Urlacher injury final bad news in sad finish

Bears head coach Lovie Smith gargled more gibberish Sunday.

Most prominently he said that his team’s record is 1-0 this year after a 17-13 victory over the Vikings.

Simple math calculates that the Bears finished this season at 8-8 and start next season at 0-0.

If any determination is based solely on the game at Minnesota, it’s that the Bears came out of it at 0-1.

The one loss was Brian Urlacher leaving the game sooner than later.

The initial diagnosis is that the Bears’ middle linebacker suffered a sprained MCL. That would seem to be relatively minor, but Smith referred to it as “a concern.”

Bears quarterback Josh McCown said of seeing Urlacher limp off, “It just breaks my heart.”

So “1-0” is silly. Down deep Smith must know history indicates that the outcome of a meaningless season finale is indeed meaningless.

A team might come back better or worse in September, but either way it’s regardless of what happened eight months earlier.

Heck, Super Bowl victories have no bearing on the future. So a season-ending victory over a 3-13 team is supposed to? Stop it.

What will matter is whether Bears general manager Jerry Angelo can acquire reinforcements and Smith can develop them into contributors.

One prevailing sentiment is neither can. Otherwise a movement wouldn’t have built to have the Bears undergo a major makeover.

Smith declared that he wants to keep as many current coaches and players on the team for next season.

Sure he does. Then Smith would return — a probability anyway — rather than be a victim of ownership being tired of missing the playoffs four of the past five years.

“We don’t want to tear this team down and start over,” Smith said. “This is a good football team.”

Uh-uh, the Bears were a good football team for 10 games but finished as a mediocre football team. Overall during the tenures of Angelo and Smith the Bears have been minimally above fair.

Nothing that happened on the Metrodome turf changed anything until 5:15 remained in the game, when Urlacher collided with teammate Major Wright in the end zone.

The pass fell to the ground, and so did Urlacher, in pain. He did the splits, his left leg twisted to the side and an already fragile left knee was damaged.

“You get a little scared,” Bears cornerback Peanut Tillman said of seeing the play. “I try to have a positive outlook (on injuries). I think he’ll be OK.”

Urlacher, 33 years old and a 12-year veteran, likely will be OK. But when, and to what extent? If he returns a few games into next season, or at less than he needs to be …

Well, any bad news today on Urlacher’s condition would further complicate an off-season in which the Bears already have considerable work to do.

Assuming Smith is safe as head coach, he has to figure out what to do with problematic offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

Assuming Angelo returns as GM, he has to figure out how to get a big-time wide receiver, keep Matt Forte running forward despite a contract dispute, upgrade the offensive line and build a better, younger, deeper defense.

Urlacher’s injury could add to the to-do list even if as just another uncertainty.

That would make the Bears’ 0-1 early this year despite Lovie Smith’s cockamamie new math.