There’s plenty of blame to go around at Halas Hall these days. After a 31-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, the organization and fan base are left scratching their heads. A roster loaded with talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball, is sitting at 2-3 after the first five weeks of the season. I’m not sure this is what they mean when they say Bear Down. The easy target now, and in years past, is quarterback Jay Cutler. He’s an easy target with his lack of emotion and sometimes brash personality. He was even my target after pulling himself from a Conference Championship game back in 2011. But he’s shown over the last three years his toughness is not to be questioned. The last two years he’s taken a beating in the pocket, and continued to get up, minus a high ankle sprain that occurred last year. So I don’t think that it’s on Cutler’s shoulders. Matter of fact, without Cutler, this season could already be a wash. During the offseason, we all heard how great of receivers Cutler would be throwing to this year. Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall were sure-fire Pro Bowlers, and were the focal point of igniting an already flammable offense. Week one injuries to both players have slowed them down, and really slowed down the offense. So much so, heading into Sunday’s game, Matt Forte was their leading receiver in terms of number of catches. Speaking of Forte, maybe that’s the issue. Forte has had high expectations year after year, and they are warranted. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield has given Cutler a great check-down option when his two top pass catchers are covered. On Sunday, Forte mirrored his averages from the previous four games. Twenty-Nine touches. Zero rushing touchdowns. Twenty-Nine touches a game, including an average of 10.5 catches per game, don’t lead me to believe he’s the problem. His inability to get into the endzone on the ground isn’t a direct correlation to his production. So if it’s not your big four on offense, what could it be? Second-year head coach Marc Trestman was touted as a great QB coach because of his previous days in the NFL and his experience in the CFL (Canadian Football League). He very well might be. What he isn’t, however, is a great NFL play caller, and I’ve witnessed that for two years now. Head coaches calling offensive plays generally end the same, with that head coach heading to the unemployment line. A head coach has plenty of duties and responsibilities without having to wear the hat of play-caller as well. Trestman’s pass-first mentality has allowed defenses to sit back and wait for Cutler to start tossing the ball around the yard. That would be all well and good if you didn’t have one of the top five running backs in the league. Utilizing Forte as a catch-first running back has put the Bears, and more importantly Cutler, in a tough position. Cutler having to keep Brandon Marshall happy is a full time job in itself. Now he’s required to drop back 48 times a game, and without the threat of a dominant run game. Chicago fans won’t continue to accept a softer brand of football. While my allegiance is to a team in Indianapolis, even I know the black and blue type of football played on the banks of Lake Michigan. The city, the fans, and the team have always been blue collar and as tough as they come. After this week’s performance, I imagine those blue collar voices will be heard loud and clear.
