver increased the heat on the general manager.

Roy Williams struggled to hold onto the ball and get open in his first season with the Bears after a disappointing run in Dallas. Hurd, another Cowboys import, was quickly waived after being charged with trying to set up a drug-dealing network following his arrest with more than a pound of cocaine.

The arrest only compounded Angelo’s problems. Now, Angelo’s out and the Bears are picking up the pieces.

For all the criticism, Angelo did have successes. The Bears won four division championships, including the 2006 team’s run to the Super Bowl and last year’s trip to the NFC championship game.

He traded for Cutler and signed Julius Peppers. But he also had a spotty draft record that included such high-profile disappointments as Cedric Benson and Rex Grossman.

Former first-rounder Chris Williams has mostly struggled, and first-round pick Gabe Carimi missed most of his rookie season with a right knee injury. Angelo also was unable to find a top receiver, through the draft, a trade or free agency.

Chicago didn’t anyone ready to step in when a solid but aging line that helped the Bears reach the playoffs in 2005 and 2006 began to go downhill.

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz called for deep drops and Cutler took repeated poundings. That changed after Cutler made his feelings clear. The Bears started getting the ball out of his hands quicker, handing the ball off more to Forte and piling up the wins. But just when it looked as if they had saved their season, everything came apart.

LAKE FOREST — Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was selected to his eighth Pro Bowl, while teammate Lance Briggs made it for the seventh year in a row.

Running back Matt Forte made his first Pro Bowl on Tuesday, hours after being placed on injured reserve because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Veteran cornerback Charles Tillman was also picked for the first time as was special teams contributor Corey Graham.

The five selections were the most for Chicago since it had eight in the 2006 season.

Urlacher is the sixth player in team history to be voted to eight Pro Bowls as a Bear. He is second on the team with 125 tackles behind fellow linebacker Briggs (140) and is tied for the lead with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Briggs became the fourth linebacker in franchise history to be selected to seven straight Pro Bowls, joining Hall of Famers Dick Butkus (eight in a row), Bill George (eight) and Mike Singletary (10).

Tillman has 11 pass break-ups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries to go with 107 tackles.

Cutler, Forte placed in IR

The Chicago Bears placed quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte on injured reserve on Tuesday, meaning they will miss the season finale at Minnesota this week.

The moves were hardly surprising given Chicago’s recent struggles.

The Bears (7-8) have lost five straight since Cutler broke his right thumb late in a win over San Diego on Nov. 20, and things took another bad turn two weeks later when Forte sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee against Kansas City.

Cutler, who was scheduled to have surgically inserted pins removed Tuesday, threw for 2,319 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Forte finished with 997 yards rushing and 490 receiving and was selected to his first Pro Bowl hours after being placed on IR. He’s the first Chicago running back to make it since Neal Anderson after the 1991 season.

With Cutler and Forte on IR, the Bears elevated defensive tackle Jordan Miller from the practice squad and signed guard Mansfield Wrotto.

Chicago also announced on its website that rookie offensive lineman Gabe Carimi had surgery Tuesday on his right knee to repair connective tissue around his patella and medial collateral ligament.

The first-round pick started the first two games before injuring his knee and briefly returned to practice before having an arthroscopic procedure on the knee in November.

He is expected to be ready before the start of training camp.

Cutler’s injury sent Chicago into a tailspin, knocking out of contention a team that appeared on its way to the playoffs after last year’s run to the NFC title game.

The Bears were eliminated with a loss at Green Bay on Sunday, but they were just about out of it by the time they arrived at Lambeau Field.

One reason was the lack of a reliable backup quarterback.

Chicago put in a waiver claim on Kyle Orton after Cutler went down, but Kansas City had priority and got him. The Bears wound up signing Josh McCown, who was coaching quarterbacks at a North Carolina high school, and passed on going after Donovan McNabb after Minnesota let him go.

Meanwhile, backup Caleb Hanie struggled and went 0-4 as the starter. McCown got the nod against the Packers and performed better, throwing for 242 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first NFL appearance since 2009, but the Bears saw their playoff hopes vanish in a 35-21 loss.

