ALLEN PARK — Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall talked about a lot of things during his ESPN tour on Friday.

What Marshall did not say might be of interest to the Detroit Lions.

Marshall, who was traded by the Miami Dolphins to the Chicago Bears this offseason, visited the ESPN campus in Bristol, Conn., today. He appeared on multiple programs, including First Take, SportsCenter and NFL Live.

While in-studio, Marshall discussed a variety of topics, including the incident outside a New York nightclub, why he wrote the op-ed piece in the Chicago Sun-Times after the Junior Seau tragedy, how group therapy is helping him, and reuniting with his former Broncos teammate Jay Cutler.

ESPN’s Trey Wingo asked Marshall what Chicago needs to do to keep up with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the NFC North. Marshall paid homage to Green Bay, but not Detroit.

“I look at it the other way,” Marshall said. “You have to pay respect to the Packers because they won the division, but those teams don’t have a defense like we do. On the offensive side of the ball, we know what we have in Matt Forte and Jay Cutler, and adding me to the passing game — and opening up other alleys for Devin Hester and Earl (Bennett) — it’s just going to make our offense and our team that much better. But what we have that they don’t have is that defense.”

Considering Green Bay finished the regular season 15-1 and recently won a Super Bowl, it might explain why Marshall omitted Detroit in his answer. Green Bay’s success is hard to ignore.

However, Detroit is a pretty good team, too. Detroit does not have Green Bay’s track record of success, but the Lions did split last year’s series with Chicago. Maybe Marshall’s recognition will come after facing Detroit twice this year.

Of course, if you are Lions coach Jim Schwartz, your response to Marshall might be something along the lines of, “When respect equals wins or losses, let me know.”

By: Tony Meale

The 2012 NFL Draft is just one week away so we’ve pulled together a mock draft featuring the first and second rounds for the NFC East. Do you agree with the picks? Comment below.

NFC North

Bears

Bears fans should be optimistic. Chicago was a playoff team before Jay Cutler broke his thumb, and now he will be reunited with former Broncos teammate Brandon Marshall, who gives the Windy City an elite receiver for the first time in, well, a long time.

For the Bears to be a serious Super Bowl threat, they have to shore up the offensive line. There were times last season when Jay Cutler looked like a tackling dummy in practice drills. Chicago has seven picks – one in each round – and should strongly consider using Pick 19 to address this issue. Georgia’s Cordy Glenn, Stanford’s Jonathan Martin, and even Ohio State’s Mike Adams would be solid investments.

There might be some temptation to draft Kendall Wright, an explosive playmaker out of Baylor, but signing Marshall diminishes Wright’s value somewhat – for the Bears, at least. And hey, Devin Hester is still pretty solid in the return game.

If the Bears don’t draft an offensive lineman with their first pick, expect them to look for help in the defensive trenches. The Bears are still an elite defense, but a handful of stalwarts are getting up there in age. Julius Peppers is still a beast, but another pass-rusher off the edge would do wonders for this team. Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus would fill this need admirably.

Lions

The Lions made the playoffs last year for the first time this century, so that’s encouraging. What wasn’t encouraging, however, was that they started 5-0 before going 5-7 the rest of the way; included in that stretch was a 17-point, opening-round playoff loss to New Orleans.

The temptation for the Lions, which have one pick in each of the first five rounds (including 23rd overall), might be to draft another stud defensive lineman. But with Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, among others, defensive line isn’t the biggest need in Detroit; no, that would be cornerback. The Lions, at times, looked lost in the secondary last season. If the Bengals don’t take South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the Lions should pounce.

Offensively, there are two obvious needs: wide receiver and, to a lesser extent, running back. Calvin Johnson is, at worst, a top-five receiver. But he didn’t get much help last year from Nate Burleson and Co. Detroit has solid tight ends, but imagine if Calvin had a legit No. 2 on the other side of the field to loosen up coverages.

Running back, meanwhile, is a bit of a mess. The Lions’ leading rusher last year was Jahvid Best, who finished with a whopping 390 yards. A big part of this, of course, was Best’s inability – and the inability of Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris – to stay healthy, but using a pick on a durable tailback wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

The Lions took a major step forward last year in reaching the playoffs. The next step is winning a playoff game. With the right draft moves, they could do just that.

