Bears' Cutler must lead his troops effectively vs. Niners
Jay Cutler is getting better acquainted with some of his teammates this week in practice.
Neither of the Bears' two Pro Bowl wide receivers — Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery — practiced Thursday, and starting offensive linemen Roberto Garza and Matt Slauson also were unable to participate.
It appears Marshall is the only one who might play Sunday night on the road against the San Francisco 49ers, arguably the toughest game of the season for the 7-point-underdog Bears.
Most of the burden — at least on offense — will fall on Cutler, who's coming off a disappointing performance in the season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills.
But that's why Cutler gets the big bucks — $126 million of them over seven years, including $54 million guaranteed. Still, the question is: Can he be the stabilizing influence and the team-builder who can rally the troops against long odds?
“It's his offense — he better be,” said Marshall, who hasn't practice all week but flew to New York on Tuesday to fulfill his commitment to Showtime's ‘Inside the NFL.' “We need him. Jay will be all right.”
The Bears' No. 3 wide receiver, Josh Morgan, also didn't practice Thursday because of a groin injury. So Cutler worked with Santonio Holmes, the only healthy wide receiver on the 53-man roster, plus practice squad players Josh Bellamy, Greg Herd, Rashad Ross and Chris Williams, who was signed Thursday.
Marshall played through an ankle injury last week and caught 8 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown but also lost a fumble that thwarted a Bears scoring drive and led to a Bills filed goal. He said others can pick up the slack.
“These guys get paid too,” said Marshall, who signed a three-year, $30 million extension in May. “Just because I may be getting paid the highest out of all the receivers, doesn't mean I'm the only one capable. So they've got to earn their keep. Hopefully we get healthy and get out there and help them out a little bit. But hey, these guys can ball. That's why they're here.”
Cutler has a week of practice to help new players become familiar with their increased roles, and he knows what his responsibilities will be Sunday night.
“Just be on my game,” he said. “Just know the calls, know exactly what we're trying to get out of (each player). Stay in rhythm, just keep to practice and keep everyone moving because ultimately those guys are going to mess up from time to time. We're going to line up wrong. So it's just staying calm and keep an eye on the play clock.”
Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer says Cutler has been taking more of a leadership role, even before some of the other offensive leaders were sidelined.
“Jay has become that guy for us,” Kromer said. “He's the guy leading the offense, and he's done a good job of communicating, whether it's with the linemen, receivers (or) running backs.
“He's done a good job communicating with all of them and becoming that force of (saying to) whoever's in with him, ‘Let's go play.' We've been pleased with the way he's done that.”
The comfort level that Cutler has developed with Marshall and Jeffery is nonexistent this week as he works to get a new crew up to speed. But he's still got a couple of security blankets in running back Matt Forte and tight end Martellus Bennett, who combined for 16 receptions and 157 yards last week.
“It's definitely different not having those guys out there,” Cutler said. “We've still got Marty, and Matt in the backfield, so we've just got to figure out what we like with some of these other guys and just make sure that we keep our plan simple and get in and out of the huddle.
“They're all eager. They're all excited to be out there. They've got a little pep in their step. They're fast guys, so it's been a good experience.”
The Bears just hope the positive experience continues through the weekend.
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