A healthy Forte might have made a difference, but his season ended when he took a hit to the knee against Kansas City. It didn’t help that backup Marion Barber committed costly mistakes in losses to the Chiefs and Denver the following week.

He had a touchdown catch in a 10-3 loss to Kansas City called off because he lined up illegally, forcing Chicago to settle for a field goal, and things only got worse for him the following week.

Barber got pushed out of bounds on a run near the end of regulation, helping give Denver enough time to tie the game. In overtime, his fumble led to the winning field goal.

Graham has 20 special teams tackles.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears placed quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte on injured reserve on Tuesday, meaning they will miss the season finale at Minnesota this week.

The moves were hardly surprising given Chicago‘s recent struggles.

The Bears (7-8) have lost five straight since Cutler broke his right thumb late in a win over San Diego on Nov. 20, and things took another bad turn two weeks later when Forte sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee against Kansas City.

Cutler, who was scheduled to have surgically inserted pins removed Tuesday, threw for 2,319 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Forte finished with 997 yards rushing and 490 receiving and was selected to his first Pro Bowl hours after being placed on IR. He’s the first Chicago running back to make it since Neal Anderson following the 1991 season.

With Cutler and Forte on IR, the Bears elevated defensive tackle Jordan Miller from the practice squad and signed guard Mansfield Wrotto.

Chicago also announced on its website that rookie offensive lineman Gabe Carimi had surgery Tuesday on his right knee to repair connective tissue around his patella and medial collateral ligament.

The first-round pick started the first two games before injuring his knee and briefly returned to practice before having an arthroscopic procedure on the knee in November.

He is expected to be ready before the start of training camp.

Cutler’s injury sent Chicago into a tailspin, knocking out of contention a team that appeared on its way to the playoffs after last year’s run to the NFC title game.

The Bears were eliminated with a loss at Green Bay on Sunday, but they were just about out of it by the time they arrived at Lambeau Field.

One reason was the lack of a reliable backup quarterback.

Chicago put in a waiver claim on Kyle Orton after Cutler went down, but Kansas City had priority and got him. The Bears wound up signing Josh McCown, who was coaching quarterbacks at a North Carolina high school, and passed on going after Donovan McNabb after Minnesota let him go.

Meanwhile, backup Caleb Hanie struggled and went 0-4 as the starter. McCown got the nod against the Packers and performed better, throwing for 242 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first NFL appearance since 2009, but the Bears saw their playoff hopes vanish in a 35-21 loss.

A healthy Forte might have made a difference, but his season ended when he took a hit to the knee against Kansas City. It didn’t help that backup Marion Barber committed costly mistakes in losses to the Chiefs and Denver the following week.

He had a touchdown catch in a 10-3 loss to Kansas City called off because he lined up illegally, forcing Chicago to settle for a field goal, and things only got worse for him the following week.

Barber got pushed out of bounds on a run near the end of regulation, helping give Denver enough time to tie the game. In overtime, his fumble led to the winning field goal

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears placed quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte on injured reserve on Tuesday, meaning they will miss the season finale at Minnesota this week.

The moves were hardly surprising given Chicago‘s recent struggles.

The Bears (7-8) have lost five straight since Cutler broke his right thumb late in a win over San Diego on Nov. 20, and things took another bad turn two weeks later when Forte sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee against Kansas City.

Cutler, who was scheduled to have surgically inserted pins removed Tuesday, threw for 2,319 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Forte finished with 997 yards rushing and 490 receiving and was selected to his first Pro Bowl hours after being placed on IR. He’s the first Chicago running back to make it since Neal Anderson following the 1991 season.

With Cutler and Forte on IR, the Bears elevated defensive tackle Jordan Miller from the practice squad and signed guard Mansfield Wrotto.

Chicago also announced on its website that rookie offensive lineman Gabe Carimi had surgery Tuesday on his right knee to repair connective tissue around his patella and medial collateral ligament.

The first-round pick started the first two games before injuring his knee and briefly returned to practice before having an arthroscopic procedure on the knee in November.

He is expected to be ready before the start of training camp.

Cutler’s injury sent Chicago into a tailspin, knocking out of contention a team that appeared on its way to the playoffs after last year’s run to the NFC title game.

