In Thursday's Chicago Tribune, Bears writer David Haugh wrote an article that called for the Bears to continue their evolution into a passing team. While Lovie might not love the idea of his Chicago Bears becoming an aerial circus, opening up their attack in the first half may be exactly what the Bears need… in more ways than one.

"…if the Bears insist on sticking to the mantra of getting off the bus running the ball," wrote Haugh, "they will be running in place in the race to the playoffs." Citing the glaring lack of a running game and the emergence of Brian Griese, Haugh seems to believe that the Bears need to air it out to pick up the slack for Cedric Benson if they plan to be in the mix in the NFC.

While I couldn't agree more with Haugh's assessment (as the Daily News' most recent podcast can attest) I believe that opening up the passing attack will also help the Bears become the type of team that Lovie has envisioned since day one. Throwing the ball more aggressively in the first half will not only help the Bears move the ball, score points early, build leads, and win football games… but it should also help the Bears rushing attack find some room to roll along the way as well.

Anyone who has seen a Bears game in the last couple of years knows that Cedric Benson is not the most elusive back in the NFL. The Bears have tried to establish Benson in the early going this season against fresh defenses and the results have been sub par. Simply put, Benson has consistently run into people (sometimes his own teammates) like a wrecking-ball runs into buildings over the course of his career. Perhaps part of the problem with Benson's roll as the Bears' wrecking ball is that the defensive buildings he smashes into early in the game aren't yet ready to tumble.

Now let's imagine a world where the Bears open up the playbook in the first half. The 'Monsters of the Midway' could tire out opposing defenses by making them chase Bears receivers and backs out of the backfield in the game's early going. They could get Greg Olsen more involved. The same goes for Devin Hester… who may not know where to line up yet offensively, but he still knows where the end zone is. I am not saying the Bears should abandon rushing the ball before halftime, but it's time to modify their conservative approach.

Assuming the Bears could execute an aerial game plan in the first half, they could actually go into halftime with a lead. Then they could come out with Cedric Benson (a relatively fresh wrecking-ball) running with the lead against a defense that is more ready to crumble. Cedric may not have the best vision, but he remains a beefy load who will dole out punishment and gain tough yards as the game rolls on.

"Everything goes hand in hand," said Brian Griese, "and the running game plays off the pass game and it's not one or the other."

The Bears don't need to throw the ball in the first half to hide Cedric Benson. The Bears need to throw the ball in the first half to give Cedric (and of course, the team) the best chance to succeed. Cedric could still be a quality back in this league, but it's obvious that he is not yet ready to carry the load for 60 minutes.

Why not have his teammates give him some help? Why not pass to set up the run? What kind of football team would you rather see… a team that gets off the bus running the ball, or a team that runs the ball back onto the bus after ramming it down a tired team's throat in the second half?

Gone are the days of Payton and Sayers. Hell, gone are the days of Thomas Jones. If the Bears are serious about getting the most out of their potential this season, it's time to roll with the punches and utilize their players' strengths… as opposed to trying to tailor a game plan around the personnel they wish they had.