Hampton: Game-Planning Needs To Change Without Cutler
Without Jay Cutler, it's clear the Bears play-calling and game-planning needs to be adjusted.
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Without Jay Cutler, it's clear the Bears play-calling and game-planning needs to be adjusted.
Here are the good, bad and ugly from this week's Bears-Raiders game.
You hate to pin a loss on one play but it would be easy if you want as the Bears lost to the Raiders 25-20 out here in Oakland.
Try to remember how you felt as soon as you got the news about Jay Cutler's broken thumb, and how long he'd be out. Dig deep, and access that moment – recapture the feeling like a trained method-actor.
Among the list of quarterbacks the Bears could bring in with Jay Cutler sidelined, Kyle Orton clearly tops that list.
While Lovie Smith said the Bears plan to bring in a veteran quarterback to backup Caleb Hanie, one NFL expert cautioned fans not to get too excited.
After two-plus seasons of up-and-down play by the Bears quarterback, Cutler has put together a string of six straight above average games, none better than his effort Sunday afternoon in the Bears' 31-20 win over the Chargers at Soldier Field.
During the Bears current four-game winning streak, the offensive line has been a bright spot, protecting Jay Cutler and paving a way for Matt Forte. Now, with Williams lost for the season with a wrist injury, the Bears must regroup and work with a new left guard, Edwin Williams.
With a 30-24 victory over the heavily favored Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears put themselves on track for their second straight playoff appearance.
Yes, he's maddening. And he looks like that guy in college who you always wanted to punch in the mouth, just because. But Jay Cutler has also proven himself as the best QB in Bears history.
The Eagles are the best three-win team in the NFL, which along with the Saints, is talented enough to take down the Packers.
Former Bears quarterback Jim joined The McNeil and Spiegel Show to discuss Mike Martz, Jay Cutler and the rest of the Chicago Bears after their 24-18 win over the Bucs in London.
You can add Bears great Doug Baffone to the list of those who aren't too thrilled with the play-calling by offensive coordinator Mike Martz.
They haven't looked truly remarkable since their Week 1 thrashing of Atlanta, but in running the ball better of late and an improved defense, the playoffs don't seem as far fetched as they did after the Green Bay and New Orleans debacles earlier in the year.
Though a loss to the Bucs would have fluttered the dovecoats, the message sent from London was plain as a pikestaff: keep your wig on, and your chin up. 24-18.
When Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz found out his quarterback directed an obscenity his way during the Bears' win Sunday, he did just as one would expect -- he downplayed it.
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler admitted he directed an obscenity at offensive coordinator Mike Martz in Sunday's win over the Vikings and said he didn't regret it.
At this point it's no secret that Jay Cutler and Mike Martz aren't getting along, but now there appears to be some obvious video evidence.
Lovie Smith does appear to have his own supply of paper towels, though, that he's been able to pull out of the supply closet, to unroll as needed to mop up the pessimism (and who would engage in that, dare I ask?) and keep his team from slipping into the abyss.
If Monday was a "must have", then Sunday is a must win. If the Bears were to lose against Minnesota, they would drop to 2-4, with all four losses coming in the NFC. It would also make them 0-3 in the division. When it comes to tie-breaker math, that ain't good. So here's what I'm watching for Sunday night:
The final score reads 24-13, but it might as well have been 240-13. As poor as the Lions played, nobody in the Chicagoland thought the Bears had a snowball's chance in pulling that one out after the Lions went up 21-10. The offensive line was outmatched, and almost the entire defense failed to show up Monday night. From there, the rest just fell into place.
Bad drafts, bad signings, desperate trades and hamstrung, stubborn coaches have the Bears staring at a dark road.
Lovie Smith evaluates the regular season in four quarters, so let's evaluate Lovie's crew in the same fashion.
During the Bears' 34-29 victory on Sunday, the offense wasted two timeouts on one drive in the second half -- former quarterback Jim Miller breaks it down.
This one was a must-must, a necessary condition for continuing one's emotional investment in a severely flawed Bears team, even if one may know better.
A man was shot in the leg inside a home on Chicago's West Side early Saturday morning.
Chicago helped shape the nation in so many ways, including the pioneering of skyscrapers – the big, beautiful buildings the city of big shoulders introduced to the world.
A Chicago bus driver is out of a job after he was caught on camera with his hands off the wheel and his eyes glued to his cell phone.
Police in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs are teaming up to target thieves targeting video gambling machines, which have become an increasingly popular target for burglary crews.
An eagle-eyed drone pilot helped spot a missing foster puppy who had been out in the cold for more than two weeks in Chicago's northwest suburbs.
The footage is included in a video that promotes false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against Mr. Trump.
