Jan. 01--1. The end
John Fox's first season as Bears coach concludes Sunday afternoon on the lakefront with a matchup of 6-9 teams. The stakes? How about third place in the NFC North to get your juices flowing? It's one last chance for players to make a good impression before what promises to be another offseason with significant roster turnover. In last Sunday's road victory against the Buccaneers, rookie safety Harold Jones-Quartey had an interception and rookie linebacker John Timu recovered two fumbles. Don't tell those guys Sunday is meaningless. Plus, the Bears are still trying to gain experience winning, and the importance of that shouldn't be undervalued.
2. Outrun?
For each of the last eight seasons, Matt Forte has helped anchor the Bears offense by excelling in all three areas a running back must produce -- rushing, receiving and pass-blocking. His 12,608 career yards from scrimmage lead the NFL during that span (Adrian Peterson is second at 11,935). Forte's contract expires after the season. At 30, whether he and the club can agree to an extension is in doubt. Forte wants to make a splash in what could be his final game as a Bear, but the Lions held him to 2.9 yards per carry on 24 rushes in the first meeting.
3. Coaching carousel
Jay Cutler's improved ball security, decision making and pocket presence have helped fuel the rocket ship offensive coordinator Adam Gase is riding up the coaching ranks. And with Black Monday looming, Gase is sure to garner interest from teams looking for a head coach to stabilize their quarterback situations. Gase has downplayed his candidacy, but it's no secret he'll be highly sought after. He interviewed for five vacancies last offseason, including the Bears'. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio could attract attention, as well. That would push the Bears to patch a coaching staff that was one of the team's greatest strengths.
4. Revved up in the Motor City
The Lions beat the Bears in Week 6 for their first victory and eventually turned their season around. They've won five of the last seven games, and one of those losses resulted from a successful Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary. "The big thing is we haven't turned the ball over, and we've done a better job stopping the run," coach Jim Caldwell said. That said, the Lions are on the cusp of more change. They fired general manager Martin Mayhew and President Tom Lewand on Nov. 5, which leaves Caldwell's future uncertain. Sunday's game is his final chance to make a case for staying.
