[CBFF] Chicago Bears' offense sputters -- even in victory -- chicagotribune.com

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Chicago Bears' offense sputters -- even in victory

Success against Cleveland Browns fails to disguise problems

David Haugh

In the Wake of the News

November 2, 2009


With a swipe of his play chart, Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan
dismissed Jay Cutler with a wave and a growl.

Why the Bears quarterback paused for several seconds to jaw with Ryan
at that particular moment on this particular day, only Cutler knows.
Browns linebacker Kamerion Wimbley had just batted down Cutler's weak
fourth-and-1 pass like a volleyball.

Though Cutler's team led 23-6 at the time, the way the Bears' offense
played was more worthy of apology than audacity. A unit that looked
like rubbish during most of Sunday's 30-6victory shouldn't have
compelled Cutler or any Bears player to talk trash.

"It was angry, it was competitive," Cutler said of his exchange with
Ryan. "I love Rob Ryan. I think he respects me. He's a great coach and
you can see the energy he brings to the sideline."

Ryan chose not to elaborate but respected Cutler enough in Oakland
that he had Raiders defensive backs tape their fingers together
against the Broncos so Cutler's passes wouldn't jam them. Before the
Bears game, Ryan told Cleveland reporters that Cutler "could throw a
strawberry through a battleship."

If Ryan likes Cutler so much, maybe he could offer him insight on how
to fix a Bears offense that, seven games into 2009, isn't close to
midseason form.

That was the worst defense in the NFL that stopped the Bears on
first-and-goal from the 2. That was Shaun Rogers and a bunch of future
United Football Leaguers holding the Bears' offense to 369 yards -- 46
yards below the Browns' average. That wasn't anything close to the
defenses that loom for the Bears.

That was a 24-point win that looked and felt like a loss to more than
just Bears fans.

"We've got to get better," Cutler said. "Coming into November and
December, you've got to be playing your best football to make a push
to the playoffs."

Unless the offense improves, the only thing the Bears will be playing
for is the Broncos' draft position. Forget embarrassing. This effort
was endangering to the species of quarterback. Their playoff chances
will be extinct unless that changes.

The Browns sacked Cutler four times and hurried him seven more. By the
end, Cutler was swallowing blood from a cut on his tongue but
maintaining a sense of humor. Asked about 350-pound Rogers flattening
him, Cutler kidded, "(Rogers) is a big guy so when he hits you, it
counts as two."

This victory should only count as half.

Give the Bears' defense credit for creating five turnovers and
responding to the humiliating 35-point loss to the Cincinnati Bensons.
But the offense remains limited by a line that is more like a
squiggle.

Inserting left guard Josh Beekman for Frank Omiyale didn't help.
Tackles Orlando Pace and Chris Williams stood out again for the wrong
reasons. And somewhere on center Olin Kreutz's body is a footprint of
Rogers.

The line has been so overmatched that soon Chicago will know how to
spell the surname of offensive line coach Harry Hiestand without
double-checking.

"Somehow we're not quite getting it," guard Roberto Garza said. "But
we were able to run the football and create some opportunities."

The success Garza alluded to was Matt Forte gaining 90 yards. But
Forte needed 26 carries. And 3.5 yards per carry against Cleveland
translates to 2.5 against the Minnesotas of the world.

Cutler's long pass of 33 yards was a long handoff to Devin Hester, who
did the rest. The long run was a 36-yarder by Garrett Wolfe with 1:06
left when half the Browns already were in the shower.

The most exciting gain of the first half came courtesy of a coach's
challenge. Cutler was sacked and the ball squirted out in an apparent
fumble, but replays showed he indeed was throwing the ball. Instead of
second-and-35, it was second-and-10 -- a nifty 25-yard pickup.

Oh, and there was a well-timed and well-executed roughing-the-passer
penalty that kept a Bears touchdown drive alive on third down.

"If we're going to bank on (penalties), we're going to be in trouble,"
Cutler said.

At least the Bears, other than Lovie Smith, gave this win the weight
it deserved, which is to call it a zero-calorie victory.

"When you know you can do better you're not going to come out smiling,
'We won the game,' " Forte said.

Imagination needs to improve as badly as execution. Why was Wolfe
carrying instead of Forte in the red zone with the score only 3-0? Why
did the offense look so sluggish coming out of the huddle? Can
somebody, anybody pick up a blitz?

"If we're doing too much, we'll cut back and obviously we are because
we're making too many mistakes," offensive coordinator Ron Turner
said.

Fuming, Turner was asked if he ever recalled feeling this frustrated
after winning by 24. There was a seven-second pause before Turner's
reply.

"I guess that answers it," he said.

Alarmingly, deeper questions remain for the Bears.

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Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune


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