Brian Urlacher has been part of a long tradition of great middle linebackers for the Chicago Bears. But unlike Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary, Urlacher will not end his career in Chicago. The eight-time Pro Bowler and the Bears failed to reach an agreement on a new contract, leaving Urlacher to look for another home for the 2013 season. Can he still contribute at an elite level?

How surprised are you that Brian Urlacher will not be playing for the Bears in 2013?

•  
  36%
  Very surprised
•  
  37%
  Somewhat surprised
•  
  27%
  Not surprised

(Total votes: 12,546)

Can Brian Urlacher still be an elite middle linebacker?

•  
  44%
  Yes
•  
  56%
  No

(Total votes: 72,298)

Lovie Smith's job looked to be secure after a 7-1 start, but the Bears faltered down the stretch, going 3-5 in the second half of the season. That downward spiral cost Lovie his job on Monday, in probably the most unexpected of the coach firings thus far. Smith had the fourth-most wins in the NFC since becoming the Bears head coach in 2004, but Chicago seemed to tire of constantly falling just short of expectations. Regardless, this move puts Lovie, whose résumé is still pretty good, in the mix to replace one of the myriad other coaches who lost their jobs on Black Monday.

More: What do you make of the other Black Monday coaching moves?

How surprised are you that the Bears fired Lovie Smith?

•  
  50%
  Very surprised
•  
  34%
  A little surprised
•  
  16%
  Not surprised

(Total votes: 42,746)

Should the Bears have fired Lovie Smith?

•  
  31%
  Yes
•  
  69%
  No

(Total votes: 217,518)

It's widely expected that Sunday's lopsided loss to the Giants was Andy Reid's last game as coach of the Eagles. Reid is the biggest name among coaches expected to be fired, but he's not alone. How many of his coaching colleagues will be asked to clean out their offices on what's come to be known as Black Monday?

• More: Coaches on the hot seat

Will Andy Reid be a head coach in the NFL again?

•  
  90%
  Yes
•  
  10%
  No

(Total votes: 41,079)

Will Rex Ryan be fired by the Jets?

•  
  54%
  Yes
•  
  46%
  No

(Total votes: 13,135)

Will Norv Turner be a head coach in the NFL again?

•  
  34%
  Yes
•  
  66%
  No

(Total votes: 39,393)

Will Ron Rivera be fired by the Panthers?

•  
  42%
  Yes
•  
  58%
  No

(Total votes: 13,714)

While the Giants have a 14.4 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN.com's playoff predictor , the critics will tell you the Giants don't deserve to make the playoffs after posting a first-half record of 6-2 and then going 2-5 down the stretch. Giants fans, however, will kindly remind you of the 2007 season, when the team went through stretches of 0-2, 6-0 and 4-4 in the regular season on the way to a Super Bowl victory. So maybe it doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you get there. The Giants will be thinking about that on Sunday as they try to take care of business against the Eagles at 1 p.m. ET and then turn their attention to the scoreboard, since New York needs assistance from the Lions, Packers and Redskins.

Of the outcomes needed for the Giants to make the playoffs, which is least likely to happen?

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  13%
  Giants beat Eagles
•  
  13%
  Cowboys lose to Redskins
•  
  11%
  Vikings lose to Packers
•  
  63%
  Bears lose to Lions

(Total votes: 6,778)

Which team will win Sunday's game at Philadelphia?

•  
  73%
  Giants
•  
  27%
  Eagles

(Total votes: 20,546)

Which team will win Sunday's game at Washington?

•  
  29%
  Cowboys
•  
  71%
  Redskins

(Total votes: 368,341)

Which team will win Sunday's game at Green Bay?

•  
  66%
  Packers
•  
  34%
  Vikings

(Total votes: 20,131)

Which team will win Sunday's game at Detroit?

