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.

The 2011 season will be a painful one for Chicago Bears fans to remember. Not long ago, the Bears were 7-3 and rolling toward the playoffs. However, the team has lost five straight games due in large part to some major injuries. Chicago officially hung up the towel on their two most important offensive players. Matt Forte and Jay Cutler were both placed on the injured reserve list. That means that neither player will appear in the regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

Neither of these moves should be a surprise. It was widely assumed that Cutler was out for the year when he injured his thumb against the San Diego Chargers in Week 12. It was also considered a long shot for Forte to return for the season finale. He sprained his MCL in Week 14 in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Bears kept hope alive by keeping both players off the injured reserve list. That hope is officially over.

Cutler had pins removed from his hand recently and there was no way he was going to play in this game. He should make a full recovery and be fine going forward. However, his thumb injury was serious enough to warrant the surgery that essentially ended his season. Meanwhile, Forte’s injury figured to take more than a month to recover from. A running back with a sprained MCL needs time to heal. The Bears would have been risking a lot by bringing him back for this game. By putting him on the injured reserve list, the Bears will give Forte rest and ensure that he can return healthy in 2012.

The season started slipping away when Cutler was hurt. Chicago did not have a capable replacement in Caleb Hanie and promptly lost a couple of games. Things got even worse when Forte was injured. As such a huge part of the offense, Forte might have been a league MVP contender before he got hurt. Without him, Chicago could manage nothing. They haven’t even looked competitive with both players out of the lineup. By officially ruling them out of the final game, the Bears can start thinking about a 2012 season in which both players are healthy.

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December 28, 2011 (LAKE FOREST, Ill.) —
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 the Bears since they had eight in the 2006 season. Six-time Pro Bowler Julius Peppers, who leads the team with 10 sacks, was among the Chicago players who did not make it.

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). He is the ninth player overall to be voted to seven Pro Bowls as a Bear.

The pick comes after he made a hard push before the season for a new contract even though he had three years left on a six-year deal. Management shot down his request, but did try to get something done with Forte, whose rookie contract is expiring.

Those negotiations went nowhere, but he was having his best season before a hit to the knee against Kansas City on Dec. 4 cut it short. Forte was leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,487), ranked third in the league in yards rushing (997) and ranked fourth among all running backs with 490 yards receiving before missing the past three games.

That didn’t stop him from becoming the first Bears running back to make to the Pro Bowl since Neal Anderson following the 1991 season.

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

Graham has 20 special teams tackles, and his selection was the eighth by a Bears player under coordinator Dave Toub. Devin Hester (2006-07, 2010) and Johnny Knox (2009) have made it for returns, with kicker Robbie Gould (2006) and Brendon Ayanbadejo (2006 and 2007) also getting picked.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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. – 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 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”

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The Chicago Bears (7-7) play at the Green Bay Packers (13-1) tonight at 7:20 p.m. in a nationally televised game on NBC. The Packers can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a win.

Sunday, 7:20 p.m., NBC

Notes: 

• Packers’ loss at Kansas City last Sunday broke 19-game winning streak and was first loss in nearly a year, having lost at New England on Dec. 19, 2010.
• Will be fourth meeting between Bears and Packers in 2011. Two teams faced off in 2010 regular season finale, NFC championship game, and earlier this season. 
• QB Aaron Rodgers is first Packers player and fifth player overall in NFL history to throw 40-plus touchdowns in season.
• Josh McCown replaces Caleb Hanie as Bears starting QB after Hanie struggled in wake of Jay Cutler’s thumb injury. McCown hasn’t started a game since Dec. 23, 2007, for Oakland against Jacksonville.
• Cutler remains out, and RB Matt Forte expected to remain sidelined with knee injury.

Times-Picayune predictions

The Chicago Bears won’t be home for Christmas. However, if they don’t find a way to upset the Green Bay Packers on Christmas night? They’ll be home for the playoffs.

