Before Sunday's matchup between the Giants and Bears, the media attention was focused on both teams' oft-scrutinized QBs.

But when all was said and done, the QB with the better numbers had to watch in despair as his defense blew a nine-point fourth-quarter lead.

I don't mean to completely absolve Rex Grossman of responsibility for the loss—but I think it's safe to say that most Bears fans would assume a nine-point fourth-quarter margin to be a safe one.

With critics waiting for "Bad Rex" to make an appearance, Grossman stayed poised despite being sacked six times. Unfortunately, he couldn't come through with late-game heroics as the clock ran down.

When Giants defenders swatted down a Hail Mary pass to end it, you could almost hear Bears fans saying goodbye to their playoff hopes.

Although the Bears aren't mathematically eliminated, they no longer control their own destiny. Not only must they win out—they need several teams to drop two more games while maintaining or gaining tiebreakers against a slew of other 5-7 squads.

It's no secret the Bears D has slipped—but it seems now that the dominance may be gone for good.

A year ago, a fourth-quarter comeback like Sunday's would have been unthinkable. From the look of things, it may be awhile before the Bears again strike fear in the hearts of opposing QBs.

Expect this January to be a very cold and "Bearless" one.