•  
  64%
  Bears
•  
  36%
  Lions

(Total votes: 20,719)

Ndamukong Suh's crushing sack of Jay Cutler, which briefly sidelined the Bears' quarterback in Chicago's win over the Lions Monday night, was ruled a legal play upon review by the NFL. Suh reportedly won't be fined, but Cutler's teammate Brandon Marshall believes differently. Marshall said on Twitter and ESPN's "First Take" that he thought the hit, in which Suh drove Cutler into the turf with his elbow on Cutler's helmet, was "dirty." Is Marshall right? Or is Suh's reputation, based on his aggressive hits and previous fines, putting a different spin on the play? Discuss and vote!

• scampb01: "I am not a fan of either team so my opinion is not biased. I DO NOT LIKE SUH! He had one goal on that take down of Cutler and it was to injure him. There was no need for the 'trip' motion or the 'leg sweep' as Marshall calls it. That was Suh clearly trying to make sure Cutler had no protection as he body slammed him to the ground. Suh already had a firm hold of him to take him down. No need for it man, no need."
• Your_A_Clown: "I get the fact that it was legal, no one is arguing that. But dude, really you need to sweep a quarterbacks leg and then drive his head into the ground? Bruised ribs suck, i would hope if cutler needs extra time that they would put in Campbell against a slumping carolina team at soilder. Give him the necessary time to gear up for a rough road ahead after Tennessee."
• bodegabudd: "I like Cutler. I like Suh. What was he supposed to do? Two-hand touch him? Pull his flag? Gently set him on the turf? This is still football. Should Suh send him flowers?"
• gravydidntdoit: "That was the most violent,"perfectly legal play", I've ever seen."
• kdevries57: "Suh is one heck of a player no question. He is nasty, mean and will injure anyone in his way. That play reminded me of Charles Martin's WWF takedown of Jim McMahon, difference of course is Martin's takedown was done after the whistle and Suhs was in the heat of the moment and was a fierce legal play. Suh is like frankenstein in strength and intelligence."
• gbum213: "How can you get a roughing the passer penalty on a legal sack??? No helmet to helmet, no horse collar, no facemask...if anything, this play gives credence to Suh when he says he doesn't play dirty, even though I don't necessarily agree with that."

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It's never a good sign when your franchise quarterback is benched for Kyle Orton. Admittedly, by that point in the Cowboys' loss to the Bears, the game was well out of hand, but it's still a bad look. Tony Romo's first half was decent enough, but things fell apart in the second -- he totaled five interceptions on the night and destroyed any chances the Cowboys had of coming back. You have to expect these types of games from Romo every once in a while, but we doubt that Jerry Jones is that patient. A bad game is a bad game, but five interceptions is a total disaster.

What better describes Tony Romo?

•  
  36%
  The best bad quarterback in the league
•  
  64%
  The worst good quarterback in the league

(Total votes: 10,334)

What is Dez Bryant to the Cowboys?

•  
  39%
  Asset
•  
  61%
  Liability

(Total votes: 9,797)

Jay Cutler's night didn't go all that well against the Packers; he threw four interceptions, was sacked seven times, and had a Total QBR of 4.7, which is ... less than ideal. He even shoved one of his linemen after a particularly frustrating series. Cutler was understandably upset at his linemen (all those sacks will do that do you), but was he a bad teammate for chastising his teammates so publicly?

• LambeauorWrigley: "That was a team of contrasts. On defense, Urlacher was pure class. Knee injured. Probably in a lot of pain. Still being a leader and hunting people down and making plays like it was last year. He was the one who lent a hand to pick up Rodgers. Play is over, he is a professional. Then there was Cutler. Let us just say the anti-Urlacher.""
• Trouble195488: "If Tom Brady or Peyton Manning yells at a lineman for missing his blocks, that's one thing.....but Jay Cutler has no "cred" to do that....there may just be an Ole' Block (like the matador at a bullfight) in Cutler's future...he should just shut his mouth and play."
• ehauge21: "I love how Cutler talks about "getting down early forced us to pass." A 10 point game in the 3rd quarter doesn't force you to pass! The entire 1st half was a dogfight until that fake FG with less than 2 minutes. Why can he never just accept some blame?"
• patmandewb: "a QB is only as good as his O line and receivers!"
• Paul44071: "Cutler can't blame his line when he holds the ball for 7-10 seconds. What are they supposed to do? They could have won that game last night but Jay Cutler made sure they didn't."

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