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Myriad Injuries Added to Week 12 Insult

Monday, 8:12 a.m.

LB Lance Briggs
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Now that the playoffs are no longer a possibility, the question for the 4-7 Bears is: How far will they fall?

A promising 3-1 start has been all but forgotten after losses in six of seven games since then.

Depending upon the severity of Sunday injuries to Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs (knee), cornerback Charles Tillman (head), left tackle Orlando Pace (groin) and defensive end Alex Brown (leg), the Bears may not be able to get it back together this season.

"As far as regrouping, today we feel like crap," said Bears coach Lovie Smith, whose team played like it felt. "No way around it. It's not a good feeling that we have right now. But after a loss like that, that's how it is."

The Bears get a break in the schedule this week, when they play host to the lowly Rams, but the lopsided, 36-10 loss to the Vikings in Week 12 doesn't provide much optimism. In previous losses, the Bears suffered breakdowns in one phase of the game, but their latest loss was a team effort, a total collapse.

"We didn't measure up very well," Brown said. "They're a team that is tops in the league, and we're not. We're not playing like a good team."

The numbers were as ugly as the locker-room mood of players who know they have nothing left to play for but pride after blowing the 3-1 start.

The Vikings piled up 537 yards of total offense, while controlling the ball for 40 minutes and 55 seconds. Both totals were by far the worst of a bad season for the Bears, who had just 169 total yards, 106 less than their previous lowest total of the year. The Vikings had 31 first downs to the Bears' 8 and converted 67 percent (12 of 18) of their third downs to the Bears' 25 percent (2 of 8).

The Vikings' Brett Favre threw for a season-high 392 yards, completing 32 of 48 passes with three touchdowns and a passer rating of 112.5. He became the latest in a series of veteran quarterbacks who have dissected the Bears' defense. Since Oct. 25, Carson Palmer, Kurt Warner, Donovan McNabb and now Favre have each compiled passer ratings of over 100 and carved up the Bears for a combined 15 touchdowns while being intercepted just twice.

"We're all professional athletes," Briggs said. "There are very few teams that are athletically that much better than another team. So, when it comes down to it, when you play football the way you are supposed to, when you do all of your assignments and you're as sound as you can be, then you put yourself in a position to not get blown out like we got blown out."

Courtesy of The Sports Xchange

Pressure Mounting on Smith in a Hurry

Sunday, 11:22 a.m.

Lovie Smith
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In hindsight, maybe coach Lovie Smith should have made overmatched defensive coordinator Bob Babich the scapegoat of his porous defense after last season, when the Bears finished 21st in the NFL in total yards allowed after being 28th the year before. But Smith instead decided to "demote" his buddy Babich back to linebackers coach and take over the play-calling duties on D himself, claiming that nobody was more qualified to coordinate his version of the Cover 2 than he was.

But following a 36-10 shellacking at the hands of the NFC North rival Vikings, who ran up 537 yards of total offense Sunday and converted 12 out of 18 third-down opportunities, it's clear that the Monsters of the Midway are no longer equipped to stop a capable opponent no matter who is at the controls. Minnesota averaged 4.7 yards per carry, 7.7 yards per pass attempt and 6.5 yards per play overall. Brett Favre completed 32 of his 48 throws for 392 yards and three touchdowns without being intercepted, good enough for a passer rating of 112.5, even though Smith had a strong track record against No. 4 when he was still wearing a Packers uniform.

Now at 4-7, losers of six of their last seven games and with tough matchups remaining against the Packers, Ravens and these same Vikings again, the Bears are out of the postseason conversation and clearly in rebuilding mode for 2010. However, with a key contributor like Adewale Ogunleye scheduled to be a free agent, a depreciating asset like Tommie Harris due for a $2.5 million roster bonus in March and no Round-1 or Round-2 selections coming in April's NFL Draft, fans have to wonder if Chicago can turn around what had been one of the league's best defensive units during Smith's first few campaigns. Consequently, perhaps it's time to turn the page on the increasingly unpopular Smith and start fresh with a new coach and a new philosophy.

But if you're the enterprising type and feel the Bears have no choice but to hand Smith his walking papers after the season, I'm afraid one potential money maker is off the table. FireLovieSmith.com is already up and running.

