Things don’t always go according to plan, just ask Jay Cutler. The much ballyhooed regular-season debut of the new Bears quarterback came and went, without any results to match the hype.
Four interceptions and a quarterback rating of 43.2 put the new Bears gunslinger in cahoots with Henry Burris and Jim Miller more so than Jim McMahon.
It’s always difficult to place blame on one individual in a team sport. In the case of Sunday’s debacle, however, it’s rather easy to place the blame on veteran offensive coordinator Ron Turner. The Bears offensive meltdown at Green Bay has as much to do with Turner as it does with Cutler, second-year running dynamo Matt Forte, or scoring threat Devin Hester.
Turner failed to adjust the offense when it became clear the Packers’ pressure was giving the Bears problems. Matt Forte is in the backfield for that exact reason, and a few running back screens, along with calculated draws, would’ve gone a long way to equalize said pressure. It's Turner's job to put Cutler in a position to be successful, and Sunday's gameplan simply didn't do it.
Jay Cutler isn’t without blame. He was uneasy and unspectacular Sunday night at Lambeau Field. The quarterback, however, can only do so much. The receivers need to finish their routes and communicate properly with Cutler if adjustments need to be made. The team needs to give Forte the ball in creative ways, and also let him pound the rock, which would give Cutler’s play action fake some real bite.
The Bears still have an opportunity to win the NFC North in spite of Brian Urlacher’s season-ending wrist injury, because of their trademark defense. It’s week one, not the playoff run. If the offense doesn’t adjust, it won’t matter. The Bears have all the tools to have a dynamic offense, they just need to put the work in to do so.
Jay Cutler will be the cover boy for the team’s offensive woes, not only because he’s a franchise quarterback, but also due to the nature of his departure from Denver. At the end of the day, however, Ron Turner is the guy who needs to look in the mirror and get it going.
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