The Chicago Bears still have a shot at the playoffs. It might not feel that way, but they do.
It's been a long December for a team that started 7-1 only to lose five of their next six games, including Sunday's defeat to the Green Bay Packers. That loss handed the NFC North crown to the Packers and dropped quarterback Jay Cutler to 1-7 against Green Bay in the rivalry.
"My first year here (2009) was frustrating, really frustrating," Cutler told WMVP-AM, via the Chicago Tribune. "This (year) is right up there with it."
We've been here before: Cutler has soldiered through a brutal campaign that's seen him take a beating behind an eternally substandard offensive line. The Bears don't scare teams on offense. They've shown a complete lack of direction during their recent skid, and we're still waiting for Chicago to show up for a big game. The Packers loss was more of the same, leaving receiver Brandon Marshall to call for accountability from everyone on offense. Jobs are on the line.
"I agree with 'B' (Brandon Marshall). Everyone needs to be held accountable," Cutler said. "I'm not surprised by that at all. That's what makes him so great."
The Bears have not been so great. With the Arizona Cardinals and the Detroit Lions left on the schedule, Chicago might very well roll into the postseason at 10-6. A pretty story from a distance, but a scenario that would require the Bears to take care of business -- a task they haven't mastered for a long time.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