The Bears were eliminated with a loss at Green Bay on Sunday, but they were just about out of it by the time they arrived at Lambeau Field.

One reason was the lack of a reliable backup quarterback.

Chicago put in a waiver claim on Kyle Orton after Cutler went down, but Kansas City had priority and got him. The Bears wound up signing Josh McCown, who was coaching quarterbacks at a North Carolina high school, and passed on going after Donovan McNabb after Minnesota let him go.

Meanwhile, backup Caleb Hanie struggled and went 0-4 as the starter. McCown got the nod against the Packers and performed better, throwing for 242 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first NFL appearance since 2009, but the Bears saw their playoff hopes vanish in a 35-21 loss.

A healthy Forte might have made a difference, but his season ended when he took a hit to the knee against Kansas City. It didn’t help that backup Marion Barber committed costly mistakes in losses to the Chiefs and Denver the following week.

He had a touchdown catch in a 10-3 loss to Kansas City called off because he lined up illegally, forcing Chicago to settle for a field goal, and things only got worse for him the following week.

Barber got pushed out of bounds on a run near the end of regulation, helping give Denver enough time to tie the game. In overtime, his fumble led to the winning field goal

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have placed quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte on injured reserve, meaning they will miss the season finale at Minnesota this week.

The moves on Tuesday were hardly surprising given Chicago’s recent struggles. The Bears (7-8) have lost five straight since Cutler broke his right thumb late in a win over San Diego on Nov. 20, and things took another bad turn two weeks later when Forte sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee against Kansas City.

Cutler, who was scheduled to have surgically inserted pins removed Tuesday, threw for 2,319 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Forte finished with 997 yards rushing and 490 receiving.

The Bears elevated defensive tackle Jordan Miller from the practice squad and signed guard Mansfield Wrotto.

Cutler’s injury sent Chicago into a tailspin, knocking out of contention a team that appeared on its way to the playoffs after last year’s run to the NFC title game. The Bears were mathematically eliminated with a loss at Green Bay on Sunday, but they probably weren’t going to make it by the time they arrived at Lambeau Field.

One reason for that was the lack of a reliable backup quarterback.

Chicago put in a waiver claim on Kyle Orton after Cutler went down, but Kansas City had priority and got him. The Bears wound up signing Josh McCown, who was coaching quarterbacks at a North Carolina high school, and passed on going after Donovan McNabb after Minnesota let him go.

Meanwhile, backup Caleb Hanie struggled in a big way and went 0-4 as the starter. McCown got the nod against the Packers and performed better, throwing for 242 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first NFL appearance since 2009, but the Bears saw their playoff hopes vanish in a 35-21 loss.

A healthy Forte might have made a difference, but his season ended when he took a hit to the knee against Kansas City. It didn’t help that backup Marion Barber committed costly mistakes in losses to the Chiefs and Denver the following week.

He had a touchdown catch in a 10-3 loss to Kansas City called off because he lined up illegally, forcing Chicago to settle for a field goal, and things only got worse for him the following week. Barber got pushed out of bounds on a run near the end of regulation, helping give Denver enough time to tie the game. In overtime, his fumble led to the winning field goal.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears placed quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte on injured reserve on Tuesday, meaning they will miss the season finale at Minnesota this week.

The moves were hardly surprising given Chicago’s recent struggles.

The Bears (7-8) have lost five straight since Cutler broke his right thumb late in a win over San Diego on Nov. 20, and things took another bad turn two weeks later when Forte sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee against Kansas City.

Cutler, who was scheduled to have surgically inserted pins removed Tuesday, threw for 2,319 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Forte finished with 997 yards rushing and 490 receiving and was selected to his first Pro Bowl hours after being placed on IR. He’s the first Chicago running back to make it since Neal Anderson following the 1991 season.

With Cutler and Forte on IR, the Bears elevated defensive tackle Jordan Miller from the practice squad and signed guard Mansfield Wrotto.

Chicago also announced on its website that rookie offensive lineman Gabe Carimi had surgery Tuesday on his right knee to repair connective tissue around his patella and medial collateral ligament.

