If the Bears fail to qualify for the postseason for the third straight season — which is looking more and more likely — changes will be made. It would take $10 million to buy out Lovie Smith’s contract. General manager Jerry Angelo is signed through 2013, which means Ron Turner’s is the head most likely to roll. ”After [six] games I didn’t expect us to be making the mistakes that we made,” he said. ”I don’t think we’ll continue to make them. We hadn’t made that many in other games. I don’t know what it was in that last game, but I looked at the film and every mental mistake we made were on base things, and they shouldn’t have happened.”

The Bears – well, they got turnovers in bunches, settled for Robbie Gould field goals way too much, and still didn’t see to get the run game going. Plus there was franchise QB Jay Cutler taking a beating at times during the game. But again, Smith didn’t seem to mind it.

“Offensively, we did some good things,” Smith said today. “You have to be pleased with the amount of yards total, and the amount of yards we had. Rushing – we’re a running football team, and to get that going, to stay committed to the running game when we were not getting a lot of yards, it paid off early in the fourth.”

The red zone is still the awful zone for the Bears, who are tied with the Redskins for the seventh-worst red-zone offense in the league at 44.4 percent. The team also can’t score when they get close, and right now over the past three games their TD percentage is just 30.8 percent.

It all means that the Bears have plenty to do, and plenty to think about as they move ahead. Sure they are 4-3, but they are not on the same level of teams like the Vikings, Saints, and other contenders in the NFL. 369 yards of offense against the Browns and three field goals and two touchdowns simply means it was another day of watching an offense that simply looks like it can’t get out of its own way some Sundays.

Jay Cutler was pressured quite a bit by the Browns, as they got to him with four sacks, and he was bloodied by after a hit where his tongue was bleeding for a big part of the game. Cutler was 17-for-30 for 225 yards with no TD’s and a pick. The team took advantage of the four takeaways they got from Cleveland, a team that can’t seem to do anything right.

The running game was ho-hum at best, as Matt Forte rushed for two touchdowns and had 90 yards on 25 carries, a 3.5-yard per carry average. A very average effort against a team that gives up big chunks of yards. “In every respect offensively possible we’ve got to get better,’’ Cutler said. “We need to make more plays if we’re going to beat some really quality teams in the future.”

The defense was going up against a unit that barley looks like an offense in Cleveland. Derek Anderson is possibly the worst QB in football. He threw two picks, and hit on just 6 of 17 passes for 76 yards. Even with that, the Bears only got to him once. Brady Quinn played in mop up duty for Cleveland, going 1-for-3 for 9 yards. The defense did get a pick six, as Charles Tillman took back a pick 21 yards for a score with 3:14 left that made it 30-6.

“It’s a steppingstone,’’ defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said. “We don’t get too high or too low. We stay away from the papers because if you do that you won’t want to play the next week.’’

A steppingstone against a bad team that could have been a lot more fulfilling if the Bears would have played like the team they think they could be. They will not be going anywhere if they don’t start playing better. Much better.

Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner became fed up with answering those questions. The offensive line, having allowed 11 sacks and contributing to the Bears’ 29th-ranked rushing offense, has struggled. But Turner stood up for his group regardless. “We’ve got a good offensive line,” Turner said. “They’re good football players. They’re playing well. And collectively, as an offense, we’ve got to do some things better. “Everyone’s talking about the offensive line, and I have no idea why. I like our offensive line. Got good players, good depth.”

Harris was in uniform and stretching with his teammates during the first few minutes of practice, which are open to the media. He was expected to participate without limitations after sitting out last week because of his chronic left knee problems.

He did not play in Sunday’s 45-10 loss at Cincinnati after being listed as doubtful, though Harris insisted afterward that had nothing to do with his injury.

After the debacle in Cincy, it’s time to re-evaluate this season’s goals and rein in the expectations a bit. So here are 7 ways to get the most enjoyment out of watching the suddenly mediocre Bears the rest of this season:

1.       After every false start by a Bears’ offensive linemen, drop and give yourself 10 push-ups. By season’s end, you’ll probably have Lou Ferrigno-like biceps, giving you the ability to squash gloating Packer and Viking fans with one hand tied behind your newly muscle-toned back.

2.       Since our D-line hasn’t come close to sniffing a sack in 2 games, we’ll give them credit for a QB ‘pressure’ if they come within 5 feet of him. A touch on a QB – even after the whistle blows to signal the end the play – would constitute a sack in our little fantasy world.

3.       For every INT Cutler throws, donate $5 to your favorite charity. That way when the Bears give the ball away, you can at least take solace in the fact you’re giving something back too.

4.       Take pride in the Pro-Bowl worthy performances of Bears cast-offs Kyle Orton and Cedric Benson. Tell friends Kyle and Ced can attribute their strong seasons for the training they received in Chicago – most notably in the Rush Street entertainment district.

5.       Every time an opposing WR catches a pass with no Bears DB within 10 yards of him, credit the defender for having the smarts to avoid an un-necessary roughness penalty.

6.       Let’s make 50-yard rushing days by Matt Forte the equivalent of running for 100 yards. Then Lovie can blow sunshine up our a$$es in the post-game press conference saying things like “I was proud of our running game today – hitting the half-century mark was huge for us.”

7.       Every time our defense gives up an 80-plus-yard drive, use the built-in excuse “If we only had Tommie Harris, Brian Urlacher and Chuck Norris in the starting line-up…”

All joking aside, there’s still a lot of football to be played this season. Let’s hope the Bears start playing some very soon.

As a public service to save the next fed-up Bears fan from picking up the phone or clicking “Send,” please remember that Lovie Smith has two years and about $11 million left on his contract after this season. So unless Virginia McCaskey adopts Daniel Snyder into the family, the Bears aren’t likely to pay Smith a fortune to go away and open the vault for a $6 million-a-year replacement such as Bill Cowher or either of the two Mikes, Holmgren or Shanahan. That means, like Bono and U2, you can expect Smith back at Soldier Field in 2010, barring a Bears implosion that seems implausible.

I think that the Bears are good enough at LB. Williams and Roach should be able to hold the fort until Hunter gets back into the mix allowing a little depth. Also, anyone that they pick up now could be picked up later in the season so why add a bench player now?

What I would like to see them do is go find a big beast of a RB. I don’t care what his forty time is,how he catches out of the back field, or if he can’t spell blitz let alone pick it up. They need someone that on fourth and one can put his head down and get that tough yard. I don’t care if they gave Henry Melton a shot at it, just as long as they see the glaring need there.