Bears quarterback Jay Cutler shoved away an NFL Network microphone following Sunday's loss to the Vikings. Minnesota defeated Chicago 36-10 in a game that Cutler threw two interceptions, giving him to an NFL-high 20 picks on the season. "It's a tough one," Cutler said. "We didn't expect this, [we] thought we had a good week. We didn't play up to our standards." At 4-7, Chicago's playoff hopes look bleak. There are five teams ahead of them in the race for the NFC's two Wild Card spots. The Bears have lost four consecutive games.

A source close to Mike Martz says that he could be the next offensive coordinator of the Bears. Martz, who was most recently the offensive coordinator of the 49ers in 2008, was the architect of The Greatest Show on Turf in St. Louis. "Martz would love to work with Jay Cutler," said the source. Chicago is struggling, but coach Lovie Smith is expected to stay. However, Turner could be on his way out.

Someone in the Bears' organization at a level above general manager Jerry Angelo has begun surveying options for changing the coach or general manager, or both, according to Hub Arkush, a football expert on WSCR-AM 670 and publisher of Pro Football Weekly. "Inquiries have been made, feelers have been put out," Arkush said on the radio station today regarding the initial step of gauging interest and affordability of some of the big-names candidates available. Asked about the report, a team source said, "There's absolutely no truth" to the report.

Mike Ditka believes that Jay Cutler's interceptions are killing the Bears. "That is one thing that I did do well," Ditka said of getting in people's faces and holding them accountable. "I would hold everybody accountable. I held them all accountable. And the coach has to be accountable too." Cutler has thrown 18 interception through ten games for the 4-6 Bears. "They are struggling, they have to find out who they are," Ditka added. "They have had a pretty good dose of reality. Cutler turns the ball over five times (in last week's 10-6 loss to the 49ers). He has to understand that if you kick two more field goals, you win the game. I mean, it's not too complicated."

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler struggled against the Eagles on Sunday night and acknowledged that the team is running out of time. Cutler went 24-for-43 with 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Chicago started the season 3-1, but they now sit at 4-6 and their playoff hopes are fading. "We're running out of time," Cutler said. "The window is getting smaller and smaller. Anything can happen, you get strange things happening in November and December, but for us it's smaller and smaller."

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo isn't happy with the team's play this season. "We are a passionate city," Angelo told the Chicago Sun-Times. "We have high expectations. We expect to win. I love it. I appreciate it." As concerned as Angelo is with winning, he isn't ready to waive the white flag. "I am not alarmed," he added. "If we have to go on with this football team, I am fine with that. There is nothing wrong with continually developing and coaching and bringing your players along. There is nothing wrong with that at all. "Our football team is still a good football team. We just have to play better. And we can, and I am counting on that. ... I am not worried about the end of the season [to get better]. We can do that right now." Angelo's comments can be interpreted in a number of ways, but the Sun-Times wonders if he's starting to tire of head coach Lovie Smith.

Bears running back Garrett Wolfe will miss the remainder of the season with a lacerated kidney. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported the season-ending injury. Wolfe suffered the injury on Nov. 8 against the Cardinals.

Lovie Smith says the Bears just want to get to Sunday night's game with the Philadelphia Eagles, and that they're ready to circle the wagons after fulfilling media obligations Friday following practice. The Sun-Times reported that Smith, general manager Jerry Angelo and quarterback Jay Cutler will not be made available for NBC's "Football Night in America'' show, the pregame program that leads into the game with the Eagles. "I'm trying to figure out where that all came from,'' Smith said. "We try to do whatever we can for anyone that's coming in. We've played quite a few Sunday night games. There's not a whole lot more to talk about. We're making our players available right up until game time. But as far as participating an awful lot right now it's kind of time for us to play football. We try to do as many interviews as we can during game week but once you get a little bit closer to it you're kind of reeling things in a little bit.''

