With their 10-6 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco on Thursday night, the Bears may have sealed their fate this season.

At 4-5, the Bears would almost have to run the table to make the playoffs this year, a task that seems impossible with teams like the Eagles, Vikings (twice) and the Ravens on their second half schedule.

With their loss last night, the Bears are now 2-4 in the conference, with losses to the Packers, Falcons, Cardinals and 49ers – teams they’re currently battling in the Wild Card race. A loss to the Eagles next week would be a final blow to a team that has been stumbling backwards for weeks.

Of course, breaking down their record and looking ahead at their schedule are two minute problems considering they can’t run the football, Jay Cutler is an utter disaster in the red zone and the team has little to no fight in them. One would have thought that with their backs pressed firmly against the wall, Lovie Smith’s squad would have came out with more passion and emotion last night (especially after they were blown out at home last week by Arizona). Instead, they made mistake after mistake and failed to cash in on the multiple opportunities that were awarded to them by the 49ers.

The Bears essentially had one chance to turn their season around and last night was it. If they can’t beat teams like the 49ers, Falcons or Cardinals, how are they going to beat the Vikings twice or an Eagles team that is hungry coming off a loss? It might be safe to stick a fork in Da Bears, because they’re officially done.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Following their embarrassing 41-21 loss to the Cardinals at Solider Field last Sunday (which came just three weeks after an embarrassing 45-10 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati), many Chicago fans were screaming from their rooftops for the Bears to fire head coach Lovie Smith.

But it isn’t going to happen – not this season, not next season.

After taking the Bears to the Super Bowl three years ago, Chicago signed Smith to a contract extension through 2011. It made sense at the top because Smith was one of the lowest paid head coaches in the NFL and if a team has a coach that can get them to the Super Bowl, it’s wise to lock them up long-term.

But three seasons later the Bears appear to be regressing and not progressing. The offseason acquisition of quarterback Jay Cutler was supposed to get this team closer to the Super Bowl, not third place in the overrated NFC North.

Granted, Smith has had to deal with injuries at the linebacker position and while the team has tried to motivate him, Tommie Harris almost looks like a lost cause right now. The newcomers on the offensive line haven’t gelled together either and Matt Forte has suffered because of it.

Still, a couple more blowouts and those screams for Smith’s head will get louder. But the fact of the matter is that those screams will fall on deaf ears because Smith isn’t going anywhere. He’s a cheap option for a cheap organization and he’ll be in Chicago until his contract runs out and the Bears can find another head coach that they can throw pennies at.

It certainly looks like a long shot at the moment, but maybe Smith can still get this thing turned around. Tonight would be a great starting point, as Chicago travels to San Francisco to take on a 49ers team that is reeling just as much as Da Bears are. A victory tonight and the Bears will have a winning record, while a loss might all but seal their fate.

Notice how I said “their” fate and not Smith’s.

Photo from fOTOGLIF