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It appears that former Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen gave us some pretty accurate insight into the mind-set of current Bears tailback Matt Forte.

It seems clear, via Twitter, that Forte didn't take it well Thursday when the Bears signed tailback Michael Bush to a four-year contract worth $14 million, including $7 million guaranteed. Forte, who was named the Bears' franchise player this month in lieu of a long-term deal, dropped the dreaded "d" word.

Forte: "There's only so many times a man that has done everything he's been asked to do can be disrespected! Guess the GOOD GUYS do finish last...."

*UPDATE: Forte's agent, Adisa Bakari, offered some context to the tweet in a statement to ESPNChicago.com's Michael C. Wright. Bakari: "Since drafting Matt in 2008, the Bears have signed Kevin Jones, Chester Taylor and Marion Barber, all ostensibly to serve as Matt's backup. To sign yet another running back, prior to completing a contract with Matt suggests disregard for Matt and his contributions to the Bears."

Unfortunately, we don't have the full set of facts to render our own judgment. We know the Bears guaranteed Bush ($7 million) roughly the same amount as Forte would be paid ($7.74 million) as a franchise player this year. We also know the Bears have now issued multi-year deals to veteran backups in each of the past three years.

What we don't know, and it's a rather big piece of the puzzle, is what Forte has turned down. Negotiations have taken place on and off for more than a year. If the Bears were somehow offering Forte less, or about the same, as they have given Chester Taylor, Marion Barber and Bush, then Forte would have a legitimate argument.

But if Forte is upset because the Bears haven't offered him an elite contract that approaches, say, $25-$30 million in guarantees, then the Bush signing should have nothing to do with his angst. He might be upset with the Bears for not valuing him as an elite back, and could perhaps make an argument that he deserves that payday. But a market-level deal for a backup is a separate issue altogether.

As we all know, reason and rational thought don't always rule contract negotiations. What's important is that Forte is among the Bears' best players, one they have built their offense around in recent years, and he's not happy. That's a problem for the Bears, regardless of whether Forte's anger is well-grounded or unfounded.

In our previous post, we discussed the potential impact of Michael Bush's arrival in Chicago on the Bears' negotiations with tailback Matt Forte. I wasn't ready to consider it a legitimate affront to Forte, who reportedly has turned down a more lucrative offer than what Bush received, but it's worth adding a player's perspective.

Via Twitter, former Bears tight end Greg Olsen made clear that Forte would be well within his rights to be upset. Bush is the third backup running back to receive a multiyear contract from the Bears in as many years, following Marion Barber and Chester Taylor. Olsen:

If u have a studd 3 down guy like @MattForte22 why keep paying backups big $ every yr? Crazy!! Matt deserves better.

— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen82) March 22, 2012

When a follower asked if Olsen was bitter because the Bears weren't willing to offer him a multiyear deal and eventually traded him, Olsen responded: "wrong [couldn't] be happier in Carolina. Just pointing out how its viewed around league."

You can agree or disagree with Olsen's reasoning, especially as it relates to having a reliable backup running back at one of the most physical positions in the game. But a number of Bears players stepped forward last season on the topic, and I think Olsen gives us a fair glimpse of how an NFL player views the standoff between the Bears and Forte. And let's just say it won't endear the team's position to any of them.

Let's take a moment to review.

As the Chicago Bears' offense collapsed last season, then-injured quarterback Jay Cutler made a nuanced plea for schematic continuity without directly endorsing the return of offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

A month later, the Bears replaced Martz and promoted offensive line coach Mike Tice into the role.

A few weeks after that, the Bears hired a quarterbacks coach whom Cutler once endorsed for Martz's job and is obviously a personal favorite. Jeremy Bates was one of the Denver Broncos' offensive assistants during Cutler's time there.

On Feb. 20, Cutler spoke openly during an ESPN 1000 interview about his desire for a big receiver and specifically acknowledged his continuing friendship with Brandon Marshall, who at the time was a member of the Miami Dolphins. Tuesday, less than an hour after the NFL's free agent and trading period opened, the Bears acquired Marshall for a pair of third-round picks.

What Jay wants, Jay gets.

Maybe he should have asked for Jake Long, Reggie Bush and a private plane as well.

In all seriousness, I know some of you will think that new general manager Phil Emery and coach Lovie Smith have gone out of their way to placate, suck up to and otherwise make their quarterback happy. But I wouldn't look at it quite that way.

What the Bears have done is take most every step available to maximize the huge investment they made in Cutler in their historic 2009 trade for him.