Packers

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say the offense is fine, but the defense probably needs work. Specifically, the pass rush.

The Packers finished their Super Bowl season second in the league with 47 sacks. Last year, they tied for 27th. And as the New York Giants showed once again, an elite pass rush can put a team over the top in the playoffs, particularly when you can drop guys into coverage against some of the game’s best signal-callers. Green Bay selects 28th overall and should use that pick on someone like Whitney Mercilus or Nick Perry.

As for the secondary, Charles Woodson isn’t getting any younger, so injecting some life in the back four would be good, as would drafting a linebacker to alleviate some pressure on Clay Matthews.

Offensively, the Packers have no weaknesses. The running game isn’t all that imposing – as evidenced by fullback John Kuhn’s team-leading four rushing touchdowns – but Green Bay has bigger fish to fry. The Packers have a dozen picks – including three fourth-rounders and four seventh-rounders – so they’ll have some options and flexibility on draft day. But expect them to go defense early and often.

Vikings

For all the talk about Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, Matt Kalil is one of the most no-doubter third picks in draft history. Part of that is because of his ability, and part of that is because the Vikings desperately need an offensive lineman, particularly after releasing Steve Hutchinson to cut cap space. Minnesota needs to protect Christian Ponder and get some push for Adrian Peterson, who – as perhaps the best tailback in football – sees way too many runs result in zero or negative yards.

The other most pressing offensive need is wide receiver. Migraine issues notwithstanding, Percy Harvin is a good wideout, but he’s not a No. 1. He’s a decent No. 2 and ideally a No. 3 working out of the slot.

Defensively, the Vikings finished 26th against the pass and 21st overall. Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith is worthy of being selected 35th, as is Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard.

Improving the pass defense and adding a couple of weapons for Christian Ponder would go a long way in bolstering the playoff chances for a team that played in the NFC Championship not too long ago.

Tony Meale is a freelance writer for MLB.com, cincinnati.com and ffjungle.com, among others. His fantasy football work has led to guest appearances on several radio outlets, including ESPN Radio and Sirius Radio. He has a Master’s in Journalism from Ohio University and has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for outstanding work. A Cincinnati native, he is currently writing a book on one of the great sports stories never told. Follow Tony Meale on Twitter @tonymeale.

The Chicago Bears ended the 2011 season with an 8-8 mark. This was disappointing considering they had won seven of their first ten games and appeared to be headed toward another playoff appearance. However, injuries to Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, proved to be too much for the team to overcome. With the 2012 schedules being released on April 17, it is time for me to put behind the bad finish to last year and turn the page to the present. Here is a glimpse at some of the marquee games for the Bears in the upcoming season.

Week 2 – at Green Bay Packers:

Considering this is one of the most storied rivalries in football, every game against the Packers is an important one and these two teams will meet early in the 2012 season at Lambeau Field. With victories in both games last year, the Packers have now won four straight against the Bears, dating back to the final game of 2010. While the Bears have made a few improvements during the off-season, this game against the Packers will truly determine if they have closed the talent gap somewhat between the two teams.

Week 7 – vs. Detroit Lions:

The Lions were the laughingstock of the league a few years ago when they finished with an 0-16 record. Behind Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, Detroit got off to its best start in 50 years en route to a rare postseason appearance. While they would lose to the New Orleans Saints in the first round of he playoffs, the Lions proved they are no longer a team that opponents can take for granted. The Bears and Lions split their two games last year, with each team winning on its home field. I expect that trend to continue this year as well.

Week 10 – vs. Houston Texans:

Despite injuries to several key players during the 2011 campaign, the Texans were the top team in the AFC South Division and posted the franchise’s first-ever playoff win with a 31-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bears‘ defense will definitely have their hands full trying to contain the Texans’ talented trio of Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson.

