When Jay Cutler staggered off the new Meadowlands turf last Sunday night, I was prepared to write a team obituary for today’s Bears-Carolina quick reaction.

Then the Bears ran the other way.

In old-school and sometimes ugly Chicago fashion, the Bears returned to their roots of a strong running game, solid special teams and big-play defense in a 23-6 victory over the Carolina Panthers Sunday in Charlotte.

This game was over the minute Todd Collins, who for some reason was starting for the injured Cutler, handed the ball to Matt Forte. The Bears had a 17-3 lead by the end of the first quarter, scoring on touchdown runs of 18 and 68 yards by Forte and a Robbie Gould field goal.

In all, the Bears had 168 yards in 20 carries in the first half, 131 yards by Forte. With Collins’ struggles in the passing game--nothing left in the tank, folks--special teams, defense and the rushing game was all the Bears had to bank on.

The success with the running game--the Bears scored their first rushing touchdowns of the season--drives home yet again how valuable offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s versatility is to the team.

Against Dallas, he switched Cutler to a three-step drop to burn Dallas’ heavy pass rush. Against Carolina, he showed he can coach a pretty mean rushing attack (remember Marshall Faulk in St. Louis?) as well. Martz makes adjustments. Former offensive coordinator Ron Turner used to stick with the game plan, regardless of situation and personnel shortages.

Here’s a breakdown of how we saw the game. Disagree? Let us know on our Twitter feed below:

Heroes: We saw flashes of this Forte as a rookie and in the season-opener this year. We would like to see more. We did today. And lost in the shuffle of his big runs was the fact that Forte broke a lot of tackles in the game, something we haven’t seen in a long, long time. An honorable mention goes to J’Marcus Webb, a seventh-round draft pick who played well in his first career start at right tackle.

Goat: We feel for Collins, a veteran backup thrust into the limelight with Cutler out with the concussion. But if you’re looking for a goat for the Bears, it was him. He had three first-half interceptions, including a goal-line pick in the first quarter that prevented the Bears from taking a commanding 24-3 lead. He ended with four interceptions and a quarterback rating of 6.3 before being pulled in the third quarter. He just doesn’t have the arm strength to get the ball downfield, and he was easy pickings for the Carolina secondary. We know Martz wants a veteran quarterback to start this game, but geez, maybe it’s time to see if Caleb Hanie can start if Cutler is out another week.

Play of the Game: Take your pick from Forte’s highlight reel, but we like that second touchdown the best. Carolina bit on Collins’ move to the right and Forte made a sweet cutback to break loose on the 68-yard touchdown run.

Hit of the Game: Less of a hit, more of a tip. Julius Peppers tipped and picked Jimmy Clausen in the first quarter, which set up Robbie Gould’s field goal and gave the Bears a 17-3 lead. Think Peppers loved making that big play after his disappointment in how Carolina treated him when he left for the Bears? He hot-dogged it a bit. We would like to give more credit to the defense, but it’s hard to considering how dreadful and one-dimensional Carolina’s offense is.

Honorable Mention: Danieal Manning and Devin Hester in the return game. With Cutler out, everybody had to chip in, and special teams and defense certainly did. Israel Idonije, who’s feasting off Peppers’ pressure, turned in a nice game with three sacks and seven tackles.

Missing in Action: With wide receiver Steve Smith out with a high ankle sprain, Carolina’s offense had no balance. They can’t hand the ball to DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart on every play.

The Skinny: The Bears are 4-1 with a struggling Seattle team coming to town next week. Not bad considering the problems on the offensive line and Cutler’s concussion. Still, it’s hard to ignore the issues the team has both on offense and, at times, with the interior defensive line. Remember, last year’s team was 3-1 before a major collapse in October and November. You’ve been warned.

Parting Shot: Memo to Jimmy Clausen: You should have stayed at Notre Dame another year. And to Cutler: You’re looking a little pudgy in that T-shirt on the sideline.

--MIKE REILLEY
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The Bears’ season might as well have ended when Jay Cutler staggered to the locker room at halftime of last week’s Giants loss. As we wrote in the season preview ,the Bears’ offensive line would cost them dearly this season, and it has. With Cutler’s bell rung, it’s only a matter of time until the bell tolls for the 3-1 Bears. It starts this week with Cutler out with a concussion as the Todd Collins era begins. Collins will make his 21st career start (in 51 games) Sunday at Carolina. Yes, he was 3-0 as a spot starter behind Jason Campbell in Washington a few years ago, but he wasn’t playing behind this line, and he wasn’t playing in Mike Martz’s complex timing offense, where training camp reps mean everything. Yes, the Bears defense will punish Jimmy Claussen & Co., but look for the long-awaited breakout game for the Panthers’ running attack. Prediction: Carolina 17, Bears 9. Prediction record on the season: 2-2. --Mike Reilley

