Black Monday: the Bears

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Not with a bang, but a whimper do the Chicago Bears end their 2014 campaign, and after a five-win outing capped off with five straight defeats, the team released head coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery on Monday.

The soft-spoken Trestman leaves the Midway with a 13-19 record in two seasons. He was hired from the Canadian Football League as an offensive guru, winning two Grey Cups with Montreal.

Though the current season found the Bears ranked 15th in passing and 27th in rushing, headed by quarterback Jay Cutler, receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, and tailback Matt Forte.

Chicago would also finish 23rd in football in points scored (19.9), 15th in touchdowns per game (2.5), and 20th in yards per game (327.5). 

Cutler, who in the offseason signed a seven-year, $126.7 million dollar extension, was responsible for 18 interceptions and 24 turnovers overall, both the worst in the league.

He was replaced by backup Jimmy Clausen for the team's Week 16 matchup with Detroit after Cutler's poor performance.

General manager Phil Emery made his mark immediately upon his arrival to Halas Hall, firing head coach Lovie Smith in 2012 after a 10-6 mark, hiring Trestman as replacement, and overseeing Cutler's contract extension. 

Emery was also tasked with sustaining and rebuilding the Bears defense following the departure of Brian Urlacher, who retired after the 2012 season after he felt he was offered too little money to stay on.

Chicago's defense ranked 30th in their last two seasons, allowing the second-most points every Sunday (27.6), the third-most yards per game (378.2), and the third-most touchdowns per game (3.1).

Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer, who had to apologize after admitting himself to be the anonymous source of published criticisms concerning quarterback Jay Cutler, was also fired.

The Bears finished this season with a 13-9 defeat at Minnesota, a game in which Trestman's offense failed to enter the end zone.

The firings seem to solidify Jay Cutler's reputation as a personnel killer, having gone through four offensive coordinators, two general managers, and two head coaches since arriving with the Bears in 2009.