Week 11 – at San Francisco 49ers:

The 49ers surprised a lot of people in 2011, posting a 13-3 mark to win their division and making their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade. The 49ers showed their regular season success was no fluke as they advanced to the NFC Championship game and almost defeated the New York Giants. If not for a couple of turnovers late in the game, they would have represented the NFC in the Super Bowl . Being that the 49ers only lost one game at home last year, I expect them to be a tough opponent in this match-up.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area, who has been a Bears’ fan for over 20 seasons. James is also a Featured Sports Contributor for Yahoo and a Sports Journalist for SportsRantz Magazine. Follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Sources:

“Still Prime-Time Players”, Sean Jensen, Chicago Sun-Times

Texans Team History

2011 NFL Standings

The NFL has released the 2012 schedule, and the Chicago Bears will have a tough road ahead of them if they hope to make the postseason. Between three Monday night games and tough competition in the NFC North, the Bears have their work cut out for them. The first game may be the key to giving the team the boost that they need to get them through the season and make it to the playoffs.

Season Opener May Provide a Confidence Boost

The Bears will host the Indianapolis Colts in their first game of the year. With a new head coach and a new starting quarterback, the Colts may not be as steady for the first game as they may be later in the season. It is presumed, of course, that Andrew Luck will go to the Colts in the first round of the draft. Constant comparisons to Peyton Manning won’t do much to calm the rookie’s nerves in his NFL debut. Look for the Bears to have a strong pass rush this game.

Monday night games present challenges

The Bears have three Monday night games this season. They will meet the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and the San Francisco 49ers in the three games. None of the teams will be easy to beat, but expect the Lions game to be especially brutal. Neither team has forgotten the ugly game last year; D.J. Moore was ejected from the game, and there were plenty personal fouls accrued on both sides of the field. The game won’t just be about bruised egos from last season; both teams are contenders this year. It may just turn out to be the best Monday night game of the season.

NFC North Will Be A Tough Conference

The Lions are expected to do as well as last season or better, and the Green Bay Packers are still the Packers, so the four games that the Bears have against the teams won’t be easy victories. Green Bay will host the Bears in the second game of the season, and Chicago will only have a few days rest between the opener and this game. The only break that the Bears may get will be in the two games against the Minnesota Vikings, since this season should be a rebuilding year for them. The Bears will meet all three other teams in the conference in the final four weeks of the regular season, with their last game being played in Detroit.

Bears Regular-Season Schedule

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week 2: Thursday, Sept. 13, at Green Bay Packers

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, vs. St. Louis Rams

Week 4: Monday, Oct. 1, at Dallas Cowboys

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 6: Bye Week

Week 7: Monday, Oct. 22, vs. Detroit Lions

Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, at Tennessee Titans

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, vs. Houston Texans

Week 11: Monday, Nov. 19, at San Francisco 49ers

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, vs Minnesota Vikings

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Minnesota Vikings

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, at Arizona Cardinals

Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at Detroit Lions

Whitney Levon is a Chicago native whose dedication to the Bears goes back to her first football memory; the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl victory. She has been covering the Chicago Bears and other Chicago teams since 2010. You can follow her on Twitter @wlevon1 .

They include a Week 2 trip to the Green Bay Packers (Thursday night), a Week 4 trip to the Dallas Cowboys (Monday night), a Week 6 game hosting the Detroit Lions (Monday night), a Week 10 game hosting the Houston Texans (Sunday night) and another the following week, at the San Francisco 49ers (Monday night).

That should leave no doubt about the entertainment value, if not competitiveness, the NFL is expecting from the Bears after the reunion of receiver Brandon Marshall and quarterback Jay Cutler, along with other offseason improvements.

Complaint department: Soldier Field is a great advantage in the second half of the season, but the Bears will play three of their final four games on the road. They’ll no doubt appreciate hosting the Packers in Week 14, but they’ll conclude the season with a long trip to the Arizona Cardinals followed by a season finale at the Lions, a game that figures to carry heavy playoff implications.

For openers: Like the Packers, the Bears play their first two games in five days. Unlike the Packers, however, the Bears don’t get both of them at home. After hosting the Indianapolis Colts in the Sept. 9 opener, they’ll travel to Lambeau Field on Sept. 13. But as quick road turnarounds go, it doesn’t get any easier than the quick trip trip between Chicago and Green Bay.

