It’s been a rough year for the Bears. The first game of 2011, going back to the last game of last season, the Bears lost to the Packers 10-3 in Lambeau which allowed them into the playoffs and the rest is history.
Speaking of history, the Bears faced the Packers in an historic game for the NFC Championship. You can’t forget that one, a 21-14 loss.
Then in Week 3 of this season, the Bears dropped their third straight game to the Cheeseheads, a 27-17 loss at the hands of Aaron Rodgers en route to their NFL best 13-1 record. What is going on with these Bears, who have lost 6 out of the last 8 to the Pack? I thought Lovie had the magic formula to beat them?
Remember when Lovie Smith accepted the Bears head coaching job and said his top priority was beating the Packers? If the Bears can’t get this one (and you must be hitting the eggnog extra hard to think they have a real chance with Josh McCown starting at quarterback), the Bears will have the dubious distinction of being only the second team in NFL history to lose to an opponent 4 times in the same calendar year.
It will also officially put the Bears out of the playoffs and signal the start of sifting through the wreckage of the 2011. I expect it will end like it began, with a painful loss to the Packers.