Bears Things: Be thankful Patriots are coming to town

Good morning, Bears fans!
Well, here we go again.
In last week’s newsletter, I made the case that the Cardinals game would tell us a lot about the Bears’ viability as a serious playoff contender. I also said it would tell us a lot about the coaching staff’s ability to overcome their own mistakes and maintain the trust of their players.
Yikes.
The Bears didn’t even show up in Arizona, and yes, that told us a lot. But if there’s anything I’ve learned in 14 seasons covering the NFL, it’s that a win can fix a lot — or at least put a temporary band-aid on cracks in the foundation.
In hindsight, that’s probably what happened during the Bears’ three-game win streak against the Rams, Panthers and Ja...