One of the lights at the end of the Bears tunnel was this weekend's matchup with the Oakland Raiders. The Silver and Black haven't had any luck stopping the run, they're giving up 152 yards a game, and the Bears had high hopes that Cedric Benson would finally have a decent game. Those dreams live on but the odds might be a bit longer. Starting left guard Ruben Brown has been placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.Terrence Metcalf will take Brown's spot in the lineup and while he has experience, 20 career starts, he doesn't have nine trips to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. If Metcalf does do a good job it could spell the end of the line for Brown in Chicago. He's on a one-year deal and the Bears are going to need as much money as possible to fix the myriad problems that have contributed to their 3-5 start.
If it is the end of the road for Brown he'll be an interesting case for football Hall of Fame voters in a few years. Only three men with nine or more Pro Bowl appearances aren't enshrined. The late Derrick Thomas, former Redskin Chris Hanburger and, in a bad omen for Brown, Vikings guard Randall McDaniel. Guards are never heralded but Brown's been one of the best for a long time but if McDaniel can't get in I don't imagine he would either.
