He never returned this season and that all but ended the Chicago Bears' season.

Forte was having another great year and with his contract up, he was expecting to sign a contract extension with the Bears. That never happened. From the looks of it, the Bears are content on using the franchise tag on Forte.

Forte has proven his worth. He lead the Bears in yards from scrimmage and was top five in the NFL in that same category before he was hurt.

Forte started off the season strong and although the Bears were struggling at 1-3, Forte was a bright spot in the offense. Forte was not only a threat in the rushing game, but he was Cutler's top target for most of the season.

With Forte playing well and the Bears' offense starting to click after a Week 6 win over the Vikings, the Bears were on the rise and preparing for a potential playoff run.

Then it all went downhill.

As the Bears lost five of their last six games, they also used three different running backs during that stretch. Forte's shoes were going to be hard to fill, and it showed during that five-game losing stretch.

Marion Barber took over as the starting running back, and he was serviceable at times. He wasn’t a horrible backup, but one key mistake could have cost the Bears their season. Against Denver, the Bears held a late lead. As they tried to run the clock down, Barber made a mental mistake and ran out of bounds.

You know the rest of the story—it was Tebow Time.

Khalil Bell became the starter the following week against Seattle as Barber suffered an injury. The Bears resorted to Bell and Armando Allen as their backups.

Bell had some pretty good games down the stretch and was a bright spot for the Bears. He’s given himself a chance to backup Matt Forte next season.

It’s hard to imagine how far this Bears team could have gone this season barring the injuries they had. One thing is for certain, many Bears fans want to see Matt Forte signed for the long term.

With the nucleus of Forte and Cutler, it gives the Bears something to build around for the future. It’s just up to the Bears to get it done.

Final Grade:  B-

Reason for the Grade: Forte had an outstanding season. His injury was a key loss for the Bears, who were on their way to the playoffs. Forte earns an A- himself. Barber and Bell were good backups and at least were able to give the Bears some kind of hope during the season.

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That saying still haunts Chicago Bears fans even after the end of the season. That's because when Jay Cutler broke his thumb in a Week 11 win over the San Diego Chargers, the Bears' season ended.

The Bears were 7-3 and riding a five-game win streak led by Cutler's stellar play and the career-season of Matt Forte. A deep playoff run looked promising with Cutler playing the way he was, and even a possibility of taking down the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day.

Then Cutler's broken thumb happened on a play that will haunt Bears fans for a long time. As Cutler targeted Johnny Knox on a slant route in the fourth quarter, Knox slipped and fell and it was an easy interception for Antoine Cason. Cutler broke his thumb while making a touchdown-saving tackle on Cason.

On the horizon of bad news was three more games against the AFC West, a home game against the Seattle Seahawks, a Christmas clash with the Packers in Green Bay and their season finale in Minnesota. The Bears would finish 1-5 to end what was once a promising season.

Going into the year, the Bears had high expectations with Cutler. After a NFC Championship run last season, the Bears expected to return and to be led there by their young gunslinger.

With poor offensive line play early on, Cutler struggled. In a Monday night loss in Detroit, Cutler played well, but the Bears fell to 2-3 on the year.

Things changed, however, as Cutler started to play better and led the Bears to a five-game win streak.

During the streak, the Bears seemed to change things. Using max protect to give Cutler more time, and even just a few more designed roll-outs for Cutler were used. Something we saw during the successful season last year.

It was obvious Cutler didn't believe in Mike Martz's philosophy and how he was running the offense. Cutler didn't like it, and most of the fans didn't either.

At one point during the Bears' win against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6, Cutler is seen yelling, "Tell him to go f--- himself," at which was later revealed to be directed at Martz.

Cutler finished the season with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He had a 58 percent completion rate to go along with his 2,319 passing yards.

Hanie Time

When Cutler went down with his injury, many fans panicked. Others remained calm thinking that backup Caleb Hanie could at least get the Bears into the playoffs.

With a relatively easy schedule looming and the Bears holding one wild-card spot, Hanie and the Bears' season went spiraling down.

Hanie, at times, played so bad, the fans wanted backup verteran Josh McCown who hasn't taken an NFL snap in a few years. Hanie didn't even play manageable football at times and just looked downright awful.