The first-round pick started the first two games before injuring his knee and briefly returned to practice before having an arthroscopic procedure on the knee in November.

He is expected to be ready before the start of training camp.

Cutler’s injury sent Chicago into a tailspin, knocking out of contention a team that appeared on its way to the playoffs after last year’s run to the NFC title game.

The Bears were eliminated with a loss at Green Bay on Sunday, but they were just about out of it by the time they arrived at Lambeau Field.

One reason was the lack of a reliable backup quarterback.

Chicago put in a waiver claim on Kyle Orton after Cutler went down, but Kansas City had priority and got him. The Bears wound up signing Josh McCown, who was coaching quarterbacks at a North Carolina high school, and passed on going after Donovan McNabb after Minnesota let him go.

Meanwhile, backup Caleb Hanie struggled and went 0-4 as the starter. McCown got the nod against the Packers and performed better, throwing for 242 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first NFL appearance since 2009, but the Bears saw their playoff hopes vanish in a 35-21 loss.

A healthy Forte might have made a difference, but his season ended when he took a hit to the knee against Kansas City. It didn’t help that backup Marion Barber committed costly mistakes in losses to the Chiefs and Denver the following week.

He had a touchdown catch in a 10-3 loss to Kansas City called off because he lined up illegally, forcing Chicago to settle for a field goal, and things only got worse for him the following week.

Barber got pushed out of bounds on a run near the end of regulation, helping give Denver enough time to tie the game. In overtime, his fumble led to the winning field goal.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears placed quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte on injured reserve on Tuesday, meaning they will miss the season finale at Minnesota this week.

The moves were hardly surprising given Chicago’s recent struggles.

The Bears (7-8) have lost five straight since Cutler broke his right thumb late in a win over San Diego on Nov. 20, and things took another bad turn two weeks later when Forte sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee against Kansas City.

Cutler, who was scheduled to have surgically inserted pins removed Tuesday, threw for 2,319 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Forte finished with 997 yards rushing and 490 receiving and was selected to his first Pro Bowl hours after being placed on IR. He’s the first Chicago running back to make it since Neal Anderson following the 1991 season.

With Cutler and Forte on IR, the Bears elevated defensive tackle Jordan Miller from the practice squad and signed guard Mansfield Wrotto.

Chicago also announced on its website that rookie offensive lineman Gabe Carimi had surgery Tuesday on his right knee to repair connective tissue around his patella and medial collateral ligament.

The first-round pick started the first two games before injuring his knee and briefly returned to practice before having an arthroscopic procedure on the knee in November.

He is expected to be ready before the start of training camp.

Cutler’s injury sent Chicago into a tailspin, knocking out of contention a team that appeared on its way to the playoffs after last year’s run to the NFC title game.

The Bears were eliminated with a loss at Green Bay on Sunday, but they were just about out of it by the time they arrived at Lambeau Field.

One reason was the lack of a reliable backup quarterback.

Chicago put in a waiver claim on Kyle Orton after Cutler went down, but Kansas City had priority and got him. The Bears wound up signing Josh McCown, who was coaching quarterbacks at a North Carolina high school, and passed on going after Donovan McNabb after Minnesota let him go.

Meanwhile, backup Caleb Hanie struggled and went 0-4 as the starter. McCown got the nod against the Packers and performed better, throwing for 242 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first NFL appearance since 2009, but the Bears saw their playoff hopes vanish in a 35-21 loss.

A healthy Forte might have made a difference, but his season ended when he took a hit to the knee against Kansas City. It didn’t help that backup Marion Barber committed costly mistakes in losses to the Chiefs and Denver the following week.

He had a touchdown catch in a 10-3 loss to Kansas City called off because he lined up illegally, forcing Chicago to settle for a field goal, and things only got worse for him the following week.

Barber got pushed out of bounds on a run near the end of regulation, helping give Denver enough time to tie the game. In overtime, his fumble led to the winning field goal.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

There are probably hundreds of plays that cost the Chicago Bears their shot at a postseason trip for the 2011 season. Of course it’s easy to blame it on injuries and while I want to include one that is not what ruined the Bears’ season.

