Playoff Chances

Leave your answer in the comments box, and you might find yourself in a future issue of RedEye.    1. How healthy are the Bears' playoff chances right now? 2. Five-straight Bears games against the AFC West is like … 3. Any argument at this point against Matt Forte getting a new contract? 4. How are “occupy” protests like sporting events? 5. The NASCAR title came down to the final laps. How exciting is that?   Follow @redeyesportsguy for daily details about Five on Five openings.

Leave your answer in the comments box, and you might find yourself in a future issue of RedEye.    1. How healthy are the Bears' playoff chances right now? 2. Five-straight Bears games against the AFC West is like … 3. Any argument at this point against Matt Forte getting a new contract? 4. How are “occupy” protests like sporting events? 5. The NASCAR title came down to the final laps. How exciting is that?   Follow @redeyesportsguy for daily details about Five on Five openings.

I'm trying hard to find a way to feel good about Sunday's Bears-Tebows game after the recent "football game loss" to Kansas City. I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu, and I realized that we had indeed been here before in the Lovie Smith era. I'm not even sure The K.C. Masterpiece Game (note: nickname is ironic) ranks in the bottom five. Try to un-repress the memories of these stink bombs: The Holy Crap, I Just Watched Our Quarterback Die On TV Game 2010 at N.Y. Giants Remember this game?

I can sympathize with Tim Tebow. It's hard to be so good at your craft and get nothing but hate from all sides. (At least, I think that's why I get hate mail.) If he were playing for the Bears in place of the injured Jay Cutler and winning games, Chicago would be lining up to buy the guy drink or two. Wait, does Tebow drink? Or is that a sin? Unfortunately for the Bears, Tebow is not suiting up in the navy blue and orange. And that, my friends, is a problem. Tebow is on a miraculous run as the Broncos' quarterback.

Daaaaaaaa hope. Among the fond memories Chicago has of Mike Ditka--the mustache, the screaming, the cigars--near the top of the list is that in most of the games he coached or played, the Bears found a way to win when he played on or coached the team. Scoring every time you have the ball is a pretty cool bonus. The Bears busted up Dallas on Monday night at Soldier Field, pulling into a first-place tie with Detroit in the NFC North for the time being. (The Bears must finish one game ahead of the Lions to win the division.)