Last Week: 9-6, pushing the season forecast to 100-44. I am the 1995 Cleveland Indians revisited! The big news of the week is Dick Jauron?s ouster as coach of the Bills. Speculation has already begun about his replacement, primarily centering on Mike Shanahan. I think Shanahan would be an ideal fit, because the team needs a take-charge leader with a defined vision and gameplan. But I?m not sold that owner Ralph Wilson will pony up the cash to afford him, not after eating so much on Jauron. The Bills have long been a team that gives up-and-coming assistants a crack (think Mike Mularkey, Gregg Williams), and I expect they follow that course again. Interim man Perry Fewell could fill that role if he can salvage this season, and that?s not out of the question. A sage little birdie told me former Giants coach Jim Fassel will factor into the mix too--if he wants to leave the UFL. Thursday night game Miami (18) at Carolina (17): Both teams will be missing key components, as Dolphins RB and Wildcat maestro Ronnie Brown will miss the game, while Panthers LT Jordan Gross is on IR. The short week exacerbates their absences, as the replacements won?t have as much time to get up to speed. Therein lies the key to this game. Miami can plug in Pat White to run the Wildcat and use more of Ricky Williams to pound the ball. Brown will be missed, because his running style is perfect for the Wildcat; White is faster and shiftier, and what makes Brown function so well is his patience and explosion. Carolina has a problem in replacing their stud left tackle. Travelle Wharton will slide out from LG, and he?s somewhat capably played LT before; he?s probably Gross? equal in run blocking on the edge. But then they have to replace Wharton inside, and that falls on Mackenzy Bernardeau, a second-year greenhorn who had never played an actual down as anything but a tackle-eligible in short-yardage packages. He might be able to pull a Chevy Tahoe (check the Youtube, it?s cool), but that doesn?t mean he?ll be able to handle the complex blitz packages Tony Sparano will throw at him. Still, Carolina is all about the running game, and Bernardeau looked darn good in run blocking when thrown to the wolves, err Falcons, last week. The Panthers offense is quietly finding its stride, and Jake Delhomme just might be out of his turnover doldrums. In winning 4 of their last 6 games, Carolina?s defense has also rediscovered its swagger. I like their opportunistic secondary against Chad Henne at QB, and I like the home cooking in night games between fairly evenly matched teams. Carolina 20, Miami 17. Games of the Week Indianapolis (2) at Baltimore (9): One week after some epic heroics, Peyton Manning might very well need to dial up the heavens again. Baltimore is a team built to exploit the Colts? weaknesses; they pound the ball with a physical OL and barrage of runners, their LBs can run and cover, and no safety in the league is better at making plays on the ball than Ed Reed. The Ravens will miss Terrell Suggs and his edge pass rush, but not as much as they?ll miss Haloti Ngata being 100%. The agile giant is expected to play, but he almost certainly won?t be his dynamic old self. The way to beat Peyton Manning is to get pressure in his face quickly, and without Ngata getting that the Ravens (nor any other team) simply cannot slow down Manning enough. Bonus X-factor that favors the Colts: the Ravens axed erratic kicker Steven Hauschka, and their stadium is not an easy place to just walk right in and make field goals, especially since the long-range weather forecast calls for rain and wind. Colts 28, Ravens 21. San Diego (8) at Denver (11): This shapes up as the true test of the Denver Broncos--are they the rock-solid defense that surged out to a 6-0 record, or are they the leaky unit that has dropped three in a row? Not having Kyle Orton isn?t going to help matters, because Chris Simms looked very rusty and unable to handle pressure. San Diego has righted their ship, with their offensive line playing better and the defense tightening up against the run. Denver?s offense has sputtered even with Orton at full strength, as teams have figured out how to attack the OL and handle the shallow passing game. It says a lot to me that the bookmakers installed the Chargers as 2.5 point favorites on the road against a division rival that has already beaten them this year (34-23 in Week 6). You can chalk up some of that to continuing disrespect of what Denver has done, but in a ?what have you done for me lately? society, the Chargers four wins in a row and Denver?s three losses in a row make that spread seem small. These Chargers have been here before and overcome bigger obstacles, and I trust their veterans to seize the opportunity to control their own destiny. San Diego 26, Denver 13. Best of the Rest Atlanta (16) at New York Giants (15): As bad as the Giants have struggled defending the pass, they?re still good enough up front to completely manhandle a one-dimensional offense. With Michael Turner out and Jerious Norwood the definition of fragile, Atlanta has little ability to pound the ball or set up play action for Matt Ryan. I also think Brandon Jacobs will come out of the bye week all fired up and ready to plow through a somewhat porous Falcons defensive line. Atlanta has a shot if they can force some turnovers--and Eli Manning just might oblige--but this Giants team has had their backs to the wall before and knows how to survive. These