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History with quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh and head coach Marc Trestman, coupled with the perception the club needs a backup behind Jay Cutler, makes recently waived former Jets signal caller Tim Tebow a logical possibility in Chicago, but the Bears aren't interested, according to an NFL source.

The Jets waived Tebow on Monday after a one-year stint in New York.

"Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all hoped," Jets coach Rex Ryan said in a statement.

His next opportunity won't come in Chicago, according to the source, who indicated there is no interest on the part of the Bears.

Having served as a quarterbacks consultant before becoming the head coach at Montreal and later Chicago, Trestman worked with Tebow to help the signal caller prepare for the 2010 draft. As quarterbacks coach of the Jets in 2012, Cavanaugh tutored Tebow last season as the quarterback passed for 39 yards on 6-of-8 completions and rushed for 102 yards.

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First Marc Trestman comes to Chicago, then new quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh, leaving observers to wonder whether the next to take up residency within the walls of Halas Hall will be -- gulp -- Tim Tebow.

Far-fetched? On the surface, absolutely. So to bring it all full circle, here's some background.

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ESPN NFL analyst Mike Ditka says Broncos QB Tim Tebow is playing well, but his teammates deserve credit as well.

DENVER -- Here are Five Things We Learned following the Bears' 13-10 overtime loss in Denver:

1. The Bears gave it away: There was plenty to like from Marion Barber, who ran for 108 yards and scored a touchdown against the Broncos. But all of that got overshadowed due to a pair of epic blunders near the end of the game. Barber's lack of awareness and failure to stay in bounds during a run right after the two-minute warning was staggering for a seven-year NFL veteran. With the Broncos out of timeouts, all Barber had to do was fall down in bounds and milk crucial extra seconds off the clock. That mistake was actually worse than Barber's overtime fumble, because coughing up the football can be chalked up to physical error, which everybody in the league makes from time to time. But for the second straight week, Barber cost his team dearly due to a lack of football intelligence -- he lined up illegally on a play against Kansas City that took a Bears touchdown off the board. Barber's silly career stance to boycott the media further complicates the issue. What kind of veteran messes up so royally then high tails it out of the locker room and forces his teammates to account for his actions? Not a veteran I want on my team.

2. Tim Tebow is nothing special: I'm not a Tebow hater. I have no issues with his beliefs. I admire the fact he's a good person. He's a winner. But as a quarterback he is remarkably average. The Bears' defense dominated Tebow until the end of the game when they took a more conservative approach. Clearly, the Broncos can win games with Tebow. But I hesitate to say they win most of their games because of Tebow. Good player, don't get me wrong. But let's not get carried away.

3. Playoff hopes are fading: Dropping three straight this late in the season is not a good sign. Victories on Sunday by Detroit and Atlanta puts the Bears in a hole I'm not sure they'll be able to dig themselves out of. Lovie Smith's team is finding ways to lose games, which is not the sign of a playoff-caliber organization. It figures to be an interesting offseason if the Bears continue this collapse. With Green Bay looming on the horizon, it's over if they can't beat the Seahawks at Soldier Field.

4. Caleb Hanie made some progress: The numbers weren't very pretty, but at least Hanie protected the football and gave the Bears a shot to win for the third straight week. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz realized the limitations of the group without Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, and authored a smart, conservative game plan. Hanie missed a few throws, but he connected on 12 of 19 passes and posted a respectable quarterback rating of 79.9. As Lance Briggs said after the game, 10 points was enough to win. Hanie didn't play great, but you can't pin the loss on the QB. Expect Hanie to start Sunday at home against Seattle, then the Bears will re-evaluate the status of Cutler moving forward over the final two weeks of the regular season.

5. Craig Steltz rose to the occasion: This was a perfect matchup for Steltz, who thrives when asked to tackle in the box. Steltz forced a critical turnover when he stripped Tebow of the football, and was credited in the press box with five total tackles, plus one stop for a loss. When the Bears face Green Bay in two weeks, Major Wright might be a better option because of his athleticism. But when it comes to playing against ground-orientated teams like Denver and Seattle, Steltz is the best option at strong safety. A game like he played in Denver will only help his chances as a free agent after this season.

DENVER -- On an afternoon when points are expected to be at a premium, credit the Chicago Bears special teams for turning in perhaps the most important play of the scoreless first half.

After the Broncos offense marched the ball 60 yards down the field midway through the second quarter, Denver kicker Matt Prater attempted what appeared to be a chip-shot 28-yard field goal. But the kick was blocked by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers, thwarting the best scoring opportunity for either team in the opening half.

When the Bears had the ball, Caleb Hanie and company had limited success moving the chains as they recorded just five first downs and 84 total yards of offense. Hanie finished the half 6-of-9 passing for 37 yards, while Marion Barber, starting in place of the injured Matt Forte, rushed for 46 yards on nine carries.

