Nov. 26--The Chicago Bears have not consistently established their vertical passing game this season, as opponents have prioritized taking that away and testing quarterback Jay Cutler's willingness to check down.
Stretching the defense figures to be a challenge Thursday against a Detroit Lions pass rush that presents matchup difficulties, beginning with strong, athletic defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
"You watch them on film and ... not a lot of people are taking shots because there's just not a lot of time," quarterback Jay Cutler said. "We're going to have to invent some ways to get creative and find ways to push the ball (downfield) a little bit because it's going be really hard to dink and dunk these guys, 5 (yards) at a time all the way down the field."
In the New England Patriots' 34-9 win over the Lions last Sunday, Tom Brady was 38-of-53 passing for 349 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The key to their aerial success?
"They took advantage of what they were giving them," offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer said. "And they found the open guy quickly and got rid of the ball before the pass rush could get there most of the time."
Cutler also noted the Patriots often spread their formation and operated with an empty backfield.
"Against a team like this, you've got to get the ball out," Cutler said. "You've got to get some catch-and-runs. You've got to break some tackles because you're not going to be able to consistently push it down 15-20 yards. A lot of things are going to be under 12 yards, under 5 yards, so you've got to get some catch-and-runs. That's where you're going to get your pushes down the field."
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