Giving Holiday Thanks to the Unsung Heroes of the Chicago Bears

After Monday's improbable overtime win over the Green Bay Packers, the Bears find themselves one win away from a possible division title and a playoff berth.

All season long, the talk has been about Matt Forte, Lance Briggs, Daniel Manning, and at times, Kyle Orton. While these players have helped put the Bears in a position to make the playoffs, I thought that in the spirit of the holidays, it would be nice to acknowledge some of the guys who don't necessarily get a lot of talk on SportsCenter on Mondays, but who have been major contributors nonetheless.

1. Brad Maynard

I've always wondered if the league at large underestimates the value of having an exceptional punter because—lets face it—punting is something most coaches hope they'll never have to do. With that being said, I've never seen a punter perform so well with the consistency of Brad Maynard this season.

Maynard's ability to pin opposing offenses inside their own 20-yard line is unmatched throughout the league, and with Chicago's defense giving up so much ground through the air this year, Maynard's expertise has simply kept the Bears in games, giving opponents terrible field position and putting the Chicago defense in favorable positions to create takeaways.

It's so easy to overlook Maynard's performance and roll your eyes in disgust at the offense every time No. 4 comes onto the field, but his contribution to the team this year cannot be taken for granted by the Bears' front office or its fans.

2. Roberto Garza & Josh Beekman 

The Bears offensive line as a whole has made a lot of Matt Forte's success possible, but their starting guards in particular have been close to stalwart this season.

When you look back at the Bears' game films and study most of Matt Forte's best and longest runs, you notice that Garza and Beekman are usually the ones leading him through a tight hole and picking up linebackers and defensive backs. They've both played tremendously and Matt Forte owes most of his success in running up the middle this season to them.

Offensive linemen as a group are generally considered to be the unsung heroes of the NFL, but Beekman and Garza have both been overlooked. While they didn't fare particularly well at times when they were asked to drive block the likes of Pat and Kevin Williams, Minnesota's mammoth defensive tackles, their ability to pull and lead block at the second level has been unstoppable at times this season.

3. Israel Idonije, Marcus Harrison & Anthony Adams 

These three defensive tackles have played well enough this season to warrant being given starting positions just about anywhere in the league. It's been said many times that if your team could only have depth at one position, it should be on the defensive line.

These three have been outstanding all year. Idonije is one of the best in the league at getting his hands up and blocking passes and field goals. Marcus Harrison is proving to be a workhorse in the middle and a steal in this year's draft. Anthony Adams has replaced the injured Dusty Dvoracek and has been outstanding in stopping the run.

Early in the season, most people were saying that Tommie Harris was struggling, mainly because he was so often double-teamed by offensive linemen keen on shutting him down. But with these three playing the way they have, opponents are being forced to give them equal notice, which has improved Harris' play.

It could be argued that both Tommie Harris and Lance Briggs owe these three guys a lot of the credit for their Pro-Bowl status, since offensive linemen have been held up so much at the line of scrimmage, enabling others free to make plays.

This season has certainly had its share of ups and downs. Perhaps the most satisfying part of this season for fans is that nobody gave the Bears a chance, with some like Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z predicting that the Bears would be the worst team in the league.

To be fair, the naysayers have a point—Chicago's raw statistics in several major categories, including total offense and total defense, have not been exemplary.

But the Bears do what they do best very well; playing to their own strengths and to opponents' weaknesses much better than they did last year. They've also done it with a very tough schedule.

Even if the Bears miss the playoffs this season, the team and its fans have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas because this franchise has a lot to look forward to.

Many young players came in and performed at a high level this season. Gone are the whispers throughout the media that Jerry Angelo doesn't know how to draft, as young players like Matt Forte, Greg Olsen, Daniel Manning, and Josh Beekman have stepped in and been major contributors. Next season will essentially be the first time fans get a real look at the 2008 first round pick Chris Williams, who was injured for most of his rookie year.

No matter how this season ends, the Bears will have a lot of work to do to improve as a franchise, but they will have a lot of players to build around in the offseason who have exceeded expectations for the Bears this year.

Even if you don't see them much on SportsCenter.