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The Chicago Bears made it clear Tuesday they want more production from punter Adam Podlesh.

According to two league sources, the club worked out six punters at Halas Hall on Tuesday, just two days after Podlesh finished with a 28.8-yard net average on five punts in a loss to the Detroit Lions, including one 40-yard punt returned by Micheal Spurlock for a 57-yard gain to the Chicago 22.

An NFL source pointed out that Podlesh has "struggled all year," "has lost strength" and "can't hang the ball at all." The team was still discussing the situation as of Tuesday afternoon, and the source indicated the Bears have considered moving in another direction with the team desperately needing more production at the position. But no definitive decision had been made.

Chicago worked out punters Drew Butler, T.J. Conley, Chris Kluwe, Mat McBriar, Brian Moorman and Tress Way along with long-snappers Charley Hughlett and Kyle Nelson, in addition to defensive tackle Ra'Shon Harris.

Kluwe played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2005-12 before moving on to Oakland, where he lost out in a punting competition during training camp. Moorman has spent time with Buffalo and Dallas, and like Kluwe came out on the losing end of a training camp battle in Pittsburgh.

McBriar played for the Cowboys from 2003-11 before joining the Eagles in 2012, only to be cut in March.

A former fourth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Podlesh signed a five-year contract with the Bears in 2011 worth $10 million.

Going into Sunday's game at Detroit, Podlesh had a 42-yard average on 14 punts, with six attempts being downed inside the opponent's 20.

A weekly examination of the Bears’ ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 13 | Last Week: 4 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

Chicago fell from the top five of ESPN.com’s Power Rankings but remained in the top 10 at No. 9 after Sunday’s 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Interestingly, the Lions check in at 10th, moving up six spots from 16, while the Green Bay Packers stayed at 12th and the Minnesota Vikings rose from 26th to No. 24 after their 34-27 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in London.

The Bears rank below the 49ers, Dolphins, Colts and Chiefs, who are eighth, seventh, sixth and fifth, respectively.

Chicago deserves to stay in the top 10. The Bears committed four turnovers, including a fumble returned for a touchdown. With 47 seconds left to play, remarkably, they still held a sliver of hope for tying the game when Robbie Gould lined up for the onside kick.

All but one of ESPN.com’s panelists voted for Chicago to remain in the top 10. The club received two seventh-place votes, one for No. 6, two for No. 10 and one for 12th.

The panelists put the Bears in the correct spot here. They overcame a horrid start, and too many turnovers in difficult circumstances on the road, yet had a chance at the end.

In addition to acknowledging his role in the Chicago Bears' 40-32 loss on Sunday to the Detroit Lions, quarterback Jay Cutler dispelled rumors that illness factored into his performance.

Cutler committed four turnovers -- three interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown -- as Chicago had its first loss of the season on Sunday at Ford Field, with the quarterback completing just 27 of 47 passes for 317 yards and a passer rating of 65.6.

"I felt good. I felt fine. Do I look all right?" Cutler asked Monday on ESPN 1000's "The Jay Cutler Show". "I wasn't sick. If I [were] sick, I wouldn't say anything. It didn't happen. Nothing had any impact on the way I played. I missed some throws; wish I could have three or four of them back like we talked about. But we can't. So it only counts as one game, just like the other ones."

Cutler entered the game with his average pass traveling 3 yards through the first three outings, but he threw 45 percent of his passes more than 10 yards downfield against the Lions, with the average pass traveling 12.3 yards. That, not to mention Detroit's pass rush, played a role in Cutler committing four turnovers and converting only one third down in 13 attempts.

Bears coach Marc Trestman said Cutler made good decisions, but failed to throw the ball accurately on too many occasions. By attempting longer passes, Cutler increased the level of difficulty on his throws. During the first three weeks of the season, Cutler opted for more high-percentage attempts (shorter throws) which increased his completion percentage.

Cutler acknowledged the true test for the team now is how the Bears rebound against the Saints after the difficult loss at Detroit.

