Cutler's finale not one for the highlight reels

It was not the kind of performance on which Bears quarterback Jay Cutler wanted to end his season.

After posting passer ratings of 104.0 or higher in five of his last seven games — including his first postseason game since high school — Cutler went out as a spectator with a gimpy left knee on the short end of 21-14 game.

“Our goal is to win the Super Bowl,” he said. “We put ourselves in a good opportunity at the end of the year to do that — one game away. We can take some positives from this and grow from it. But right now I know everyone is devastated, including me.”

Two hits late in the second quarter, including a sack by cornerback Sam Shields, rendered Cutler unable to continue.

“I got hit on the outside of my leg, took a shot,” he said.

Cutler said the injury affected the stability of his knee and his ability to move, a key component of his game. He intended to keep playing after having the knee taped, and he started the second half but couldn't function.

“I was going to keep playing,” he said. “But they made the decision giving Todd (Collins) a shot would be better for the team.”

Even when Cutler was healthy, he didn't play well, completing just 6 of 14 passes for 80 yards, 1 interception and a passer rating of 31.8, his worst of the season.

“We missed a corner route that first series to Devin (Hester), missed a few things,” Cutler said. “But our defense played a heck of a game and gave us a shot there at the end.”

For the defense:

Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher was all over the field Sunday, leading all players with 10 tackles, getting the Bears' only sack, plus another tackle for loss and an interception with a 39-yard return.

It appeared for a moment that he might go the distance, but he was tripped up by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the Bears' 45-yard line.

“He threw it at me,” Urlacher said of the pick. “I don't know if he didn't see me or what, but he threw it at me and tackled me. That's what I saw.”

Urlacher was disappointed in the play of the defense in the first half, when it allowed 252 total yards, but proud of the way it fought back, allowing just 104 total yards after halftime.

“Just too many mistakes (in the first half),” Urlacher said. “Give them all the credit. They made us make the mistakes. They played better than we did. The second half we just hunkered down. We got guys coming off blocks, we got takeaways, we got pressure on (Rodgers), and we just played like we play.”

Playing it safe:

Trailing 14-0 in the second quarter and at the Packers' 31-yard line, the Bears, for the second time, passed on what appeared to be a makeable field goal, which would have been from 49 yards away. They punted instead, as fans booed loudly.

Earlier they disdained what would have been a 52-yard field-goal attempt.

“That was out of field goal range for us,” coach Lovie Smith said of the second, shorter opportunity. “We had to be at about the 27 going in that direction (north).”

The first kick would have been toward the south end zone.

“The wind was blowing in my face,” kicker Robbie Gould said of the first situation. “It could have gone either way. They made a decision to punt it, which I thought was a good decision, considering we've done a great job of putting them down inside the 5 and try to create a little more momentum for our defense and maybe create a turnover.”

Gould said he had made kicks from that distance in pregame warm-ups.

“But you've got to play the percentages,” he said. “I think it was a good call, I really do.”

The first time Brad Maynard punted the ball out of bounds at the Packers' 10-yard line. The second time was a touchback, but Corey Graham almost downed the ball at the 1-yard line.