Only those who carry Bears' water could applaud more of this regime

Yep, this was the nightmare — and you can't say you weren't warned.

It said right here a few weeks ago (at 5-7) that this could happen, that with the Bears playing the dregs of the NFL, they could find a way to defeat the worst teams in the league — with the worst defense — and it would give the Bears a chance to make the playoffs.

Throw in the Cardinals and Rams falling apart with QB injuries, and here they are, the beloved likely headed for their second postseason game in 10 years.

And you know what that means for Ryan Pace, Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky. The Pace apologists, the Nagy narcoleptics and the Trubisky truthers will be out in full force, demanding contract extensions for all of them.

While you're at it, how about a significant pay raise for all of them?

Thing is, ownership would much rather stick with a seventh year of Pace — say that out loud, a seventh year of Pace — a fourth year of Nagy and a fifth year of Trubisky. It's easier than admitting a mistake or paying anyone to go away.

So here you are, clowns to left of you, jokers to the right, stuck in the middle with a three-headed Monster of the Middling.

Only those who have made a career out of carrying the Bears' water could justify more of this regime, as if it takes seven years to build an NFL team, the rough equivalent of 15 in MLB.

Or takes four years for an NFL head coach to figure it out.

Or that the second pick in the draft needs five years to become a game manager and a poor man's Rex Grossman — without the arm.

Seriously, you applaud the Bears for this? That is some low bar.

You almost have to be on the payroll to forget that the Bears could have been 1-5 when they were 5-1 and that Nagy was forced to give up the play-calling duties because he was so very bad at it during a spectacular losing streak, not to mention much of the last two years.

But now, Nagy is cheered when he has the plums to suggest that everything is better because he is free to coach the whole team. Sure, that's why it's better.

The truth is it's working because the Bears have played terrible teams with terrible defenses and because the offense no longer relies on Trubisky to think.

They are finally running the football and they keep nearly every play a few yards in front of Trubisky's face, where he doesn't have to read or make decisions. He stares at his receiver and then throws it to him.

A giant tight end from Ashland University could make that play.

Anything more complicated becomes a throw into triple coverage and the ever-present possibility of interception.

In other words, they have tried to Trubisky-proof the offense.

He's now a game manager who can make a 3-yard throw with the best of them. What he can't do is make a presnap read, adjust after the ball is in his hands, stand in the pocket, find the right receiver and make an accurate throw.

He can get out of the pocket and make a short toss on the run. Not exactly what you'd hope for from the second pick in the draft.

But that's what Pace wanted, so that's what Nagy tried to do. It has taken Nagy three years to figure out what John Fox figured out in three games, that if you want Trubisky to keep possession of the football, you have to keep it quiet and vanilla.

It's worth remembering here that the Fox approach — which is the same as the current Nagy approach — is precisely why Pace fired Fox and blamed him for all of Pace's mistakes.

You can present this any way you want, and no doubt the Bears will. Look, that's their job. They are supposed to sell you the program and six years of grand progress and hope you forget that Ryan Pace has a 42-53 record when it should only take two years to build a football team in a wretched league.

That's fine. You can't expect Pace, Nagy or Trubisky to admit what they are in public because they're all trying desperately to trick ownership into many more years of fabulous Bears football.

What's stunning is that while Bears fans have caught on and aren't mesmerized by fool's gold, the doormen continue to tip their caps and hope for a large gratuity come holiday season.

Those hoping for a pat on the back from Pace aren't going to remind you that he spent $18 million for a single victory from Mike Glennon, $29 million for a game manager — Trubisky — and $17 million guaranteed for Nick Foles.

That's $64 million for Glennon, Trubisky and Foles and — so far — one postseason game and no playoff victories.

If you can stand up in public and make a case for this regime to get more time, congratulations.

You're officially part of the team.