It's fair to expect an elite quarterback to raise the production of those around him, but the Bears hadn't given Cutler much to work with since his arrival. They traded away his best receiver, tight end Greg Olsen, and hoped he could make it work with former college teammate Earl Bennett, a kick returner trying to play receiver in Devin Hester and a raw speedster in Johnny Knox. Last year's signing of veteran Roy Williams proved a laughably inadequate response to their positional weakness.

It's also fair to expect a quarterback to find common ground with his coordinator, but Cutler has now bid farewell to two of them in his three-year Bears career. The hope now is that Cutler can resume his lockstep relationship with Bates, and get enough flexibility from Tice, to eliminate the red tape and bureaucracy that has stifled the team's offense at times in recent years.

There is no such thing as a perfect environment in the NFL, and it's worth noting that pass protection has probably been the single biggest issue the Bears offense has faced since Cutler arrived. Regardless, the Bears have surgically repaired much of the ruins around him.

Cutler has been reunited with his favorite coach and top receiver, and frankly it's on him to make it work. The Bears have reinforced their commitment to their franchise quarterback. The rest is up to him.

Previewing some of the big decisions facing NFC North teams early in the 2012 offseason:

Minutes after he was named the Minnesota Vikings' head coach in 2002, Mike Tice announced his first decision: Jim Kleinsasser would be moved from fullback to tight end. Some coaches discuss the quarterback while others focus on the defensive scheme. Stocking the tight end position ranked atop Tice's list of priorities, a revealing nugget about the kind of offense he planned to install.

Times and circumstances have changed, but 10 years later, there is every reason to presume a continued focus on the tight end now that Tice has taken over as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator. The Bears once boasted a strong tandem in Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark, but they discarded both players when their offense veered away from the position under former offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

A tight end himself for 14 years in the NFL, Tice likes to use them extensively in the passing game as well as run blockers. In four seasons with the Vikings, tight ends caught a total of 308 passes. So the first order of business this offseason will be to determine whether the Bears' incumbent starter, Kellen Davis, is capable of blossoming in that role.

Davis is a pending free agent but his career total of 28 catches might not spur mass interest on the free-agent market. He did score touchdowns on five of his 18 receptions last season, however, and his 6-foot-7 build makes him a potential downfield mismatch for linebackers.

The Bears will probably be on the lookout for downfield threats in the passing game, but Tice's affinity for tight ends means that Davis could prove a crucial part of their offensive plan for 2012.

Here's one way to think about Tuesday's news from the Chicago Bears: It all goes back to Greg Olsen.

Bear with me for a moment.

(Sorry.)

General manager Jerry Angelo was fired because he ran a front office that was willing to trade Olsen because the Bears' current scheme placed low priority on tight ends. And offensive coordinator Mike Martz was sent away because he ran a scheme that, among other things, couldn't adequately incorporate a player of Olsen's unique skills.

Obviously, last summer's trade of Olsen is one of many flash points that led to what happened Tuesday. But now more than ever, I find his late-July departure from Chicago to be a tight illustration of what should never, ever, ever, never, ever happen in an NFL franchise.

Olsen was the Bears' first-round draft choice in 2007. He had the size of a tight end, but was faster than most, and had receiver-like ball skills that are heavily valued by most NFL teams. His career peaked in 2009, when he caught 60 passes for 612 yards and eight touchdowns, but his impact was limited in a Martz offense that mostly asked tight ends to block and excluded them from the kind of matchups Olsen had already shown he could beat.

His production dropped to 41 receptions in 2010, and with Martz set to return, Angelo couldn't justify extending Olsen's contract when he was destined to be a supplemental contributor. So Angelo traded Olsen to the Carolina Panthers, who promptly signed him to a four-year contract extension worth about $23 million and watched as he caught 45 passes for 540 yards and five touchdowns.

The Bears, meanwhile, had only one player catch more than 37 passes, and that was running back Matt Forte (52 receptions).

Martz committed the first cardinal sin in this episode by not building his scheme around the skills of his players. And Angelo committed the second, not only by presiding over that mistake but compounding it by taking his eye off the horizon.

Martz had turned down a contract extension entering the season, starting the clock on his eventual departure. As the general manager, Angelo needed to hedge on Martz's future and protect an asset that would be of value beyond the potential end of Martz's tenure. Every other coordinator in the NFL, including whoever takes the Bears' job, has a scheme that would use Olsen more than Martz did.

