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North: With Clausen, Bears looked like a team

With backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen starting Sunday against the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears actually looked like a football team.

While Clausen's numbers weren't all that impressive, he did throw two touchdown passes and showed the fans and maybe the Bears brass what an average quarterback can do with a system that, according to NFL analyst Steve Young, is excellent.

Young also stated on ESPN that Trestman is an excellent quarterback coach. Perhaps Bears fans should read between the lines of those his comments.

Is it an automatic that Jay Cutler is gone at the end of the year? Probably. While Cutler takes deserved criticism, there are some teams in the NFL that would improve if he was their quarterback. Hard to believe, but true.

If Cutler went to the Cleveland Browns right now, it would be a definite upgrade, and the same goes for the New York Jets and the Tennessee Titans.

One of the biggest blunders made by Bears general manager Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman was signing Cutler to such a huge contract. That decision was compounded by letting go of Josh McCown, who suited their system more because his style and play worked for the Bears.

With the running game an afterthought and the defense under Mel Tucker simply horrendous, it looked to me like the Bears played uninspired football this season.

And if injuries can be used as an excuse, well the defense knows all about that. Losing star cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman and linebacker Lance Briggs hurt this club on several levels, and the five rookies playing defense over the last few weeks proved to be overmatched.

That brings me back to Cutler's huge contract, which has tied the hands of the Bears and set the organization back years. Trestman and Emery approved of it, so they both have to go.

After watching former Bears quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Josh McCown perform here, I saw minimal difference from Cutler, yet they paid Cutler like he was an elite QB.

I'm looking for the Bears to clean house and a close loss to the Lions (20-14) shouldn't change anything.

The chances are good Trestman will be gone, so shouldn't the Bears be visiting soon with Jim Harbaugh or maybe Rex Ryan? Or how about Mike Shanahan, who said Cutler was a franchise quarterback?

All I can say is that Jimmy Clausen hadn't started a game since 2011, yet he actually looked like he had a pulse.

Despite Cutler getting his starting job back after Clausen gets sidelined by a concussion, it should be an interesting off-season. I will be shocked if there aren't changes to the face and philosophy of the organization.

If there isn't, look out.

Program notes:

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone! Follow me on Twitter@ north2north, and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.

• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.

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