Stage Set for Long Day in the Trenches

Sunday, 11:59 a.m.

C Olin Kreutz
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The Monsters of the Midway have had a devil of a time protecting franchise quarterback Jay Cutler all season long, and that task becomes increasingly difficult this week at Minnesota.

Future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace has been a shell of his former self at left tackle for the Bears, and now he'll face his most challenging opponent on the schedule in All-Pro Jared Allen. The high-energy Allen humiliated John St. Clair in two games last year facing Chicago, and with Pace not proving to be much of an upgrade over St. Clair despite his seven Pro Bowl appearances, Allen is going to be a menace off the edge all game long. While Cutler does a good job avoiding pressure with his athleticism and hasn't been sacked that much all things considered, being forced to get rid of the ball sooner than he would like has led to many of his league-leading 18 interceptions.

At center, Olin Kreutz is another candidate for Canton but, like Pace, is running out of gas and not nearly as effective as he used to be. He'll be matched up against the mammoth Pat Williams, who is also somewhat long in the tooth but, unlike Kreutz, is still playing at a high level and a big part of a Minnesota run defense that continues to be one of the NFL's elite. Kreutz has been whistled for a fair amount of penalties so far this year, both pre- and post-snap, so that's something to keep an eye on Sunday at the Metrodome.

All signs point to Cutler being forced to single-handedly carry the offense once again because Matt Forte and the ground game can't offer much support, meaning Pace and Kreutz have to play better than they have in order for their strong-armed signal caller to have a chance.

Not Looking Good for Bears at Minnesota

Friday, 8:01 a.m.

DE Adewale Ogunleye
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Having already lost games by 35 and 20 points to 7-3 teams, the prospect of facing the 9-1 Vikings seems a bit daunting for the 4-6 Bears.

"Everybody's expecting us to lose," nose tackle Anthony Adams said. "They've got Brett Favre, they've got Adrian Peterson and [guard Steve] Hutchinson, a great offensive line, a great defensive line, and they've got a lot of things going for them. Everybody's expecting us to fail but us. But we don't have a lot of pressure on us, and we need to come out with a win and that's what's going to shut everybody up, so that's what we're trying to do."

Good luck with that. On paper, by almost any criterion, this game looks like a blowout. The Bears' offense is in the top 10 in three of 17 categories listed by the league: sacks allowed (No. 9), punt-return average (7) and kickoff-return average (8). The Vikings' offense is in the top 10 in 11 categories.

"It could get real ugly up there," Bears defensive end Alex Brown said. "They're really good. We have to play well. So we'll practice, and we'll try to go up there and play our best."

The Bears do have some advantages, at least on paper. Their defense is No. 10 in interception percentage, although the normally freewheeling Favre has thrown just three picks all year. The Vikings' defense is only 29th in interception percentage with just eight pickoffs all year, which is good news for Jay Cutler, who leads the NFL with 18 interceptions. The Vikings are also a mediocre 21st in passing yards allowed, but a lot of that yardage has come when opponents have fallen far behind and are obligated to put it up.

The Vikings have won games by 12, 14, 14, 17, 26 and 28 points. They have averaged 32 points per game in their victories and have so many big-play weapons that most opposing defenses have been unable to stifle all of them.

In just four games against the Bears, Peterson has rushed for 554 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 6.2 yards per carry, and he did all that before Favre was around to diffuse the defense's attention. He is second in the NFL with 1,214 yards from scrimmage and third with 999 rushing yards.

"They have the best player in the game still in Adrian Peterson," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "He's had great games against us. We've seen him at his best."

And the 40-year-old Favre, who is having the best season of his career, has so many targets it hardly seems fair.

"We go from one poison to the next," Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said. "Adrian Peterson's as good as it gets. I think he's really the key to that offense. If you don't stop him, you don't have a chance on Sunday. One guy isn't going to do it. He makes guys miss, he runs over guys and he runs away from guys. He's just one of those complete backs."

And Favre has a large stable of targets, including Peterson and backup running back Chester Taylor, who have combined for 52 catches and 443 yards.

