I hate 3:15 p.m. games. I walk around the house all day looking for things to keep me occupied until the Bears come on. And by the time the Bears game is over, it has cut into dinner time and is already Sunday night.

When was the last time the Bears even played at noon? It was Oct. 2 against the Panthers and their next one will not be until Dec. 4. That is nine weeks apart. Remember the good old days when the Bears played at noon every week? Well, no matter I guess, as long as the Bears win and they've been doing a lot of that lately.

San Diego has been decimated with injures, especially on the offensive line. Rivers is having a poor season while the Bears have looked better every week since the Monday Night game in Detroit.  In fact, that Monday night game may turn out to be the best thing to happen to the Bears this season.

As a coach, I have always argued that a good butt-kicking is good every once in a while because it magnifies your weaknesses and lets everyone know exactly where you need work. In Chicago's case it was the secondary and the offensive line. Major overhauls in both areas have allowed the Bears to win four in a row.

Although the Bears are in a good spot when San Diego comes to town, the Chargers still have talent and it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Bears lost.

But I am still predicting a solid victory. Furthurmore, I feel that Bears will end up with a better record than they did last year. At 11-5, the 2010 team overachieved, caught a few breaks and surpassed everyone's expectations.

The 2011 Bears could very well end up 12-4. Look at their remaining schedule: vs. San Diego, at Oakland, vs. Kansas City, at Denver, vs. Seattle, at Green Bay, vs. Minnesota.

Aside from Green Bay, none of these teams are very good. Green Bay will likely have the division wrapped up by the time the Bears come into town, and may even play their backups. Oakland is a tough place to play, but they've been inconsistent. The Chiefs, Broncos, Vikings and Seahawks are a mess, but the Bears game will be Denver's Super Bowl, with Cutler's return.

If the Bears lose one game in the next seven, my money will be on Oakland or Green Bay. Even if they lose both of them, they'd still end up at 11-5 and that would be almost a show in for the top wild card spot.

Could the Bears be the 2011 NFL dark horse? Where do you think they will end up? What will their final record be?