Bears Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, Indianapolis, 1:00 PM

Week 2: Thursday, Sept. 13, at Green Bay, 8:20 PM

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, St. Louis, 1:00 PM

Week 4: Monday, Oct. 1, at Dallas, 8:30 PM

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at Jacksonville, 4:05 PM

Week 6: BYE

Week 7: Monday, Oct. 22, Detroit, 8:30 PM

Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, Carolina, 1:00 PM

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, at Tennessee, 1:00 PM

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, Houston, 8:20 PM

Week 11: Monday, Nov. 19, at San Francisco, 8:30 PM

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, Minnesota, 1:00 PM

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, Seattle, 1:00 PM

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Minnesota, 1:00 PM

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, Green Bay, 1:00 PM

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, at Arizona, 4:15 PM

Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at Detroit, 1:00 PM

LAKE FOREST — Although most of the blame for the Chicago Bears’ epic collapse is going the offense’s way, the defensive players insisted on taking a share of the responsibility for the six-game slide as well.

“Especially the last two weeks, 38 and 35 points, that’s not going to win very many games, I don’t care who’s playing quarterback for you,” Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher said.

“We haven’t gotten any takeaways in two weeks, no pressure on the quarterback. You’re not going to win a lot of games doing that. At times we’ve held up our end of the bargain, but at times we haven’t.”

The 73 points given up by the Bears is the worst two-game total for a Chicago defense in 13 years. Last week, the defense was dominated by a rag-tag Green Bay Packer offensive line missing its top three tackles.

“We were right there before things kind of started slipping away,” defensive end Israel Idonije said. “We were in a great position, and we were just really poised to do something special. For that to slip away makes it tougher.”

Last week, the Packers opened and closed the first half with touchdown drives against the Bears and put together three straight scoring drives to ice the game in the second half.

The Bears also faded in the second half in Week 15 at home, and to a team (Seattle) they were supposed to beat. The Seahawks outscored Chicago 31-0 in the second half. Still, 14 of those points were on Caleb Hanie interceptions returned for TDs, and the Bears defense did only surrender 286 total yards.

But no matter how they look at it, this latest stretch for Chicago has not been an enjoyable one.

“You can say we did our job,” Urlacher added, “but we won’t say we did.”

Cornerback Charles Tillman, recently named to his first Pro Bowl, said this defense — this team, for that matter — is close to being great.

“This team we have is very capable. This is a championship team,” Tillman said. “Even though we’re not going to make the championship this year, we’ll take a shot at it next year.”

Bears reporter Jay Taft can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

When the Chicago Bears faced the Green Packers on December 25 ^th, the only question on my mind was whether or not the Bears would be able to keep the game close. With four of their offensive players out with injuries, one could hardly blame me for my pessimistic perspective. While the Bears failed to eliminate the Packers from playoff contention a year ago, the Packers were not in a charitable mood as they defeated Chicago 35-21 to clinch their 14 ^th victory on the season and the top seed in the NFC. Here is my spin on how the Bears played on both sides of the ball.

Offense:

It’s rather sad to say this, but the 21 point output against Green Bay was the most the Bears have scored since their last win five weeks ago. Considering that he had not started in an NFL game in four years, Josh McCown played decently, going 19-for-28 for 242 yards with 1 touchdown and two interceptions. He was definitely an upgrade from Caleb Hanie, but unfortunately for the Bears, it took them losing four games before they made the switch.

The offensive line also did a good job of protecting McCown and the Bears actually had more total yards (441) than the Packers (363), including 199 yards on the ground. However, Chicago was simply unable to generate scoring drives consistently, which is a recipe for disaster against a team like the Packers.

Defense:

The Bears’ defensive philosophy is to bend, but not break. In other words, the number of yards allowed doesn’t matter as long as they don’t give up a ton of points. Well against the Packers, the Bears’ defense was broken several times over. Starting on their opening drive, the Packers marched 80 yards on nine plays to take an early 7-0 lead., which pretty much set the tone for the game.

After the Bears trimmed the lead to 14-10 early in the third quarter, Aaron Rodgers (21-of-29, 283 yards), responded with a 55-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Jordy Nelson, which essentially put the game out of reach. Aaron Rodgers threw for a career-high five touchdowns and Jordy Nelson torched the Bears’ secondary with 115 reception yards on six catches.