Bernard Berrian was the Bears' former go-to wide receiver, until he went to Minnesota via free agency after the 2007 season. But this year he's only the Vikings' fourth-leading receiver with 32 catches and 332 yards. Sidney Rice (50 catches, 875 yards) has emerged as Favre's go-to guy. Percy Harvin (36 catches, 501 yards) is a Rookie-of-the-Year candidate, and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe has 33 catches for 324 yards and a team-best seven receiving touchdowns.

"You can't let Adrian Peterson run the ball," Brown said. "We've got to stop him, and then let's see if Favre can beat us."

Courtesy of The Sports Xchange

Bears Must Win Turnover Battle Sunday

Thursday, 7:10 a.m.

CB Charles Tillman
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Realistically, the Bears have little chance of winning this game without producing a major edge in turnovers. They got three against the Eagles last week, while allowing just one, yet they still lost at home.

Cornerback Charles Tillman has made forcing fumbles an art form, and Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been prone to putting the ball on the ground.

But that potential edge for the Bears pales in comparison to the matchup at quarterback, where Brett Favre has been intercepted just three times and has an NFL-low interception percentage of 1.1. The Bears' Jay Cutler, on the other hand, has been picked off an NFL-high 18 times, so hoping to win the turnover battle may be futile.

The Bears' normally elite special teams have fallen off this season but are still solid, although no better than the Vikings'.

The Bears know they have to stop Peterson first, but their coverage in the secondary has been inconsistent at best, so they'll need to get extreme pass-rush pressure on Favre, and they've been unsuccessful at that for most of the season.

The Vikings have given up a lot of passing yards, but a lot of those have come after they have raced to a big lead. Still, if Cutler gets protection, he could put up some numbers on a Minnesota pass defense that has just eight interceptions all year.

Courtesy of The Sports Xchange

Favre a Big Believer in Cutler's Future

Wednesday, 2:27 p.m.

QB Brett Favre
AP Images
Jay Cutler was supposed to put on a Bears uniform and immediately make them a contender again, but the transition has been far from smooth – the 4-6 record speaks for itself – with the Pro Bowler leading the NFL with 17 interceptions.

There are many excuses out there, what with him moving to a new city and playing for a new team and learning a new offense and being surrounded by new teammates, but can't the same be said for Brett Favre, who has directed the Vikings to a 9-1 mark and might be having the best season of his career at the tender age of 40?

Granted, Favre is running essentially the same system he ran all those years in Green Bay, and while he looks as good as ever in Viking purple, he sees his situation being much different than Cutler's.

"I think all those excuses are good excuses," Favre said Wednesday via conference call at Halas Hall when asked why he has had success and Cutler hasn't. "For me, I don't know which one would be tougher, the situation I went through last year [with the Jets] or this situation now. But obviously Jay was brought in, and it's one of those things when everyone says, 'Alright, we're good at quarterback for 10, 15 years.' Whereas it was kind of a quick fix for me last year, at least from the outside in, and maybe to a certain extent this year as well. Because at 40 years old, you're not looking to get 10 years out of a guy."

Both fan bases want a winner and want it now, but Favre believes the Vikings simply need results from him this season, while the Midway Monsters have a bigger window of opportunity to do well with Cutler.

"I think the pressure that Jay puts on himself to do it right away is no different than what the fans and the team expects from him," said Favre, "but there is a little time to get things in order this year, next year. You can draft guys and build around him, and so on and so forth. Where with me, the pressure obviously to win now is huge, and that's no different in Chicago."

With their 2010 first- and second-round draft picks already traded away, the first as a part of the Cutler deal and the second in exchange for defensive end Gaines Adams, Favre is apparently misinformed about how the Bears are prepared for the future.

Cutler Not Exactly Captain Comeback Yet

Wednesday, 9:31 a.m.

QB Jay Cutler
Getty Images
Not that anyone's keeping track, but Sunday night's loss to the Eagles was the second game in a row that "franchise quarterback" Jay Cutler had a chance to lead a fourth-quarter comeback and came up short.

That makes four times this season that Cutler has had an opportunity to lead the Bears to a game-winning or game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter but didn't get it done. In fairness, Cutler did direct fourth-quarter, game-winning drives against the Steelers and Seahawks in Weeks 2 and 3.

But it's fair to expect a better record than 2-4 in those situations from a Pro Bowl quarterback.

After the Eagles went ahead 24-20 Sunday night with 5:31 left, the Bears failed to get a first down for the third consecutive possession.

