Rozner: Bears new goal might be No. 1 pick

When you look back on Jay Cutler's career with the Bears, it will be as simple as looking at Sunday's first half.

Nearly two quarters of outstanding football were followed by one terrible, Bad Jay throw that makes it difficult to remember Good Jay.

Add in Cutler's missed tackle on the pick-6 while getting hurt in the process, and that's pretty much all you need to know.

That applies, as well, to Sunday's 48-23 loss to Arizona at Soldier Field.

The Bears fell to 0-2 with a pair of losses at home to open the season for the first time since the Abe Gibron era.

But you already knew the Bears were a bad football team.

They are well coached, which gave some promise to a season that figured to be mostly about teaching and learning, and there was evidence early Sunday - just like last week - that Cutler had really taken to the Adam Gase offense.

The QB is playing minus an offensive line and receiving corps, yet he was working the zone read with composure - running three times for 24 yards - and making the most of a bad situation, finding targets and keeping plays alive with his feet while running for his life.

And then with the Bears down 21-14 and 3:08 left in the second quarter, Cutler threw it far behind Martellus Bennett. It was such a bad throw that surprised safety Tony Jefferson nearly dropped it when it hit him in the hands, but he corralled it, stiff-armed Cutler and ran 26 yards for a touchdown.

It was so Cutler, through and through.

That was the game for the Bears, who also lost Cutler on the play - with what the team called a hamstring injury - after he landed on his head and right shoulder trying to make the tackle.

"Our medical people will inform me, and then I'll inform you," said head coach John Fox. "But at this point, he's got a pulled hamstring."

In any case, after that it was Comedy Central, featuring the wacky antics of Jimmy Clausen and a scheme worthy of a Division III QB - or a Marc Trestman-coached team.

The shame of it is the Bears' offense under Gase was really clicking until the interception, and it was keeping the Bears in the game despite a wretched Bears defense.

But, then, you knew that already, too.

The Bears simply have no playmakers on defense, and no one has been more disappointing than last year's first-round pick, Kyle Fuller, who's getting picked on consistently and was removed late in favor of Terrance Mitchell.

Fuller would not concede a benching, and when asked what the Arizona offense did to confuse the Bears, Fuller replied, "I don't know how to answer that question."

For the second straight week, Fuller offered mostly one-word answers and was clearly agitated, but Fox was more specific.

"I just know we gave up (big) yards on penalties on downfield throws," Fox said. "And it wasn't a mystery that we were going to see some of those."

Pass-interference calls on Fuller and Alan Ball led to Arizona touchdowns, Fuller also got caught on a flea-flicker for a TD and Fuller was beat badly by Larry Fitzgerald on an outside-inside move for a score.

Then again, Fitzgerald was toying with the Bears' secondary all day and finished with 3 touchdowns and 112 yards on 8 grabs.

"We have a lot of weapons," said Cards receiver John Brown, who had 5 catches for 45 yards. "We knew there would be some mismatches."

Pernell McPhee also missed a sure sack of QB Carson Palmer that allowed a drive to stay alive and led to a touchdown, the Bears committed 14 penalties for 170 yards, and Fox raised some eyebrows with some odd clock management near the end of the first half when he knew his backup QB could not move the football.

And while the Bears were disgusted - McPhee suggesting the team quit - even in a blowout the Cards were not impressed with their performance.

"It's very nice to get a road win," said Cards coach Bruce Arians, "especially when you don't play your best."

In proper context, there's been little surprise with the Bears so far, with the exception of how well Cutler has adjusted to the Gase offense and how nicely he's been managing the game, minus, of course, the typical and crucial Cutler interceptions.

His injury, however, casts a pall over the proceedings and leaves in doubt the progress Cutler can make if he stays on the field.

As for being 0-2, there was no reason to expect anything else, and if Cutler is out for any length of time with a schedule that looks daunting, there is something better to consider.

Look no further than the No. 1 draft pick.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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