Following their fifth consecutive loss, the Bears are now eliminated from playoff contention. Regardless of whether or not they beat the Minnesota Vikings next week, there are a number of issues the Bears will need to address both on the field as well as the front office.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been an NFL fan for over 20 years. James is also a fan blogger on Yahoo Sports and NJFFL Dynasty. For interesting topics on the NFL, NBA and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Sources:

NBC Channel 5

“Early score sets the tone”, Sean Jensen, Chicago Sun-Times

“Mr. Rodgers not a friend of Bears”, Rick Morrissey, Chicago Sun-Times

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

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – The Chicago Bears placed their slim
playoff hopes in the hands of quarterback Josh McCown and running
back Kahlil Bell in a prime-time road game against the defending
Super Bowl champions.

It didn’t turn out quite as badly as it sounded going in. Bell
rushed for 121 yards, and McCown made enough plays to keep the game
close into the third quarter.

But it wasn’t good enough to keep the Bears in the playoff chase.
Aaron Rodgers threw five touchdowns, and the Green Bay Packers beat
Chicago 35-21 on Sunday night.

“Yeah, that’s what this business is all about, getting a chance to
showcase your abilities,” said Bell, a third-year player out of
UCLA. “Tonight, I had a good shot and a good chance to get out
there and play and try to make some plays for our team. Just
unfortunate that we fell short.”

With the win, the Packers nailed down the No. 1 seed in the NFC and
claimed another round of bragging rights in the NFL’s most storied
rivalry. The loss eliminated the Bears (7-8) from postseason
contention and put the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs.

The Bears trailed by only four points early in the third quarter,
but Rodgers drove the Packers for touchdowns on their next three
possessions to put the game out of reach.

“When you play the Super Bowl champions, you have to be on top of
your game,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “Offensively, we did
enough things to keep us in the game and have a chance to win the
game at the end. But defensively we just didn’t have it.”

The Bears have lost five straight games since losing quarterback
Jay Cutler to a broken right thumb in a Nov. 20 victory over San
Diego. Chicago was 7-3 then.

The Bears started McCown on Sunday after backup Caleb Hanie
struggled to fill in for Cutler. McCown’s most recent start came
with the Oakland Raiders in 2007, and he was out of the NFL last
season.

McCown was 19 of 28 for 242 yards with a touchdown and two
interceptions.

“All I know is, my number was called tonight and I played as hard
as I could,” McCown said. “The bottom line is, we still came up
short. We have to protect the football better. You can’t have those
two (interceptions).”

To make matters worse for the Bears’ offense, Barber was inactive
because of a calf injury. Chicago already was without Forte, who
missed his third straight game because of a sprained medial
collateral ligament in his right knee.

Chicago did have Devin Hester, who played despite a lingering ankle
injury, but he didn’t look like himself.

The Bears were able to stay in the game early, with solid defense
and tough running by Bell and Armando Allen. Rodgers’ second-half
fireworks proved to be too much for Chicago.

“Thirty-five points on that defense, that’s a good night,” Packers
coach Mike McCarthy said.

The victory was the Packers’ fourth over the Bears in 2011. Green
Bay also beat Chicago in the 2010 regular-season finale, the NFC
Championship game, and at Soldier Field on Sept. 25.

With the Bears trailing 14-3 at halftime, McCown found Earl Bennett
wide open for a 49-yard gain to set up first-and-goal on the 1.
Bell fumbled just short of the goal line on the next play but
offensive lineman Edwin Williams recovered the ball for a
touchdown.

With the Packers nursing a four-point lead, and the Lambeau Field
crowd nervously quiet early in the third quarter, Rodgers answered
by dropping deep and throwing a rainbow pass to Nelson, who blew
through the Chicago secondary and hauled in the ball for a 55-yard
touchdown.

Rodgers then showed his running ability on the Packers’ next
possession, juking his way between linebackers Brian Urlacher and
Lance Briggs on a scramble. Rodgers finished the drive with a
7-yard touchdown toss to Jones, giving the Packers a commanding
28-10 lead.

Packers safety Charlie Peprah came up with an interception, and
Rodgers found Nelson for another score to give Green Bay a 35-10
lead.

