It has been the $11 million question in the Windy City for a while now: Would the McCaskeys ever consider cutting loose increasingly beleaguered Bears head coach Lovie Smith, even though he still has two years and $11 million left on his existing contract? Based on what Bears GM Jerry Angelo told a media gathering in Baltimore before the Bears’ latest embarrassment Sunday, the answer apparently is “yes.”

“It’s not about money,” said Angelo, whose decision not to give a vote of confidence to Smith with the perfect opportunity to do so has put the Bears’ head coach under the microscope more than ever. “It’s about doing what we need to do to be a good football team.”

The Bears are far from a good football team right now. They put on another pitiful performance on both sides of the ball against the Ravens in a 31-7 shellacking that was lacking in every way imaginable. The offense was abysmal under the direction of Jay Cutler, who reached the low point of what has turned into a nightmarish first season in Chicago, registering a career-low 7.9 passer rating (that’s not a typo) with three more interceptions to run his league-leading total up to 25.

The defense, meanwhile, made Joe Flacco look like Joe Namath. The secondary was particularly bad, with Corey Graham proving unworthy of a plug nickel as the nickel defender entrusted with covering Ravens TE Todd Heap, who easily collected a pair of TD catches. Even the normally decent Bears special teams continued to make mistakes at the worse possible times, with Rashied Davis' third-quarter fumble on a kickoff return (that set up a Ravens TD) offsetting Earl Bennett’s 49-yard punt return for a TD that was the Bears’ lone highlight on another terribly long day.

The PFW spin

Despite recent Internet reports sugesting that Smith has been assured that he will be back next season, the Bears’ continued poor play down the stretch really does look like it could force the McCaskeys’ hand and trigger a hasty divorce in what might have become an irreconcilable marriage. The problem is obvious: Smith’s players are being loyal soldiers, for the most part, but it really does appear the Bears have become a lost cause under the direction of the current coaching staff. It has become a virtual certainty, one would suspect, that a full-scale gutting of the offensive coaching staff will begin soon, with coordinator Ron Turner first in line out the door. But as awful as the offense and Cutler have been this season, the defense continues to be an even bigger disappointment. And, for that, Smith deserves all the blame.

Even in their worst days, Bears fans could always count on the defense going out of its way to bite off the opponent's head and at least put up a good fight. This defense looks totally listless and uninspired. Yesterday, the opposing team scored on its opening drive for the seventh time this season. Translation: In half of their games, the Bears’ “D” has immediately been put back on its heels. There is no confidence, no swagger. And, sad to say, it’s a terrible reflection on the unit’s leadership.

Yes, it’s true the Bears had very legitimate extenuating circumstances against the Ravens courtesy of a 21-inch snowstorm that completely altered their normal pregame routine, which DT Tommie Harris was quick to offer up as an excuse. Sorry, Tommie, but that’s a load of Bear manure. The Rams had to deal with a scary swine flu outbreak, days after cutting combustible OG Richie Incognito, and they still gave the Texans all they could handle before falling just short. Mike Singletary’s 49ers, who also had to deal with the major snowstorm, similarly fought the Eagles tooth and nail, albeit in a losing effort. The players on the Panthers, well aware of the heat hovering over head coach John Fox, played inspired football on a national stage last night, punching out the suddenly vulnerable Vikings.

Which brings us to the Bears’ next assignment. As was the case a few weeks ago against the division-rival Packers, Smith absolutely needs his team to bring its A-game to Soldier Field this Monday night. Somehow, someway, Cutler needs to perform well in prime time, and the Bears’ defense needs to pick up where the Panthers left off — a challenge made more difficult by the season-ending loss of leading sacker Adewale Ogunleye with a fractured fibula.

If that doesn’t happen, we really might be witnessing the final few chapters of the Lovie Smith saga in Chicago. With every passing week, the ice just seems to get thinner under Smith’s feet, $11 million in salary notwithstanding.