Coach Lovie Smith apparently believes that Kellen Davis could be a similar player, but after catching 28 passes in four seasons, Davis represents hope rather than serious projection. In the end, the Bears traded away one of their best players because he didn't fit a scheme that they summarily dumped five months later. That should never happen.

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 20
Preseason Power Ranking: 13

Biggest surprise: The Bears installed little-known Henry Melton into the critical "three-technique" position on their defensive line, hoping that the converted running back/defensive end could play the role of interior playmaker last filled by Tommie Harris about five years ago. Melton had his ups and downs, but he finished with seven sacks in 15 games. The only defensive tackle in the NFL with more sacks was Tommy Kelly of the Oakland Raiders, who had 7.5. Melton will have to even out his game to be a long-term starter, but no team is going to turn down seven sacks from an interior defensive lineman.

Biggest disappointment: Backup quarterback Caleb Hanie spent nearly four years in the organization before the Bears called on him for extensive service. No matter the situation, that's a reasonable timeframe for a quarterback to develop into a useful asset. When Hanie took over a 7-3 team, it was fair to think he could navigate the Bears toward the playoffs. Instead, he was benched after four consecutive losses, punctuated by nine interceptions and 19 sacks, and helped scuttle the Bears' postseason hopes. You can't blame Hanie for everything that went wrong during that stretch, but the quarterback is the most important player on the field and Hanie obviously didn't do enough to win a game. The Bears deserve some blame for failing to develop him, but in the end the responsibility lies with the player.

Biggest need: Amazingly, it's a toss-up between two positions that annually draw offseason discussion around this team: receiver and safety. Quarterback Jay Cutler has obvious chemistry with receiver Earl Bennett, but it's also clear that Devin Hester is best left primarily as a returner and that veteran Roy Williams is on his last legs. The Bears traded away tight end Greg Olsen because he didn't fit into now ex-coordinator Mike Martz's system, and they enter this offseason with a far-too-limited number of reliable pass-catchers. Meanwhile, there is reason to believe that 2011 third-round pick Chris Conte merits a look as a starting safety in 2012, but 2010 third-rounder Major Wright hasn't shown much progress and the Bears desperately need a playmaker in the back end.

Team MVP: Part of me wants to say that tailback Matt Forte deserves the award. Amid a public negotiation about his expiring contract, Forte was leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage when he suffered a season-ending sprained knee in Week 13. But the Bears' collapse after Cutler's injury, especially before Forte was sidelined, demonstrated how valuable he really is. The Bears averaged 32 points per game during a five-game winning streak prior to his injury. In a 1-5 finish, they averaged 14.2 points per game. Sometimes, as they say, you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

Whither Hester? In Week 10, Hester returned a punt 82 yards against the Detroit Lions for his 18th career touchdown return. That left him one behind Deion Sanders' NFL record. But illness and a sprained ankle dramatically limited Hester's impact thereafter. He caught only four passes in the Bears' final seven games, and over that stretch he managed three returns for more than 30 yards. Hester is the type of player who could have helped overcome the ineffective offense Cutler left behind. His disappearance is a little-mentioned, but highly important, factor in their 8-8 final record.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Certainty in the short term, Chicago Bears: Their season derailed by injuries to quarterback Jay Cutler and tailback Matt Forte, you wonder if the Bears are approaching the end of days for their nucleus of the past eight years or so. Already, they have bid farewell to center Olin Kreutz, tight end Desmond Clark, tight end Greg Olsen and defensive tackle Tommie Harris. Linebacker Lance Briggs asked for a trade last summer. Will the Bears oblige him this winter? Will they start over on offense (again) by replacing offensive coordinator Mike Martz? And is there any chance that general manager Jerry Angelo, 62, will retire this winter, as rumored? Those questions are at least fair game at this point.

2. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings quarterback: Sunday's turnover-riddled performance was one of the worst for an NFL quarterback in the last four seasons, according to the Total Quarterback Rating system. Above all else, Ponder carried with him into the draft a reputation for smart play and solid decision-making. There are typically a combination of factors that go into a stretch of turnovers, and that includes a lack of playmakers surrounding the quarterback. But there is no defending some of the mistakes Ponder has made. He was dealing with a hip pointer last week, but for his sake I hope he is able to play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings need to see him bounce back from the inevitable adversity rookie quarterbacks face.