"I think that's fair," Cutler said. "That's how this is: You never really are in the present in the NFL. You're either talking about what's coming up or you're talking about what just happened. You're never really living in the moment and talking about the now, and ‘What can we do now to get better?' That's what our job is as players, and that's the perspective we've got to keep. Obviously you've got to look at what's ahead of you. But after that game is over, you've looked at it, it's over with. The only thing right now that we can control is getting ready for the Saints. I think we learned a lot about our team already in the second half of that Detroit game; the way that offensively we kept fighting."

Trestman said Cutler "expressed his sense of accountability" for his performance Monday during meetings at Halas Hall.

"I'm encouraged," Trestman said. "I see him do so many things in practice, moving his feet and doing the right things. But he's got to hang onto the ball on the quick throw he had to the left backed up. He dropped the ball down. He put it in one hand. He's got to have it in two hands, and he's got to throw it away or move on. He was trying to make something happen late and he let his fundamentals go. These are things he's done better this year, and we're going to work at them. We're in Game 4 and know we've got to get better. That's what we'll attempt to do this week."

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert checked in Monday after the latest slate of games with his Week 4 Quarterback Report, and here’s what he had to say about Jay Cutler.

"Bad Jay" reappeared after three weeks of good behavior (i.e., sound play) under new coach Marc Trestman. Flustered by the Detroit Lions' heavy pressure, Cutler forced the ball downfield too often. Almost half (45 percent) of his passes traveled more than 10 yards downfield, up from 29 percent over the first three games, and his average pass traveled 12.3 yards downfield -- up from 7.0 yards in Weeks 1-3. Cutler accounted for four turnovers and converted only one third down via passing. The Lions surely played a role in that performance, but Cutler seemed to forget the safety nets built into this offense.

After the game, Bears coach Marc Trestman said Cutler made good decisions, but failed to execute. By choosing to attempt longer passes, Cutler definitely increased the level of difficulty with his throws. During the first three weeks of the season, Cutler opted for more high-percentage attempts (shorter throws), which definitely increased his completion percentage.

“I felt good about my decision making. I just missed the throws,” Cutler said. “They made a great play on the first (interception), and then I underthrew (Brandon Marshall) and overthrew Alshon (Jeffery). They are throws I’m accustomed to making. I just have to make them.”

Trestman agreed.

“It wasn’t about decision making,” Trestman said. “I think it was more about the fundamentals of finishing the two throws (on two interceptions) that were both high.”

After the game, Trestman and Cutler spent some time in front of the quarterback’s locker discussing things each could’ve done better before breaking the meeting with a handshake.

This one bad performance shouldn’t shake Cutler’s confidence or Trestman’s belief in the quarterback.

They’ll recover.

An examination of four hot issues from the Chicago Bears’ 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions:

Run defense: The Bears allowed Reggie Bush to gain 112 yards in the first half, then held him to 27 yards in the second half. With Henry Melton out, the Bears played Stephen Paea at the 3-technique spot and moved Nate Collins to nose tackle. The Bears might want to consider trying Collins at the 3-technique and Paea at nose.

After the game, Paea wore a walking boot due to minor turf toe on his left foot, and maybe that injury diminished Paea’s effectiveness.

“I’ve played some 3 [technique] before, but it’s just a matter of time, repetitions and practice,” Paea said.

Jay Cutler: This could come off as odd, but despite Cutler’s horrid performance (65.6 passer rating with three interceptions, plus a fumble returned for a touchdown), this game might have shown growth on the quarterback’s part.

Detroit scored 17 points off turnovers, and Cutler appeared to be the culprit on every giveaway but one (his first interception). How the quarterback handled himself in the heat of battle and afterward gives reason for optimism. Despite the mistakes, Cutler held up well and nearly brought the Bears back. After the game, Cutler showed accountability for his contribution to the loss and told it how it was, which signals he’ll take the appropriate steps to correct the issues.

“I have to give us a better chance to win. I mean, three picks. It’s hard to come back from that,” Cutler said. “[I] have to play better.”

Third-down conversions: The Bears converted just one of 13 third downs, and no matter how well the defense plays, it’s difficult to overcome that deficiency. It’s not all on Cutler. In the second quarter, Jordan Mills was whistled for a false start on third-and-10. Two series later, Cutler was in a third-and-21 situation after a 9-yard sack on second down. In the third quarter, a 27-yard gain on third down was negated by a Kyle Long penalty. Then, on the next series, Cutler was sacked and fumbled for Nick Fairley’s 4-yard touchdown.

