Former Bears coach Mike Ditka dismissed the author of a controversial new book on Walter Payton as "totally gutless." Jeff Pearlman's book is titled "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton" and will be released on Oct. 4. An excerpt of the book will appear in the Oct. 3 issue of "Sports Illustrated." "I think it's ridiculous to me," Ditka said Thursday on "Carmen, Jurko & Harry" on ESPN 1000. "What's the point? What's the point? The point is one thing only -- to sell books. That's all it's about. It's a bunch of crap, first of all. "If you're going to wait 12 years after somebody's passed, come on. This is the sign of a gutless individual who would do this. Totally gutless who would hide behind that, and that's what he's done."

They called him Sweetness, but Bears great Walter Payton had a dark side, according to a biography to be released Oct. 4. An excerpt of "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton," by Jeff Pearlman, will appear in the Oct. 3 issue of SI, and describes the Hall of Famer as suicidal, abusing pain medication and dealing with a crumbling family situation. Payton, who retired after the 1987 season as the then-all-time leading rusher in NFL history, was depressed and suicidal in the mid-1990s. Pearlman cites a letter from Payton to a friend, in which Payton said he imagined himself killing those around him and then turning a gun on himself.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler admitted Wednesday that he is throwing the football quicker this season because of his fear of being sacked. Cutler has been under pressure constantly this season. "You talk to any quarterback. Whenever you're getting a lot of pressure and you're getting flushed, and you're getting hit a lot, that clock in your head is gonna be tinkered a little bit," Cutler said. "It's gonna start ticking a little bit faster. Even sometimes when you do have a good amount of time, you're gonna be feeling it even if it's not there." Cutler wasn't sacked at all in the first half on Sunday against the Packers, but five of his seven incompletions through the first two quarters came as a result of poorly thrown balls. "It's a constant battle," Cutler explained. "The more consistent we get up front, and the more time I have and the more comfortable I feel, the more consistent I'm gonna get."

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler isn't happy with the team's recent strategy to begin throwing the football at an inordinate rate. "We're 0-2 doing this, so it's not looking very good," Cutler said. Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz called 43 pass plays and just nine run plays against the Packers on Sunday, as Chicago finished with 13 rushing yards, its lowest total since at least 1960. Martz called 52 passes and 11 runs in the Week 2 loss to the Saints. Cutler believes it will be tough for the Bears to win games with things as they are, "even though the defense is playing lights out."

Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz has accepted the blame for the team's poor showing on Sunday, when they threw the football 51 times and ran on just 12 occasions. "If you're looking for blame, just blame me," Martz said. "It was one of those things that happened. I did a poor job of coaching, and we didn't play very good." Many have placed blame on head coach Lovie Smith for not instructing Martz to employ a more balanced attack. "That's kind of not how we do things," Martz said. "Lovie has great trust in what we're doing and understands that. I think he understood too a lot of the issues that we were dealing with."

Matt Forte has been one of the most productive players in the league through two games, but he is still without a new contract. Bears general manager Jerry Angelo had been interested in getting a deal done with Forte during training camp, but has now opted to table discussions until after the season. "If you look at the production, usually guys get paid off their production," Forte said. "You look at their production and what level that's on, and you look at the guys who produce similar and what they get paid, and it's not that hard. "Obviously, somebody doesn't believe I'm an elite running back." Forte is due to earn $600,000 this season.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler isn't sure he'll be able to make it through the entire season if he continues to be hit at his current rate. "I don't know," Cutler said. "I don't know." Cutler absorbed six sacks, in addition to 16 hits against the Saints in Chicago's 30-13 loss on Sunday, resulting in extreme soreness in the quarterback's throat, "hips, we can go down the list," he said. Cutler has been sacked 11 times through the first two games. "I'm not worried about it," he said. "We're 1-1. There's still a lot of football to be played. If this continues, then obviously we're gonna have a problem. We're gonna have to address it. But I'm looking forward to this game. I know the guys are gonna bounce back, as will I."

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher returned to Halas Hall and practiced on Thursday. He left the team to be with family members as they mourned the death of his mother, Lavoyda Lenard. It's not certain whether Urlacher will play Sunday when the Bears visit the Saints. "It's good to see him back," defensive end Corey Wootton said. "It was a tragic loss on his part, his family, but we're glad to have him back. "I think he's definitely going to be playing this one for his mom. I think he is going to have one of the best games of his career."

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher left the team to be with his family Tuesday after his mother, Lavoyda Lenard, died at her home in Texas. "My mother, Lavoyda, unexpectedly passed away Monday at her home in Texas," Urlacher said in a statement. "My first priority right now is to be with my family as we mourn her loss and make the arrangements to lay her to rest. This is a very difficult and emotional time for us and I sincerely ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you." Lenard was 51. Lt. Brent Smith of the Titus County (Texas) Sheriff's Office said there was no evidence of foul play.

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher left the team on Tuesday to tend to a family emergency involving his mother. Urlacher is expected to be away from the Bears for several days and his status for Sunday's game against the Saints is unclear.