At this pace, Cutler will never survive Bears season

The more things supposedly change, in reality the more they stay precisely the same for Jay Cutler.

Despite the cheerleading for an offensive line that was dreadful a year ago and reportedly world class after a couple of meaningless preseason quarters, the truth is the line was nothing special against Atlanta and truly horrible against New Orleans.

Their tackles were bad against the Falcons and the entire line brutal against the Saints, who pounded Cutler constantly and blew out the Bears 30-13 in New Orleans Sunday afternoon.

Now, that's a little hard to believe considering all we were told the last few weeks about how great the line would be, and all we were handed by Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith about the line's improvement.

Of course, they're the same guys telling us how strong the receiving corps would be again this season.

Yes, again this season.

That suggests the receivers were good last year, another fantasy cooked up by the Bears and eaten up by some gullible enough to swallow it.

It doesn't help that savior Roy Williams was out with a groin injury and Cutler's favorite mark, Earl Bennett, left the game with a chest injury after getting buried early by Saints safety Roman Harper.

Cutler was reduced to targeting undrafted rookie free agent Dane Sanzenbacher, a player Cutler trusts but one who dropped a couple of passes and has obvious limitations.

And as bad as his receivers may be, it's irrelevant from Cutler's perspective if he spends half the game on his back with large men landing on his body and trying to shorten his stay on the planet.

Though it seemed like it couldn't possibly be worse than last year for Cutler, it's already worse than last year for Cutler.

In 2010, including the postseason, Cutler was hit on average 7.8 times per game, while taking 3.4 sacks.

Through two games — and understanding the numbers are skewed because of the constant jailbreaks in the fourth quarter Sunday — Cutler in 2011 is averaging 11.5 hits per game and 5.5 sacks.

If he played 16 games — and that's sadly unlikely at this rate — at his current pace Cutler would be sacked 88 times and hit 184 times, compared to 57 and 133 in 17 games last season.

So what was that we heard a few weeks ago about how the offense would be fine and it would be the defense that struggles this season?

The defense was on the field for 36:14, and the offense for only 23:46 Sunday, a terrible formula against a powerful New Orleans offense.

“The defense was hanging tough,'' Cutler said. “We put them in a bad spot with a turnover deep in our own territory. Any time you do that, it's going to be tough to win football games.''

Yes, the defensive backfield has been a problem for years, and it was awful Sunday missing two starting safeties, but the offense looks remarkably similar to the one that nearly got Cutler decapitated a year ago and Mike Martz has already gone off the deep end.

In the second half Sunday of what was a two-score game until 12 minutes remained, Martz called 29 pass plays against only 2 runs.

Yes, 29 vs. 2.

Early in the third quarter when the Bears were down only 6 points, Martz called 5 consecutive pass plays and not a single run on their first drive of the half.

From first down on the New Orleans' 20, Cutler threw incomplete three times and the Bears kicked a field goal.

On the next possession with the Bears down only 3 points and still early in the second half, Cutler handed off once before the sack that changed the game.

On second-and-11 from their 36, tight end Kellen Davis was assigned Saints defensive end Turk McBride, who walked around Davis like he was moving past a tight end who had no idea how to block him.

McBride hammered Cutler from behind and caused a fumble that gave New Orleans the ball on the Bears' 29.

Five plays later the Saints had a touchdown and a 23-13 lead, and that was pretty much your ballgame.

“The Saints have a good scheme,'' said Brian Urlacher. “They get the ball out of the QB's hands quick.''

That's entirely foreign to Martz and the Bears, who are now 1-1 and facing the 2-0 Packers at home next week.

No, the world hasn't come to an end, but a bad offensive line was minus two starters (Gabe Carimi and Lance Louis) in the second half and Cutler was without Bennett, his security blanket among a group of receivers that was weak to start the week.

His choice seems to be check down to Matt Forte or get his brains beat in, so Cutler was kicked in the throat, hit in the head and planted in the turf.

He was filthy, disgusted and frustrated, yelling at his coaches and looking like he couldn't believe he was reliving the nightmare.

After the game, Cutler did what he seemingly always does. He walked toward the middle of the field, where he was once again consoled by the opposing team's Pro Bowl quarterback, who patted him on the back and assured him there would be better days ahead.

You'll forgive Jay Cutler for thinking he's heard it all before.

#376;Hear Barry Rozner on WSCR 670-AM and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.