Falcons have yet to learn that. New York 24, Atlanta 10. San Francisco (21) at Green Bay (13): If the two units that played last week meet here, the Packers will cruise over a 49ers team with no vertical passing game and that still makes far too many asinine penalties. But there is reason to believe the Niners can pull this off. Green Bay continues to struggle at running the ball and protecting Aaron Rodgers, and last week proved the SF defense has some playmakers to take advantage of mistakes and pressure. Frank Gore can turn any small crease into a long touchdown, and the Vernon Davis/Alex Smith mind-meld is still alive and well. The Green Bay defense is the determining factor, and they really appear to be hitting their collective stride. With no Joe Staley to protect Alex Smith, the Packers should have little trouble getting pressure and forcing the action. Charles Tillman of the Bears blanketed Michael Crabtree with physical press coverage last week, and nobody plays that style better than Charles Woodson. The Niners offense is prone to sputtering, and I see a lot of tires spinning in the mud. The Packers vault back into the thick of the NFC playoff picture and simultaneously ruin the Niners chances. Green Bay 26, San Francisco 15. Tennessee (20) at Houston (12): This game boils down to which team?s Johnson is bigger. The Titans have had loads of trouble slowing down Andre Johnson, and the superb Texans wideout has fresh legs coming off the bye week. Titans RB Chris Johnson is legitimately in the conversation as the best RB in the league, and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield adds a dimension to the offense that really helps Vince Young. Chris Johnson has over 625 all-purpose yards the last three weeks, while Andre Johnson has 21 catches for over 350 yards and three TDs in the last two games against Tennessee. I think Houston will miss Owen Daniels, who took away over-the-top safety help on Johnson, and the Texans don?t really have a capable second banana in the passing game anymore to ease that pressure. Strange stat: the Titans have allowed the fewest sacks in the league, shocking for a 3-6 team that ranks near the middle in pass attempts. Vince Young with time is a dangerous asset. Tennessee 33, Houston 30 in what should be the most entertaining game of the weekend. New York Jets (22) at New England (5): My quick take on the 4th & 2 controversy: the decision wasn?t as bad as the play called. And if it was Tony Dungy making that decision and not The Hoodie, you wouldn?t have heard one negative comment about it. You can bet the Patriots don?t want to be put in that position again. The Jets defense still hasn?t recovered from losing Kris Jenkins, and Mark Sanchez is no Peyton Manning. Patriots 31, Jets 17. Upset of the Week Philadelphia (14) at Chicago (24): By now you?re both seen and heard that Bears QB Jay Cutler is terrible in night games. I believe that?s merely a coincidence with his larger problem: 3-4 defenses. Because Chicago?s OL is subpar, 3-man front teams have only needed to blitz one other player (if at all) to get pressure. That means extra bodies in coverage that Cutler isn?t expecting. One of the biggest weaknesses of the inexperienced WRs in Chicago is their inability to operate in traffic. Philadelphia is a blitz-happy 4-3 team with taxed depth in the back seven. Those extra bodies won?t be as prevalent or able-bodied as what Green Bay, San Francisco, and Arizona threw at them. I think Cutler will find more success and his skilled tight ends should have a big day. That leaves it to the Eagles offense to outscore the Bears. Philly has some OL woes of their own, and they?re really going to miss Brian Westbrook?s all-purpose ability on 3rd downs and in the red zone. So much of their offense is predicated on using him in the passing game or as a decoy to hold the safety and get receivers deep. LeSean McCoy is a good runner but he has yet to prove he can be that sort of threat in the passing game. Lost in the SF debacle was how well the Bears secondary played, and they always play better at home to boot. I still find the Eagles the most overrated team in the league, and I think this game will prove it. Chicago 27, Philadelphia 20. Washington (25) at Dallas (10): Dallas is the much better overall team here, but the Redskins primary strength (the DL) faces off against the Cowboys? primary weakness (the OL). That weakness is even shakier with the loss of RT Marc Colombo, as Dallas has precious little depth and will miss running behind Colombo. Washington has their own offensive line woes, though they still run block fairly well. Both these teams rank near the bottom in forcing turnovers, both teams rank near the bottom in penalties, and both teams have major trouble converting 3rd downs via the pass. That sets up a low-scoring, field position and special teams battle. Dallas fans, this is where your 2009 draft that most of you loathe finally pays off. The Dallas special teams are greatly improved and rarely make mistakes, and I?ll take Nick Folk kicking at home over Sean Suisham on the pressure-packed road. Dallas 16, Washington 10. Seattle (23) at Minnesota (3): Both of Seattle?s starting CBs are suffering from concussions and RB Julius Jones is out with a chest injury. Even if Marcus Trufant and CJ Wilson play, expect them to be limited, especially in tackling. That?s a real problem against Adrian Peterson and the emerging stud WR Sidney