McCown's Turn

After Hanie struggled and the coaching staff lost faith in him, McCown finally got his shot. McCown did a little better then Hanie, but that isn't saying much.

McCown got his first start against the Packers on Christmas Day. It was a situation where the Bears just wanted him to manage the game and keep them in it. He did that—for the first half.

McCown executed a few nice drives, but like Hanie he committed a costly turnover in the red zone that costed his team a chance at the lead. His second and final start came in the regular season finale against the Vikings, a game the Bears won to salvage something on their season and finish 8-8.

McCown's play could earn him a backup job to Cutler next season, while Hanie's play earned him a one-way ticket out of Chicago and into the free-agent pool.

Final 2011-12 Grade: C-

Reason: Cutler's play in the 10 games he started saves this grade from being a F+/D-. Hanie was just awful and McCown was better, but not much better.

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Tillman is having another good year for the Bears. Through 15 games, Tillman has recorded 93 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles and two interceptions.

He headlines a list of five Chicago Bears that were named to the team.

Brian Urlacher was voted to his eighth Pro Bowl, while fellow linebacker Lance Briggs was named to his seventh Pro Bowl. Both have been a staple for the Bears defense for the past several years.

Star running back Matt Forte was named to his first Pro Bowl, despite missing the final six games of the season. Forte was leading the league in yards from scrimmage before getting injured in the Week 13 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Special team star Corey Graham was also named to his first Pro Bowl. In a surprise to some, Bears kick and punt returner Devin Hester was not a selection. Instead, Arizona Cardinals rookie Patrick Peterson will be the return man for the NFC.

The San Fransisco 49ers led the NFC with eight Pro Bowl selections, while the New England Patriots led the AFC also with eight.

The 2012 Pro Bowl will be played Jan. 29, 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The NFL announced their 2012 NFL Pro Bowl rosters with an ESPN special. The full list of Pro Bowl rosters can be found here.

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Reports broke out Wednesday that the Bears were shopping the tight end. Olsen was drafted 31st overall in the 2007 draft by the Chicago Bears. Coming out of college Olsen was projected to have an impact on the Bears offense, but he never lived up to those expectations.

Last season, with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz, Olsen had 41 receptions for 404 yards and five touchdowns.

The Bears have made a major overhaul at the tight end position the past few days by trading Olsen, releasing Brandon Manumaleuna and signing former Steeler Matt Spaeth.

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Still, the Bears finished better than what many people predicted, which was them finishing dead last in the NFC North. Winning the NFC North was an achievement the Bears wanted, but making it to the Super Bowl was the bigger goal.

The Bears had their ups and downs last season. They started off with an impressive 3-0 record that included a huge win at home against the Packers on Monday Night Football. Things got a bit slick though for the Bears after that. They lost three of their next four games and many fans were doubting not only the Bears chances, but their quarterback Jay Cutler as well.

All season long Cutler received criticism about his play. Hearing things like "He's not tough," "He's not a good quarterback," and other dumb ramblings from idiotic fans who were put into their place after Cutler led the Bears to the NFC Championship Game.

A big question heading into last season was the Bears wide receiving core. Were they good enough targets for the gun slinging Jay Cutler to find? Could they run the correct routes? Were they threats to opposing offenses?

Although the Bears receivers aren't superstars, they got the job done. The combination of Earl Bennett, Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and even Greg Olsen were good enough to lead a solid offensive attack for the Bears.

That brings me to my point of the offensive line.

Last season, the Bears offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL. Giving up a league high 58 sacks just wasn't cutting it for the team. Several moves were made on the line, and the Bears seemed to have a good solution for the playoffs.

Until they met the Packers who tore Jay Cutler up.

The Bears need to focus on building up their offensive line for the future, and that starts with round one of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Youth is a big part on the offensive line. If you can find a solid guard or tackle that plays well as a rookie, you're in good shape. That's exactly what the Bears need.

Forget about trying to find a big threat wide receiver. You need to protect your franchise quarterback, who is good enough to make receivers better.

This years draft class could bring a nice talent onto the offensive line for the Chicago Bears. The line is ultimately their biggest weakness.

