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LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -Between the growing pile of losses, the uncertain status of their coach and the latest round of drama involving Jay Cutler and Brian Urlacher, this isn't exactly a fun time for the Chicago Bears. Imagine how depressing it will be if they lose to lowly St. Louis. With four straight losses and six in seven games, a win Sunday isn't exactly a given for the Bears (4-7) no matter how bad the Rams (1-10) are. Not when their own season has gone awry.
``You show up and you work on your craft,'' Bears center Olin Kreutz said. ``You show up to get better and show up not to get embarrassed.'' Or, as offensive tackle Chris Williams put it, ``It's about pride. It's about respect.'' Their pride is bruised, the respect just about gone. It's hard to believe the Bears had playoff aspirations and a 3-1 record heading into their bye, given the recent freefall, yet there were issues even when they were winning. Now, they're simply in disarray. Cutler, the source of optimism after that big trade with Denver, leads the league with 20 interceptions and has 15 in the last seven games. The running game ranks dead last. The offensive line has been letting defenders pass by with little resistance, and things on the other side aren't much better. Twice during this skid the Bears have allowed 41 points or more, and the low point may have been last week's 36-10 loss at NFC North leader Minnesota. Not only did they allow Brett Favre and the Vikings to roll up 537 yards week, the most by a Chicago opponent in 27 years, they gained only 169 themselves. And all but two of those yards came in the first half. That certainly didn't quiet the critics of coach Lovie Smith, who acknowledged the scrutiny this week. Between that, Urlacher wondering why the Bears went from emphasizing the run to the pass in an interview with Yahoo! Sports, and Cutler saying there's no need to apologize for comments many interpreted as a shot at the quarterback, the action at Halas Hall was more compelling than anything the team produced on the field. If they're looking for comfort, though, they can take some in this: At least they're not the Rams. Considering the Rams are one of three teams with just one win, they can understand what the Bears are experiencing. ``You just keep fighting,'' St. Louis quarterback Kyle Boller said. ``That's all you can do. You're just trying to be optimistic and go out there and still make it fun and go out and work. We're pros, that's what we're supposed to do. You're as only as good as your next performance. We got to go out there and execute and find a way to win.'' They did that against Detroit on Nov. 1, beating the Lions 17-10. Since then? Three more losses, making St. Louis 6-37 since the start of the 2007 season. Boller, filling in for the injured Marc Bulger, threw two interceptions last week in a 27-17 loss to Seattle and now has five, along with two lost fumbles, in just 14 quarters. ``We want to win and guys are continuing to work hard, continuing to battle, and that's the type of guys they want around this organization,'' Boller said. ``Guys are doing a great job of that.'' Steven Jackson, the league's second-leading rusher, said that's not hard to do. ``I'm working on my craft and showing guys how to be professional,'' he said. ``I'm trusting and leaning on the coaching staff to get the young guys together.'' The Bears, meanwhile, are trying to piece things together, to salvage something from a lost season. Missing the playoffs for the third straight year was not what they envisioned, yet the Bears are on the verge of doing just that. With games against Green Bay, Minnesota and Baltimore - teams with winning records - before finishing with the Lions, the odds are as slim as a hole in the line for Matt Forte to run through. Even at the bye, they didn't look great. Sure, the Bears were 3-1, but Urlacher had already suffered a season-ending wrist injury in the opener. That topped a list of early aches and pains. On offense, the blocking was poor from the start. Forte was going nowhere, and Cutler was simply running for cover. ``The worst part is it sucks to be disappointed another year,'' linebacker Lance Briggs said. ``You go into the season with a lot of high hopes. ... It's one of those deals where after the season, you get on a nice little trip and go soul searching. You go back and you find the coach that back in high school or Pop Warner affected you first, and you sit down with him and he talks to you and puts on some old film and says 'remember these days?' You know, when football was pure?' and all that good stuff. It brings you back down, and down to earth, and it's OK.'' | 
