ESPN

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 -- 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.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler moved up a spot from No. 6 to fifth on the MVP Watch list of ESPN.com New York Giants reporter Dan Graziano, and is certainly deserving of the recognition, considering he currently ranks No. 3 in the NFL in total QBR.

You can rank the candidates here.

Cutler has led two comeback victories, and stepped up to make game-clinching plays during a clutch situation Sunday to put away the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here’s what Graziano had to say about Cutler: “This is the same guy who got called all kinds of unflattering names for standing on the sideline during the NFC Championship Game a few years back? This guy who lowers his (throwing!) shoulder at the end of a critical run play instead of sliding, leveling a defender in crunch time against the Steelers? Marc Trestman hasn't just turned Cutler into a more efficient passer, he's turned him into a superhero. It's the Adventures of Surly-Man!”

Trestman deserves recognition for Cutler finally starting to realize his seemingly unlimited potential as a passer, but new quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh has also been a major contributor to the signal-caller’s success.

Cutler spoke last week about his relationship with Cavanaugh, who joined Chicago after working as quarterbacks coach of the New York Jets from 2009-12, and admitted it’s easier to accept the coaching at this stage of his career, because he’s “older, a little bit more mature.”

“He’s a grinder, he’s a guy that comes in every single day, and he’s looking to help me get better,” Cutler said of Cavanaugh. “And, like on Wednesday’s, it’s hard, I don’t really want to do that, I’m tired, you know. But he pushes you through it. He does a good job. There’s some give and take there. In my younger days there might have been a little bit more rocky (of a relationship) than it is right now, but it’s going real well right now.”

Cavanaugh agrees, and called Cutler a willing pupil.

“He makes it easy [to coach],” Cavanaugh said. “He’s a talent. He works hard. He’s committed. He’s focused. He wants what we want: He wants the Bears to be successful. If you’ve got those things going for you, it’s hard not to have fun.”

Cutler said he and Cavanaugh share “some similarities,” and joked he doesn’t “know if the guy sleeps.” Cavanaugh, meanwhile, acknowledged the connection between himself and Cutler, before providing insight into the quarterback’s personality.

Head coach Marc Trestman called the pairing of Cutler and Cavanaugh “a good match.”

“I don’t think either one of us are really outgoing,” Cavanaugh explained about Cutler. “I think we’re maybe contemplative before we speak. I’ve noticed that about Jay, and I love that about him. He doesn’t just talk the talk. He’s usually thought something out, and that’s whether you ask him a question or he’s got a question for you. He puts a lot of thought into it. He’s a little introspective that way, and I think I am, too. I’d rather listen first than just pop out an answer if I’m not sure what I’m saying. So I think it allows us to communicate pretty well, and sometimes, it’s quiet around the two of us. We’re not saying a whole lot, but we’re both thinking.”

Then come Sundays, they’re both doing.

A weekly analysis of the Bears’ quarterback play.

Rewind: Forget about the paltry 159-yard passing performance and focus on the impact of what Jay Cutler did against the Steelers on Sunday. Cutler completed 67 percent of his passes for a passer rating of 90.8, but he stayed within the confines of the system as opposed to improvising and taking chances. Then, when the Bears asked Cutler to step up, he did just that during the game-defining drive in which he scrambled for a 13-yard gain (while running over a Steelers defensive back in the process) before firing pinpoint throws on third downs to Brandon Marshall for a 41-yard gain and Earl Bennett for a touchdown to put the game out of reach.

Fast-forward: Detroit sacked Cutler seven times in two meetings last season, including five times the first time the teams clashed last October. Don’t count on those types of sack totals this time around, as the protection is greatly improved and Cutler is getting rid of the ball much more quickly than he did in the past. Cutler likely will be forced to play dink-and-dunk ball Sunday to advance down the field as opposed to striking the Lions for big chunks of yardage. But the new Cutler has proved disciplined enough to do just that.

Stay consistent: Cutler was responsible for three turnovers in Week 2: two interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown. However, he eliminated such mistakes against a desperate Pittsburgh team in difficult circumstances on the road at Heinz Field. Now, Cutler must do that again at Ford Field. Cutler currently ranks No. 3 in the NFL in total QBR and needs to ride the momentum he has established by remaining consistent.