3. Left tackle confidence, Green Bay Packers: The decision to rotate Marshall Newhouse and rookie Derek Sherrod makes me nervous. Perhaps it was too much to expect Newhouse, the final pick of the fifth round in the 2010 draft, to be able to hold down the position indefinitely while starter Chad Clifton recovered from a hamstring injury. Newhouse doesn't fit the pedigree of an NFL left tackle. He's 6-foot-4, and fair or not, starting-quality left tackles aren't usually available late in the fifth round. Sherrod, on the other hand, is of classic left tackle size and was the Packers' first-round pick in 2011. If anyone projects as Clifton's long-term replacement, it's Sherrod. But I hate seeing a playoff team's left tackle position unsettled in Week 15. That's asking for trouble.

RISING

1. Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions defensive end: I wonder how many people outside the NFC North realize that Avril -- and not Kyle Vanden Bosch or Ndamukong Suh -- leads the Lions in sacks. Avril added two more to his season total Sunday against the Vikings and now has a career-high nine through 13 games. Avril has also forced six fumbles, a figure that is tied with Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs for the NFL lead. As we discussed Monday, Avril has made himself some money this season. The only question is whether the Lions will be the ones writing the check next year.

2. Moment of truth for Packers receiver Jordy Nelson: The caveat has followed Nelson this season, even as he has caught 51 passes for average of 18.8 yards and scored a team-high 10 touchdowns. He has been beating favorable coverage, the theory goes, after opponents prioritize receiver Greg Jennings and tight end Jermichael Finley. That might have been the case for some of Nelson's big plays this season, but now we'll get an opportunity to see what Nelson can do against what figures to be more attention from opponents as Jennings recovers from a sprained knee. The guess here is that Nelson won't miss a beat.

3. Detroit Lions: They have absorbed more than their share of national criticism this year, but the Lions are also deserving of some significant big-picture praise. Sunday's victory over the Minnesota Vikings, as nail-biting as it was, ensured the franchise its first non-losing season in a decade. Their next victory would be their first winning season since they finished 9-7 in 2000. In all reality, 9-7 represents the high point of what most national observers thought possible for this team. For as hard a time as I've given coach Jim Schwartz this season, he would deserve a special award -- Coach of the Past Three Years -- for turning out a winning record so quickly after the 0-16 disaster of 2008.

The video below contains more material for this week's "Have at It" discussion on the impact of Chicago Bears tailback Matt Forte's stalled contract negotiations. Forte tells ESPN's Josina Anderson that he wants Bears management to tell him why a deal hasn't gotten done.

"If you're an organization and you have your own player that you have drafted," Forte said, "... I'm not coming from another team. I'm a guy that has been here since Day 1 when they drafted me, working hard out there. Why not reward that guy for working hard? That's in any job. … That's what is odd to me, that it hasn't gotten done yet."

Forte's words and tone were mild and completely non-threatening, and that's about the only thing that has kept this issue from becoming a complete circus. Once again, however, I'll reiterate that it's pretty rare for NFL players to speak so openly about their contracts in the middle of a season. It's even more unusual to hear so many other players speak up on Forte's behalf, from Lance Briggs to Brian Urlacher to former Bears tight end Greg Olsen. Even NBA star LeBron James has gotten into the act, tweeting Friday that the Bears should "pay the man."

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Add another NFL player who is speaking out about Chicago Bears management.

We're in the midst of discussing the potential impact of unhappy running back Matt Forte and linebacker Lance Briggs. Wednesday, former Bears tight end Greg Olsen told ESPN 1000 that he wasn't happy with the way the team portrayed his role in this summer's trade to the Carolina Panthers. Here are some excerpts:

"I just felt that the way they approached it was, in my opinion, a little unprofessional. The night before the trade when they contacted me and I spoke to [general manager Jerry Angelo], we had a good healthy conversation and he laid out what they were thinking, that they were not going to invest that money in the position because of the offense and all those things that we all know.

"[He said] they were going to entertain trades. I said that's fine. I get that. I said, you know me I'm not one that goes out and speaks to the media. I'm not really a throw-guys-under-the-bus [kind of guy]. I respect that. I was nothing but professional. Then the day after the trade goes down he was the one saying that I was demanding [a trade in 2010]. I just thought that was a little uncalled for when all along I did nothing but play the good guy."

Olsen said he was "biting the bullet" for the entire 2010 season after the Bears' efforts to trade him to the New England Patriots fell through. He also joined the growing chorus of players to express surprise that the Bears haven't signed tailback Matt Forte to a contract extension, twice referring to it as "crazy."

