It's the Bears final game of the 2009 season.  The hopes and dreams and lofty expectations which accompanied the acquisition of quarterback Jay Cutler have faded, crashed and burned.  All that's left is a final, meaningless game against Detroit before the lights go out on what has been a miserable year.  The question is going to be what happens next?

No doubt a lot of Bears will be suiting up for the last time.  Adrian Peterson, Kevin Jones, Des Clark, Rashied Davis, Olin Kreutz, Orlando Pace, Adewale Ogunleye, Danieal Manning, Josh Bullocks, Craig Steltz, Corey Graham and Nate Vasher are among a group that depending on the new CBA, may have played or will play their final game in a Bears uniform. 

Without meaningful draft picks and a thin free agent field, Bears GM Jerry Angelo will be hard pressed to restock his roster with quality players.  The Bears are thin at offensive and defensive line, running back and wide receiver. Which comes to our next order of business, who is going to coach up this team in 2010.

The Lovie Smith conundrum is a tough call right now.  I would venture that the Bears will give Smith another year to extricate himself from the hole he has dug himself into, provided he throw certain members of his coaching staff under the bus.  Coaches react differently to that, but I think Smith will be glad to do it to save his job.  Should he decline and get fired, then he still can collect on the millions that Bears will owe him while keeping his reputation that he is loyal to his coaching staff.  I think Lovie is savvy enough to know his value is on the field not on the beach and will gladly drive the Greyhound itself when it takes out Ron Turner, Bob Babbich, Pep Hamilton and whoever else Lovie is directed to let go.

If you fantasize about the Bears bringing  in Da Chin, Jeff Fisher, Jon Gruden  or Brian Billick or some other top of the line coach, understand that coach would burn the house down to build a new one.  The question is how long would the rebuilding take and would the job seem attractive enough given the severe limitations on picking up personnel? And if you show Smith the door, do you also show the door to Jerry Angelo and possibly Ted Phillips? And if you show the door to Angelo, what GM would be willing to come in, hands tied and try to rebuild the Bears at this point?  Nobody worth their salt, that's who.

Like him or loathe him, you are probably stuck with Lovie for at least one more year, not because of money but because of continuity, something fans don't really think about.  At this point, the Bears gig is  a job few would touch based on the limitations and you'd probably feel better about Lovie than you would some career assistant that you've barely heard of taking over.  I'd just assume see the Bears go 8-8 or 7-9 next year as opposed to 3-13.

Lightning Round

• Tony Dungy speaking up for Lovie Smith is like Rocky speaking up for Bullwinkle.
• I was watching the Orange Bowl on Friday night when Brian Billick made a comment that eluded to the drafting of Kyle Boller in the first round by the Ravens.  What Billick said was "If you are going to take Tebow as a quarterback, you are going to have to take him in the first round and you have to be sure with a quarterback taken in the first round because if it doesn't work out, you'll find yourself working for Fox sports and calling college  bowl games."  I believe that Billick was being self deprecating was not taking a direct shot at Kyle Boller as documented elsewhere.
• I hope Texas Tech fans enjoyed their big win last night over Michigan State because chances are those victories will become more fewer and far between now that Mike Leach has walked the plank.