Bears name Todd Collins their starter for Sunday
Jay Cutler was unable to pass concussion tests this week so the Chicago Bears announced that Todd Collins will get the start this Sunday. Cutler suffered a concussion midway through last week’s loss to the New York Giants when the Giants sacked Cutler nine
times in less than a half of play. Cutler showed symptoms late in the second quarter after his head bounced off the turf. The 38-year-old Collins will get his first start in three years when the Bears travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers on
Sunday.
"Coach (Lovie Smith) told me this morning," Collins said Thursday. "I was kind of expecting it. I'm ready."
The Bears’ offence was non-existent last week as the Giants registered 10 sacks. The Bears fixed some problems in the second half but were still unable to find the end zone, as the Bears lost 17-3. It was their first loss of the season after a surprising 3-0
start.
The Bears signed Collins late in training camp in search of an experienced backup behind Cutler. Collins has been a career backup but enjoyed some success as a starter in the 2007 season. With Jason Campbell out with an injury, he came off the bench in December
and led the Washington Redskins to the playoffs. Since then he has only seen action as a backup. He was in semi-retirement before the Bears offered him a one-year contract in August.
"I'm pretty comfortable," Collins said. "The best way to provide leadership, I think, is to go out there and perform well. That's the job as the quarterback, to move the ball and score points. That's what I'm going to try to do to help lead the team."
This is the first start that Cutler will miss in his career. He made 57 starts in a row prior to his concussion suffered last week. While he looked okay in practice, doctors told the team that it would be best to be cautious and let Cutler rest. Collins has
been taking reps with the first-team offence for the past couple of days.
"It went pretty smooth," Collins said. "There are still a few things I have to brush up on, but it was pretty smooth."
The Bears hope to bounce back from their disappointing performance last week but now you have to wonder if the game plan will be altered. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s pass-happy system is a better fit for Cutler than Collins so it will be interesting
to see how the Bears approach the game. The Carolina Panthers may have caught a break as they seek their first win.
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