Emma: Now, Let's Look At This Bears Season For What It Really Was
By Chris Emma--
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- It was a year ago that the circus arrived at Halas Hall. The negative influences of coach Marc Trestman's tenure boiled over to the bitter end.
Two months after Brandon Marshall yelled at Robbie Gould and weeks after back-to-back losses that saw 50 points surrendered, the Bears' locker room had finally caved in. Coordinator Aaron Kromer cried in front of his offense and emotionally apologized to Jay Cutler for criticizing the quarterback to an NFL Network reporter, then Trestman later benched Cutler in an attempt to save face.
Capping it off was Jeremiah Ratliff shoving a coach, then Trestman further enabling a man needing help by making him a team captain for the season finale, which would be the final act of this circus. Halas Hall was then a toxic place, and Virginia McCaskey was "pissed off." Change soon followed.
These rebuilding Bears are 5-8 -- the same record as one year ago at this time, when turmoil filled Halas Hall -- but in a much different place. First-year coach John Fox's impact is felt, with a healthy culture in Lake Forest. Even with their playoff hopes all but gone, the Bears vow to prepare for their final three games as if they were fighting for a Super Bowl.
"We play for each other," Bears safety Chris Prosinski said. "We play for these coaches, the city and this organization."
In 2014, the only hope in Chicago was for widespread change. Trestman, Kromer, Mel Tucker, Joe DeCamillis and the man that brought them in, Phil Emery, all needed to go, and they did. Hope is steady for the Bears, now, as they are trending in the right direction.
This 2015 season has brought many positives -- a memorable win in Green Bay on Thanksgiving night standing out the most -- but the Bears are what their record says. Losses to San Francisco and Washington washed away any hopes of the postseason, bringing a harsh dose of reality to Chicago.
Yes, lost in the false hope was the fact that this was a rebuilding year all along.
The Bears are slightly more talented than projected and well coached, leading to several previously unexpected wins in this weird, wild NFL season. Victories over the Packers, Raiders and Chiefs were pleasant surprises, while losses to the Lions and 49ers -- each viewed as stunning in the moment -- are less surprising with the benefit of hindsight.
Playoff hopes, at one point, were mathematically real, and still technically exist, though not practically speaking. Within the wide-open NFC wild-card race, there was a place for even the Bears, but those hopes crumbled with poor play at Soldier Field.
"We've not done a good enough job of playing to our own potential, our standard of football," Bears cornerback Tracy Porter said on Monday.
Comments like these from Porter, echoed all throughout the locker room, are the reflection of a high-character team. The Bears really do believe in each other and feel as if they can win every game. But they just aren't good enough -- at least not yet.
Rebuilding was what this season was all about, and it's been a great success in that respect.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace can move forward knowing his team can rely on Jay Cutler at quarterback while having young talent at running back and pieces to work with at receiver and the offensive line. His first steps this offseason will be deciding what's next for running back Matt Forte and receiver Alshon Jeffery, both of whom have earned a role in 2016 if the contract terms fit. Then, he'll have to add a receiver and bolster the offensive line.
Defensively, Pace can move forward knowing he has a top-tier edge rusher in Pernell McPhee, talented young pieces like Eddie Goldman and Adrian Amos, plus reliable veterans in Jarvis Jenkins, Sam Acho and Porter.
This season has been full of pleasant surprises like Zach Miller, Charles Leno, Bryce Callahan and more. With the bottom of the roster not the vast wasteland it once was, the Bears are at least closer to competing than once imagined.
When training camp comes along next summer in Bourbonnais, the Bears' depth chart will look drastically different. The overall level of team talent should take a jump if Pace and his scouting department can deliver strong results this offseason. A high draft pick and money to spend in free agency will certainly help.
Three final games of the 2015 season won't do anything more than help the Bears bridge to the offseason with greater certainty. Pace can take inventory, players will attempt to make a final impression, and then we tie a bow on what's been a roller coaster Year 1.
The Bears have come a long way since the circus of last season, but they still have a long way to go in building a Super Bowl contender, the reason Pace and his bright brass were brought in.
At the least, it's evident that Mrs. McCaskey's proud franchise is headed in the right direction.
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.