LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -Jay Cutler has been battered behind a struggling offensive line and seems to be throwing about as many passes to defenders as receivers lately.
This, clearly, isn’t what the Bears had in mind.
The team’s postseason hopes are fading fast heading into Sunday night’s game against Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles (5-4). Instead of a matchup between marquee quarterbacks, the focus is on two teams desperate for a win.
The Bears (4-5) have dropped four of five. Although Cutler said they’re “absolutely” capable of turning things around, it would help if the quarterback hit his intended targets.
“I’m going to be more critical of myself than anybody else,” Cutler said.
There’s plenty to critique.
Cutler leads the league with 17 interceptions. He’s thrown 12 in the past five games, including five against the 49ers, tying the most by a Bear since Zeke Bratkowski threw seven in a 42-7 loss to Baltimore on Oct. 2, 1960.
he Eagles’ McNabb knows how tricky it can be to be a little bit cautious yet still stay aggressive.
“I think in the red zone, you want to try to put it on your guy’s body. So you may try to give him a little heater, so to speak, of throwing it a little harder than usual,” the veteran quarterback said. “I think also what you have to do as a quarterback is recognize what you’re seeing, try to give it to the open guy, and also give credit to the defense. Sometimes, defense locks down your guys and you have to do what’s best with the ball, and that’s either run yourself or throw it out of bounds and go to the next play.”
Cutler’s aggressive play, however, has resulted in interceptions lately – often at the worst possible time.
All five interceptions against San Francisco were in 49ers territory, with two stopping drives near the goal line. Although offensive coordinator Ron Turner again said “it’s not about one guy,” Cutler has never experienced a stretch like this.
Is he pressing? Cutler said no.
Is his confidence getting the best of him? Turner shot down that idea.
“I don’t think so,” Turner said. “It’s different in each one. He had five last game. I look at three of them – and I’m not blaming anyone else, I’m just making a point it’s a team game – and I couldn’t really grade him down. I couldn’t really say, ‘Jay, you need to do something different on those plays.”’
uldn’t say which three plays he meant. But Devin Hester slipped on one and bumped into the umpire on another. San Francisco safety Mark Roman also ran over tight end Kellen Davis on his interception but was not called for interference.
The other two interceptions, however, can’t be blamed on Cutler’s teammates.
Cutler tried to force one to Davis on third down at the 49ers 1 early in the second quarter even though he was surrounded by defenders. Aubrayo Franklin picked off that pass. Later, Michael Lewis sealed it for San Francisco at the end when a throw intended for Greg Olsen in the back of the end zone went straight to Lewis.
Despite the Bears’ rough stretch and his plentiful interceptions, Cutler remains confident.
“It happens,” he said. “Do we still think we can bounce back and make a run? Absolutely. We’ve got a lot of good guys in the locker room.”
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