LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Jay Cutler isn't sure how long he'll last if he keeps taking beatings like this.
The Chicago Bears quarterback got knocked around again and the running game was all but ignored in a 30-13 loss at New Orleans last weekend that had an all-too-familiar feel. For that, offensive coordinator Mike Martz said there's one person to blame, and he's the man.
"If you're looking for blame, blame me," he said Wednesday.
Martz's mea culpa came on the heels of a loss in which Chicago called 52 pass plays and 11 handoffs against the Saints, wiping out the good vibe from a lopsided win over Atlanta in the opener.
"Why it happened, how it happened, all those things -- none of them are justified," Martz said. "I'm very critical of how you manage a game. I've been calling plays for most of my life, and you go back and there are days you don't do a great job. I didn't do a good job responding. There are some things we should have adjusted to, I should have adjusted to better. I didn't do that."
Now, the Bearsare getting ready for defending champion Green Bay, and although the Packers are having issues defending the pass, Martz might want to consider this if he's tempted to air it out: Coach Lovie Smith made it clear he wants more balance. General manager Jerry Angelo joined the chorus on Wednesday.
"Balance is critical to any game plan, and when you create balance there comes a lot more diversity with your scheme and players," Angelo said. "We didn't have that Sunday. That was obvious. And because we didn't, problems were created, particularly in the second half."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.