Jay Cutler’s Injury:

I did say we wouldn’t count injuries. This wasn’t an “injury” as much as it was a “play.” And it was a very dumb play at that. Wouldn’t it be fair to say that Cutler’s attempt to tackle the man who intercepted his pass was “not smart?” Why did he do it?

In the NFC Championship last year Jay Cutler was considered less than a man because he sat out much of the game and those who are self-proclaimed “experts” said he should have stayed in the game despite having to obey the coaches.

It is for that reason I believe that Cutler went after the defensive player who intercepted the pass. I think he wanted to prove he had “heart.” As a result the Bears are not in the playoffs. Quarterbacks have no business trying to tackle people. Keep a close eye on those who have won Super Bowls.

Marion Barber runs out of bounds against Denver:

Perhaps this loss to the Broncos was one of the saddest losses in Chicago Bears’ history. The Bears controlled the game completely and could have run the clock out at the end. Barber ran out of bounds and gave the Denver Broncos hope. It also took the Bears’ record down to (7-6).

Underestimating the Kansas City Chiefs-”Hail Mary”:

When Coach Lovie Smith went for a first down on fourth and a yard I had a bad feeling and I was right. Going into the game there was an aura of arrogance on the part of the Bears because Kansas City wasn’t doing well and the Bears were at home.

However play after play and failure after failure kept the Chiefs close and sure enough at the end of the first half the Kansas City Chiefs completed a ridiculous “Hail Mary.”

Roy Williams dropped pass in the Kansas City game:

Roy Williams was obtained by the Bears to be a tough big receiver. He dropped a lot of balls in 2011 but none bigger than the pass near the Kansas City goal line that could have tied the game in the fourth quarter.

Bears failure to understand their quarterback situation:

After two Caleb Hanie losses Chicago should have been making some kind of deal. The coaching staff is too slow.

And now, despite having a record of (7-3) after 10 games with an easy schedule, the Bears will watch the playoffs from home.

I wonder if we’ll ever try something new.

Reference:

MyNorthwest.com, Associated Press, “Bears’ Quarterback Cutler to have surgery on broken thumb”

NFL Video.com, “Barber’s Big Mistake”

YouTube, “Jay Cutler Quits NFC Championship Game-No Heart Son”

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Green Bay Packers (13-1) return home to Lambeau Field and host the Chicago Bears (7-7) on Christmas night. It’s just the second time the Packers have played on Christmas; the only other time was in 2005 and that game was also against the Bears at Lambeau Field. Chicago won that game 24-17.

The Packers’ chance at an undefeated season ended at Kansas City on December 18th with a 19-14 loss to the Chiefs. The loss itself wasn’t as disturbing as the way the game was lost. The Packers high octane offense was largely shut down by the Kansas City defense, and the Chiefs’ offense maintained control of the ball with time consuming drives that kept Aaron Rodgers and company off the field. Green Bay’s defense allowed 438 yards and had no sacks, and no answer for Chiefs’ quarterback Kyle Orton. Injuries to the Packers’ offensive line have reached a critical stage; Aaron Rodgers was under constant pressure and was sacked four times.

The Bears come into the game with injury problems of their own with quarterback Jay Cutler, running back Matt Forte, and wide receiver Johnny Knox out. After going 0-4 with Caleb Hanie filling in for Cutler, Bears coach Lovie Smith will start Josh McCown at quarterback. McCown replaced Hanie late in the Bears loss to the Seattle Seahawks on December 18th, but before that, he hadn’t played in the NFL since 2009. Forte is the Bears leading rusher, and Knox is the leading receiver. With all this top talent out of action, it’s no wonder the Bears have scored just 27 points in their last three games.

Green Bay’s offense struggled last week against Kansas City’s defense, but the Packers also hurt themselves by dropping passes and committing penalties. The Packer receivers will have to adjust to not having Greg Jennings until the playoffs. They still have plenty of receivers, but Jermichael Finley and Jordy Nelson in particular will need to step up. The makeshift offensive line will have to protect Rodgers better than it did against Kansas City. Although tackle Chad Clifton is nearing a return from his back and hamstring injuries, he may still not be ready. His replacement, Marshall Newhouse, has not been impressive and will be up against Bears’ defensive end and team sack leader Julius Peppers.