Because of the Bears’ inability to sustain a drive, Denver's offense, led by quarterback Tim Tebow, was on the field for 17:10. The Broncos held the Bears to 0-for-5 on third down.

Tebow didn't fare much better than Hanie, completing 3-of-13 for 45 yards and running for 27 yards.

On the injury front for Denver, veteran safety Brian Dawkins suffered a neck injury in the second quarter and is questionable to return.

DENVER -- The first quarter at Sports Authority Field on Sunday was a scoreless affair.

Offense for the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos was at a minimum, to say the least.

Tim Tebow went 3-for-7 for 45 yards, buying time with his feet for one 23-yard completion to Matt Willis. But he also threw an interception -- his first in six games -- to Charles Tillman along the Broncos sideline. Willis McGahee couldn’t get going, picking up seven yards on seven carries.

Caleb Hanie couldn’t do much either, going 3-for-4 for 10 yards. Marion Barber looked capable of moving the Bears down the field, picking up 38 yards on eight carries, mostly up the middle. Hanie was sacked once for an eight-yard loss on second-and-10.

The Bears went 0-for-3 on third down. They went 0-11 in last week’s 10-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The "Sunday NFL Countdown" crew breaks down the Bears' defense against Tim Tebow.

Josina Anderson reports on the Bears and Broncos pregame preparations.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Not surprisingly, Chicago Bulls center (and University of Florida alum) Joakim Noah is a massive fan of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, also a former Gator.

"Timothyyyy!" Noah said proudly after Saturday's practice. "We got to show Timothy a little love here. For all the haters out there, you know the guy is kicking ass. Making me very proud to be a Gator boy."

Noah has followed Tebow's career closely since the pair were in school together at Florida.

"It's a beautiful story," Noah said. "He is who he is. There's no lie about who he is. He's comfortable."

Noah admits that the two don't see eye-to-eye on certain issues, but the Bulls center appreciates that Tebow stays true to his values.

"Me personally, I have completely different beliefs than him," Noah said. "But at the same time I respect the fact that he speaks his truth. He speaks his truth and he's a warrior. He's a winner. At the end of the day, his teammates respect that.”

Noah said he didn't know Tebow very well during their time in Gainesville, but that didn't stop him from gaining respect for the quarterback.

"I had a class with him," Noah said. "The guy is the real deal. He's a very humble guy. And somebody who, his teammates love him. They battle for him every night. He might not throw the ball great, and that's all anybody wants to talk about, but at the same time, people really underestimate the fact that his guys really go to bat for him. And it was the same way at Florida. And I can see it, it's the same way with his team in Denver."

When asked whether Tebow had ever tried to cheat off of him on a test, Noah couldn't help but smile.

"Nah, that's not his style," Noah said. "I was the cheater on the test. He wasn't cheating on too many tests."

Noah was asked whether he had heard his friend Charles Barkley's comments that he would be cheering for the Bears when they play Tebow's Broncos on Sunday because he was "Tebowed out."

"I want to make a personal plea to Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Mr. [Julius] Peppers, please stop the madness," Barkley said Friday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "I'm just so tired ... I like Tim Tebow. He seems like a good kid, and I wish him success, but I am Tebowed out. So this is my personal plea for you three guys, please stop this madness."

Noah said he had not heard the comments and wasn't fazed by what Barkley had to say.

"That's Chuck's opinion," he said. "I'm not [tired of the Tebow talk]. "I'm a Gator boy. I love the Tebow talk."

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- When the Chicago Bears square off against a pass-happy opponent, strong-side linebacker Nick Roach is generally on the field for about 20 snaps.

In the last month, Roach's playing time has increased to approximately 40-45 plays in a given week.

It figures to be another busy afternoon for Roach this Sunday since Denver enters the game as the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL behind tailback Willis McGahee and quarterback Tim Tebow.

"We always in the linebacker room enjoy the challenge of a good rushing team because they're going to test our rules," Roach said. "Plus, it's always a challenge to face really good players like Willis McGahee who's having an excellent year and has been put in a smart scheme that features the power run game."

Because the Broncos will still use three-receiver sets, there are going to be times Roach comes off the field in favor of the nickel back, but keeping an extra linebacker on the field as often as possible seems to make sense when defending Tebow and the Broncos' read option.

"So basically, out of those 45 plays or so I could play, I probably won't be in for as many pass plays as usual, that's the difference," Roach said. "They don't really bring in extra big bodies to run, they just run in general out of all their formations."

Even with limited snaps, Roach is tied for sixth on the team in tackles (44) and No. 5 in tackles for a loss (4).

