Are Bears worst 4-1 team? Who really knows?
The characterization is sure to ring in the Bears' ears this week.
“Worst 4-1 team in football.
That would include teams from the Ivy League and Lingerie Football League.
If the Bears beat the Seahawks next week, they'll likely be referred to as the worst 5-1 team in football.
Then before the schedule toughens they could become the worst 6-1 team in football and the worst 7-1 team in football.
The Redskins, who just beat the Packers, are the best of the next three opponents, but they have to come to Soldier Field.
The only road game is against winless Buffalo, so, heck, the Bears' toughest challenge during the next month might be the bye week.
The Bears' performance in Sunday's 23-6 victory at Carolina did little to eliminate the doubts surrounding them.
Bears head coach Lovie Smith was pleased to win “against a good, solid team, but he was talking about a good, solid 0-5 team.
Timing is everything, and the Bears benefited from the winless Panthers being teed up when they were needed the most.
Jay Cutler was out with a concussion, leaving the Bears with backup quarterback Todd Collins to stink up Bank of America Stadium.
This could lead to a quarterback controversy but won't. Cutler will start next week if cleared medically. If not it will be a major upset if Caleb Hanie doesn't start over Collins.
“Ball security has to get better, Smith said after watching Collins throw 4 interceptions.
The Bears were fortunate to face Carolina on this day, and not just because of the quarterback situation.
Offensive coordinator Mike Martz needed to commit to and work on the running game behind a patched-up offensive line. The Panthers accommodated by yielding 100 rushing yards to Matt Forte in the first half of the first quarter alone.
The Bears had 17 points in little more than 10 minutes. Carolina could have played 100 quarters of football, perhaps 1,000 or 1 million, and still not have scored that many on this day.
“He's a rookie, Bears defensive end Julius Peppers said of Panthers' quarterback Jimmy Clausen. “You can only expect so much out of him.
Therefore the question remains: Is the Bears' 4-1 record simply a function of a well-timed schedule?
An indication of how little belief outsiders have in the Bears is that they entered this game as underdogs against a winless team.
Oddsmakers and not-so-odd analysts will continue to accentuate negatives over positives and might continue to do so all the way up to the playoffs, if the Bears qualify.
Instead of Forte's 166 rushing yards for the game they'll dwell on the Bears' inability to punch the ball in from inside the 5-yard line. Instead of Israel Idonije's 3 sacks they'll dwell on Clausen's inexperience. Instead of the Bears playing well they'll dwell on opponents playing poorly.
Critics are waiting for the Bears to beat a good team that is playing at a high level leading up to the game.
It looks like the next chance will be at home against the Vikings on Nov. 14.
Until then critics will look at the Bears' performance more than their record to project how they'll do against better competition.
Of course, the Bears probably wouldn't mind being called the worst team ever to win a Super Bowl.
mimrem@dailyherald.com