"I think it's a little crazy that they won't reward their best player. Let's be honest, especially offensively he's been pretty much the whole offense. He singlehandedly beat us. He's a great kid. He works extremely hard as we all know in working out with him in the offseason. It's not a mystery why he's having such a good season. And it's not just one season. He's been like this since he was a rookie. He's come in and carried a heavy load under two different offensive coordinators and his play has just continued to get better.

"Those are the guys you want to see rewarded, the guys that do it the right way, the guys that aren't real flashy and don't really care about all the extra curricular stuff but just go out and play every week really hard. You've got to hope that they do the right thing but as we all know sometimes they make decisions that are a little crazy."

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times looks at the running backs who will be involved in Monday night's game between the Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune considers the Bears' top needs in the 2012 draft among the topics in his weekly mailbag.
• Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel traces the recovery from various injuries of Green Bay Packers linebacker Frank Zombo.
• Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wants to reduce his role in taking sacks, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn is not allowing his uncertain future to distract him, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• The Detroit Lions haven't started contract negotiations with defensive end Cliff Avril, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• A few years ago, that wouldn't have been a big deal, writes John Niyo of the Detroit News.
• The Lions lead the NFL in turnover margin, notes Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com.
• Minnesota Vikings stadium talks are officially "in limbo," writes Doug Belden of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• From the Star Tribune: "The day's events signaled that Republican lawmakers, despite mounting political pressure from the Vikings, are not convinced that the February expiration of the team's lease at the Metrodome is sufficient reason to rush into special session."

After the Minnesota Vikings' 24-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Kevin SeifertFollowing their win over the Panthers, the Vikings take a seat in the examination room.
   There was plenty to like about quarterback Christian Ponder's first NFL victory, but the word many people keep returning to is "poise." It's difficult to tell from Ponder's movement or body language whether a play is running perfectly or has totally broken down. There is also no discernible change in his blood pressure between a first-quarter series and a potential game-winning drive. I think that's why Ponder is having some early success in critical situations. Sunday, he completed nine of his 10 third-down attempts, converting seven into first downs. And in both of his NFL starts, he has led long fourth-quarter scoring drives. Sunday's game-winning drive took 7 minutes, 10 seconds off the clock, traveling 72 yards on 13 plays. At the start of his NFL career, Ponder has at least demonstrated the game isn't too big for him.
2. A couple of encouraging events occurred in the final few plays of the game. On a second-and-3 play from the Vikings' 14-yard line, safety Husain Abdullah got excellent position on Panthers tight end Greg Olsen to break up a pass in the end zone that would have given the Panthers a lead with 50 seconds remaining. It's rare and notable when you see a member of the Vikings' secondary make a play like that. Second, coach Leslie Frazier wisely called a timeout after the Panthers failed to make a first down one play later. If nothing else, Frazier bought his team about 30 seconds to get into position for a winning field goal and avoid overtime if Olindo Mare had converted a 31-yard field goal. It's worth noting that Frazier missed an opportunity to save his offense some time in a similar situation last month against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Live and learn, right?
3. Somehow the Vikings survived against the Panthers' offense with cornerback Asher Allen locked in single coverage against receiver Steve Smith for a good portion of the game. Allen, a third-round draft pick in 2009, opened the season as the Vikings' dime back but has started the past two weeks because of Antoine Winfield's neck injury and Chris Cook's suspension. Allen has made some progress since his rookie season but wouldn't be the first choice of many people to match up with Smith, who caught seven passes for 100 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown. It's notable the Vikings tapped Allen for that role and not veteran Cedric Griffin, who is gamely trying to play on a pair of surgically repaired knees.

And here is one issue I still don't get:

Did you have Marcus Sherels atop your list as the Vikings' surprise young player of the first half? I can't say I did. In winning the punt return job, and now assuming the kickoff return role while Percy Harvin and Lorenzo Booker nurse injuries, Sherels has proved to be a shifty and aggressive open-field runner. His 78-yard kickoff return Sunday didn't directly lead to a score but helped flip field position early in the Vikings' favor. Sherels ranks No. 13 in the NFL with an average punt return of 10.6 yards, including a 53-yard scamper in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions. The Vikings don't have a roster spot dedicated for a return specialist, so Sherels is making the most of his opportunity thus far.

Your conversation on the NFC North's most significant player departure centered mostly around three players: Defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, receiver Sidney Rice and tight end Greg Olsen.

A few other names surfaced, including linebacker Nick Barnett and center Olin Kreutz. But Barnett in essence departed midway through last season, replaced more than capably by Desmond Bishop, and it's hard to argue that the Chicago Bears offensive line is in worse shape without Kreutz than it was when it contributed to 56 sacks with him last season.

