LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Avoiding another red zone
rut remains high on the priority list of quarterback Jay Cutler and the Chicago
Bears offense heading into Sunday's game at New Orleans.
The Bears finished 30th in overall scoring
percentage (78.4) from inside the red zone last year, and when they settled for
two field goals and a touchdown in three trips inside the Atlanta 20 during
Sunday's season-opening 30-12 rout of the Falcons, it brought back some bad
memories.
"We started off pretty good, but we've just
got to get better in the red zone," quarterback Jay Cutler said.
"We've just got to hammer out some of these details because we left 14-21
points off the board."
Cutler called an overthrown screen pass for a
certain touchdown to tight end Kellen Davis the most aggravating play.
"I think we were very close," offensive
coordinator Mike Martz said. "We had a couple penalties, which happened to
us early last year, and we just missed the screen a little bit.
"Again, in terms of the first game, we had
some very minor things happen to us that kept us from being even a little bit
more effective down there."
It didn't help that running back Marion Barber
missed the game with a calf injury. Barber's role is short-yardage back, and he
returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis -- the first time has
practiced since his injury in the third week of preseason.
Cutler sees the potential for great production in
the red zone because tight ends Matt Spaeth and Kellen Davis both are
versatile. Spaeth caught a 1-yard play-action TD pass Sunday for the only red
zone TD.
"Kellen and Matt, they're a little bit
different," Cutler said. "They can block, they can run, the can catch
for us.
"They're guys that can stay in there in our
nickel situations and even two-minute and stuff."
The greatest potential problem for Cutler and the
Bears offense in the red zone against New Orleans could be noise.
The offensive line may have Chris Spencer or Edwin
Williams starting for injured right guard Lance Louis, who sat out Wednesday.
Both Spencer and Williams took snaps Wednesday with the first team in his
place.
"Going in, I felt we had much more depth than
we had last year, and it's already come to a head where we've had to show that
depth early on," offensive line coach Mike Tice said.
Cutler may also be short on wide receivers for the
game. Roy Williams, who suffered a groin strain in the game, did not practice
Wednesday.
The offense is far better prepared now to handle
such injuries with six wide receivers who seem to be interchangeable. Nine
different players caught passes Sunday, including all five wide receivers who
played.
"We talked about it before in training camp,
of not really having a No. 1 guy in this offense," Cutler said. "You
don't really need one because it's going to be by committee, everyone's going
to get to touch the ball.
"I don't know where it's going to go until I'm
three, four, five steps into the drop and the coverage really dictates
itself."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
