LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -Jay Cutler took off and got spun around like the propeller on a helicopter before crashing in the end zone last week.
He was fine. The Chicago Bears are looking pretty good, too.
With their franchise quarterback delivering as promised after a shaky debut, they're soaring into the bye week with three straight wins and a 3-1 record.
``I think we're on pace to where we want to be,'' Cutler said.
Leading the way is the quarterback whose arrival in the offseason sent expectations soaring. In a city known for broad shoulders, the hopes now rest largely on the rocket arm of Cutler particularly after star linebacker Brian Urlacher dislocated his right wrist in the opener at Green Bay, the longtime face of the franchise going down just as the new one was settling in.
The fallout in Denver that led to the Cutler trade is so well documented that the pages are stacked mile high. No need to rehash his feud with new Broncos coach Josh McDaniels over his attempt to land Matt Cassel.
What matters now: Cutler is living up to his billing in Chicago, where franchise quarterbacks are about as rare as on-time flights at O'Hare.
First came a shaky start at Green Bay. In that game, he was part of an overall offensive meltdown during a 21-15 loss. Cutler's role in that? He was 17 of 36 while forcing passes, with four interceptions and just one touchdown - not to mention some sharp criticism from former coaches Jim Mora and Mike Martz on the NFL Network for his postgame demeanor.
``I know Jay on a personal basis,'' said receiver Earl Bennett, his teammate with Vanderbilt. ``I know what type of player he is, what type of person he is. I know he's a competitor. People say he may have been crying (in Denver), but I don't think that was the case. I think it was an unfortunate situation that went down, but we're excited to have him here.''
That poor opener explains why Cutler ranks 15th in the NFL with 901 yards passing - five fewer than the man the Bears sent to Denver, Kyle Orton. It's a big reason why only three quarterbacks have more interceptions than his five. And it explains why he has a middle-of-the road rating of 89.3.
But since the opener?
Cutler's completion percentage (71.0) ranks second to Ben Roethlisberger's 71.7, and his 109.8 rating trails only Peyton Manning (122.2) and Matt Schaub (113.2). He's also getting help from an unproven group of wide receivers, one of the early surprises of this season, after the Bears decided not to bring in a veteran.
While Devin Hester, Bennett and rookie Johnny Knox aren't about to be mistaken for Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, they are pitching in, and Cutler is also making their job easier.
``He talks to you,'' Bennett said. ``He watches film with you. Those two things are very important. When you've got a guy that will come talk to you, that's always helpful.''
Is that unusual?
``Some quarterbacks seem to be a bit shy, bite their tongue,'' Bennett said. ``He says what he feels and he just wants to win.''
That's easier to do when the mistakes are held to a minimum, and with one interception and seven touchdowns over the past three games, that's exactly what Cutler has been doing lately. He's not slinging the ball downfield, with one completion for 40 or more yards this season, although offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he wants to go for more big plays. For now, Cutler's taking what's available, showing patience - not to mention fearlessness.
It's hard to question his manhood, something Urlacher allegedly did in the offseason, after seeing Cutler roll to his left and then get spun in midair after two defenders hit him on a 5-yard TD run in the first half last week. Cutler was looking for tight end Desmond Clark, but didn't see an opening. So he headed toward the goal line when he could have slid, run out of bounds and or sent the ball out of the end zone.
``He's got to do that,'' Turner said. ``You're on the field playing, you've got to compete. And that's what makes Jay who he is. He's going to fly around and do what he can to help us win games.''
Cutler completed more than 70 percent of his passes in wins over Pittsburgh and Seattle and was on target again last week, going 18 of 28, even though he wound up with just 141 yards.
There wasn't much room for the offense, anyway. Not with the defense and punter Brad Maynard pinning the Lions, and the kick and punt returners collecting 277 yards.
``We had some chances in the third quarter to really open up the game,'' Cutler said. ``We missed a few opportunities, but we're heading in the right direction, though.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