Jenkins is an interesting case. He was not a full-time player last season, starting eight games, but none of you have forgotten his seven sacks and the apparent impact it had on the Green Bay Packers' No. 1 pass defense (based on opponents' passer rating). This season, the Packers' pass rush has been limited and opponents have the NFL's 15th-best passer rating against Green Bay's defense.

Mavajo wrote Jenkins is "the only key difference between this year and last year. … You gotta put 2+2 together and figure that's why." Added tearloch:

"I will say that last year the Packer D was noticeably better with Jenkins in the lineup as opposed to without him, especially on run D. This year, with the big leads they have had for most of the games, the run D, IMO, has been artificial inflated by minimum attempts against, much like the end of last year (playoff run). It will be interesting to see how the GB run D holds up when truly tested. I think Jenkins is sorely missed in GB. His replacements are doing an OK job, but Jenkins was a really good player, but his age and injury history, as well as contract demands, made him expendable."

Jenkins has four sacks in four games this season for the Philadelphia Eagles. Rice, on the other hand, has piled up 188 receiving yards in two games with the Seattle Seahawks. Biglamb7474 thinks Rice is "the obvious choice" and added that the Minnesota Vikings have been forced to make Percy Harvin their No. 1 receiver "even though his talents are much more emphasized in the two spot."

Biglamb7474 added: "The loss of Rice also gave an already declining [quarterback Donovan] McNabb even that much less to work with. ... I mean, did the Vikings even once pay attention to what happened in Washington last year when McNabb was inserted into an offense with a mediocre receiving corps at best? Rice is a big and fast sure-handed receiver in a league that has transformed into one in which defense is becoming less important and elite offenses (particularly the air attack) are essential."

Wrote severs28: "They have no one to stretch the field right now, and when healthy, Sidney Rice is a premier wide receiver. I mean, he has better stats in two games than any Vikings receiver through four? And it's not like he went to New England or Green Bay. Seattle has a terrible o-line, and Tarvaris [Jackson] as a QB. He would have at least those numbers for Minnesota."

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears' decision to trade Olsen to the Carolina Panthers generated more debate than I thought it would. Tearloch wrote: "Olsen's trade was not a good move, IMO. However, I don't think it is fair to compare his production in Carolina to what the current Bears are doing. Even if Olsen was still a Bear, I don't think his production would be any better than what the current Bears players are doing. It is still [offensive coordinator Mike] Martz running the show, and he does not care for TEs, regardless of their talent. "

Added DaBearz84: " Olsen is not as missed as Kevin would like us to believe. The reason that no one on the Bears team has more then 12 receptions is because [quarterback Jay ]Cutler can't get enough time to throw the damn ball."

On the other hand, Jveyron19 thinks Olsen was "the biggest loss from a 'team' aspect" because the Packers "have enough playmakers to fill in the gap that Jenkins pass rush."

My take? I agree that Olsen wouldn't have the same numbers with the Bears that he does with the Panthers. But to me, that's a big problem.

I don't think pass protection alone is to blame for the Bears' anemic pass offense thus far. Let's just say that Cutler doesn't always have a bevy of open receivers to choose from. Olsen has re-established himself as a downfield threat, as well as a sure-handed check-down receiver, and if used properly would absolutely help alleviate some of the Bears' issues.

The Bears traded Olsen rather than require Martz to find a way to incorporate him into his offense. Given what he could have offered them, and the mess he's left behind to this point, I think that makes his departure the most significant thus far in the NFC North.

We had overwhelming participation in Tuesday's SportsNation chat, no doubt a response to our two undefeated teams. As it turned out, one of the questions I didn't get to sparked an idea for this week's Have at It.

Several of you asked who I thought was the NFC North's top free-agent acquisition so far this year. I think we'll get to that at some point in 2011, but being the negative cynic I like to be, I want to turn the question upside down. This week, tell me which free-agent departure has most hurt an NFC North team.

Candidates include:

• Tight end Greg Olsen, who has caught 17 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns for the Carolina Panthers. The Chicago Bears have only one player, tailback Matt Forte, with more than 12 receptions.
• Receiver Sidney Rice, who has caught 11 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown in two games for the Seattle Seahawks. Neither of the Minnesota Vikings' top two receivers, Percy Harvin (172) and Michael Jenkins (144), have matched Rice's yards in four games.
• Defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins has four sacks in four games for the Philadelphia Eagles. That matches the total number of sacks for all Green Bay Packers defensive linemen, who have given up the second-most passing yards in the NFL.
• Linebacker Ben Leber has played in four games for the St. Louis Rams, starting three. The Vikings have surely missed his veteran presence and leadership during their second-half collapses this season.

