Clark: Cutler never yelled at me

Lovie Smith talked to Jay Cutler after the Pro Bowl quarterback threw a career-worst 4 interceptions in the loss to the Packers.

"Yeah, we talked to Jay like we did all of our team on anything that we didn't feel comfortable with that they did," Smith said. "Jay made mistakes like a lot (of guys). There were a lot of opportunities we left on the football field. Jay knows that some of those passes he can't throw, and he won't. (There's) a lot of football to go. We didn't play as well as we needed to in the first game; we'll bounce back."

Cutler's first interception was a deep pass intended for tight end Desmond Clark where there appeared to be some confusion between thrower and catcher.

"Not really," Clark said. "Not confusion; just not on the same page. He was anticipating one thing, and I was anticipating something else. It wasn't anything where either one of us really did something that was absolutely wrong."

Clark refuted allegations that Cutler lambasted his receivers.

"That stuff about him yelling, he never yelled at me," Clark said. "He didn't yell at any of his teammates on the sideline. I don't know where that came from. Walking back to the sideline, all he said was, 'I thought you were going to do this,' and I was like, 'I saw you scrambling, so I did that,' and that was the whole conversation."

Since 1970, Kyle Orton is the only Bears quarterback who has thrown more interceptions (5) in a game than Cutler's 4. Cutler's pick-4 puts him in a group that, since 1970, includes: Henry Burris, Bobby Douglass, Vince Evans (twice), Brian Griese, Rex Grossman, Jim Harbaugh, Gary Huff, Erik Kramer, Mike Phipps and Mike Tomczak (twice).

Zeke Bratkowski holds the Bears' all-time, single-game record with 7 picks in 1960.

Walking it off: Desmond Clark was walking gingerly at Halas Hall on Monday after getting stuck in the back by Aaron Rouse on a 23-yard catch in the third quarter.

Lovie Smith would not confirm that Clark suffered broken ribs on the play.

"He has a rib injury right now, and we'll evaluate it a little bit more," Smith said. "As far as broken, I wouldn't go that far right now."

Clark started all 64 games the past four seasons and has missed only two games in six previous seasons with the Bears. But he might be sidelined for a while, although he's hoping to play Sunday.

"I'm feeling pretty sore," he said. "I took a good shot to the back, so it's probably going to be sore for a couple days but nothing too serious. No internal injuries. I'm walking."

Off the hook: Lovie Smith absolved rookie strong safety Al Afalava of blame on the 50-yard TD catch by Greg Jennings off a play-action fake that beat the Bears on Sunday.

"Al was coming down in (run) support, which he should have done," Smith said. "Someone else should have been back deep in the middle of the field, not Al."

That "someone else," would be free safety Kevin Payne.

Staying put: The ill-founded rumor of moving four-time Pro Bowler Lance Briggs from the weak side to the middle in place of Brian Urlacher was roundly dismissed.

"Lance is an outside linebacker," Lovie Smith said. "We like him there. He'll continue to play there."

That's all good with Briggs.

"I'm not moving to the middle," he said.

"I don't need to move. Hunter (Hillenmeyer) is very capable; more than capable."