McCown finally answered with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Kellen Davis – then drew the ire of the Lambeau crowd by scrambling
for a two-point conversion and spiking the ball over the goalpost
with his team trailing 35-18.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Ten things to take away from the Chicago Bears’ 35-21 loss Sunday night to the Green Bay Packers:

1. Going into the game, I planned to write about the gap between the wide receivers for the Bears and the Packers, a topic that is worth plenty of discussion in terms of Aaron Rodgers dueling against Jay Cutler in the years to come.

But after the Bears put up a season-high 441 yards offense against the Packers in their loss at Lambeau Field, we first have to examine the collapse of the defense in a game that eliminated Lovie Smith’s team from the postseason for the fourth time in five years. It has to be the primary concern because this is a franchise built around the defense for a coach with a defensive background and a general manager who has had his most success drafting on that side of the ball.

The Bears are supposed to be able to compete against Rodgers and the Packers because of their defense. Prior to this season, the Packers had scored more than 21 points against the Bears on just one occasion. They had answers for Mike McCarthy’s offense.

“They had a great defense,” Rodgers said Sunday night after he had a career-best five touchdown passes before being pulled with 7 minutes, 54 seconds remaining in the game. “They’re very well coached. I have a lot of respect for coach (Lovie) Smith and coach (Rod) Marinelli and the job they’ve done for them. I have played them nine times as a starter and it’s always a difficult game — physical, the mental chess match that goes on between Brian (Urlacher) and myself. They played a lot more one-high than they usually do against us and guys were able to get open and we made some plays down the field.”

Smith and Marinelli got all the offense they could have expected from 32-year-old journeyman quarterback Josh McCown and No. 3 running back Kahlil Bell. The offense controlled the ball for 35:48, 11:36 longer than the Packers had it, and the Bears ran 19 more offensive plays than Green Bay. The defense hadn’t been good enough to carry the team to a victory over the previous month. In this instance, the defense was fresh and it couldn’t even keep the Bears in the game. You name it, it went wrong. They couldn’t get off the field when it counted as Green Bay converted five of nine third downs. The pass rush against an offensive line that was missing both starting tackles was anemic. The coverage was frequently compromised.

“Defensively, just didn’t have it tonight,” Smith said.

It was 14-10 early in the third quarter after left guard Edwin Williams recovered a fumble by Bell in the end zone for a touchdown. The Packers struck back almost immediately with a play that cost Chris Harris his starting job back in October. Jordy Nelson ran a Pump-8. He faked a corner route and then ran a  post ( 8 route). Free safety Major Wright did just what the Packers hoped for — he opened his hips and got turned around. All Nelson had to do was run under the 55-yard bomb from Rodgers for a touchdown, one of a career-high five for the quarterback. It’s the same route Calvin Johnson ran to burn the Bears at Ford Field earlier this season.

“That was a designed play,” Rodgers said. “With Jordy, we were trying to get him on a safety. We were fortunate enough to get two-high coverage there, which really allows him to run free on the safety. On the backside, (strong safety Craig) Steltz was kind of hanging low with (tight end) Jermichael (Finley), who was running a deep crossing pattern. The protection is usually pretty good in that type of play. I had plenty of time, raised up and kind of had a spot on the field I wanted to hit, the far hash. I put the kind of throw I wanted to on it and Jordy did a nice job running underneath it.”

Said Wright: “It’s a hard play because Nelson fakes one way and comes back in the other way. That’s it.”

That pushed the Packers’ lead to 11 and after a three-and-punt, Green Bay mounted a 75-yard drive that was capped by Rodgers 7-yard touchdown pass to James Jones, one of two on the night for him. It was a back shoulder throw and cornerback Zack Bowman, in the Cover-1 Rodgers was describing, was almost helpless. Rodgers had picked the Bears apart earlier on quick slants. There were three touchdown passes on quick slants — a 2-yarder to tight end Finley, a 2-yarder to Jones and a 2-yarder to Nelson.

The slant was there time and time again. Bowman, who was beaten twice on the slant, wasn’t quick enough to make a play on the ball and the receivers are split so wide that there is no way safety help can arrive in time. That’s the way the defense is designed, with the defensive backs taught to take away the outside. It’s why you see opponents hit the Bears in that spot.

