Still reeling from meeting high expectations coming into the season with a 3-5 mark through the halfway point, the Chicago Bears could find themselves dealing with more than just X's and O's on Monday when they convene at Halas Hall.

Receiver Brandon Marshall believes small pockets of malcontents could be forming in the locker room.

"I definitely think we’re in a tough spot right now. It hurts to say this, but I’m kind of an expert in this position because I’ve been on a few losing teams," Marshall said Monday during "The Brandon Marshall Show" on ESPN 1000. "But what we can’t [let] happen is let little small groups begin to form in our locker room, because that’s where our biggest battle is. When you’re losing like this, your biggest battle is within; not really the media or the fans or your family members. It’s really like in your heart and also your building. So if we break that up, we may have a chance."

Marshall’s gut feeling stems from his own eight-year career in which the receiver has played eight seasons, making the Pro Bowl on five occasions, but he’s never played for a team that advanced into the postseason.

Does Marshall actually see groups forming in Chicago’s locker room?

"Yeah," Marshall said. "But we have ... man, what Brian Urlacher and those guys were able to create [in terms of a locker room climate], that stuff still resonates in our locker room. So you’re always going to see it. You’re going to see it when you’re winning. Guys aren’t going to be happy. A guy might not be getting the ball. A guy may not be getting sacks. So that stuff begins to form. But you’ve got to punch it out, and that’s what we’ve been able to do. But now, we’re really going to be tested. We’re 3-5, dropped another one the way we did. There may be some bigger groups that may try, but we have the coaches and the players that are going to knock it out immediately."