Jay Cutler 'Proud' Of Bears' Offense In Loss To Packers
By Chris Emma--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Bouncing in the pocket, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler locked in on tight end Martellus Bennett. He saw the opening and was ready to sling it.
Little did Cutler know, Packers linebacker Clay Matthews was lurking. Green Bay is working Matthews in a "Joker" role, meaning he creates deception all over the field. He surely deceived Cutler by cutting ahead of Bennett and picking off the pass.
"As soon as I let it go, I knew we were in trouble," Cutler said of the pass. "It was a good play by him."
With the ball in hand, Matthews barreled 48 yards down the open field, finally pulled down from behind by Jermon Bushrod. That interception with about four minutes left iced an eventual 31-23 win for the Packers. Cutler termed it as "frustrating" and accepted the blame, while offering credit to Matthews for the play.
While Cutler was critical of himself for the one mistake, his teammates offered plenty of praise for the overall performance. Cutler finished the game 18-of-36 for 225 yards and a touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett, along with that interception.
"Jay played a hell of a game," receiver Alshon Jeffery said. "He payed his (butt) off."
Bernstein: Bears better, but not good
Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase unveiled his new-look schemes, which were watered down during the preseason. His system is up-tempo and largely features Cutler getting rid of the football quickly. Its hope is to minimize mistakes, and Cutler had just that one turnover Sunday.
As a whole, Chicago finished with 402 yards of offense -- 213 through the air, 189 on the ground -- and converted on 11 of 17 third downs.
Cutler utilized the versatile Matt Forte in the passing game, connecting five times, and top target Jeffery was thrown to 11 times, with five catches for 78 yards on the game. Overall, there was a smooth flow for the offense.
"I thought we played well," Cutler said. "The guys played well."
Added Forte: "That's what I expected out of our offense."
However, the Bears' biggest problems came with finishing drives. They went 1-for-3 in the red zone, and Robbie Gould booted three field goals when possessions stalled.
Had Chicago finished drives with touchdowns, it would have been a different game.
"Overall, these guys fought hard," Cutler said. "I'm proud of the offense.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
