Bears quarterback Jay Cutler meets after Monday night's game with Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. The Bears beat the Cowboys 34-18. (US Presswire) |
If quarterback Jay Cutler keeps producing like this, no one will care which Chicago Bears teammate he pushes or who the coach is he snubs.
Cutler enjoyed the third-best passer rating of his career at 140.1 in Monday night's 34-18 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Yet Cutler couldn't escape severe scrutiny again for his behavior.
In the Bears' first road game at Green Bay, an irritated Cutler shoved left tackle J'Marcus Webb after the Packers' pass rush reached him. Monday night when the Bears suffered through early game confusion on offense, an obviously displeased Cutler came to the sidelines and sat on the bench. Offensive coordinator Mike Tice sat down beside him and started to talk to Cutler. The Bears quarterback got up and walked away from Tice without talking.
"It's not anything. I don't have to sit by him the whole game, do I?" Cutler said after the game when asked about the sideline scene. "What are we looking for here?"
Told it appeared he had snubbed his coordinator, Cutler said, "We can't read into everything. I get you guys gotta sell papers. It's tough out there. You can't blow up every headline.
"Things happen during football games, you know? Just because I walk off and get water doesn't mean much."
So you can judge for yourself, here it is:
On the field, Cutler not only connected with wide receiver Brandon Marshall seven times for 138 yards, but he found two receivers who had been having trouble getting involved in the passing attack. Devin Hester, who had just three catches coming into the game, made three catches including a 34-yard TD pass to start the second half for a 17-7 lead. Tight end Kellen Davis, who had been targeted 11 times with three catches coming in, had three catches for 62 yards.
The Bears' passing game took advantage of Dallas' injuries at safety and the loss of linebacker Anthony Spencer due to a shoulder injury.
Marshall thought Cutler looked in complete control despite the sideline snub and confusion on the field that cost the Bears two first-half timeouts.
"I think he managed the huddle well," Marshall said. "He was outstanding. He was fired up before the game. We just fed off him."
As for Cutler's frustration and the sideline situation?
"Jay frustrated? No, Jay's never frustrated or mad," Marshall said, tongue firmly in cheek. "That's part of the game. We wanted to have a lot of rhythm coming into this football game. It took a quarter to get there."
Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.