The Bears were going to let their play speak for themselves after turning down NBC for pregame interviews last week. They had talked and talked during a skid that saw them lose four of their previous five games and, as they explained, there wasn't much else to say.
Just when it looked like the sustained mediocrity of the NFL was going to keep the Bears in the playoff race, the 2009 season took yet another disappointing turn on Sunday night with an unremarkable 24-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now we know why Lovie Smith, Jerry Angelo and Jay Cutler did not want to be interrogated by NBC bulldog Bob ''I have ways of making you talk'' Costas.
Google the name of Bears running back Kahlil Bell and one of the first links that pops up is a YouTube highlight reel of the former UCLA standout against Stanford in 2007.
The Bears denied NBC's request for access to quarterback Jay Cutler, coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo on Wednesday, a surprising move that left the network to look elsewhere for insight.
One of the NFL's biggest stories in training camp and the first weeks of the season became a non-story when the Philadelphia Eagles relegated Michael Vick to onlooker status.
The Vikings seem on a collision course with the New Orleans Saints for the NFC Championship Game.
Three field goals in the first half, when at least two of them should've been touchdowns?
• Bears' defense needs to make a stand
• Eagles defeat Bears 24-20
• McNabb's experiences can be lesson for Cutler
• Live chat: Follow the Bears-Eagles game with the Sun-Times
• Telander: Jay Cutler is a bust
• Gotta hand it to Forte -- or better yet, pass it
• Silent Bears ready to put up
• Bears' Garrett Wolfe is out for the remainder of the season
• NFL Week 11 picks
• Angelo: 'I am not alarmed'
• BEARS IN BRIEF: Kreutz back practicing; streak safe
• SUN-TIMES EXCLUSIVE Bears put NBC on mute
• 6 reasons for Bears' fall
• Turner: Cutler's picks unrelated to night games
• Cutler makes pitch for Aromashodu
• Word of caution for Cutler: Don't make media your enemy
• Taking the good with the bag
• Is there one positive thing to say about the Bears?
• Hey, Bears, running is passé
• Bears fans deserve something better than this
• Harris: Bears have no room for error
• 10 thoughts on the Bears
• Steeler fan claims he was left blind after Bears game
• Cutler's nightmarish game not really that bad
• More to the Bears' problems than Jay Cutler
• Westbrook's status uncertain for Bears' game
• Take Gruden off Bears' long list
• Lovie needs to lose patience with offense
• Bears can't figure out what's going wrong
• BEARS IN BRIEF: Penalties starting to haunt Bears
• Urlacher sought leniency for 'father figure' Vrdolyak
• AFTERNOON SPORTS CLUB Picking apart Cutler and the Bears' performance
• Bears' season sets in West
• Cutler fined $20K for conduct toward official
• Wanted: Shrink to give Bears lift
• BEARS IN BRIEF: Confidence game could shake Cutler
• Urlacher, ‘Tank’ sought leniency for ex-Ald. Vrdolyak
• NFL picks for Week 10
• Angelo on blowout losses: 'Everything is an issue'
• Jay it ain't so
• Niners TE misjudged defense
• Angelo: Harris, all players will be evaluated
• Jay Cutler throws 5 picks, Bears fall to 49ers
• Stakes climb for Smith
• Lovie or Singletary—Who gets it done tonight?
• Bank on Bears to be run over again
• Live chat: 49ers 10, Bears 6, FINAL
• The picks on the Bears vs. the 49ers
• 'We can destroy their guys up front'—49ers' Davis
• Niners could've had 55
• 49ers' Vernon Davis predicts a beatdown
• Making all the wrong moves
• Contrite Harris vows to atone for ejection
• Replacement for Lovie? How about Rivera
• Lovie accepts blame
• Harris talks makeup, not breakup
• Mike Singletary called Bears first about coaching
• Bears clawless, clueless
• AFTERNOON SPORTS CLUB 10 thoughts after another ugly loss by the Bears
• Tommie Harris a big headache again
• The buck stops here
• BEARS IN BRIEF: Injuries add up, make loss even worse
• Harris' punch KO's own team
• Tossed for a rattling loss
• Tillman out with injury to shoulder
• Cardinals like to get the show on the road
• Gore poses issues for Bears' defense
• Grading the Bears
• Bears are who they are—a mediocre team
• Mulligan: Lovie Smith must go
• Brunt work: O-line blamed
• Telander: Total loss of dignity
• Slim pickings for Bears, indeed
• Hayes: No longer competitive
• Cardinals feel at home in Chicago
• Live chat: Cardinals 41, Bears 21
• Going getting tough, so Bears must get going
• Hester expects to play; Boldin less certain
• Riddle me this: Who is Cutler?
• Here's your Week 9 winners
• Forced to play solitaire
• BEARS IN BRIEF: Kreutz's rallying cry vs. Cards still resonates three years later
• Turner sticks to the plan; won't scale back offense
• Gimpy Hester still expects to play Sunday vs. Cardinals
• Hayes: Is Turner's job on the line?
• An ugly victory and a homely future for Bears
• Will the real 'D' stand up?
• Where is Devin Aromashodu?
• Fedor finds Bears game better on TV
• Bears dread the red zone
• Have fans lost all trust in Lovie?
• BEARS IN BRIEF: North stars: Bears cast gaze at Vikes
• Bears' curse of high expectations
• More like a Brownout
• The dreaded 'red' zone and 10 other thoughts
• Roughing a quarterback
• BEARS IN BRIEF: O-line protection not much to savor
• This blowout none too pretty
• Bears still have much to prove
• Walter's family feels the love
• Cutler-Ryan tiff just part of competitive rivalry
• Fired-up Manning does it all
• Turnovers kill Browns' hopes
• Lunch with: Anderson or Mangini?
• Bears give Vasher a try in game vs. Browns
• League breaking down into haves, have-nots
• Live chat: Bears 30, Browns 6
• Payton honored at halftime
• Steinbach, Lewis only Browns' bright spots
• A decade after his death, teammates recall Payton
• Family proud of man 'Bubba' was
• Restaurant employee turned into good friend
• Toub touts Browns' Cribbs as special talent
• Is Olsen being asked to do too much?
• Harris vows to be ready Sunday
• NFL Week 8 picks
• BEARS IN BRIEF: D-line hopes to exploit an ex-Bear in St. Clair
• Lovie on guard over lineup
• Bears' injuries: bad luck or trend?
• Harris steps it up with full practice
• Put Bears brass on firing line
• Four ways to fix the season: Salvage job starts here, now
• Now is time for Lovie to earn those big bucks
• Talking about practice
• Is Lovie on the hot seat? Plus, 10 other thoughts
• BEARS IN BRIEF: Vasher gets look at free safety
• NFL helps keep it in the family
• 'Worst loss I've covered'
• Bears humiliated by Benson, Bengals
• No defense for this mess
• BEARS IN BRIEF: Team effort: 'O' also stunk
• Bears pull off historic failure
• Decision to ride shotgun is costly
• Harris saga takes mysterious turn
• No excuses from Bears' defense
• Benson basks in the moment
• Browns made to help Bears heal
• Ugh! Cedric Benson, Bengals pound Bears 45-10
• Tillman on covering Chad and being a dad
• Defense lets Bengals go 7-for-7
• Benson exacts his revenge
• Defense looks for answers
• Live chat: Bengals 45, Bears 10, FINAL
• Bears running in place in short-yardage spots