“They are playing the fade route,” Finley explained. “And once you play the fade route and you give them the stick, they’re going to jump out the window.”

It happens seemingly year after year in this rivalry.

“It’s a thing of beauty,” Finley said.

Is he surprised the Bears have not adjusted with something vs. the Packers, especially in the red zone?

“If I was the defensive coordinator, I would try to come up with ways to stop it,” he said. “But hey, I can’t fix what are their problems.”

Rodgers said the Packers were careful to include both the quick slant and the back shoulder throw in their game plan in the tight red zone — inside the 10- or 5-yard lines.

“A little bit of both,” he said. “We had good plays called and guys ran good routes. We run a number of fades down in the red zone, and we’ve had some success with those. We mixed it up a little bit and had some success with the slants.”

The Chicago Bears placed their slim playoff hopes in the hands of quarterback Josh McCown and running back Kahlil Bell in a prime-time road game against the defending Super Bowl champions.

It didn’t turn out quite as badly as it sounded going in. Bell rushed for 121 yards, and McCown made enough plays to keep the game close into the third quarter.

But it wasn’t good enough to keep the Bears in the playoff chase. Aaron Rodgers threw five touchdowns, and the Green Bay Packers beat Chicago 35-21 on Sunday night.

“Yeah, that’s what this business is all about, getting a chance to showcase your abilities,” said Bell, a third-year player out of UCLA. “Tonight, I had a good shot and a good chance to get out there and play and try to make some plays for our team. Just unfortunate that we fell short.”

With the win, the Packers nailed down the No. 1 seed in the NFC and claimed another round of bragging rights in the NFL’s most storied rivalry. The loss eliminated the Bears (7-8) from postseason contention and put the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs.

The Bears trailed by only four points early in the third quarter, but Rodgers drove the Packers for touchdowns on their next three possessions to put the game out of reach.

“When you play the Super Bowl champions, you have to be on top of your game,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “Offensively, we did enough things to keep us in the game and have a chance to win the game at the end. But defensively we just didn’t have it.”

The Bears have lost five straight games since losing quarterback Jay Cutler to a broken right thumb in a Nov. 20 victory over San Diego. Chicago was 7-3 then.

The Bears started McCown on Sunday after backup Caleb Hanie struggled to fill in for Cutler. McCown’s most recent start came with the Oakland Raiders in 2007, and he was out of the NFL last season.

McCown was 19 of 28 for 242 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

“All I know is, my number was called tonight and I played as hard as I could,” McCown said. “The bottom line is, we still came up short. We have to protect the football better. You can’t have those two (interceptions).”

To make matters worse for the Bears’ offense, Barber was inactive because of a calf injury. Chicago already was without Forte, who missed his third straight game because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Chicago did have Devin Hester, who played despite a lingering ankle injury, but he didn’t look like himself.

The Bears were able to stay in the game early, with solid defense and tough running by Bell and Armando Allen. Rodgers’ second-half fireworks proved to be too much for Chicago.

“Thirty-five points on that defense, that’s a good night,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

The victory was the Packers’ fourth over the Bears in 2011. Green Bay also beat Chicago in the 2010 regular-season finale, the NFC Championship game, and at Soldier Field on Sept. 25.

With the Bears trailing 14-3 at halftime, McCown found Earl Bennett wide open for a 49-yard gain to set up first-and-goal on the 1. Bell fumbled just short of the goal line on the next play but offensive lineman Edwin Williams recovered the ball for a touchdown.

With the Packers nursing a four-point lead, and the Lambeau Field crowd nervously quiet early in the third quarter, Rodgers answered by dropping deep and throwing a rainbow pass to Nelson, who blew through the Chicago secondary and hauled in the ball for a 55-yard touchdown.

Rodgers then showed his running ability on the Packers’ next possession, juking his way between linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs on a scramble. Rodgers finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown toss to Jones, giving the Packers a commanding 28-10 lead.

Packers safety Charlie Peprah came up with an interception, and Rodgers found Nelson for another score to give Green Bay a 35-10 lead.

McCown finally answered with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis — then drew the ire of the Lambeau crowd by scrambling for a two-point conversion and spiking the ball over the goalpost with his team trailing 35-18.

“I was overcome with Christmas joy, I guess,” McCown said.