With their offense struggling, the best and probably only shot the Bears have at winning is for their defense to keep the Packer’s offense off the field as much as possible. The Bears still have an outside shot at the playoffs with a victory, and Green Bay will clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win so both teams are motivated. The Bears defense will hold down the Packers’ scoring, but not enough for Chicago’s depleted offense to overcome. The Packers should bounce back from their first defeat and win in a low scoring game.

Mark Hudziak is a Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. He has been a fan of the Green Bay Packers since the Vince Lombardi Era.

Sources:

Chicago Bears.com

Chicago Bears Yahoo! Sports Site

Green Bay Packers.com

Green Bay Packers Yahoo! Sports site

Packers: Scouting the Chicago Bears

More from this contributor:

The First Green Bay Packers Vs. Chicago Bears Playoff Game December 14th, 1941

History of the Wisconsin Badgers Vs. Oregon Ducks College Football Games

Milwaukee Brewers Agree to Terms with Aramis Ramirez; Trade Casey McGehee: Fan Reaction

A Look Back at the Milwaukee Bucks 1970-71 NBA Championship Season

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Read More: Caleb Hanie (QB – CHI), Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos

The Chicago Bears have been struggled to stay in the NFC Wildcard race after two tough losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos in the past two weeks, and nobody has been under more fire than Bears’ quarterback Caleb Hanie. On Wednesday, Hanie went before the media to answer questions about the team’s poor performances on offense in particular. 

Speaking to Seattle-area reporters via conference call, Hanie had this to say when asked about the general mood about the team in the city of Chicago heading into Week 15:

I couldn’t really tell you. I’ve been locked up in a hole trying to study and get ready for Seattle, really. It’s not like I’ve been hitting the streets of Chicago talking to the fans. But I assume it’s not very good. The fans want to win games worse than anybody, so we need to get some wins for these guys.

via The News Tribune. Talking with Chicago media, Hanie had these things to say about his recent performances: 

I own all the passes that I miss, just got to hit it. I’d love to be 3-0, I’m trying to do the best I can. It’s a tough game. Quarterback’s a tough position.

via Zach Zaidman on Twitter. Hanie has been quite bad in 2011 so far, completing just 51.9% of his passes for two touchdowns and six interceptions and a quarterback rating of 48.6. The Bears desperately need a win in Week 15 to stay alive in the NFC Wildcard race, so the pressure is squarely on Hanie to turn things around.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Chicago QB Caleb Hanie (AP file photo)

For the record: Chicago, 7-5, tied for second in NFC North; Denver, 7-5, tied for first in AFC West (owns tiebreaker over Oakland).

Last game: Chicago lost its second consecutive game, 10-3 to Kansas City. This weekend’s contest marks the Bears’ fourth consecutive game against an AFC West opponent.

Who’s hot: Speedy wide receiver Johnny Knox is averaging 20.5 yards per catch, and both of his two touchdowns this season have come in the Bears’ past three games. The Bears’ passing game was sluggish Sunday against Kansas City, but it is clear that Knox is Caleb Hanie’s preferred target.

Who’s not: Hanie, a former Colorado State quarterback, has struggled in his two starts since taking over for former Bronco Jay Cutler, who is out indefinitely with a broken thumb. Hanie had a particularly rough day against the Chiefs, with three interceptions and seven sacks. The Bears also will be without running back Matt Forte, who has a sprained right knee but could return later in the season.

Key stat: The Bears’ defense is allowing fewer than 100 yards rushing per game (99.8), the ninth-best total in the league. The Broncos, meanwhile, have the league’s No. 1-ranked rushing offense (158.9 ypg).

FYI: The Broncos are 1-2 against the NFC North this year and have allowed 126 points in those three games (49 to Green Bay, 45 to Detroit, and 32 to Minnesota). The Bears are averaging 24.2 points per game but have scored only 23 points combined in the two games since Cutler was injured.

Coachspeak: “Don’t blame one guy for this loss. We all had a big say in what happened today.” — Chicago coach Lovie Smith, after a 10-3 loss to Kansas City on Sunday when Hanie struggled

Lindsay H. Jones, The Denver Post