The Bears were sitting pretty at 4-2 heading into a bye week. Things have fallen apart since. They’re lost four straight games, two in unimaginable fashion.

A Hail Mary and a blocked field goal sandwiched two uninspired performances to form a four-game losing streak that has the Bears reeling and head coach Matt Eberflus’ job status in serious question.

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This latest loss, on a field goal attempt as time expired, taught someone new to this beat a great deal about Bears-Packers.

This rivalry is as intense as it gets, as you’d expect for a feud that has lasted more than a century. This rivalries generally mean more to the fans than the players who are in them for such a brief time. Not in this case. These teams don’t like each other.

The players don’t like losing to the other side. That’s magnified by the fact the Bears have lost 11 straight. Chicago was so close to seeing that run end, ultimately to have it continued.

That’s where most of the questions centered both directly and indirectly. So let’s talk about what you want to discuss in this week’s edition of Bair Mail. Also, keep the good questions coming, using the form at the bottom of most Bears articles on the site. Also, I’ve become an Italian beef addict since moving here. Throw some good suggestions into the submissions and I’ll give them a try. As a note, I’m on the northwest side of the city. Anywhere around there would be easiest, but I’m open to anything. I can review the experience in next week’s mailbag.

As a note, submissions have been edited for grammar and/or condensed for clarity.

Chris Harrington from Kittery, Maine

Some are calling for (GM Ryan Poles) to be fired. I believe ownership never allows there GM full authority to do there job. Your thoughts?

Bair: I don’t believe Bears general manager Ryan Poles will be fired for how this season transpires, no matter where the record ends up. He has made some strong personnel moves that could set the Bears up for success in the future.

I personally don’t think he should get let go. Poles has made some strong personnel acquisitions, including the Caleb Williams selection, earned with a trade with Carolina. He’s a good GM who needs to nail the hiring of the next head coach.

There’s no reason to completely start over. Poles could well end up getting a chance to hire a second coach, but even that’s ultimately uncertain.

I don’t think Poles’ job security related to ownership involvement in football matters. In fact, I believe that the McCaskeys stay out of football-related decision. Team president Kevin Warren is focused on the stadium and football operations aren’t directly under his purview.

Those parties would be involved in a GM change, but I don’t think that’s on the table at this point.

Brad Olson from Clarksville, Illinois

Caleb is doing a great job they do need to fire flus right away or he will ruin these kids. Losing seems to be fine with him. He always says we did some good things after a loss then he’ll say we have to iron some things out but we’re on the right track. It’s a part of the process. He takes losing too easy. As a fan of the bears for over 50yrs this guy needs to go now before any more damage is done.

Bair: The Bears haven’t fired a head coach in-season in their history. The same could be said about firing an offensive coordinator in-season until Shane Waldron got let go, but I don’t believe the Bears will set another precedent in this season, even if it goes in the tank.

Matt Eberflus might be on the way out if the season can’t be saved, but having it happen during the season seems unlikely at this time. He’s an good defensive play caller, and the Bears can’t lose that. I also think Poles will give him every opportunity to turn things around. That includes all 17 games. It doesn’t seem like Eberflus has a lot of answers to salvage the season, but the Bears went on a late run last season. They could do so again, though it seems like a longshot considering the level of competition remaining on the schedule. If it goes truly south, then let him go right after the season ends.

Skeeter565 on Instagram

Can we get Lovie Smith back?

Bair: I’m guessed this question was mentioned in jest. I think it’s a point made to harken a bygone era where the Bears were consistently good. It has been a long, long time since then.

Smith made the postseason three times, the Super Bowl was and was .500 or better six times. Current Bears fans would take that type of success in a heartbeat. I don’t think the Bears would go back to Smith at this time, assuming this was a more serious inquiry.

Fans want success here in Chicago. Smith provided that.

Getting there, in my opinion, requires a bright offensive mind with Caleb Williams and let that partnership develop and grow and provide an opportunity for the Bears to succeed with a true franchise quarterback. Williams is a special player and needs a coach who can maximize his potential.

Fernando Balmori from Mazatlan, Mexico.

You can’t touch the center on a kicking play. That was a penalty and nobody says anything. You can’t touch the center.

Bair: The Bears have sent the play to the NFL for review. Even if the league says there should’ve been an infraction, it won’t change the outcome.

If you look back at the play, as I have dozens of times, it looks like the Packers made contact with long snapper Scott Daly’s head and neck while in a defenseless position. It may have been a leg, which isn’t an infraction, but the long snapper got hit. That’s a penalty.

It wasn’t called, and there’s no changing that. I The Bears line got overwhelmed with several Packers hitting one gap, and another player pushing them from the back. Cairo Santos’ kick seemed a bit low, though the operation was clean and he hit it straight and true. It was yet another devastating turn that pushed the Bears two games under .500. You may well be right that it should’ve been a penalty. What the league says on the matter won’t make fans feel better about a result that won’t change and will be remembered in this longstanding rivalry.