“The big thing was third down,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “We did horribly today [on third down], and that starts with me.”

Too much pressure: Cutler was sacked three times and spent most of the day under duress. This team has invested too much into protecting Cutler for this to continue.

"Either we didn't execute on the play or we didn't give Jay enough time to throw the ball," running back Matt Forte said. "Give credit to them for giving a great rush, but we didn't do our part."

DETROIT -- Chicago Bears defensive tackle Stephen Paea wore a walking boot on his left foot after Sunday’s loss 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions, but isn’t expected to miss time with what he called a minor turf toe injury.

Moving over from his customary spot at nose tackle to the 3-technique tackle spot in place of Henry Melton, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, Paea contributed two tackles, including a stop for lost yardage. A three-year veteran, Paea came into the game with six tackles, half a sack and two tackles for lost yardage.

Although the injury isn’t considered serious, it’s likely Paea will appear on the injury report headed into next week’s game against the New Orleans Saints at Soldier Field. Paea said the medical staff encouraged him to wear the walking boot to take pressure off the toe during travel back to the team’s facilities from Detroit.

But if Paea winds up missing time, the Bears could be in a difficult situation given there’s not much depth behind him and Nate Collins, who assumed a starting role due to Melton’s injury. As it stands, Paea, Collins and Zach Minter, who was inactive on Sunday, are the club’s only bona fide defensive tackles.

The Bears can move starting defensive end Corey Wootton inside to tackle. Defensive end Julius Peppers has also lined up at tackle on occasion.

The club’s franchise player, Melton contributed five tackles and a fumble recovery in three games before suffering the torn ACL during the team’s Sept. 22 win over Pittsburgh. Paea recognized the difficulty of trying to fill the gaps up front without Melton, a 2012 Pro Bowler.

“He’s done some great stuff,” Paea said of Melton. “Obviously, the next guy up has got to step up, including myself. I’ve played some 3 [technique] before. It’s just a matter of time, repetitions and practice.”

DETROIT -- Knowing the capabilities of running back Reggie Bush meant little in terms of stopping him for the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Ford Field.

Bush wrecked the Bears for 112 yards on 11 attempts in the first half to help Detroit build a 30-13 lead at intermission, before hanging on to capture a 40-32 win and first place in the NFC North. Chicago slowed down Bush in the second half, limiting him to 27 yards on seven carries. But by then, the damage had already been done.

“We just missed a lot of tackles,” Bears cornerback Charles Tillman said. “He did a good job of making his moves. You have to give credit where credit is due. He’s a good back.”

Bush made that known almost immediately. Julius Peppers stopped Bush for no gain on the running back’s first attempt, but he ran for gains of 9, 11 and 17 yards on his next three attempts.

Bush’s first two attempts of the second quarter gained 15 and 16 yards.

“I think they had a good game plan for us in the run game. They have Israel Idonije over there, who was a long time player for us, and who also happens to really know our defense,” safety Chris Conte said. “So they really had a great scheme going. But we just have to have a better effort individually. That’s all there is to it.”

Idonije played nine seasons in Chicago, and at least one of the team’s current players suspects his former teammate tipped off the Lions to what the Bears were doing defensively. The player said that Bush broke most of his big gains when Chicago called for its “power” stunt. A stunt involves defensive linemen altering the path of their rush in a coordinated fashion in an attempt to confuse opposing offensive line, which in turn, makes it more difficult for them to block.

Because of Bush’s production during when Chicago ran that stunt, the Bears abandoned the call altogether, according to the player.

Bush broke a highlight-reel run for a 37-yard touchdown with 2:43 left in the second quarter to help the Lions go ahead 30-10 after the extra point, and there’s a good chance Detroit caught the Bears on that play in their “power” stunt.

“A sweet run,” Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “It was a play that, honestly, we have been working in practice all week knowing that they were going to blitz us. Instead of getting out of it, we just ran right into it. Dom [Raiola] made a great call up front. [Tight end Brandon] Pettigrew had a great block. We sealed off the backside, and then Reggie did the rest.”

