In 2005 the Bears were coming off a losing season and a last place finish. But they surprised everyone by going 11-5 and winning their division with an inconsistent offense but a very strong defense. In their first playoff game, they were soundly beaten on their own home field in a game they fell behind early in and never recovered. In 2006, the Bears went to the Super Bowl and should've won.

I firmly believe (and have now for weeks) that 2010 is 2005 again. Look at what we had coming in -- bad WRs and a mistake-prone QB learning one of the most complicate offenses in the NFL. An epically bad offensive line that had only 1 player starting in the same position all year. We knew we had some playmakers on D but the entire secondary and all the d-line not named "Julius" were question marks, as was post-injury Urlacher. After a sloppy, winless preseason most people picked our ceiling as 8-8, including myself.

I think it's fair to say we FAR exceeded any expectations this season. We got 11 wins, were a 2 seed, and made it to the NFC champ game. However you slice it we had a year to be proud of as fans (and the team should be too). Our coaching staff did an excellent job. Our players played their hearts out (does anyone play as hard as the Bears defense?). Next year we will still have a dominant defense and special teams. The offense should catch up -- it will be the WRs 2nd year in the system, and Jay's 2nd year in a system for the first time in three years. Oh, and did I mention Forte is GOOD again? And we finally have a full complement of draft picks -- first time in years.

Everyone needs to hold off on the fire Lovie/Jay sucks/trade Jay crap. Now would be the exact wrong time to blow everything up and start over. We just had a great season, and we have a lot to look forward to next year. Bear down.