"Lovie Smith walked into the crowded Halas Hall media room promptly at noon Monday and marveled at the crowd that had gathered.

The Bears coach was emphatic the big turnout wasn't for a funeral after the club acknowledged Jay Cutler will soon undergo surgery on his right thumb after it was fractured in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 31-20 victory over the Chargers at Soldier Field.

It was the fifth consecutive win for the Bears, and improved them to 7-3. They're in the thick of the NFC wild-card race, something Smith figures his team will be very much a part of with backup Caleb Hanie replacing Cutler for the time being. With three more wins, the Bears would likely reach the postseason."