Last Sunday when the Lions won and the Bears lost, the book was shut on any Super Bowl hopes for the Bears. Scenarios in which the Bears enter the playoffs are now so improbable, that Sam Hurd is more likely to get into the Hall of Fame than the Bears are to get into the playoffs.

The season came to its climax in a series of spectacular failures. With the playoffs out of reach, the last few games left in the season are only footnotes. It’s time to write the story of the season. No, the patient is not in the coffin yet, but it’s time to prepare the eulogy.

Expectations (Prologue):
After such an abysmal game against the lackluster Seahawks team, it can be hard to remember that this season wasn’t always a disappointment.

In the pre-season, the Bears were nobody’s Cinderella pick. Still, most of Las Vegas and Grantland all picked the Bears to finish somewhere around 8-8. They had a murderous first quarter of the season, an unhappy running back, coming off of a season that, by his standards, was below average. People also worried about the rule changes limiting the Bears on special teams; what’s more, the division seemed to be getting better all around them.

After the Bears went 7-3, expectations raised considerably, thanks to the continued success of an aging defense and the excellent play of that, as yet un-contracted, running back.

The First 10 Games (Acts 1 and 2):
The Bears worked their way into the front position for the NFC Wild Card with a record of 7-3. While their rivals in Green Bay won the initial tilt and maintained a stranglehold on the division lead, the Bears were able to beat the teams they were supposed to beat ...