Maybe it's from the roller coaster of the season. The Bears opened the season without much hope, then beat the Indianapolis Colts behind a motivated defense. Suddenly, they were going to be likable.

Next thing you knew, they were losing to the Atlanta Falcons, with the defense thinking far too much of itself and the coaching staff botching it. It was just a few weeks' ride from reaching potential to failing with arrogance.

The brilliance of Kyle Orton was in two things: his stability and the fact that he wasn't Rex Grossman. Now, I'm not so sure either of those things is true anymore.

The rich guys, the ones getting the fresh, big contracts -- Brian Urlacher, Tommie Harris and Devin Hester -- all have failed.

But the Bears keep surviving and will visit the Houston Texans in the regular-season finale today with a chance to win the NFC North.

And yet there is nothing inspiring or hopeful about them in any way. These Bears just aren't particularly likable. Or believable.

Something vaguely familiar emerges about the end of this season. It was just three months ago that the White Sox were fighting for a division title with a team from Minnesota, too. Just when things looked hopeless, the Sox needed a couple of things to fall their way to get the right outcome. And they did. And the Sox' survival went one day at a time, all the way to the playoffs. The Bears survived last week the same way.

But with the Sox, young pitcher John Danks emerged as a courageous, big-time player. Second baseman Alexei Ramirez was big when it counted most, too. So the Sox made the playoffs, and it was OK that they didn't do much there.

Maybe the Bears will do the same. But who is their John Danks?

Someone has to come up big

It's in a Chicagoan's DNA to hope that the Bears pull it off this weekend, but this team has such a different feel from the Sox. The Sox' story was about hope for the future; the Bears' is not.

It's hard to say what the Bears' story is. Maybe it's holding on to the past. Maybe it's general manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith praying to validate their bad evaluations. If the defense plays well today, does that mean Smith was right in dumping defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and replacing him with friend Bob Babich?

No. And ''told you so'' is not much to play for -- or cheer for.

Do you really like this team? The Bears seem to be playing at a level far below their talent and just somehow, maybe even luckily, winning a few games.

That's why I'll go so far as to say this: The Bears do not have the courage to win today in Houston.

Maybe that's wrong. I'd like to see the Bears prove it. Maybe their Danks will emerge today.

Alex Brown did have that blocked field goal Monday against the Green Bay Packers. Maybe he's the one. Maybe Danieal Manning. Maybe Orton does it big.

Just something to actually cheer for, OK, Bears?

The Bears have won three games in a row, all at home, because the weather was too much for two Southern offenses built for a nice, dry field and because the Packers have made a comical habit of losing close games.

They don't have those teams today. The Texans have an offense that is likely to score plenty against this defense. And Matt Forte is going to have to break out of his funk -- did you see how tentatively he ran against the Packers? -- and Orton is going to have to stop being so mechanical and telegraphing everything. At this point, defenders seem to know exactly where he's going to throw.

Show us something special

One more chance, though, for a little actual heroics or courage to show through. The Bears keep getting chances, and we keep waiting.

If they lose in Houston, then the season is over. If they win and the Vikings lose to the New York Giants, then the Bears are division champs. If the Bears and Vikings both win, then the Bears will get the last wild card if the Dallas Cowboys lose at the Philadelphia Eagles (maybe) and if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose at home to the Oakland Raiders (no way).

So this is it for the Bears. We've waited 15 games for them to find an identity Chicago can stomach.

At this point, it's not easy to change. But wouldn't it be nice to see the Bears do more than simply survive their way into the playoffs? Take the defense from the season opener against the Colts, mix it with a little early-season Forte and Orton and maybe add some late-season Manning. Just put all of that together for the big game.

Last chance.