The Bears have the 29th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, meaning a top three or five lineman might not be available to them. The top linemen include Anthony Costanzo, Nathan Solder and Stefan Wisniewski.

Other offensive lineman available to the Bears might include Florida center/guard Mike Pouncey, who the Bears have scouted already. Pounceys teammate in Florida, Marcus Gilbert, also should be available.

Miami guard Orlando Franklin could be the best fit for the Bears. A big, physical player that run blocks well and is solid in pass protection. If he's there with the 29th pick, the Bears could end up having a steal.

While many believe the Bears should focus on wide receivers, I believe the answer to all their problems is on the offensive line. With a young Chris Williams, who started to play like the first-round pick he was, adding another young stud could be great for the Chicago Bears.

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The unofficial start to the off-season starts right after the Super Bowl, when teams already start planning their future for the 2011 NFL Season. That is, if there is a 2011 season.

Since taking over with the Chicago Bears, Jerry Angelo hasn't had the great drafts that are needed to win in the NFL. Sure, you can build a team around trades and free agency, but it's almost impossible to build a Super Bowl team that way.

The way to win in the NFL over recent years is to build through the draft. In fact, two-thirds of Pro Bowl players this season were third round picks or lower.

Teams like this year's Packers, the New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers have all had success with recent drafts.

Teams that are up and coming like the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams have used recent draft success to build a nice foundation.

This year's draft for the Chicago Bears could be one that will impact the future of this team for a long time.

The Bears aren't getting any younger and going into the season were the fourth oldest team in the NFL. They have a 15 players over the age of 30, including Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers, and Olin Kreutz.

With the talent the Bears have on both sides of the ball, they could be looking at another 2 years as a window of opportunity to win the Super Bowl. After that, however, they could be in for a huge downfall.

Let's look at the past five drafts for the Chicago Bears and how their players have panned out.

2006: The Bears were coming off a NFC North Division Championship, but a disappointing loss at home against the Carolina Panthers in the playoffs left a sour taste in their mouths. The Bears knew they were close to being a Super Bowl contender. Here's how they drafted.

The Bears didn't have a first round pick, but did have two second round picks. They spent those picks on safety Daniel Manning and CB (at the time) and converted kick returner Devin Hester.

We all know the Bears hit the nail on the head with Hester, but Manning wasn't a great pick. He also wasn't a horrible pick. Manning gave the Bears another option at safety, which later they would trade Chris Harris because of a log jam at the safety position.

Manning has started the past few seasons for the Bears, which is a positive compared to the rest of that 2006 draft for the Bears. In order they selected Dusty Dvoracek, Jamar Williams, Mark Anderson, J.D Runnels and Tyler Reed. All five of those players are currently off the Bears roster. Anderson was released this season, and Williams was traded for safety Chris Harris.

2007: Fresh off a Super Bowl loss to the Colts, the Bears had the chance to become an elite NFC team for the next few years. That was the plan however. With a relatively weak division at the time, a solid draft to fix a few sore spots was just what the Bears needed. Let's see how they did.

The Bears addressed their tight end problem by selecting Greg Olsen out of Miami. Olsen gave the Bears a big physical tight end who could go up and get the ball. Him and Desmond Clark were supposed to give the Bears a duel threat at the position. It just hasn't happened.

Olsen hasn't had a bad career for the Bears, and still remains a valuable threat for Jay Cutler and this offense. Clark, however, has faded off into the sunset.

The offensive line wasn't getting any older for the Bears, so that problem had to be addressed as well. Building youth on the line was key for retaining control of the division and NFC. The Bears didn't address their offensive line problems until the fourth and seventh rounds. They selected guard Josh Beekman (fourth) and tackle Aaron Brant (seventh), but both haven't cut it for the Bears. Beekman remains on the current roster but hasn't produced much at all.

With their six other picks, the Bears selected defensive end Dan Bazin, running back Garrett Wolfe, linebacker Michael Okwo, safety Kevin Payne, and corner backs Corey Graham and Trumaine McBride.

Wolfe and Graham turned out to be special team stars for the Bears, but you can't spend your drafts building up your special teams. The remaining players currently are off the roster.

It was a overall disaster draft for the Bears, deserving a grade of a D.