As the Bears try to stop Tim Tebow from his sixth straight victory on Sunday amid a fever pitch of attention on the polarizing Denver Broncos quarterback, Charles Barkley made a plea to Chicago: Stop the madness.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears safety Craig Steltz shares a history with Denver quarterback Tim Tebow that dates back to the Fall of 2006.

Tebow, then a freshman at the University of Florida, turned in the best performance of his young collegiate career when he accounted for three touchdowns in a 23-10 victory over Steltz's LSU Tigers. The quarterback ran for a score and passed for two others, including a 35-yard touchdown completion to receiver Louis Murphy.

"I think what happened the time he beat us was that guys were running free down the field," Steltz said. "We had a couple instances of busted coverage and guys not reading their keys. It was big plays, that's what did it to us. You have to limit the big plays. He can hit those big plays if they present themselves."

But Steltz, a 2007 first-team All American, got the last laugh against Tebow the following year when he tallied a career-best 16 tackles in a 28-24 Tiger's win.

Fast forward four years and the two are set to square off Sunday as Steltz is expected to start at strong safety in place of the injured Major Wright. Steltz came off the bench last week versus Kansas City and recorded a season-high nine tackles and one forced fumble.

"He does a really good job running the offense in Denver," Steltz said. "When he runs, he doesn't like to run out of bounds, and he can certainly make plays. We just have to stay disciplined and read our keys. Everybody has to know his assignment on every single play. But this is a smart, veteran group that does a good job with the fundamentals. We need to pay attention to detail and be in the right spot and the right time.'

"He's a tremendous player. It's going to be a huge test for us."

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The last mobile quarterback to inflict damage on the Chicago Bears' defense was Carolina Panthers rookie Cam Newton, who rushed for two touchdowns, passed for another and compiled 409 total yards of offense in a losing Week 4 effort.

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» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge on Week 13:

Closing in: The Green Bay Packers have a great chance to clinch a playoff spot Sunday, regardless of what happens in their game at the New York Giants. (It can happen with a Packers victory, or a loss by one of the following teams: the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions or the Atlanta Falcons.) The Packers can also clinch the NFC North with a victory combined with a Lions loss to the New Orleans Saints. Even if they lose to the Giants, losses by the Lions and Bears this weekend would hand the division to the Packers. And then the real fun begins. The Packers' next goal would be to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and, possibly, a 16-0 regular season.

History: The Giants have lost three consecutive games and aren't expected to have defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee) for this game. The Packers, meanwhile, have won 17 consecutive games, including the playoffs. But optimism in New York for an upset has centered, in part, on the Giants' history in such situations. On three occasions, the Giants have snapped an opponent's winning streak of 18 or more games. They beat the New England Patriots in 2004, the Denver Broncos in 1998 and the Chicago Bears in 1934. With that said, nothing has happened lately to suggest that these Giants are in position to make it a fourth time -- other than the fact that previous incarnations of their teams have pulled it off.

Must win: Let's be blunt: If the Bears want to participate in the 2011 postseason, they'll need to beat the Kansas City Chiefs at Soldier Field. The Chiefs have lost four consecutive games and are expected to start quarterback Tyler Palko, who has thrown six interceptions in the Chiefs' past two games. The other alternative is former Bears quarterback Kyle Orton, who has spent a week with the team. The Bears are 5-1 and are averaging 31.3 points per game at home this season, their only loss coming in Week 3 to the Packers. There is a general assumption that quarterback Caleb Hanie will settle down for his second NFL start, but the Chiefs' poor perimeter run defense could help tailback Matt Forte gobble up yards outside the tackles. (The Chiefs are allowing 5.7 yards per rush outside the tackles.) No matter how it happens, the Bears can't afford a loss Sunday.

Tough to win: As we noted earlier Friday, the Lions will have their work cut out for them Sunday night in stopping the New Orleans Saints' offense, which is particularly explosive at the Superdome. To be fair, it's worth noting that the Lions have a decent opportunity to score against the Saints' risk-taking defense. The Saints are giving up the sixth-most passing yards per game in the NFL this season (253.7) and have only six interceptions, tied for the second-lowest in the league. The fractured right index finger of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has healed, and the Lions at least have the capacity to exchange blows in a shootout.

Defending Tebow: The Minnesota Vikings' beleaguered secondary will get something of a break this week against Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. The Vikings will be without four of the top five defensive backs they opened the season with, and on Sunday rookie Mistral Raymond will make his first NFL start. But the Broncos rarely throw downfield with Tebow and instead focus on their option running game. The Vikings will need to pay particular attention when Tebow is in the spread formation; the Broncos are averaging 6.5 yards per rush and have five rushing touchdowns when Tebow is in the shotgun.