Notebook: Drops, Poor Offensive Execution Doom Bears
By Adam Hoge-
SOLDIER FIELD (CBS) Brandon Marshall summed it up pretty well.
"We let Jason down and we let the team down," he said after the Bears' 13-6 loss to the Houston Texans Sunday night.
Marshall felt like backup quarterback Jason Campbell did a good job after Jay Cutler was ruled out with a concussion at halftime, and the receivers didn't really help him out.
More Coverage:
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- Cutler, McClellin Leave Game With Concussions
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- Listen: Doug & OB Postgame Show
- Photos: Texans 13, Bears 6
The wide receiver's notion that Campbell "did an amazing job" was a little exaggerated, but he's right in that no one exactly made plays when they had the chance to. It was a theme the entire game, even in the first half when Cutler was still playing.
Marshall dropped a 33-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter that would have given the Bears a 7-3 lead. Instead, they had to settle for a field goal.
But no one had a bigger case of the "dropsies" than tight end Kellen Davis. He was targeted five times, but only managed one catch -- which he promptly fumbled and turned over on the Bears' first offensive play from scrimmage. It will be interesting to see if he sees his playing time diminish after consistently failing to take advantage of his opportunities this season.
Overall, Campbell finished 11-for-19 for 94 yards and no interceptions.
"It was just tough that tonight was my first reps since the season started," the quarterback said. "If I have to play, of course, during the week I will get those practice reps and get the guys used to you. And they will get used to me as a quarterback, until Jay is ready. That's something that we have all week to get ready for. We don't have to work that out during the middle of the game."
Will Cutler Play?
With Cutler's status in doubt for next week's game at San Francisco, Campbell will see more reps in practice this week with the No. 1 offense. This late into the season, the backup quarterback's reps in practice are severely limited, especially with the 1s. That was certainly a factor Sunday night when Campbell was forced to play on short notice.
The preliminary outlook for Cutler appears to be positive, but you never know with a concussion. This is reportedly his fourth documented concussion going back to college and there's some speculation he suffered more at Vanderbilt.
"We're hopeful, but you can't go that far," Lovie Smith said when asked if Cutler will be available next week. "We just know he had symptoms, which started clearing up after the half. When a guy doesn't finish the game, you've just got to go with that right now."
Smith also said, "We're not ruling Jay out by any means."
Campbell Shows Veteran Savvy
There weren't many highlights for the Bears' offense in Sunday's loss, but Jason Campbell's 45-yard completion to Brandon Marshall in the third quarter was definitely one of them.
After the game, Marshall said Campbell checked to him at the line of scrimmage,
"He called that," Marshall said. "He saw something he liked and got us in the right position. He knew we needed a play and he wanted to put it up and see if I could make a play for him."
Injury Report
Other than Jay Cutler, rookie defensive end Shea McClellin also suffered a concussion Sunday night and did not return. Fellow defensive end Corey Wootton was banged up on an early special teams play, but returned and appeared to be just fine.
Adam is the Sports Editor for CBSChicago.com and specializes in coverage of the Bears, White Sox and college sports. He was born and raised in Lincoln Park and attended St. Ignatius College Prep before going off to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a Journalism degree. Follow him on Twitter @AdamHogeCBS and read more of his columns here.
