Maybe it's just me, but from what I saw of the caliber of play in the wildcard games, I find the Bears' prospects quite discouraging. We are well behind the curve in both talent and coaching, and it seems like we're falling farther behind the elite NFC teams every year. At full strength, the Bears MIGHT have been able to make a better showing against the Giants than the Falcons did, but every other team in the NFC playoff field appears to be noticeably superior to us. More playmakers (especially on offense, where it really matters these days), more focus, fewer mistakes, better coaching, etc.
If the Bears don't significantly improve themselves this offseason... especially at WR, OL and coaching... I'm afraid it could be years before we're in the playoff conversation again.