Rice, who is as physical a runner after the catch as anyone. Seattle has been dreadful on the road, and the Vikings are too experienced and talented all over the field to slip up here. Minnesota 31, Seattle 17. Pittsburgh (6) at Kansas City (27): What little chance the Chiefs had to pull the upset here got flushed away with the diuretic-related suspension of Dwayne Bowe, their only legit offensive weapon. These Steelers are smarting from their loss to the Bengals, and you can bet Mike Tomlin will find ways to fire up the offense. The Chiefs are the best of the 2-win-or-less teams by a pretty wide margin, but with their inadequate offensive line and not having the one receiver that could threaten the Pittsburgh defense, they stand little chance. Pittsburgh rolls to an early lead and then seals away a 30-20 road win. Cincinnati (4) at Oakland (28): The indecision at QB for Oakland is a prime reason why the Raiders aren?t going to win this game. Bruce Gradkowski came in and moved the team, actually testing the secondary last week. His receivers clearly had more confidence in him. Yet coach Tom Cable continues to waffle over perhaps starting Jamarcus Russell, he of the inaccurate cannon and extraordinarily low football IQ. If Cable can?t see the problem there, he?s a lousy coach. If his hand is being forced by Al Davis, the Raiders are a lousy organization. Take your pick. The Bengals run to a 27-10 pasting that will make Darth Raider loot his own car. Cleveland (32) at Detroit (31): The worst offense in NFL history meets one of the worst defenses in NFL history in one of the worst matchups in NFL history. I?m a Lions fan but also a Cleveland native and I have no desire whatsoever to watch this game. Detroit 16, Cleveland 6. New Orleans (1) at Tampa Bay (30): New Orleans is going to miss CB Tracy Porter at some point, just as they are going to miss Darren Sharper at some point. That point is almost certainly not the Bucs, though I?ll give rookie QB Josh Freeman credit for being better than I anticipated. His five fumbles in 10 quarters are a concern, and no team is creating turnovers like the Saints. Even if the Bucs offense breaks out a little more, they stand little chance of outscoring New Orleans, which just might put up 50 against one of the worst defenses in recent memory. Saints 43, Bucs 24. Arizona (7) at St. Louis (29): If you haven?t watched the Rams this year--and they?ve given you little reason to do so--do yourself a favor and try to catch some of this one. Steven Jackson will make it worth your while. The multi-talented RB is playing like a league MVP despite having almost no help, and his attitude and physical prowess give the Rams real hope for the future. The Cards have an emerging stud BR of their own in Beanie Wells, who has quietly averaged over five yards per carry with a steadily increasing workload over the last four weeks. His awareness in pass protection has improved as well, and that will help Kurt Warner pick apart an overmatched Rams back 7. Cardinals 34, Rams 17. Buffalo (26) at Jacksonville (19): Buffalo fired Coach Dick Jauron this week, which led me to do a little research. How do teams fare the week following the in-season firing of the head coach? There have been 38 coaches fired (or replaced) in-season since 1970. In the first game, the replacements are a surprisingly good 15-23, which at 39% is a better winning percentage than the aggregate of the teams that fired them (31.3%). Three happened last year, and only Jim Haslett of the Rams won his debut game. The time the move really pays off is week 2, as 12 of the last 15 replacement coaches won game 2 of their interim regimes, including all three last season (Tom Cable and Mike Singletary were the others). These Jaguars are wonky but relatively healthy, a major problem for the Bills, who have an injury report that requires you to view multiple pages on the team website. Jacksonville leaps back into playoff contention in a strange AFC Wild Card race, moving to 6-4 with a 30-13 pasting of the sad-sack Bills. Hopefully owner Wayne Weaver keeps his fingers to himself... Drinking in the Dorm Room games Last week: 4-1, 36-19 on the season. LSU 23, Ole Miss 20. Watch Jevan Snead?s draft stock plummet even further. Oregon 29, Arizona 24. Basically a coin-flipper. My daughter?s first word was ?duck?, so I?ll go with that. Notre Dame 40, UConn 33. Expect the Irish to fire all their bullets in this one. Stanford 31, Cal 27. Inset lame ?band on the field? reference here. And the one you?ve all been waiting for... Ohio State 39, Michigan 20. The Wolverines defense is that bad. Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com

David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune writes that Bears quarterback Jay Cutler may have too much confidence. Cutler has thrown more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (14) through Chicago's first nine games. The Bears are just 4-5. "A passer that talented thinks he can put the ball wherever he wants it every throw. And when Cutler has done that as a Bear his right arm ranks right up there in Chicago with The Bean and the skyline," Haugh writes. "But like so many who play the position, Cutler's biggest strength also can be his biggest weakness. He sees no window too tiny to squeeze the ball through, no defensive back quick enough to break on one of his spirals in time to pick it off. Too often Cutler's head writes checks his arm can't cash."