Bears Reach Bye Week in One Piece

Having the bye week in Week 8 cuts the season in two nearly symmetrical halves.

And with a 4-3 record, the Chicago Bears are ready to make a move in the NFC North. While they may be too far back to catch the Green Bay Packers, catching the Detroit Lions is very attainable, especially because Chicago's schedule is a bit easier than Detroit's.

Since the Bears are at 4-3, one could accurately conclude that some players have contributed more than others. Below are my first half MVPs and goats.

Offensive MVP: RB Matt Forte

This was almost Jay Cutler, but with a subpar game last week—and Forte playing the best season of his career—I gave Forte the edge. Forte leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage, 20-plus yard runs, 40-plus yard runs, receptions by a running back and is second in yards per carry. Of course, this is not uncommon for a player to have a career year in a contract year, but at this all-pro rate, Forte is likely to demand the type of money that Chris Johnson received in Tennessee.

Offensive goat: OT Frank Omiyale

"The Human Turnstyle" gave so many defenders a whiff, it made people wonder if Cutler stole his girlfriend. It was abysmal that he was pulled in the fourth quarter of a loss at Detroit. He may also be hearing voices because he leads the NFL in false starts, (I could not confirm the schizophrenia, calls to Omiyale's agent went unreturned). His days in Chicago are numbered.

Defensive MVP: LB Brian Urlacher

Urlacher is as solid as ever in his eleventh year in NFL, but he really wins this award by default. The defensive line has been inconsistent and the secondary has played poorly for all but two games. Urlacher leads by example with his team lead in interceptions and tackles for a loss and Urlacher's leadership should never be questioned because he doesn't mind calling out his best friends on the sideline when they screw up. This was evident in the Detroit debacle when Urlacher was caught barking at Lance Briggs on the sideline. When he got home his daughter asked him "Daddy, why were you and Uncle Lance fighting?"

Defensive goat: S Brandon Meriweather

This was a tough decision with so many playing poorly at times, but I figured it was fitting to go with a safety. Meriweather has been out of position, tackled poorly against the run, tackled illegally against the pass, and has garenered several thousand dollars in fines. At $3.5 million, he's the most expensive back-up safety in the NFL, and with a one year contract, there's probably not going to be a second year for him here in Chicago.

Best newcomer: FB Tyler Clutts

Clutts was a surprise pick-up the week before the season started. He was waived by Cleveland and quickly snatched up, and NFL experts have seen why. Clutts has really given Forte some large running lanes, and learned the complex Martz system fairly well. He gets the nod over Sanzenbacher because the "Great Dane" has dropped too many passes.

Best coaching job: Mike Tice

This may sound crazy, but Tice has done a nice job with the line. They have continued to improve pass blocking every week, and their run blocking is superb.

Worst coaching job: Daryl Drake

The WR coach is going to take the heat for this one. The WR's on this team have not progressed, and some have regressed. No wonder former Bear Mushin Muhammad called Chicago "The place where receivers go to die".

Best play of the first half - Devin Hester's 98-yard kickoff return against Minnesota

The Bears were winning, but the momentum had turned, and imagine what would have happened had the Vikings mounted a comeback in Chicago. The Hester touchdown squashed any comeback attempt, and turned the game into a blowout. Chicago used this to catapult into a two game winning streak entering the bye.

Worst play of the first half: Jahvid Best's 88 yard TD run

There were many to choose from here, but this play showed how undiscplined the defense was playing. 88 yards is a long way to run, and Best would have scored if it was flag football. He was never touched. This play got two safeties benched the following week in Minnesota, so amybe this play will be a blessing in disguise.

Best play that never happened: Knox's trick punt return TD

The game was already over, but this would've given the Bears a small window of hope. I still haven't seen the penalty.

Who were your first half MVPs and goats? Weigh in with a comment below!