Now the Bears will be home for the playoffs.

“It’s tough,” offensive lineman Roberto Garza said. “We had a lot of big goals for the season. We had a lot of injuries, but that doesn’t matter. We have to step in, guys have to step up and make plays. We haven’t done that. We haven’t been able to score enough points. We haven’t been able to finish plays. Obviously, it falls squarely on us. We have to go out and do a better job of that.”

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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LAKE FOREST — Last season the Packers were ravaged by injuries, filling the injured-reserve list with 15 players throughout the course of the year. They even lost a star on each side of the ball (Charles Woodson and Donald Driver) by halftime of the Super Bowl.

Did it set them back?

“No way,” said Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews, who was part of that 2010 Super Bowl title run.

This year it’s the Bears who have been beset by injuries, the most costly of which was the broken thumb of Jay Cutler and the sprained knee on Matt Forte.

Did they lose any steam because of injuries?

“Well,” Bears center Roberto Garza recently said, “I guess you could say they’ve knocked us back a bit.”

So why did the mounds of injuries not slow down the Packers, but they turned the Bears from a title contender into a team besieged by a four-game losing streak? Packers head coach Mike McCarthy insists his squad was able to sustain the barrage of setbacks because of the way it built its roster depth.

“I couldn’t really give you an informed opinion on how the Bears are handling their injury situation, but I know that for us, something you always want to feel strongly about is your roster. And how you train your players from one through 53 is part of the ability to overcome these types of injuries,” McCarthy explained. “We try to spend as much time as we possibly can with our younger players to make sure that when these situations arise, they’re ready to go.”

It worked well for them last year, and they may need that depth again this year. The Packers were fairly healthy throughout much of this season, but they have stumbled on hard times of late. This week alone they added rookie tackle Derek Sherrod to the injured-reserve list, bringing it up to six players, and they have already ruled out tackles Bryan Bulaga and Chad Clifton, wide receiver Greg Jennings and defensive end Ryan Pickett.

And all of this comes on the heels of the team’s first loss — a 19-14 defeat to the struggling Chiefs.

“There’s never such a thing as a good loss,” Matthews said, “but there’s definitely things you can take away from a loss, as far as how we need to play and respond moving forward into the playoffs.”

If they move forward the way they did last year — when the injuries piled up and they rattled off six straight wins capped off by a Super Bowl championship — they’ll be fine. The Bears can only hope they can pull something like that off as well.

“It’s very important to get all of our starters back out there,” Bears head coach Lovie Smith said this week. “No matter what, we’re going to have more guys than we would like on the sideline for a game like this.”

His offensive coordinator likened it to a mash unit as he looked for ways to figure out who all the new guys are.
“We’re going to put names on tape and put them on their helmets so we can get to know everybody,” Mike Martz said with a chuckle.

But the Bears have not been laughing about their injury situation much of late. Not only did they lose Cutler and Forte during their best seasons as a pro, but they just added wide receiver Johnny Knox and safety Chris Conte to IR, and they have a slew of questionable players this week. Stars in all phases (defensive tackle Henry Melton, running back Marion Barber and kick returner Devin Hester) could be missing from the Bears’ active roster Sunday in Green Bay.

And, at this most inopportune time, the Bears are turning to third-string QB Josh McCown, a recent free-agent pickup who is considered injury prone even by his own coaches.

“Unfortunately,” Martz said, “in his career, when he’s gotten going, he’s usually gotten injured or nicked.”

If he does this time, he will join a long list. Chicago currently has eight players on injured reserve, after having only two make that grade last year. And that’s not counting the two most severe losses: Cutler and Forte, who have not yet been ruled out for the year.

The Bears are clearly nervous. The Packers feel a little bit more at ease with their issues after they ignored them so well last year. But that doesn’t mean they’re not worried about it, like the Bears.

“It’s a situation everybody goes through. We had a bunch of injuries last year, and we understand how it feels and really the approach you need to take,” McCarthy added. “You don’t want to get injuries, you especially don’t want to get injuries down the stretch, but that’s part of our challenge preparing for the Bears.”

And this year, it’s part of the challenge for the Bears as well.

Jay Taft covers the Chicago Bears for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.