If you thought that the Bears and Giants were ugly last Sunday night, then Sunday in Carolina is only for the brave. The Bears without the concussion-suffering Cutler are rendered near to toothless, while the porous offensive line that helped put Cutler on the sidelines will be hard pressed to grind out any rushing yards. What does that leave? Two Forte plunges into the line for short yardage and Greg Olsen coming up short on third down? Oh, for the love of God, it's back to Bad Bears Football--at least not by choice. Carolina's not done much better, as it has its own quarterback woes and Golden Domer Jimmy Clausen will be kept to a short leash. Expect a lot of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart pounding into a difficult Bears front seven, perhaps breaking through once in a while. So it'll all be slow. It'll likely be pretty boring. But somebody ultimately has to win in the end. I like the Bears defense or special teams to get a score, and I think Mike Martz and Todd Collins can still come up with some play--perhaps a screen or a short slant--that will break a Matt Forte or Chester Taylor loose. Don't expect much from any wide receivers in this game, especially since Bears longtime nemesis Steve Smith is injured. Were Smith and Cutler both in the game, it might look a lot different, but they aren't. This one will be nothing more valuable than a simple number in the final record; not pretty, but necessary. Bears 17, Panthers 10. --Tom Tyrer

The Bears will need to get their running game going if they want to beat the 0-4 Panthers. Todd Collins can't do it with his arm anymore and might be pulled by the third quarter in favor of third-stringer Caleb Hanie. Look for Chester Taylor to have a big day and Matt Forte to have some success against this Panthers defense. On the other side of the ball, the Bears defense must get after rookie QB Jimmy Clausen. You know defensive end Julius Peppers will be hungry for sacks in Carolina since that was the team he played for his entire career. Henry Melton, Tommie Harris and Israel Idonije all have to step their games up on Sunday. The Bears need to win this one to declare their own legitimacy, if they can't do so they might be in for a long season. Bears 20, Panthers 10. --Jake Perper

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Jay Cutler, Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, and Frank Omiyale gather in the office of Dr. Werner Schnitzel, a psychiatrist. Cutler sits on one side of the couch, distinctly separating himself from his linemen.

DR. SCHNITZEL: Guten tag and danke for coming here today, Jay. I was very concerned with last week’s game against New York, especially after we made such progress since last year. What happened?

CUTLER (nods toward the linemen): You’re looking at them.

KREUTZ: Yeah, well, maybe you should try hot reading before the blitz, hot shot.

GARZA: Yeah!

CUTLER: Pretty hard to throw when you got one second before you get creamed by the rush.

KREUTZ: There you go again, always exaggerating. You usually had two seconds to throw.

CUTLER: I think Robbie Gould could pass block better than you guys.

KREUTZ: Now you’re just being mean.

GARZA: Yeah!

DR. SCHNITZEL: Achtung! Gentlemen, please, calm down. What you need is to build trust, like a pocket that cannot be broken by the blitz, jah? So let us try something.

Dr. Schnitzel has them stand up, with Cutler turning his back to his linemen. Kreutz stands behind Jay, followed in line by Garza and Omiyale.

DR. SCHNITZEL: What I want you to do, Jay, is fall backward, and let your linemen catch you.

CUTLER: Are you out of your strudel-loving mind, doc?

DR. SCHNITZEL: It is a simple exercise that will help you learn to trust your linemen. Olin, you start. On the count of three. Eins..zwei...drei!

Cutler falls back and Kreutz catches him.

DR. SCHNITZEL: Wunderbar! See how easy that was?

Kreutz smiles and lets Cutler fall to the floor, striking his head. Cutler stands up.

CUTLER: Why the hell did you drop me?

KREUTZ: He said Wonder Bar. I thought that meant we the play was done and we were going out for drinks. I can’t help it if I don’t speak Australian or whatever.

DR. SCHNITZEL: I am from Austria, not...never mind. The important part is you caught Jay when you were supposed to. Now, Roberto, it is you’re turn, and hold Jay until I say to stop, jah? On three. One...two...three.

Cutler falls. Garza catches him. Cutler smiles, but after two seconds, Garza drops him.

CUTLER (standing up, rubbing his head): Seriously, what is wrong with you?

DR. SCHNITZEL: Roberto, why did you drop Jay?

GARZA: He’s so heavy. I couldn’t hold him.

CUTLER: It was two seconds.

DR. SCHNITZEL: Let’s try again, Roberto. On three. One...two...three.

Garza catches Cutler, holds him for two seconds, and drops him on his head. This time Cutler has a hard time getting up.

CUTLER: Son of a—.

GARZA: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just get tired really fast. And I don’t see why you have to hold onto the ball so long.

CUTLER: I can’t even throw a slant in that time!

DR. SCHNITZEL: Roberto, I think you have a fear of committing to your block, jah? But we will need to work on that some other time. Let us give Frank a chance.

