The Chicago Bears’ season really went down the tubes when 28-year old QB Jay Cutler broke his right thumb.  The Bears were 7-3 with Cutler at QB and 1-5 with everyone else.  Cutler played in 10 games (all starts) for the Bears last year and he completed 182 of 314 passes (58%) for 2,319 yards with 13 TD passes and 7 INTs (85.7 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 18 times for 55 yards (3.1 ypc) with 1 TD run last year.  Cutler has now played in 78 games (all starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 1,541 of 2,521 passes (61.1%) for 18,283 yards with 117 TD passes and 86 INTs (84.5 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 221 times for 883 yards (4.0 ypc) with 6 TD runs in his NFL career so far.  Cutler is 41-37 (52.6%) during the regular season as a starting QB in his NFL career so far.

26-year old Caleb Hanie replaced Jay Cutler and QB and he was pathetic.  The Bears were 0-4 in games started by Hanie.  He played in 6 games (4 starts) for the Bears last year and he completed 51 of 102 passes (50%) for 613 yards with 3 TD passes and 9 INTs (41.8 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 13 times for 98 yards (7.5 ypc) for the Bears last year.  Hanie has now played in 11 games (4 starts) so far in his NFL career and he has completed 59 of 116 passes (50.9%) for 679 yards with 3 TD passes and 10 INTs (41.6 QB Rating).  Hanie has also carried the ball 14 times for 97 yards (6.9 ypc) so far in his NFL career.  His time is likely up in Chicago.

32-year old Josh McCown replaced Caleb Hanie and the Bears were 1-1 in his starts.  McCown played in 3 games (2 starts) for the Bears last year and he completed 35 of 55 passes (63.6%) for 414 yards with 2 TD passes and 4 INTs (68.3 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 12 times for 68 yards (5.7 ypc) last year.  McCown has now played in 52 games (33 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 645 of 1,113 passes (58%) for 6,998 yards with 37 TD passes and 44 INTs (71.2 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 139 times for 637 yards (4.6 ypc) with 3 TD runs so far in his NFL career.  McCown is now 13-20 (39.4%) as a starting QB in the NFL.

The Bears are likely going to pull the plug on 26-year old Caleb Hanie.  Hanie has played in 6 games for the Bears this year and he has completed 51 of 102 passes (50%) for 613 yards with 3 TD passes and 9 INTs (41.8 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 13 times for 98 yards (7.5 ypc) so far this year.  The Bears have decided that they have seen more than enough of Hanie to know that he is not NFL starting QB material.  Enter 32-year old Josh McCown.  He has played in 1 game for the Bears this year and he completed 1 of 2 passes (50%) for 12 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT (29.2 QB Rating).  McCown has not started in a NFL game at QB since the 2007 season with the Oakland Raiders.  McCown has played in 48 games in his NFL career and he has completed 611 of 1,060 passes (57.6%) for 6,596 yards with 35 TD passes and 41 INTs (70.9 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 127 times for 569 yards (4.5 ypc) with 3 TD runs so far in his NFL career.  McCown is going to be an upgrade over Hanie….but that’s not saying much.

The Chicago Bears should have either signed Donovan McNabb or coached up rookie Nathan Enderle or Josh McCown to start at QB.  But instead, they seem more than happy to go down with the ship with 26-year old QB Caleb Hanie.  Hanie has played in 5 games for the Bears so far this year and he has completed 41 of 79 passes (51.9%) for 502 yards with 2 TD passes and 6 INTs (48.6 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 8 times for 64 yards (8.0 ypc) so far this year.  The Bears have only scored 33 points in Hanie’s three starts so far this year and that just won’t cut it.  The Bears need to make a change at QB, or their season will be over for sure in three weeks.

I know, 26-year old Caleb Hanie has only started two games and it’s a small sample size, but the Bears are in the playoff hunt and they can’t afford to carry him at QB…especially due to Matt Forte’s injury yesterday.  Hanie has played in 4 games (2 starts) for the Bears so far this year and he has completed 29 of 60 passes (48.3%) for 387 yards with 2 TD passes and 6 interceptions (40.8 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 6 times for 53 yards (8.8 ypc) so far this year.  The Bears should look to sign Donovan McNabb or Brett Favre, if they are serious about making the playoffs this year because Caleb Hanie isn’t going to get them there.