The Bears played a good portion of the opening half in a nickel defense, which features five defensive backs, and just six players in the box to defend the run. Bush admitted to becoming “very excited” upon seeing Chicago’s personnel grouping.

“When we have them in nickel, and there’s six guys in the box, we’ve got to take advantage of that,” Bush said. “We definitely felt that was an area we could take advantage.”

Detroit certainly did that.

Bush said on some runs he “really didn’t get touched a whole lot until I got to the secondary.” By then, all Bush had to do was turn on the speed or juke the defender in space.

“If we don’t tackle, we’ve got trouble,” said Bears safety Major Wright, “especially with a back like that. Today, he came out and had a good game because we didn’t tackle him. Reggie Bush is special. He has speed. He can shake you. He can do everything.”

The Bears knew as much going in. The problem is they couldn’t do anything to stop it, which is a concern moving forward for a Chicago defense whose main goal always is to stop the run first.

The Bears played without franchise defensive tackle Henry Melton, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Nate Collins played the nose tackle spot, with Paea moving into Melton’s place as the three-technique.

Collins and Paea admitted the Bears are depleted up front without Melton in the mix, but each repeated the team’s next-man-up mentality for dealing with injury. Paea called Bush “another Adrian Peterson, if not quicker,” while Collins mentioned that an inch of daylight for the running back is often too much.

“He’s got quicks. He’s got jukes,” Collins said. “The running plays they had, if there was just a little sliver, he could still get through it quick going downhill. A guy like that, it’s hard enough to tackle him. But when he gets a little space, gets going and gains speed, that makes it even worse.”

DETROIT -- Observed in the locker room after the Chicago Bears’ 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions:

Stunt issue: Reggie Bush busted big gains almost every time the Bears used what they call a “power” stunt. A stunt is when defensive linemen alter the path of their rush in a coordinated fashion to confuse offensive linemen, which, in turn, makes them more difficult to block. According a player in the locker room, the Lions capitalized nearly every time the stunt was called, and that caused Chicago to abandon the call entirely.

The player suspected that former Bears defensive end Israel Idonije, now with Detroit, tipped off the Lions about what they were doing.

“He totally knows our defense,” the player said.

Paea in boot: With the Bears recently placing Henry Melton on injured reserve, the sight of Stephen Paea wearing a walking boot seemed shocking. Paea wore the boot as a precautionary measure, he said, and characterized the injury as “minor turf toe.”

Paea could show up on next week’s injury report, but he’s doesn’t anticipate missing time.

Bennett makes rounds: Tight end Martellus Bennett walked around shaking hands with all his teammates after the game and telling them “good job.” Bennett said he does it after every game to enhance camaraderie in the locker room.

DETROIT -- A few thoughts on the Chicago Bears' 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions:

What it means: Chicago tried to downplay the significance of this game, calling it just another outing. But internally, several within the organization called this an important indicator of just how far the team had advanced. The Bears failed their most significant test to date in spectacular fashion, but the division title remains in reach. What’s important now is how the team reacts to the setback.

Too much too early: The Bears allowed 27 points in the second quarter alone, marking the first time they’d given up that many in the second quarter since Dec. 21, 1985. Chicago gave up 26 in the second quarter to New England in 2010.

The 27 points in the first half were the most they surrendered in a half since Dec. 18, 2011, when Seattle scored 31 points in the second half.

Rush defense sinks Bears: Reggie Bush rushed for 112 yards on 11 attempts in the first half, including a 37-yard highlight-reel touchdown that gave Detroit a 30-13 lead.

Bush’s production opened up Detroit’s offense and exposed vulnerabilities in Chicago’s defense. The Bears allowed Bush to gain too much yardage up the middle, and once he reached the second and third levels, he made defenders miss too easily. The absence of Henry Melton might be more significant than expected.

Points off Cutler: The Lions scored 17 points off Jay Cutler turnovers in seizing a 37-16 advantage as the third quarter expired.

Nick Fairley returned a Cutler fumble four yards for a touchdown, while an underthrown pass intended for Brandon Marshall resulted in a Glover Quin interception that set up a Calvin Johnson touchdown. In the first quarter, Louis Delmas snagged one of his two interceptions on a pass intended for Alshon Jeffery. That interception, which didn’t appear to be Cutler’s fault, set up a David Akers field goal.

