Imrem: Chicago Bears can do worse ... and probably will at some point
No single coherent thought can sum up the Bears' 48-23 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in Soldier Field.
So here is a collection of thoughts as discombobulated as the Bears' play was.
• The 800-pound question in John Fox's postgame media session had to be asked.
Is there a chance Jay Cutler's injury is season-ending?
“It takes awhile to run tests,” the Bears' head coach said. “At this point it's a pulled hamstring.”
Or a bum shoulder, kidney stone or badly botched haircut.
The way the Bears harbor injury news, anything is possible from head trauma to toe jams.
• The Bears' 1985 Super Bowl champions were celebrated at the game.
Right after the Cardinals scored a touchdown, an interview with '85 wide receiver Dennis McKinnon was beamed on the big video screens at each end of the stadium.
The contrast of then to now in Bears history was as striking as ever.
• The Bears are 0-2 with both losses coming at home, not a recipe for a compelling 16-game season.
I picked the Bears in the paper to finish with a 7-9 record. However, I also forecast the season game by game and mistakenly had them winning only six games.
It looks like I might have been wrong twice in one column, which, come to think of it, is not all that unusual.
• Subsequent Bears players have been tired of hearing about the franchise's only Super Bowl winner.
One way to stop it, of course, is to not lose by 25 points to a team from Arizona.
Until then, the sense around here will be that the '85 Bears could beat the '15 Bears … and those alums are in their 50s or 60s or deceased by now.
• The Cardinals hit for the cycle: At least 1 touchdown on special teams, defense, running the ball and passing the ball.
• The Cubs better make a long run through the playoffs or the next few months will be dead for Chicago sports fans.
• Jimmy Clausen went in at quarterback after Cutler's injury, making more than one media member wonder who his backup was.
“That's a good question,” Fox said. “I'll get back to you.”
Which made many overweight sports writers in the audience and couch potatoes at home hum, “Put me in coach, I'm ready to play.”
The Bears could do worse, and probably will at some point this season.
• The way this game went, it was easy to think it would have been OK if the Chicago Cardinals stayed here in 1960 and the Bears bolted for St. Louis and then Arizona.
How does “Arizona Bears” sound to you?
• Fans started leaving early in the fourth quarter … maybe not to return for a long time.
• Cutler was injured trying to make a tackle after throwing an interception that the Cardinals returned for a touchdown.
Please, don't be cruel enough to even think that a pick-6 would be a fitting end to Cutler's time with the Bears.
• While the Cubs' battle cry always has been “Wait 'til next year,” the Bears' continues to be “Wait 'til 1985.”
• The Bears drew boos from the home crowd while tying a franchise record with 170 penalty yards (on 14 infractions).
Tight end Martellus Bennett said, “It comes down to being disciplined.” Clausen said, “No, we're not undisciplined.”
My goodness, the Bears can't even be on the same page on this issue.
• Now, finally, tie all these together and you get a 25-point loss, 0-2 record and “Collect the prayer books, Hazel, the season is over.”
mimrem@dailyherald.com