The Bears have lost 25-year old RB Matt Forte for the next 2-4 weeks due to a Grade 2 MCL sprain.  Forte has played in 12 games for the Bears this year and he has carried the ball 203 times for 997 yards (4.9 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He has also caught 52 passes for 490 yards (9.4 avg) with 1 TD grab for the Bears this year.  The Bears won’t likely be able to replace all of the 123.9 yards from scrimmage that Forte is averaging so far this season.  28-year old Marion Barber will be the main RB for the Bears until Forte is ready to return to action.  Barber has played in 9 games for the Bears so far this year and he has carried the ball 76 times for 281 yards (3.7 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  He has also caught 3 passes for 18 yards (6.0 avg) so far for the Bears this year.  Barber is a power runner, so the offense will likely have to be streamlined a little bit with him as the main man.  24-year old Kahlil Bell will replace Barber as the backup RB until Forte is ready to return to action.  Bell has played in 9 games for the Bears so far this year and he has carried the ball 15 times for 57 yards (3.8 ypc).  He has also caught 1 pass for 4 yards so far this year.  Losing Forte is almost as big of a blow as losing Jay Cutler.  The difference is that Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell are legit NFL RBs, while Caleb Hanie is not much of a QB.

UPDATE:  (12/27/2011) – The Bears have officially put Matt Forte on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season.

The Chicago Bears have lost 36-year old long snapper Patrick Mannelly for the rest of the season due to a torn left ACL.  Mannelly played in all 10 games for the Bears this year.  He has played in 215 games in his first 14 years with the Bears.  27-year old fullback Tyler Clutts will get the first shot to replace Mannelly this weekend against the Raiders in Oakland.  Clutts has played in 10 games for the Bears so far this year and he has caught 7 passes for 46 yards (6.6 avg) and has 2 tackles.

UPDATE:  (11/23/2011) – The Bears have signed rookie 23-year old Jake Laptad to a 3-year deal to replace Patrick Mannelly.

UPDATE II:  (11/24/2011) – The Bears have released long snapper Jake Laptad.  That shows just ho much contracts are worth in the NFL.

The Bears will be without 28-year old QB Jay Cutler for the next 6-8 weeks due to a fractured thumb that requires surgery.  Cutler has played in 10 games for the Bears this year and he has completed 182 of 314 passes (58%) for 2,319 yards with 13 TD passes and 7 INTs (85.7 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 18 times for 56 yards (3.1 ypc) so far this year.  This is a HUGE loss for the Chicago Bears!  They will turn to 26-year old Caleb Hanie at QB and he will be making his first start of his NFL career next weekend against the Raiders in Oakland.  Hanie hasn’t played at all so far this year for the Bears.  He has played in 4 games in his NFL career and he has completed 8 of 14 passes (57.1%) for 66 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT (39.6 QB Rating).  Hanie has also carried the ball 1 time for -1 yard (-1.0 ypc) so far this year.  The Bears will be looking to run more with Hanie at QB.

UPDATE:  (11/27/2011) – The Bears have officially placed Jay Cutler on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season.

The Chicago Bears need more out of 31-year old DE Julius Peppers.  Peppers has played in 9 games for the Bears so far this year and he has 22 tackles, 6 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 fumble recoveries and 3 passes defensed.  In his first two years with the Bears, Peppers has played in 25 games and he has 76 tackles, 14 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions, 12 passes defensed and 9 tackles for a loss.  Peppers has been a good player for the Bears, but they paid him to be great when they gave him a HUGE contract two years ago.  They need him to be great again.

Jay Cutler really needs one of his WRs to step up and be the go-to man.  Johnny Knox has the potential to be that guy, but Cutler just hasn’t been able to connect with him enough.  He has caught 19 passes for 348 yards (18.3 avg) without a TD catch so far this year.  With his speed, he should be able to catch long passes at will, but to do that Cutler will need time to throw the ball.   Devin Hester is in the same boat as not too many WRs are faster than he is.  Hester has caught 21 passes for 308 yards (14.7 avg) with 1 TD grab so far this year.  Veteran Roy Williams is a Mike Martz (Bears’ offensive coordinator) favorite as they worked together with the Lions.  Williams went to the Pro Bowl under Martz.  He has caught 13 passes for 190 yards (13.6 avg) with 1 TD grab so far this year.  He has the potential to move all the way to the top of the food chain with this group.  Undrafted rookie Dane Sanzenbacher has been the tough guy willing to go over the middle and take a hit.  He has caught 19 passes for 172 yards (9.1 avg) with 3 TD grabs so far this year.  Sam Hurd has been the forgotten man of the Bears’ WRs as he has only caught 6 passes for 80 yards (13.3 avg) so far this year.  The Bears need this bunch to step up.

28-year old QB Jay Cutler is probably doing the best he can, especially when you consider that he has already been sacked 18 times and hit many more.  Cutler has played in all 5 games for the Bears so far this year and he has completed 99 of 169 passes (58.6%) for 1,209 yards with 6 TD passes and 4 INTs (82.7 QB Rating).  Cutler has also carried the ball 7 times for 28 yards (4.0 ypc) so far this year.  Cutler is proving his toughness this year and it’s time for his receivers to start showing theirs too on shorter passes so that Cutler can limit his hit count.