Then when Chicago got the ball back with 1:51 left, Cutler picked up one first down before he was intercepted trying to force a ball to Greg Olsen, who was tightly covered.

In the previous game, the loss at San Francisco, Cutler and the Bears went three-and-out immediately after falling behind 10-6 with 10:11 left. They got one more chance, but Cutler was picked off in the end zone, again trying to get the ball to Olsen.

In Week 6, Cutler led a 92-yard, fourth-quarter drive that tied the Falcons 14-14. But after Atlanta went back ahead 21-14 with 3:06 left, Cutler and the Bears went 78 yards but gave the ball up on downs at the Falcons' 10-yard line with 29 seconds left.

In Cutler's defense, the Bears committed three offensive penalties in the final 65 seconds of that game, which hindered the last drive.

And let's not forget the season opener. With 1:11 left, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected with Greg Jennings for a 50-yard TD and a 21-15 lead after the two-point conversion.

Cutler's first pass after the kickoff was intercepted by Al Harris.

Courtesy of The Sports Xchange

Bears Sign Tight End to Practice Squad

Tuesday, 3:06 p.m.

TE Kevin Brock
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After promoting rookie running back Kahlil Bell from the practice squad last week, the Bears signed tight end Kevin Brock on Tuesday to take his place.

An undrafted rookie free agent out of Rutgers, Brock originally signed with the Panthers. After being waived by Carolina, the 6-5, 255-pounder spent some time with the Jets and Steelers before being picked up by Chicago. Once considered a raw prospect with a lot of natural ability when he was a college player, Brock was a receiver at first for the Scarlet Knights after playing only two years of high school football.

Brock is no threat to get promoted to the 53-man roster any time soon with Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark and Kellen Davis ahead of him, but Clark is 32 years old and only signed through 2010.

Week 11 Report Card: Eagles 24, Bears 20

Tuesday, 9:04 a.m.

S Danieal Manning
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PASSING OFFENSE: D – Jay Cutler had open receivers all night but missed them in his most inaccurate game of the season. Cutler was only intercepted once but his poor performance was more about the big plays that he missed, like overthrowing wide open Greg Olsen and Devin Hester on back-to-back plays that would both have been touchdowns. He also missed Johnny Knox late in the fourth quarter on a streak route that could have been a 70-yard TD. Cutler's 15-yard TD to Kellen Davis on a sweet fade route was perfectly thrown. The Bears had just one pass play of longer than 16 yards, a 23-yarder to Earl Bennett.

RUSHING OFFENSE: B – Rookie Kahlil Bell burst upon the scene with a 72-yard run on the first carry of his NFL career. But the Bears' other 19 carries produced 54 yards, and featured runner Matt Forte had another disappointing game with 34 yards on 14 carries.

PASS DEFENSE: D – The Bears pressured Donovan McNabb frequently and sacked him three times, but they couldn't cover DeSean Jackson (eight catches, 107 yards) when it mattered, especially on a 48-yard TD. McNabb still wound up with a 101.6 passer rating, just the latest in a long line of elite, veteran quarterbacks who have torched the Bears. Cornerback Zack Bowman had his team-best fourth interception but on many occasions provided too much cushion.

RUSH DEFENSE: C-minus – It wasn't as bad as it looks on paper if you throw out a 34-yard run by Michael Vick. That gallop could have been curtailed after a few yards, but Danieal Manning whiffed on his tackle attempt. Lance Briggs was once again the Bears' best player on the field, hitting double figures in tackles for the third straight game in addition to a sack.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C – K Robbie Gould connected on four of five field goal attempts, but the 48-yarder that was blocked helped set up the Eagles' winning drive. Hester's punt returns were uninspiring, but Knox and Manning returned to form on kickoff returns, averaging 32.3 and 28.5 yards, respectively. Coverage allowed a 53-yard punt return by Jackson.

COACHING: C – The Bears got beat by a better team, but the team that has always placed an emphasis on running the ball again failed to commit to it. The Bears ran just 20 times but had 44 pass plays.

Courtesy of The Sports Xchange

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John Crist is the Publisher of Bear Report and a member of the Professional Football Writers of America. To read him every day, visit BearReport.com and become a Chicago Bears insider.