2008: The Bears had a disastrous 2007 season and the future wasn't looking pretty. They went into the 2008 season with Kyle Orton as their starting quarterback, but still had problems at positions, including running back, wide receiver, safety, and offensive line.

The Bears lost receivers Bernard Berrian and Mushin Muhammad, and replaced them with average ones at Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd would turn out to have a Pro Bowl season with the Broncos this year.

In the first three rounds the Bears did an impressive job at targeting their weakness at offensive line, running back and wide receiver.

They selected tackle Chris Williams in the first round, running back Matt Forte in the second round, and wide receiver Earl Bennett in the third round. All three are currently on the Bears roster, and did contribute to the success of the past season.

Williams is still a work in progress with the Bears, but evidence has shown the Bears are starting to figure him out on the line. They found a diamond in the rough with Matt Forte, who led them in yardage last season and his rookie year. Earl Bennett has been their most consistent option at wide receiver and will battle for the starting job in training camp.

Only four of the Bears' other nine picks from that draft are still on the team, and only one of them has seen the field on a nice steady basis.

2009: There were not many expectations for the 2009 draft. Just a few weeks prior to the draft, the Bears had acquired quarterback Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos in exchange for a 2009 and 2010 first round pick, plus a third round pick in 2010.

The Bears felt like they got their franchise quarterback they had been searching for since Sid Luckman was quarterback. Cutler had a horrible 2009 season, but rebounded by leading the Bears to the NFC Championship game this season.

With their franchise quarterback set, the Bears felt like they could make a serious run in the NFC. There were still holes on both sides of the ball, and especially at wide receiver. The big debate was whether the Bears receivers at the time could get the job done for Cutler.

Since the Bears didn't find any solutions in the previous drafts for their aging offensive line, that was another concern heading into the draft.

Out of the nine selections the Bears made, only four players are still on the current roster. Two of those four players are valuable options for the Bears. Wide receiver Johnny Knox was a starter this past season, and corner back D.J Moore has seen considerable time on the field.

2010: This was the most recent draft for the Chicago Bears, and it came after a disaster season. It was win or be fired for Lovie and Jerry Angelo. It was a very important draft for the Bears front office. Without picks in the first two rounds, the Bears would have to find gold in the later rounds.

They lost their first round pick in the trade with Jay Cutler. Their second round pick was lost in the trade for the late Gaines Adams, who passed away in the 2010 off-season.

The Bears still had question marks on the defense, which, without Brian Urlacher, had a horrible year. The offensive line was also another problem, as it had been for the past four years, and the Bears still didn't solve it.

With their third round pick, the Bears took safety Major Wright out of Florida. Wright is expected to fill the gap at safety with Chris Harris. He split time with Manning, and could be the starter in 2011.

The Bears focused on defense by taking defensive end Corey Wooten (fourth round), and cornerback Joshua Moore (fifth round). With their remaining picks, the Bears selected quarterback Dan Lefevour and tackle J'Marcus Webb.

Lefevour was cut in the preseason, but Webb was inserted into the starting lineup to help fix the Bears' problems on the offensive line. Once again, it looks like the Bears couldn't find gold in the later rounds with the exception of Wright and Webb, who are being waited on to pan out.

The Bears recent draft blunders might cost Chicago another chance at a Super Bowl run in the upcoming years. Poor moves by the front office costing them picks, or players in return also contributes to that.

Bringing in Julius Peppers and Jay Cutler were a nice step in the right direction for the Bears, but their horrible drafts offset those moves.

The Bears have weaknesses on their team that need to be addressed if they want make another run at a NFC Championship Game appearance.

They have an offensive line that can't protect their franchise quarterback and a line that hasn't been fixed in five years. A line that gave up a league high 58 sacks last season and frustrated their quarterback more than anyone else.

They do not have a "number one" type of receiver to complement Jay Cutler's strong arm.

They also have an aging defense that needs youth to establish a new foundation. A defense that needs to teach and mentor rookies for the future.

With a crucial 2011 draft coming up, where the Bears have problems that need to be fixed, can Angelo answer the call?

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It all started during the game, when Cutler appeared to hurt his knee and never returned. On Monday, it was revealed that Cutler had a second degree sprained MCL, which is still a tear.

