Mike, regarding the Bears....I just watched some of the highlights....yes, the Bears are 4-1 and in first place. And yes, they discovered their running game - but keep in mind something (and all joking aside about this being Tracy's favorite team), there is something really wrong with Carolina's team speed, especially in their defensive secondary.
I saw it in the opening Panthers game against the Giants - their entire defense looked like they were in a stupor. Aside from Carolina almost beaing the Saints, they (the Panthers) look uninspired out there. Carolina has 2 good running backs, but when their defense constantly puts them in a hole, a running game doesn't mean as much.
Granted, you can only beat whom you play - but if I were a Bears fan, I'd be more concerned about their QB situation than I'd be happy about beating Carolina.
The Bears have some tougher opponents in the 2nd half, so we'll see if Matt Forte can keep running for over 100 yards. If he can, then maybe the Bears will make the playoffs.