Prediction: Cutler’s passer rating will be in the 90s again, and he’ll finish with at least two TD passes.

Good morning, everyone. Here are some Bears Essentials to check out to get your day started:

-- Everyone, please welcome back Dan Pompei, former veteran Chicago Tribune NFL scribe, who is now writing for Sports on Earth. Here, Pompei puts together an outstanding feature about the maturation of Jay Cutler. In the journalism game, we call this shoe-leather reporting.

Pompeii writes:

“That they live about one mile from one another is symbolic. Trestman is a 57-year old coach getting his first chance to run an NFL team. And his livelihood may be dependent on him reaching a player who has been difficult, if not impossible, to reach. But Trestman has an interest in Cutler that is completely selfless. Trestman, who has helped bring out the best in quarterbacks such as Rich Gannon and Steve Young, is convinced he became the head coach of the Bears to help everyone around him self-actualize while expecting nothing in return.

“It’s Marc’s desire to have a real relationship with Jay, and the football is kind of ancillary,” Bears backup quarterback Josh McCown said. “When you have that authentic relationship, the football is enhanced and improved.”

Trestman, McCown and [Brandon] Marshall were among the guests who attended Cutler’s June wedding to reality television star Kristin Cavallari in Nashville.”

There are tons of good nuggets in this piece, and Pompei really digs in deeply to find out just what it is that has led to Cutler’s maturation. Take some time to check it out here.

-- ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson gives us his Stock Watch. Middle linebacker D.J. Williams' stock is obviously up after his performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dickerson writes: “[Jonathan] Bostic's time will come. The Bears view the second-round pick as a future starter and the first linebacker off the bench in the event of an injury, but Williams has solidified a spot for himself on the first team. It's hard to envision the Bears turning back to Bostic at MLB in 2013 unless Williams gets hurt.”

-- Detroit receiver Nate Burleson breaks his arm trying to save a pizza. ESPN.com Lions reporter Michael Rothstein writes:

"Burleson leads the Lions (2-1) with 19 receptions this season -- including six for 119 yards in a 27-20 win over Washington on Sunday, his most productive game with the franchise. Matthew Stafford has completed 82.6 percent of his attempts (19 of 23) to Burleson this season, which is the highest completion percentage in the NFL for a quarterback-receiver combo (minimum 10 attempts), according to ESPN Stats & Info."

-- Jay Cutler has put together some strong performances at Ford Field, Mark Potash writes.

-- ESPN Stats & Information has been a great resource for us reporters over the last few years here at ESPN because of the group’s in-depth statistical analysis. Here, John McTigue explains how Chicago’s offense is finally catching up to the greatness of its defense.

Obviously, cutting the sack totals plays a big part in that.

McTigue writes: “From 2009 to 2012, Cutler was sacked on 7.6 percent of his dropbacks, the highest rate in the NFL. This season he’s been sacked on only 2.9 percent of his dropbacks, the second lowest rate in the NFL.”

An examination of four hot issues from the Chicago Bears' 40-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Front four still not pressuring quarterback: The Bears sacked Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice, but they were only able to do that when they manufactured pressure by blitzing linebackers. One hallmark of Chicago’s scheme is the ability to generate pressure with the front four. The Bears did that on occasion, but not enough to where they weren’t putting the secondary in a bind by forcing them to cover receivers too long.

“We got good pressure from the pressures we called,” defensive end Julius Peppers said.

But the Bears wouldn’t be forced to make those calls if the front four was pressuring sufficiently.

Too many explosive plays: Going into the game, the Bears had surrendered eight completions of 20 yards or more through the first two games, only to allow the Steelers to more double that in one outing. On the way to throwing for 406 yards and two touchdowns, Roethlisberger completed 10 passes for gains of 20 yards or more, while receiver Antonio Brown caught nine passes for 196 yards and two scores.

In addition to those completions, the Bears surrendered a 25-yard run to Jonathan Dwyer in the second quarter.

That’s too much. Turnovers, obviously, offset some of those gains. Still, the Bears can’t always rely on takeaways to bail them out of trouble.

“Our goal is always to be plus-2 [in turnover ratio], but if you can get three more it’s always a bonus,” cornerback Charles Tillman said.

