The Bears hope they can get well this Sunday at home against the Browns, but they have a lot of healing to do after getting pummeled 45-10 by the Bengals in Cincinnati.

It was hard to say if the Bears were more embarrassed or disgusted by their most lopsided loss in more than six years, but there were plenty of both in the aftermath.

"It's pretty embarrassing," defensive end Alex Brown said. "We can't have that happening. We're a better team than that. But today Cincy kind of showed us maybe we aren't."

On this particular day, there was clearly a world of difference between the Bengals (5-2) and the Bears (3-3), who hadn't experienced such a world of hurt since a 49-7 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco on Sept. 7, 2003.

"The Chicago Bears should never lose a football game like that," coach Lovie Smith said. "A tough day at the office for us. Nothing went right."

If anything, the game was more lopsided than the final score indicates. The Bears were outgained 448-279, turned the ball over four times while failing to get a single takeaway and were outrushed 215-35. The Bears had not allowed an opponent to rush for more than 105 yards all season. But Cedric Benson, their first-round pick (fourth overall) in 2005 who was banished in June 2008 after two alcohol-related arrests, shoved it in their faces and down their throats 37 times for 189 yards.

What made it worse was the Bears' continued inability to mount a run game of their own. Only once in six games have they accumulated more than 86 yards on the ground, and that was against the Lions three weeks ago. Against the Bengals, the Bears were buried so deep and so quickly that they had to abandon the run game early and they wound up with just 12 rushing attempts for 35 yards.

So, for at least another week, the questions will remain about what is wrong with the Bears' ground game in general and with Matt Forte specifically. Last year's rookie sensation with 1,238 rushing yards has 318 yards in six games and a 3.5-yard average.

Forte is far from the only problem. Quarterback Jay Cutler, having signed a two-year, $30 million extension earlier in the week, had another brutal outing, throwing three interceptions and posting a 64.1 passer rating. Cutler has thrown 11 touchdown passes this season and has been intercepted 10 times, which aren't exactly franchise-quarterback numbers.

The defense, which allowed a season-high 448 yards, has its own problems. Starting linebackers Brian Urlacher and Pisa Tinoisamoa are already lost for the season because of injuries, and enigmatic defensive tackle Tommie Harris sat out Sunday with a sore knee. Harris is now into his second year of uneven and subpar performances. His play has dropped off so precipitously that he bears no resemblance to the player who was voted to three straight Pro Bowls from 2005-07.

Courtesy of The Sports Exchange