During the game, many NFL players chimed in on the Cutler situation. Many of them bashed Cutler and said he was being a wimp, others criticized Cutler and said he quit on his team.

Whatever happened to the NFL's "all for one" campaign, where players fighting the labor agreement are "all for one?" You know, the campaign that took a five minute presentation before the Vikings-Saints game in September? So much for that, huh?

The one tweet that stands out to me is from Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who tweeted "All I'm saying is that he can finish the game on a hurt knee... I played the whole season on one...". Oh really MJD? You really played the whole season hurt? I mean, didn't you miss the final two games of the season when your team was battling for a playoff spot?

It's funny that all the NFL players that tweeted about Cutler are in fact are all doing the same thing: watching the game from home. None of them were in the playoffs obviously, so it's easy to talk about someone when your sitting at home.

Cutler has already received a lot of criticism, and will it will continue to happen for a while, even after it has been revealed that he suffered a tear to his MCL.

Now let's be logical and look at the facts of what happened, so we can try and finally solve this.

Cutler left the game after the first series in the third quarter. He went to the sideline, and the Bears inserted Todd Collins as their quarterback.

Now, many people say Cutler wasn't hurt and he showed no signs of being hurt on the sidelines. How do we know? I mean we only seen to shots of him of five seconds from FOX.  The national audience used this as fuel, and were eventually proved to be wrong.

Caleb Hanie said after the game that Cutler provided him with advice and knowledge to help him succeed. There were also images of Cutler talking to the trainers.

That brings me to my next point.

Per Bears officials, Cutler pleaded to come back into game, but the trainers and Lovie Smith wouldn't let him. Typically, once a trainer rules you out for the game, it's because your injury is too severe and too big of a chance to risk for the future.

The Bears wouldn't throw away their franchise quarterback who they gave up a lot for if he couldn't play. To think he faked an injury is stupid.

Many people argue that Cutler could have played because Phillip Rivers played through a tear during the 2008 AFC Championship game.

However, many people forget to take into consideration the use of cortisone shots. Many athletes take a cortisone shot to help heal an injury, and to be able to play with that injury, much like Phillip Rivers did. People are quick to forget that Cutler is a diabetic, and taking a cortisone shot for a diabetic is like pretty much asking for a death bed.

The bottom line is that all the criticism towards Cutler is undeserved. The guy is a tough player, we all know that. He has been sacked a league-high 52 times this season and has gotten right back up and played. He took a beating from the Giants and finished the half with a concussion. By no means is Cutler not a tough guy.

It's a disgrace to see the fans of the Bears burning Cutler jerseys and tarnishing his name. It's just ridiculous that fans would do that.

Cutler is the Bears quarterback and will be the quarterback of the future whether you like it or not. Now just leave the unwanted criticism to yourself.

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This is only the second time the Bears and Packers have met in the playoffs, with the first match up being in 1941 and the Bears winning that game. Sunday’s game will have an atmosphere like no other and will be exciting for the players and fans.

The two teams split the season series winning one game a piece, both at home. The games were decided by a combined 10 points so all indications point to a close game on the lakefront Sunday afternoon. Whatever team will be able to limit the mistakes and make the key plays down the stretch will be victorious.

Here are Five keys to Sundays NFC Championship game.

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The Chicago Bears earned the No. 2 seed in this year's playoffs by going 11-5 and winning the NFC North. The Bears shocked many people by doing so well this season after a dismal 2009 campaign.

Chicago has one of the best defenses in the league to go along with the best special teams. Their offense must stay consistent for them to have a shot.

Seattle won the matchup between the two teams on October 17th in Chicago. The Bears were 4-1 at the time, and predicted by many to win the game. But Seattle used a balanced offensive attack to shock the Bears at Soldier Field. Seattle's defense put Chicago out of rhythm by pressuring Jay Cutler and forcing him to throw the ball 39 times.

Sunday's game will be a big test for both teams. Chicago can't overlook the Seahawks, even with their 7-9 record.

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The Bears lead the NFC North by one game over the Green Bay Packers. The two teams meet in week 17 at Green Bay and it's likely that game will decide the division title.

The Bears have received solid play from almost everyone, making them a dangerous team in the NFC. The defense is playing dominant defense and the offense seems like they are getting it together.

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