Overly conservative with lead: Major Wright’s 38-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter gave the Bears a 24-3 lead. But from there, the Bears took a conservative approach that nearly allowed the Steelers to rally.

“It was just that type of game to get up that quickly like that,” quarterback Jay Cutler said. “We were sitting pretty good early on, and we didn’t want to give them anything easy.”

Injuries to key players: Already slowed by a sore knee, Tillman suffered a groin injury that forced him out of action. The Bears also lost defensive tackle Henry Melton for the season with a torn ACL. So that’s two starters on defense. Obviously, the pass rush -- which was already struggling -- will be weakened significantly by the loss of Melton. Then, with the Bears set to take on the Detroit Lions, it’s probably fair to ponder whether Tillman can be effective against receiver Calvin Johnson.

PITTSBURGH -- Rookie right guard Kyle Long described Jay Cutler as “reptilian” and “cold blooded” Sunday night in the aftermath of the quarterback’s clutch play in leading the Chicago Bears to a 40-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the background, rookie right tackle Jordan Mills whispered: “He’s Mr. Fourth Quarter.”

“He has that ability, when everybody’s nerves are kind of on edge and people have that heightened sense of whatever, Jay’s just cool, just flatline out there,” Long said. “In the huddle, on the sideline, in practice, Jay is a cool cat."

He just caught fire at precisely the right moments Sunday at Heinz Field.

Aided by a defense that produced five turnovers and a couple of touchdowns, Cutler slammed the door on a potential Steelers comeback early in the fourth quarter with three game-clinching plays.

Having gained some momentum on a 44-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham that cut their deficit to 27-23, the Steelers looked to shut down Cutler and make their move to avoid starting 0-3. And it appeared the Steelers would be able to do so. On the Bears' final two drives of the third quarter, Cutler hit on 3 of 6 passes for 8 yards in addition to absorbing a sack for a 6-yard loss.

Through the first two quarters, Cutler had completed 12 of 18 for 75 yards for a passer rating of 75.0 and a sack in the face of seemingly constant Pittsburgh pressure.

“This could have been a very frustrating night,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “There were some people in his face. He had to scramble. But we knew going in that it wasn’t going to be simple. It wasn’t going to be clean on every play, and we tried to give him the quick stuff and get it out of his hands. At times, we took some [seven-step drops] and it made it tough. The pressure was coming, and it was coming from different places each and every time.”

But Cutler stepped into the thick of it and delivered when the Bears needed it most. With 9:15 remaining in the game, on third-and-10 from the Chicago 26, Cutler scrambled 13 yards and nearly ran over safety Robert Golden to gain extra yardage. Three plays later, he fired a 41-yard completion to Brandon Marshall.

“Really, it’s all Jay,” Marshall said. “Jay threw a 50-yard back-shoulder [throw]. I’ve never seen that happen before. The guy’s arm is amazing. Jay put it in the right place.”

Cutler did it again three plays later when he found Earl Bennett for a 17-yard touchdown with 5:48 remaining. The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass, but Chicago successfully challenged to get the call reversed. Bennett’s score capped a nine-play, 74-yard drive, and with the extra point Chicago had a 34-23 advantage.

The drive essentially extinguished Pittsburgh’s chances for a comeback, while notching another outing in which the Bears received strong play from Cutler with the game on the line. Prior to Sunday’s contest, Cutler had led the Bears to consecutive come-from-behind victories over Cincinnati and Minnesota.

This time -- despite the Bears building a 24-3 lead in the second quarter -- Cutler found himself trying to hold off a comeback on the road that started with Ben Roelthisberger’s 33-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown just before intermission.

Cutler admitted it was difficult to remain patient with the Steelers starting to rally. But by doing so, he finished the game having completed 67 percent of his passes, with no turnovers and a passer rating of 90.8.

“It’s not something I’m used to,” Cutler said. “We have been practicing ball security a lot. We were sitting pretty good early on and we didn’t want to give them anything easy, especially when they started getting a little momentum. We didn’t want to force the ball. We didn’t want to give them positioning in our territory. We just wanted to be patient, and we caught man [coverage] there that last play, and we were able to get a big one to Earl.”