Tillman ailing: Playing with an injured knee and groin, cornerback Charles Tillman held Johnson to three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown in the first half but appeared to be in discomfort. Tillman left in the second quarter, was replaced by Zack Bowman and returned after halftime, only to be pulled again. Tillman’s health remains an issue.

What’s next: With a few players banged up after Sunday’s game, it’s likely coach Marc Trestman gives the Bears a day off before bringing them back Wednesday as the club prepares to host the New Orleans Saints.

DETROIT -- The Chicago Bears released their list of inactives for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, and as expected, cornerback Charles Tillman wasn’t on it, which means he’ll try to play despite nagging knee and groin injuries.

Tillman practice missed time in the week leading up to the team’s 40-23 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 22, and also sat out of two workout sessions on Wednesday and Thursday heading into the matchup against the Lions.

Other inactives include receivers Marquess Wilson and Joe Anderson, cornerback Sherrick McManis (quadriceps), offensive tackles James Brown and Jonathan Scott, defensive end David Bass and defensive tackle Zach Minter, who was expected to take on a more significant role with the team placing starting defensive tackle Henry Melton recently on the injured reserve.

Provided Tillman can play effectively, the Bears should benefit from the cornerback’s presence. In the past six meetings between these teams, Lions receiver Calvin Johnson has produced only one 100-yard outing against the Bears (Oct. 10, 2011), while scoring just two touchdowns with Tillman as the primary defender covering him.

Johnson averages 4.5 receptions per game against the Bears since 2010 for an average of 71.3 yards. Tillman, meanwhile, has racked up 37 tackles, broken up eight passes and intercepted two in addition to forcing two fumbles in his last six games against the LIons.

With Tillman banged up, how long he’ll be able to play comes into the equation, and more importantly, whether he can be effective enough to slow down Johnson.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman returned to practice Friday after missing the first two days of preparation for Sunday’s matchup against the Detroit Lions due to a sore right knee and a strained groin, and is officially listed as questionable.

Tillman participated during Friday's session in a limited capacity.

“He worked today, looked good,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. But I still would have to say he’s questionable. We’re reasonably optimistic that he’ll be playing. He’ll work out the next couple of days and continue to get treatment.”

In addition, cornerback Sherrick McManis missed his third workout due to a quadriceps injury, and is officially listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game.

Trestman called Tillman “day-to-day” earlier in the week, but stressed on Friday there’s no need to rush the cornerback into action if he’s not ready to play.

Tillman, 32, has fought through multiple issues over the first three weeks of the season, playing with the knee injury in the first two contests, before missing time last week against the Steelers to rest the sore groin.

“It’s all up to trainers and to the doctors. If the doctors and the trainers say he’s ready to go, then he’s ready to go. I won’t be making this decision,” Trestman said. “It’ll be made with Charles’ best interests at heart. This game isn’t the most important game if he’s not ready to play for him. I expect that he will. I’m optimistic that he will.”

In other injury news, cornerback Zack Bowman practiced fully on Friday and is officially listed as probable.

Hopefully, everyone is pumped up about Sunday's matchup between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Here are a few Bears Essentials to get you going:

• ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released another list of his top rookies after three weeks on Thursday, and Chicago Bears offensive linemen Jordan Mills and Kyle long made the top 20.

Mills checked in at No. 10, while Long was 18th.

Breaking down Mills, Kiper wrote: “If you asked who has been better in total performance, you might pick the rookie to Mills' left on the right side of the Bears offensive line. And guard Kyle Long has been good. But let's put Mills' performance in context. Not only is he a rookie protecting Jay Cutler, he's also played his first three games against Cincinnati, Minnesota and Pittsburgh. All of those teams have an idea of how to create pressure off the edge. He's also got a rookie as his inside help. And so far he has given up exactly zero sacks from the tackle position, and he also hasn't taken a single penalty. He belongs here.”

Mills played his best game in the season opener against Cincinnati, surrendering no sacks, quarterback hits or pressures. In 194 snaps on offense, Mills has allowed two hits and nine hurries.

