Forget about Marion Barber's mistakes in the loss to the Broncos, the real problem lies with Bears' brass that felt that Caleb Hanie was a capable backup for Jay Cutler. | Getty Images

1. Marion Barber's day was the Bears' season in a nutshell. Good enough to be the hero, but still missing that something extra that puts a team over the top.

2. It's Barber's responsibility to know that keeping the clock running is more important than an extra yard or two with the Bears trying to clinch the victory in regulation. If he needs to be told that, the Bears have many more problems than Barber.

3. Walter Payton once cost the Bears a victory by staying IN BOUNDS — a 16-13 loss to the Cardinals in 1977. He almost repeated the gaffe in the finale against the Giants, but was saved by Bob Thomas' field goal that put the Bears in the playoffs.

4. It was probably more a sign of just how much this one hurt, but Brian Urlacher looked like a sore loser by calling Tebow "a good running back’’ in post-game interviews. If the Bears had won 10-0 he could have gotten away with it.

5. Urlacher should have just taken his lumps. Urlacher won most, if not all of the battles. But Tebow won the war. The Bears set themselves up to get beat and fell into the same trap as almost everybody else.

6. Here's the irony of Sunday's game. After watching Hanie the last three weeks, the Bears are better off with a "Tim Tebow" offense. The offensive line, quarterback and running backs are all better when the Bears commit to the run.

7. Craig Steltz's sack was another indication that good things happen when the Bears' cornerbacks and safeties blitz. There has to be a way to incorporate the safety/cornerback blitz into Lovie Smith's defense.

8. Israel Idonije's roughing-the-passer penalty might have been right by the letter of the law, but the rule is a bad one because Tebow still has the ball when Idonije lunges to make the tackle. Can't expect any linemen to stop on a dime.

9. Though Caleb Hanie didn't have any turnovers, Sunday's game did little to prove that he will be any more effective in an expanded role than he was against the Chiefs. He completed five passes for 59 yards to wide receivers.

10. Another bad sign for the offense — not only did the Bears convert just 2-of-15 third downs, but they had two false starts, both on third down. It might be time to just blow this offense up and start over.