PITTSBURGH -- Observed in the locker room after the Chicago Bears’ 40-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Deference: Bears rookie linebacker Khaseem Greene clutched in both arms several sets of team travel sweatsuits and passed them out to all of the linebackers. Asked if the gesture had anything to do with him being a rookie, Greene said, "No, I was just going to get my suit and figured I’d grab all my boys', too." Green finished the day contributing mostly on special teams. The linebacking corps as a whole totaled 12 tackles, including four for lost yardage.

Game ball: Safety Major Wright ran back an interception for a touchdown and forced a fumble, in addition to contributing seven tackles, and received the game ball for his performance. Wright gripped the ball tightly as he fished a drink out of a refrigerated cooler in the middle of the locker room. “This is my first one ever,” Wright said.

Coach, QBs huddle: Quarterbacks Jay Cutler and Josh McCown huddled for several moments in front of Cutler’s locker after the game, holding what appeared to be a serious discussion. Cutler finished with a passer rating of 90.8 and threw for a touchdown. The trio seemed to be talking strategy after the game.

PITTSBURGH -- A few thoughts on the Chicago Bears' 40-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers:

What it means: The Bears sit alone atop the NFC North and start 3-0 for the just the second time since 2006.

Stock watch: Jay Cutler put on a gritty performance down the stretch. Cutler threw for just 159 yards and faced more pressure in this outing than he had in the two previous combined. Still, he completed 67 percent of his passes, took care of the ball and made clutch plays late.

Three for 3-0: The Bears captured division titles in each of the past three seasons in which they started 3-0, dating back to 1990, while also winning at least 11 regular-season contests in those seasons.

Scoring D: The Bears scored 24 points off turnovers, including a 42-yard Julius Peppers fumble return for TD and a 38-yard interception return by Major Wright. Wright’s interception return marked the second consecutive game in which the Bears recorded a pick-six.

Tim Jennings scored on an interception in Chicago’s win last week over the Minnesota Vikings.

Just last season, the Bears racked up eight interception return TDs to tie the 1998 Seahawks for second most in NFL history. This season, Chicago is already a quarter of the way there.

Williams contributes: Rookie Jonathan Bostic developed into the favorite to start at middle linebacker because of his play during training camp, but veteran D.J. Williams showed why the staff prefers him in the middle of the defense.

Williams logged two sacks of Ben Roethlisberger, including one on which he stripped the quarterback with James Anderson recovering at the Pittsburgh 17. That turnover led to a Matt Forte TD.

Explosive plays still an issue: Entering the game, the Bears had surrendered eight completions of 20 yards or more, including two of 40-plus yards. In the second quarter alone, the Bears gave up two more long balls (gains of 45 and 33 yards) to Antonio Brown, who snagged a difficult 33-yard TD with 6:27 left in the first half. Roethlisberger also hit a 32-yard completion, a 22-yarder and a 26-yarder before finding Brown for a 21-yard TD with 1:57 left in the third quarter. Roethlisberger also made a 21-yard connection and 27-yarder in the fourth quarter.

This is a problem.

What’s next: The Bears take Monday off before beginning preparations Wednesday for yet another road matchup, this time at Detroit on Sunday.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler flashed some comedic timing guest-starring with wife Kristin Cavallari on Wednesday night's episode of FXX’s “The League.”

But Cutler maintains that acting probably isn’t in his future after football.

“It was good. But like I told Kristin, it’s a lot of waiting around,” Cutler said. “You do your thing and then, it’s like three hours, just sitting around. I was like, ‘This is what you do?’ Played on the iPad, played some cards. It was fun, but I don’t think I would’ve done it if she wouldn’t have asked me. So I don’t think it’s something I’ll be doing regularly.”

Cutler joined Cavallari in the episode “Chalupa vs. The Cutlet,” and in one scene, the couple is standing in a playground speaking with another couple about their children. During the conversation, Cutler and Cavallari’s son throws a toy from his stroller over the heads of the couple with whom they’re conversing.

The husband tells Cutler: "The kid’s got a cannon; probably gets that from his mother.”

Cutler responds: “We’re working on his accuracy. He loves throwing the ball.”

While Cutler indicated Thursday that he enjoyed the acting experience, he said he won’t be watching the episode.

“Kristin watched it the other day and said it was pretty good. So I’ll take her word for it.”

