Dear Chicago Bears Fans...Is It Already Over?

Dear Chicago Bears Fans,

Last week, funnyman and famous Chicagoan Bill Murray visited the Chicago Cubs to lighten the mood and perhaps bring the team some good luck as they tried to clinch a playoff spot.

It worked. The Cubs outlasted the Milwaukee Brewers to take the NL Central title.

Lovie Smith might want to take a hint and invite Mr. Murray to Soldier Field, because the Chicago Bears could use a karmic kick-start.

We’re four weeks into the season, Bears fans, and your Monsters of the Midway look worse than Britney Spears at the VMAs.

After blowing Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions by giving up an NFL-record 34 points in the fourth quarter, Da Bears are now 1-3. This disappointing start has them tied for last place in the NFC North with the lowly Vikings.

The NFL season has barely hit its stride, but already it appears Chicago’s playoff chances are disappearing faster than bratwurst on Pulaski Day.

Though the degree to which the Bears have sputtered this season is a bit startling, I’m sure even the most dedicated deep-dish-eating, Old-Style-swilling Bears fan had to know this team wouldn’t be as solid as last year's NFC Champions.

You knew coming in that quarterback Rex Grossman needed to do better. He didn’t. So this past Sunday Brian Griese was inserted into the starting lineup.

Unfortunately, Griese was unable to avoid the kind of mistakes that led to Rex’s benching—namely throwing the ball to the guys on the other team.

But Grossman and Griese can’t shoulder all of the blame. The ground game has been atrocious. When Thomas Jones was traded to the NY Jets, third-year back Cedric Benson became the man. However, there’s nothing manly about rushing for a paltry 239 yards and scoring one touchdown in four games.

At this point, Cedric the Entertainer might be a better option running the ball.

But at least the Bears faithful can depend on that staunch defense, right?

Well...

The usually dependable D is also struggling mightily, having given up 30-plus points in each of their last two games. They came into the season as the most tried-and-true unit on the team, but they’ve been decimated by injuries, particularly in the secondary.

What I imagine makes the Bears' decline particularly galling to their legendary fan base is that the dark stretch comes at the same time the Green Bay Packers are reestablishing themselves in the NFC. Old Man Favre is still out there throwing touchdown passes, breaking NFL career records, and leading the Pack to a 4-0 start.

Right about now, every Chicago fan must be daydreaming about watching Brian Urlacher knock the gray out of Brett’s hair. Well, perhaps your dreams will become reality this Sunday night when the Bears face the Packers at Lambeau Field.

A road upset in front of a national TV audience might just be the spark the Bears need to right the ship and get back into the NFC North race.

A loss, on the other hand, puts Chicago in a 1-4 hole that not even Bill Murray can help you climb out of.

Wishing you luck,

Dave