As always, give me your thoughts in the comments section below. I'll post a representative sample, along with my own thoughts, by the end of the week. Have at It.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 4:

Speed rushers: Two weeks ago, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali put four hits on Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Last week, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen sacked him three times while fellow defensive end Brian Robison brought him down twice. Hali and Allen are two of the NFL's best pass rushers. Sunday, the Lions will face the best. No NFL player has more sacks this season (5.0) or over the past three seasons (51.5), than the Dallas Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware. Stafford has had success getting the ball downfield despite facing those elite rushers. But the Lions probably don't want to find out how much damage Ware can do. They would be well-advised to devote more attention to him than Hali and Allen saw. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew is one of the NFL's top blockers at his position. The Lions might need to utilize him in that regard Sunday.

"Statement game:" I personally hate that phrase and think it's mostly irrelevant in the world of the NFL. With that said, I think the Lions have their best opportunity yet to demonstrate how far they've come and to set their fan base into a frenzy heading into their Oct. 10 prime-time game against the Chicago Bears. The Cowboys are 2-1 and have designs on the NFC East title. The Lions, meanwhile, have won in Dallas only twice in their history. Last season, the Bears began walking with a little extra pep in their step after winning at Cowboys Stadium. The Lions could do the same. A win would give the Lions their eighth consecutive regular-season victory, dating back to last season. That would be their longest winning streak since taking nine consecutive games from 1953-54.

Faint hopes: The Denver Broncos have never won in the state of Wisconsin. They've lost seven consecutive road games and are one of three teams in the NFL whose pass defense has netted them zero interceptions this season. That's a bad combination for a 1-2 team traveling to Lambeau Field. Want some more? The Broncos have felt compelled to blitz on 41.9 percent of opponents' dropbacks this season, the sixth-highest rate in the NFL. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is completing an NFL-high 74.4 percent of his passes against the blitz. It's unlikely to work Sunday for the Broncos. On his weekly radio show, Rodgers noted that the Packers have seemed an afterthought from national observers. "Let everybody talk about Philly and Dallas and Washington and Detroit and Buffalo and we’ll keep on doing what we’re doing," he said. It's hard to imagine the Packers doing anything other than continuing to plug along Sunday.

Run to daylight: The Carolina Panthers are giving up an average of 117 yards rushing per game, the seventh-worst mark in the NFL. As we've discussed a few times, the Bears haven't paid enough attention to their running game this season. That has to stop Sunday. We can spend all the time we want discussing the return of Panthers coach Ron Rivera and tight end Greg Olsen. I'm sure they’re both pumped for this game. But the Bears can control it if offensive coordinator Mike Martz can find a way to get the running game going. The Panthers should be vulnerable in that area.

Someone will win: The 0-3 Minnesota Vikings play at the 0-3 Kansas City Chiefs. Something has got to give, right? A matchup of two winless teams after at least three weeks is relatively rare; it's happened six times in the past 10 years of NFL play. The Vikings haven't given up on their playoff hopes quite yet. After all, three teams have advanced to the postseason over the past 21 seasons after starting 0-3. But if the Vikings fall to 0-4 on Sunday, the most interesting question remaining in their season will be when rookie quarterback Christian Ponder will get on the field. When they acquired starter Donovan McNabb this summer, I don't think the Vikings believed they would be facing a Ponder Watch so early in the season.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

If you were the Chicago Bears, would you keep trotting receiver Roy Williams onto the field or would you back off his playing time until he demonstrated more efficiency in the offense? That was one of the questions our ESPNChicago.com crew considered in this week's edition of "Four Downs."

Jeff Dickerson had this strong response: "There is zero chemistry between Williams and Jay Cutler. None. The groin injury can't be used as an excuse because even before Williams got hurt in Week 1 he failed to show anything of substance in training camp or the preseason. He dropped a sure touchdown against the Packers, and his lack of effort on a few other throws was unacceptable. At this point, the Bears would be better served giving Johnny Knox all the game reps. Knox might drop some passes, but at least he runs full-speed while doing it."