Asked whether he’s now got more respect for Cavallari’s profession, Cutler laughed and joked, “I’m supposed to say more, right?”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Undefeated versus winless means nothing for Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler as he prepares to lead his 2-0 team into Heinz Field on Sunday to face the 0-2 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Regardless of the record, Cutler considers Pittsburgh to be Chicago’s most significant test to date.

“We’re on the road, first road game. The noise is going to be a problem for us offensively,” Cutler said. “Just the travel; you know we have some young guys on offense. Just see how the communication goes with the noise, keeping our poise out there. It will be a good test for us. It’s [been] only two games.”

The Bears go into Pittsburgh with their third 2-0 start in the last 10 years, and a victory would make the club 3-0 for just the third time in the last 20 years. The Steelers, meanwhile, have won only one of their last five games at Heinz Field, coming off a seven-game home winning streak. What’s more, Pittsburgh is 0-2 for the first time since 2002, marking the first time the Steelers have been two games under .500 during Mike Tomlin’s tenure (since 2007).

If the Steelers fall to 0-3, it will mark just the second time that’s happened in the last 25 years.

“We’re excited about going,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “It’s a great environment for football like ours. We’ll find out more about ourselves. We’ve got to play in the noise. We’ve got to play in an environment that there’s going to be a great sense of urgency on both teams. It’ll be exciting. I think it will help measure us a little bit more.”

Cutler believes this year’s team is better equipped to handle the hostile environment. Even with rookies starting on the right side of the line in guard Kyle Long and tackle Jordan Mills, the Bears haven’t yet committed any pre-snap penalties such as false starts on offense.

A raucous crowd might change that, but Cutler doesn’t expect perfection.

“I feel better about the plan. So far, I feel really good about our third-down plan protection-wise,” Cutler said. “They show a lot of different fronts. They show a lot of different blitzes and dogs. We’ve got to be prepared for that. [Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer] and [Trestman] and those guys have done a great job of getting us ready for the different looks we’re going to see. We won’t be perfect out there. We’re going to see some stuff that maybe we mess up, but we just have to work through it, work through the crowd noise, and get to the second half in a good place for us to win the game.

The Bears practiced inside the Walter Payton Center on Thursday and piped in crowd noise from a public address system throughout the entire workout session in preparation for what they’ll face in Pittsburgh.

Receiver Brandon Marshall considers Pittsburgh’s defense to be similar to Chicago’s because of the abundance of veterans in the lineup.

“Different schemes, but you have guys who’ve been in the same system for 10 years, made a few runs,” said Marshall, who grew up in Pittsburgh a fan of the Steelers. “So whenever you have guys who really know the system, it just makes it so much harder on opposing offense because they’re really the pitcher sometimes and not the batter. So as an offense, my philosophy is you always want to control the game. But this is going to be an all-day sucker.”

Will the Bears effectively handle this upcoming bout of adversity? Cutler expects them to.

The quarterback said the offense is now in a much better place than it was at this time last year.

“Yeah, we are, I think we’re in a good spot right now. I think it goes back to the protection, our ability to protect right now opens up a lot of holes out there, not only for [Marshall], but for us to space the ball around,” Cutler said. “I don’t think defenses can say ‘Hey, just [cover] him for two seconds, just put two guys on [Marshall] for two seconds and we’ll get to the passer.’ They’ve got to protect the whole field and we’re getting three or four seconds at a time to scan things over and find an open guy.”

A weekly analysis of the Bears’ quarterback play:

Rewind: Jay Cutler started much faster this week, completing as many passes (19) in the first half as he had thrown through the first two quarters of the opener against Cincinnati (19), while generating a passer rating of 106. Cutler fumbled on a sack from Jared Allen, and the loose ball was returned for a touchdown. Cutler also forced a pass on the goal line that was tipped by Everson Griffen and intercepted. Still, Cutler shook off the mistakes to rally the Bears to their second come-from-behind victory, firing the game-winning TD to Martellus Bennett with 10 seconds remaining. Cutler finished with two touchdown passes and a rating of 97.2.

Fast-forward: Pittsburgh’s 3-4 front presents a challenge the offensive line hasn’t yet seen. So Cutler needs to be patient and maintain confidence in the unit if it struggles early. The Steelers failed to get to Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton on Monday night, and could possibly experience similar struggles against Chicago’s revamped offensive line. If that happens, expect a confident Cutler to light up the Steelers. Pittsburgh struggled against Cincinnati’s tight ends, so Cutler should be looking Bennett’s way often on Sunday.