Long, meanwhile, has surrendered only one hit and seven hurries in 194 snaps.

“Maybe he deserves to be higher,” Kiper wrote. “But I gave Mills a little more credit based on position.”

That’s fair, considering Mills takes on more bona fide pass-rushers than Long over the course of a game.

Certainly, Jay Cutler and head coach Marc Trestman aren’t complaining about the performances of either player.

Here's the entire list.

• ESPNChicago.com’s Jeff Dickerson and Jon Greenberg debate four topics in the weekly Four Downs feature.

Dickerson writes that he doesn’t think the Bears will be able to neutralize Suh.

“I'll never understand why Suh behaves the way he does,” Dickerson wrote. “He is one of the most athletically gifted defensive tackles in the game. He doesn't need to take cheap shots. So why go down that road? All the negativity surrounding Suh makes people forget how good he really is. He had 8.0 sacks last season. The Bears offensive line has done a terrific job protecting Jay Cutler, but Suh is expected to be a tough assignment on Sunday. When the Lions are good, which isn't often, the indoor atmosphere at Ford Field is a tough venue for road teams. Expect the crowd to make it difficult for the Bears to hear Cutler at the line of scrimmage. That little extra edge for Suh could make a big difference in the game. Suh enters Sunday with zero sacks on the season. My best guess is he probably doesn't finish the game with zero sacks.”

This certainly will be a major test for Chicago's offensive line. Based on what I've seen so far, I think the Bears can get the job done. But I see Dickerson's point, too. The statistics don't show it, but Suh is playing great football right now.

The key for Chicago will be to get Detroit's crowd out of this thing early. If the Bears can do that, I think Cutler stays clean all night and lights up the Lions.

• Bears guard Matt Slauson played with Suh in college at Nebraska. So he’s got a little insight into how Suh plays. Adam Jahns gets into it right here.

- John “Moon” Mullin takes a look at the pending matchup between Long and Suh.

- Former Bears great Gale Sayers sues the NFL.

 

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler calls it merely “circumstance” that he seems to light up the Detroit Lions every time the teams meet, but a look at the numbers suggest otherwise.

Having come out victorious in five of his past six games against Detroit dating to 2010, Cutler has completed 63.4 percent of his passes against the Lions for six touchdowns and one interception and a passer rating of 96.1.

“I don’t think we can pin it down or anything,” Cutler said of his success against Detroit. “They’re getting better and better on defense and offensively. So they’re becoming a team that you’ve got to take seriously. Where we’re at in our season, especially offensively, we’ve got to get to work this week. We’ve just got to finish up tomorrow and be ready for a pretty big challenge, because offensively, they’re capable of scoring a lot of points. Defensively, they’re playing well, especially on third down.”

Detroit’s defense currently ranks first in third-down efficiency, allowing opponents to convert just 26.5 percent (9 of 34) on third downs. The Lions also rank No. 12 in defensive drive kills, where they hold opponents to three-and-out drives, or force a takeaway (7).

With five interceptions, the Lions are also tied for third in the NFL in that category, and tied for second with the lowest touchdown-to-interception margin allowed (2 TDs, 5 INTs).

But Detroit’s defensive line receives most of the recognition because of its duo at defensive tackle in Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. In 2012, the Lions forced 123 negative plays (sacks, tackles for lost yardage on running plays, and tackles for lost yardage on pass completions), and the front four played a huge role in that.

“Each week we’re facing a different style of front,” Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer said. “This one will be different with the wide-nine technique that the Detroit Lions choose to play, and their two first-round tackles inside. They put an extra safety inside the defensive ends, which is a little unusual; so another challenge for a new group of linemen and a fullback.”

But Cutler thinks his revamped offensive line can handle it. In his past six games against the Lions, Cutler suffered 20 sacks, including 7 in two games in 2012.

With better protection and a playbook more conducive to getting the ball out of his hands quicker, Cutler thinks his comfort level should only improve, and Detroit’s front four might provide the perfect test.