The FBI has arrested "one of the key participants" behind the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 that killed four Americans.
A new push to pass a GOP elections bill known as the SAVE America Act is underway in Congress, but Democrats warn the proposal could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.
As immigration sweeps expand nationwide, the work of justifying detentions is overwhelming federal prosecutors, who are being forced to sideline a range of other cases in order to keep pace.
Marimar Martinez, the Chicago woman shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in October, plans to attend President Trump's State of the Union address to Congress later this month, according to her attorney.
This week marks Identity Theft Awareness Week, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza emphasized some safety tips Monday for avoiding and dealing with identity theft.
A controversial data center in Naperville, Illinois, could be the cause to pack a city council meeting there on Tuesday night.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
Protesters on Tuesday were cranking up the heat on Peoples Gas over a recently proposed rate hike that would add an additional $10 to $11 a month to utility bills.
A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald's to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a grant from The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation for a new cancer center.
Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital said Tuesday that it is no longer initiating gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.
A Near West Side diner known for drawing in Blackhawks fans and players is up for sale.
January may be the coldest time of the year, but Chicago is already looking forward to summer farmers' markets.
A development proposal issued this month calls for the replacement of a building housing a Giordiano's pizzeria in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood with a new mixed-use building with 28 residential units.
United Airlines flight attendants picketed outside Chicago's Willis Tower Thursday morning as they fought for a new contract.
WSCR-AM, 670 The Score, will begin a simulcast on 104.3 FM next month.
Gamers across the world can now recreate drone strikes in Ukraine from the comfort of their own home, with this newly released game.
The members of Ratboys were teenagers when they met by chance, and now in their 30s, the Chicago band formed by two college friends almost two decades ago appears to be on the brink of something big.
Chuck Negron, a founding member of Three Dog Night whose lead vocals powered a string of hits for one of the top rock acts of the late 1960s and early '70s has died. He was 83.
Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and call for the end of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
The 2026 Grammy Awards recognized the best of the best in music from last year, with big wins for Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny. Here's the full list of winners and nominees.
Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has the extended forecast.
Meet 6-moth-old Baloo, he is looking for his forever home. Adopt him today at PAWS Chicago.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
Chicago helped shape the nation in so many ways, including the pioneering of skyscrapers – the big, beautiful buildings the city of big shoulders introduced to the world.
A Chicago bus driver is out of a job after he was caught on camera with his hands off the wheel and his eyes glued to his cell phone.
Police in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs are teaming up to target thieves targeting video gambling machines, which have become an increasingly popular target for burglary crews.
An eagle-eyed drone pilot helped spot a missing foster puppy who had been out in the cold for more than two weeks in Chicago's northwest suburbs.
A man was shot in the leg inside a home on Chicago's West Side early Saturday morning.
A source close to the investigation said the woman worked for the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
Chicago helped shape the nation in so many ways, including the pioneering of skyscrapers – the big, beautiful buildings the city of big shoulders introduced to the world.
Fewer Chicago kids are getting the dental care they need, and some dentists are blaming Chicago Public Schools.
Cynthia Eason recounted the moment Chicago police officers raided her family's home in 2018.
Water bills could be going up in several Chicago suburbs and other parts of Illinois, as Illinois American Water seeks a rate increase to fund infrastructure improvements.
The case involves a Chicago grandmother, her daughter, and her four grandchildren, who all said that Chicago police officers pointed guns at them during the botched raid.
Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel no longer will have to testify about an alleged "code of silence" at the Chicago Police Department, after a federal judge reversed an earlier ruling that would have allowed him to take the stand in a lawsuit over a botched police raid.
Two west suburban high schools have something extra to celebrate Sunday, when alumni from their schools make their Super Bowl debuts.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are underway after the lighting of the Olympic cauldrons and the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony.
Caleb Williams certainly had plenty of big throws to celebrate in 2025, but it wasn't hard to pick his most memorable one after he launched a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore to beat the Packers in overtime in Week 16.
Brandon Ingram scored 33 points, Immanuel Quickley had 24 and the Toronto Raptors beat the new-look Chicago Bulls 123-107.
Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney was named the NFL's top offensive lineman of 2025 on Thursday, winning the inaugural Protector of the Year Award.
Local and federal authorities said "investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity" regarding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
A South Side community came together on Friday, hoping for justice after a woman was shot and killed while her baby was in the back seat of their car earlier this week.
A Chicago city employee was found shot to death Friday morning inside an apartment in the West Ridge neighborhood.
Actor Timothy Busfield has been indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, officials said Friday.
A burglary crew smashed into a restaurant in Chicago's southwest suburbs, leaving the owner cleaning up a big and frustrating mess.