Bears head coach Lovie Smith received more discouraging news in regards to the health of the remaining players on the Bears’ roster. Devin Hester has always been a threat as a return specialist against the Packers’ suspect special-teams coverage units. The Bears need him because of injuries and legal issues that have decimated the receiving unit.

Hester missed the entire week of practice with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable as of December 23, 2011. Smith claimed that the chances of Hester playing weren’t looking very good. The injury would force Earl Bennett into the role of punt return specialist.

Here are a few other key players who may be sidelined for the Bears as they fight to keep their slim playoff hopes alive on Christmas night.

Jay Cutler (Out)

Jay Cutler is still recovering from surgery that he had on a broken thumb on his throwing hand. Following a 7-3 start with Cutler, the Bears have lost four consecutive games with Caleb Hanie as his replacement. Josh McCown will get the start as he’s only completed two passes since the 2007-08 season.

Matt Forte (Out)

Matt Forte suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Forte has been ruled out for this game. He was leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage before the injury. This will force McCown to make some plays in the passing game.

Johnny Knox (Out)

The Chicago Bears lost their go-to receiver after he was placed on injured reserve with a back injury earlier this week. Knox would’ve been the return specialist had Hester not played. Bears special-teams coordinator Dave Toub will likely rely on Earl Bennett and Armando Allen if Hester can’t play.

Marion Barber (Doubtful)

Along with Matt Forte, Marion Barber is also expected to miss this game with a calf injury. Kahlil Bell and Armando Allen would receive the majority of carries in their absences. Allen may also handle the kickoff return duties if Hester can’t play. This will be Bell’s second career start.

Lance Briggs (Questionable)

Lance Briggs was a limited participant during practice on Friday. Henry Melton and Briggs are game-time decisions.

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The Chicago Bears choice of who to start at quarterback would have been a much bigger deal a few weeks ago. As it stands, the Bears are all but out of the playoff race. Despite a number of teams still being in the race, victories by the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions have turned everyone else into long shots. Since Caleb Hanie has taken over for the Bears, nothing has gone according to plan. The Bears have lost all four games and have fallen out of the superb position they once found themselves. Reports are circulating that the Bears —depending on the quality of practice—will give Josh McCown a chance to start against the rival Green Bay Packers.

Eh, OK. Why not?

Hanie just hasn’t produced. When Jay Cutler went down, I sincerely believed the Bears would survive with Hanie at the helm. I clearly missed the mark on that one. I suppose at this point the Bears may as well give McCown a shot. Though, since hopes of the playoffs have mostly gone by the wayside, I wouldn’t mind letting Nathan Enderle take the start. However, since the Bears aren’t mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, I understand why Lovie Smith is leaning towards the veteran quarterback, even if he’s not all that good of one.

McCown hasn’t played for an extended period of time since 2007, when he started nine games for the Oakland Raiders. During that time, he threw for 1,151 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The numbers aren’t impressive, but his attitude is pretty strong saying he’s “the last guy who sits there and says, ‘I hope this guy struggles so I can play.’ We all have Bears uniforms on. We’re all part of this team together, and you want your team to do well.” Classy response to be sure, but I’m thinking he’s pretty happy to have a shot at starting.

What is strange about the upcoming Bears game against the Packers is that it’s a game that has been circled on everyone’s calendar since the beginning of the season and now looks to be mostly meaningless. The Bears have fallen out of major contention, the Packers have clinched the division, and the Packers are no longer chasing perfection thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs. Suddenly, a game between the Bears and the Packers on Week 16 that was setting up to be an enormous game means very little. Who would have thought just four weeks ago that this would be the case?

All things considered, we might see McCown start for the Bears against their rivals on Sunday, or McCown might have an awful week of practice and it’ll be Hanie again. Either way, the Bears have their work cut out for them.

Brian is a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, having lived in Illinois his entire life and having followed the NFL throughout. If you enjoy his writing, despite it being little more than an opinion, follow him on Twitter @bdavis_sports

Sources

Bears May Start McCown

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