“I feel good about the guys we have up front,” Cutler said. “They have some really good players, (Suh) and Fairley both. The ends are playing well, too. We’re gonna have to be mindful of them. We’ve been really good operating before the snap of the ball, the first three games. We’ve got to continue that. We’re probably not going to see as many blitzes as we saw last week. That being said, those front four are good. So we have to take care of that. I’ve got to be on time. The receivers got to get to their spots. Everyone collectively, we can’t let down this week. We’ve got to stay on it. We’ve got to stay focused.”

But Detroit’s wide-nine alignment presents a challenge, according to Bears coach Marc Trestman, who mentioned that on occasion guards Kyle Long and Matt Slauson will be “on an island a little bit more at times because the tackles are going to have to leave them early,” which basically means they’ll see several one-on-one snaps against Suh and Fairley.

Cutler is comfortable with that, though, because he knows players such as Long have his back.

“Yeah, you want a guy like that,” Cutler said of Long. “I’m not saying those other four (Bears offensive linemen) wouldn’t come to bat, but they’d have to beat Kyle because he’s going to be the first one in line.”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman missed practice for the second consecutive day Thursday as he works through a strained groin and a sore right knee.

In addition, cornerback Sherrick McManis was held out for the second straight workout because of a quadriceps injury.

Bears coach Marc Trestman said Tillman is “day-to-day, and I’ll tell you exactly where he is tomorrow. (We’re) optimistic, but we’ll know a lot more in the morning.”

Despite missing two days of practice, Tillman seemed optimistic that he’ll play Sunday at Detroit. Asked on Wednesday whether there was any chance he’d miss, Tillman said, “No, I’ll be there.”

But as a contingency plan in case Tillman can’t play, the Bears worked veteran Zack Bowman in Tillman’s spot during Thursday’s session. Bowman (knee) participated in a limited capacity on Wednesday but was able to work fully on Thursday.

Tillman, 32, has already fought through a few issues over the first three weeks of the season. He played with the knee injury in the first two contests, and missed time during the Sept. 8 season opener because of dehydration. Against the Steelers, Tillman left the game in the second half to rest a sore groin.

“There’s not any concern about anything about Sunday. We’ll go into the game, we’ll see who is playing, and we’ll adjust accordingly,” Trestman said. “Charles is either gonna play because he’s ready to play, or he won’t play because he’s not. We’re not gonna put him out there if the doctors feel he’s not ready to play.”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Use a skeptical eye when perusing information gleaned from football analytics, but according to the website Pro Football Focus, Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers graded out highest of the club’s defensive players Sunday against the Steelers.

The hope now is that Peppers can take that momentum into Chicago’s NFC-North showdown Sunday at Detroit.

“In terms of individual grades, I like to leave those in-house,” said Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker when asked about Peppers. “But overall, I felt good about what he did in the game. We got more pressure this week than we got the week before that, and the week before that. So we got more hits on the quarterback.”

Peppers accounted one tackle, recovered a fumble, and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown against the Steelers. Peppers also contributed four quarterback pressures, playing in 47 of the club’s 66 snaps on defense.

In the first two games, Peppers generated just two pressures to go with one tackle. But it’s worth noting that in the Sept. 15 meeting with the Vikings, Peppers was slowed by flu-like symptoms.

With defensive tackle Henry Melton lost for the season with a torn ACL, there’s a chance Peppers could play some snaps inside at tackle as could defensive end Corey Wootton.

“They’ve both been inside and it gives teams a different look, different matchups, finding weaknesses in fronts and utilizing these guys inside because of their motors and size,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “That’s all part of scheme, working through it each and every week. Whatever Mel and the guys decide are the best matchups, we have the capability with those two guys.”

The Bears registered three sacks against the Steelers, but those came from blitzing linebackers.

Through the first three games, the front four has logged just two sacks, which has caused Tucker to try to manufacture pressure through blitzes with linebackers. That doesn’t mean Tucker no longer believes in the team's defensive line.

“I have great faith in our defensive line and our linebackers and our secondary to go out there and play hard for us, start fast and finish strong; give us everything they have,” Tucker said. “We’ll live with what we need to live with (in terms of blitzing). Again, it’s week to week. It’s game to game. It’s within a game. We’ll do what we feel like we need to do to get them stopped, and then we’ll move on to the next play.”