Imrem: Packers set the bait ... and Cutler bites
Head coach John Fox said the Chicago Bears needed to play near-flawless football Sunday afternoon, and running back Matt Forte expanded on that sentiment.
“Against a team like that,” Forte said of the Packers, “you have to play perfect football.”
The Bears almost pulled it off. For right around 56 minutes they had no fumbles, no interceptions and few penalties.
Then came the inevitable: Bears quarterback Jay Cutler threw a critical fourth-quarter interception with the game in the balance.
The Bears were driving. They were in Green Bay territory trailing by one possession. Tying the game was in their sights. Maybe finally beating the Packers was, too.
Instead, Clay Matthews intercepted Cutler, and Green Bay eventually left Soldier Field with a 31-23 victory.
FOX-TV play-by-play announcer Joe Buck tried to convince the national audience that this Cutler was a different Cutler. Buck said that local columnists would go back to saying “same old Jay,” but, he added, it didn't seem like the same old Jay in this game.
It sure did seem like the same old Jay, however, when he made a huge error at a huge time.
A better assessment than Buck's came before kickoff.
“What defensive coordinators have done throughout (Cutler's) career is bait him into throwing into small windows,” said NFL Network analyst Nate Burleson. “What he does as a quarterback with a strong arm is he falls for the bait every time.”
Man, isn't that exactly what happened on this day?
Cutler aimed a pass at tight end Martellus Bennett about 10 yards downfield. The Packers disguised their coverage, and Cutler didn't see Matthews until it was too late.
Matthews was on the right side of the Packers' defense. He sneaked left and stepped in front of Bennett for the interception.
“He just kind of floated in there,” Cutler said of Matthews. “As soon as I let it go, I knew we were in trouble.”
Irreparable trouble, in fact.
The Packers proceeded to secure the victory with a touchdown, and Cutler's record with the Bears dropped to 1-11 against Green Bay.
Cutler was nearly as flawless as his teammates to that point, thanks to his knee being down on a fumble and Micah Hyde dropping an interception at the goal line.
The Bears had a plan to save Cutler from himself and still he committed the kind of turnover that he has become known for.
A makeshift offensive line provided Cutler with reasonable protection most of the day. Matt Forte kept the Packers from assaulting his quarterback by running for 141 yards and an average gain of 5.9. The game plan called for safer passes.
The Bears essentially converted Cutler from a gunslinger to a game manager and he managed the game well into the fourth quarter.
Then Cutler threw that nasty interception at a most inopportune time, the one that prompted him to say later, “I feel like I let the offense down with that pick.”
Look, Cutler isn't trying to make those damaging mistakes. He just does for some reason, negating all the good plays he makes.
“It hard to pin the loss on one person,” Fox said.
True, true, true enough.
There was some questionable play-calling. There was a defense that allowed Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to post a 140.5 passer rating. There was shaky kick coverage at times.
Ah, but none of it was as conspicuous as Jay Cutler living up to his reputation as a quarterback who can be baited into an interception.