Reduce the turnovers: Cutler was responsible for three turnovers: two interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown. He needs to practice better judgment and ball security. Cutler needlessly forced a pass (although I have no problem with him taking that chance) on the goal line, and another of his picks came as the result of a miscommunication with Brandon Marshall.

Prediction: Cutler’s passer rating should be in the high 90s to low 100s, and he’ll reduce the turnovers, too. He’ll get Marshall another 100-yard receiving day, but expect the main targets to be Bennett and Matt Forte.

NFL Nation New York Giants reporter Dan Graziano updated his MVP Watch list for Week 3 of the season, and Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler checks in at No. 6 after guiding his team to its second consecutive come-from-behind victory Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings.

Check out the list here.

Here’s Graziano’s analysis:

“This guy's sideline demeanor makes [Tom] Brady look like Mr. Rogers [Fred, that is], but the Bears are keeping him upright for the first time and he's rewarding them with cotton-candy-sweet, game-winning touchdown passes to Martellus Bennett in the corner of the end zone. Cutler has the fifth-best completion percentage in the league, a 2-0 record and a coach he appears to actually like. This is no small thing, because, as has been well established, Cutler doesn't like anyone.”

One very noticeable aspect of Cutler’s demeanor from this vantage point is that right now, the quarterback seems to like everyone, especially the club’s revamped offensive line, and his weapons at the skill positions. Cutler now believes in the protection and the system, and that’s translated to a more confident signal-caller.

The true measure of Cutler’s transformation will come once the quarterback faces adversity he’s unable to rebound from over the course of a game. Bears coach Marc Trestman has mentioned that potential situation on numerous occasions, while admitting his relationship with Cutler at this point is still very much in the honeymoon phase.

Because Cutler believes in the system and the coaches teaching it, he shouldn’t have much difficulty bouncing back from the adversity that inevitably comes over the course of a 16-game season. He’s shown flashes of that by bringing back the Bears late in back-to-back games. But sooner or later he’ll be unable to do it. It’s normal. How will Cutler react then?

Either way, given this franchise’s history at the quarterback position, it’s refreshing to see the mere mention of Cutler as an MVP candidate. He's earned that.

Good morning. We’re coming up on Week 3. Here are some Bears Essentials to get you going as Chicago begins preparations to face a winless Pittsburgh Steelers team on the road:

-- Jay Cutler is no longer seeing ghosts when he drops back into the pocket, which is somewhat of an oddity the quarterback is trying to become accustomed to, writes ESPNChicago.com's Doug Padilla.

"The hardest thing right now is stepping in the pocket and not seeing ghosts because these guys are doing such a fabulous job protecting," Cutler said Monday on ESPN 1000's "The Jay Cutler Show." "It's just getting used to being able to take my steps, take my appropriate drop and step up and go through all my reads. It's a good problem to have, but it's still something I have to get used to with these new guys."

-- Former NFL head coach Herm Edwards, now an analyst for ESPN, attended Sunday’s game between Chicago and Minnesota, and came away impressed with the Bears’ offense. Edwards puts together a thorough breakdown that’s definitely worth reading.

Here’s a snippet of what Edwards wrote:

Another thing that is improved -- though I can't yet say vastly improved -- is Cutler's decision-making. On that play I mentioned, he recognized that Brandon Marshall was being bracketed by cornerback Josh Robinson and safety Harrison Smith, and never hesitated in throwing to Bennett. It was the right read and resulted in an easy TD. Last season, he might have forced that throw in to Marshall, potentially resulting in an interception. And for most of the game, Cutler made the correct reads.

Against Minnesota's Cover 2, Cutler repeatedly checked the ball down to Forte (11 catches for 71 yards on 11 targets) or threw to him on flare passes out of the backfield. When Minnesota switched to single-high safety looks, Cutler took his shots downfield with Bennett and Marshall. Cutler's mechanics also look much improved, something else that can be attributed to offseason work with (Marc) Trestman.

-- Rick Morrissey finds Trestman’s candor refreshing.

-- Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless discuss Cutler and his late-game heroics here.

-- Charles Tillman’s horse-collar tackle of Greg Jennings turned out to be expensive.