I doubt the Bears will follow suit, but I think it's pretty obvious that Williams and Cutler have a lot of work to do in order to become an effective combination. In the meantime, a player Cutler had exceptional chemistry with -- tight end Greg Olsen -- will be standing on the visitor's sideline Sunday at Soldier Field.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Olsen on his return to Soldier Field with the Carolina Panthers, via Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune: "To say this game doesn't light your fire a little more with everything that happened would be a lie. I'm excited. It's a game we've been looking forward to. I'm excited to come back to play in Soldier Field again. I have a lot of respect for Chicago with the players they have there with [Brian Urlacher] and [Julius Peppers] and [Lance] Briggs. They are one of the best in the league every year. [Coach Lovie Smith] and them do a great job with the defense."
• Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if Cutler is regressing in his career.
• The Ramsey County (Minn.) Charter Commission will hold the first of two public hearings Wednesday night on the possibility of a voter referendum on the sales tax increase that would help pay for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium. Frederick Melo of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has more.
• Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb and receiver Michael Jenkins have developed solid chemistry, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
• The Vikings have a difficult matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in at least one spot: left tackle Charlie Johnson versus Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali. Writing for 1500ESPN.com, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus explains.
• Green Bay Packers guard Josh Sitton was once a telemarketer, he told Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Cliff Christl of the Green Bay Press-Gazette on the Packers' personnel philosophy: "The history of the NFL tells us it's more important to monitor the veterans a championship team brings back than the ones it pushes out the door. In other words, holding on to players too long is more likely to spoil a reigning champ's season than discarding them too early."
• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel traces the offseason rehabilitation of tight end Jermichael Finley.
• The Detroit Lions have lost linebacker/special-teams ace Isaiah Ekejiuba because of a shoulder injury, according to Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News.
• Lions rookie receiver Titus Young is coming on strong, notes Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com.
• Chances are "slim" that Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot) will play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

After the Chicago Bears' 27-17 loss Sunday to the Green Bay Packers, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Now the Bears' offense is really in a pickle. We've all been telling offensive coordinator Mike Martz to run the ball more. But in retrospect, do you blame him for limiting its exposure Sunday? A 14-0 second-quarter deficit can make it tough to be patient. But more importantly, the Bears couldn't run when they tried. Half of their 12 attempts lost yardage. As currently constituted, the Bears aren't going to be successful when they throw too often. But can you force balance? Negative runs are just about the same as a sack. Their offensive line looked overpowered by the Packers' huge defensive line. Over the past two weeks, at least, the Bears have been on their heels no matter which way they've turned.
Kevin SeifertThe Chicago Bears take their turn in the examination room after losing to the Green Bay Packerss.
2. Quarterback Jay Cutler seemed close to bubbling over Sunday, noting that he doesn't audible and deferring play-calling questions because "I don't call the plays." He also left little doubt that he felt the Bears didn't give tailback Matt Forte enough opportunities. But Cutler deserves his fair share of blame for forcing passes downfield. I realize receivers Roy Williams and Johnny Knox both let him down Sunday with key drops, but Cutler threw two interceptions among the eight passes he threw more than 15 yards downfield. Both of those interceptions came on passes intended for Williams. He completed only two of those eight attempts. Cutler's gun-slinging mentality makes him especially vulnerable in an offense with limited alternatives. I'm not sure if it's in him to be more disciplined than he has been. Perhaps he needs more playmakers than most in order to succeed.
3. Tight end Kellen Davis made a great individual play on his 32-yard touchdown reception, breaking three tackles on the way to the end zone. But as I watched Cutler struggle to find receivers downfield, I couldn't help but wonder about the decision to trade Greg Olsen and insert Davis as the starter. The touchdown was one of three catches Davis has made this season. Olsen is having a productive season with the Carolina Panthers, having caught 12 passes through three games, including a game-winning touchdown Sunday. I realize Martz doesn't use the tight end much, but Olsen would be the best pass-catcher on this team -- at any position -- if he were still with the Bears. Everything is relative, but it appears the Bears traded away a player who could be offering Cutler an important target right now if they were willing to use him effectively.

And here is one issue I still don't get:

I was surprised at how well the Packers ran against the Bears, especially between the tackles. Tailback Ryan Grant didn't have much traction to the outside, but he gashed the Bears for 92 yards anyway, mostly on runs behind center or guard. The Packers were able to shield linebacker Brian Urlacher from making plays on many of those runs. The Bears finished 2010 with the NFL's second-best rush defense based on total yards allowed, but that has slipped to No. 18 over the first three games of the 2011 season with basically the same personnel.