Bears prove unworthy of spotlight
— -- CHICAGO -- This should have been the biggest three-week stretch of the Chicago Bears' season.
This three-week stretch should have been a cause for celebration and optimism, and for embracing the interlude between expectation and conclusion, that state of being that makes football our national addiction.
Three prime-time games in a row from Thanksgiving through the middle of December? That's the kind of optimistic schedule reserved for a contender.
The Bears could've been contenders, but instead they're tomato cans, ripe for a beating under the lights.
These three nationally televised games -- at Detroit last week, against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night and against the New Orleans Saints a week from Monday -- are nothing more than a harsh reality check, a sobriety spotlight to show the rest of the country what's gone wrong for a flagship franchise buoyed by dreams and crushed by reality.
With the playoffs all but officially dashed after an embarrassing 34-17 loss to Detroit on Thanksgiving, what's left for the Bears to play for this month?
For some, their jobs, starting with the front office and coaching staff.
No one should want to advocate for someone to lose his job, but if operating a sports franchise is running a pseudo public trust, shouldn't there be some accountability from the McCaskey family?
Yes, of course, but that's for later. Now, here's the question: Do the players care about their bosses? The Lovie guys cared about Lovie, although it didn't matter in the end. Does anyone care about the coaches whose jobs hang in the balance?
We'll see by how they play Thursday night and next Monday night. If last week was any indication, the answer is no.
Bears coach Marc Trestman is publicly embattled, if not in danger of losing his lifelong dream job. Trestman is a nice guy, but his offense is underperforming nearly every week. Offensive theory is one thing, but can he solve their problems? Or is up to the players to turn his game plans into something resembling a professional offense?
After a franchise low in rushing attempts in Detroit and general confusion coming from the star players, it's safe to say that confidence in the Trestman- Jay Cutler pairing has hit its nadir. And given that's the reason Trestman has this job, that's a bad thing. Combine that with a second straight season of dismal defense and injured stars, and it's tough to see why the status quo should be preserved at all.
"You can't just sit back there and throw 50 passes a game and expect to win," running back Matt Forte told reporters this week, after carrying the ball a career-low five times in Detroit. "[Detroit's] front four were pinning their ears back. They didn't have anything to do but pass rush."
In a season already lowlighted by Cutler's 20 turnovers and the unexpected commonness of an injured but still battling Brandon Marshall, Forte's 11 touches (6 yards rushing, six catches for 52 yards) last Thursday might have been the biggest head-scratcher.
Forte's previous season low was 17 touches (12 rushes, five catches for a season-worst 36 yards), which came in the Bears' highest-scoring game of the season, a 28-20 win at San Francisco in the second week.
In the days before and after, including halftime in Detroit, Trestman has offered some lip service about offensive balance, but no one's listening to him anymore, at least outside of Halas Hall.
Inside the building? That's an unknown. I believe that the respect level varies from guy to guy, although most players tend to blame themselves, or their teammates, rather than their bosses. The good ones do, at least.
All we know is the Detroit loss knocked the Bears to 5-7.
Now Dallas comes calling to Soldier Field. The Cowboys are 8-4 and, going into the game, are a tiebreaker behind Detroit for the sixth playoff spot in the NFC.
Next week, the Bears play New Orleans on "Monday Night Football." The Saints, just 5-7, are tied, recordwise, with the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South lead, but like the Cowboys, are currently losing a tiebreaker.
Both teams are playing for the now. Bears defensive end Jared Allen started the spoiler talk last week in the losing locker room. I'm not sure this team has what it takes to emotionally devastate anyone besides its own fan base.
Bears fans will be subjected to two more dour Sundays, at home against the Lions and on the road for a frozen finale in Minnesota.
It's conceivable that the Bears could lose out and finish 5-11. If that happens, how can the McCaskey family reconcile bringing back general manager Phil Emery and Trestman?
Is patience a virtue or a sign of weakness?
If the Bears' issues were just on defense, I'd argue for a stronger defensive coordinator hire and an obvious focus on restocking linebacker and defensive back positions to follow this offseason's spending spree on defensive linemen. Then you see how it shakes out in an ever-changing league before making any rash decisions.
But you have to wonder whether the whole plan should be scrapped and the Bears should stop worrying about Cutler's development and start planning on who's going to replace him in two years.
The next four games won't get the Bears into the playoffs in 2014, but they could portend the immediate future of a franchise stuck between past memories and an unrealized present.