CUTLER: No way. I get another bump on my head and I won’t be able to get my helmet on.

DR. SCHNITZEL: Jay, we have to build the trust pocket, remember? Give Frank a chance.

CUTLER: Fine.

DR. SCHNITZEL: Okay, Frank, on three. One...two...three.

Cutler falls and hits the floor. After Cutler hits the floor, Omiyale then puts his arms out to catch him.

CUTLER: Doc!

DR. SCHNITZEL: Frank, you have to be quicker. Try again. One...two...three.

Cutler falls and hits the floor again. Omiyale sticks his arms out after Cutler hits the ground.

DR. SCHNITZEL: Gott im Himmel, man, catch your quarterback!

OMIYALE: Sorry, it’s just that he falls so fast.

DR. SCHNITZEL: Frank, let us try something else. Put your arms out first, like this. Now, I will have you catch me. Are you ready?

OMIYALE: Yes.

DR. SCHNITZEL: One...two.

Omiyale jumps back on the count of two.

DR. SCHNITZEL: Three!

He falls backward and hits his head.

DR. SCHNITZEL: On three, dumkauf! You were supposed to catch me on three!

OMIYALE: I know, I just got kind of nervous and when I get nervous I start thinking and then you said two and I thought that comes right before three, and then that made me think of three so I moved.

CUTLER: See what I mean, Doc?

DR. SCHNITZEL: I think this concludes our therapy for this season, gentlemen.

GARZA: Does this mean we’re cured.

DR. SCHNITZEL: Ha! Cured, he asks.

Dr. Schnitzel goes to his desk and scribbles something on a piece of paper before handing it to Cutler.

CUTLER: What’s this?

DR. SCHNITZEL: A prescription for morphine. You’re going to need it. Now if you will excuse me, I have a newlywed session with Brett Favre and Randy Moss.

-- BRANDON TRISSLER
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As high as the Bears and their fans were on the way into New York to face the Giants on Sunday night, they came home as low as could be after the Giants handed the Bears a 17-3 beating to knock them off their perch as the lone undefeated team in the NFC.

The Bears’ offensive line was consistently overrun by the Giants’ defense like a scene right out of Braveheart. Jay Cutler took the brunt of it, getting sacked a record-setting nine times in the first half before leaving the game with a concussion. Backups Todd Collins and Caleb Hanie didn’t fare much better, as the Mike Martz high powered offense couldn’t get out of the starting gate.

The thud you heard late Sunday night was the collective fandom jumping off the Bears’ bandwagon. Sports talk radio in Chicago was filled with people questioning whether or not the Bears could win another game this season after the pitiful showing on Sunday night. Keep in mind, these are the same people that were checking the February rates for flights to Dallas (site of Super Bowl XLV).

We’re a fickle bunch, Bears fans. If there’s one thing all football fans should all recognize it’s this--your team is never as good or as bad as you think. The Bears weren’t as good as we thought when they beat the Lions, Cowboys and Packers in the first three weeks and we’re not as bad after this loss to the Giants.

The upcoming schedule should help buoy confidence and get people back on the bandwagon. Road games in Carolina and Buffalo bookend home dates with Washington, Seattle, and a bye. This should help get fans back on board, and more importantly, help the offense get in sync.

For Bears news on Twitter, follow @Bears_Live.

For more on the Chicago Bears, check out FanSided's Bear Goggles On blog.

-- MIKE BURZAWA
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Greetings from Blue Toss, Blue Field, the official health insurance provider of the National Football League.

Recently, due to changes in your on-field conditions, we have determined that your risk factors have increased, which means we will be doubling your premiums beginning in week five.

We realize that you may have some questions/concerns about this one hundred percent increase, and we at BTBF believe in total disclosure. The following are the contributing factors for this change:

Omiyaleye Blindness
A chronically debilitating condition that results in repeated, unforeseen blows striking the quarterback from his weak side.

Louis Lancing
A swollen blockage that dissolves immediately when poked with pressure.

Kruetz-Garza Disease
A softening of the middle that generates an unbearable amount of pressure up the gut and into the quarterback’s face.

Revolving Tackle Syndrome
RTS exposes quarterbacks to blown knees, broken ribs, snapped backs, premature passing, rubber head syndrome, and night game terrors.

Swiss Protectionism
The tendency of extra blockers to remain neutral in the face of a blitz.

Until these factors are removed via draft picks, free agency, or a complete talent transplant, we will have no choice but to keep your premiums at this higher level.

Thank you again for choosing Blue Toss, Blue Field, peeling you off the turf since 1987.

Sincerely,

N. O. Chance
Vice President, Accounts Inconceivable

P.S. Bandages, slings, braces, smelling salts, and running shoes are all eligible for purchase under your optional medical expense account, but funeral costs are considered out-of-pocket.

-- BRANDON TRISSLER
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