Jay Cutler throws two first-half interceptions in first game back for Bears

Jay Cutler's return to the field did not begin well. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images) When he threw for 348 yards in the Chicago Bears' 45-28 win over the Dallas

Doug Farrar | Dec 15, 2013

Jay Cutler throws two first-half interceptions in first game back for Bears /

Jay Cutler's return to the field did not begin well. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

When he threw for 348 yards in the Chicago Bears' 45-28 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 9, quarterback Josh McCown became the first signal-caller in the franchise's long history to throw for more than 300 yards in three straight games. McCown has been one of the NFL's most efficient quarterbacks this season when spelling starter Jay Cutler through a string of injuries, but that didn't stop head coach Marc Trestman from naming Cutler his main man against the Cleveland Browns this Sunday. Cutler was cleared this week to return from a high snkle sprain, and that was that.

However, things did not begin well for Mr. Cutler. The Bears got the ball first, and though he drove the team into the red zone from his own 32-yard line on the opening drive, Cutler ended said drive with a forced deep throw to Brandon Marshall that was deflected by safety T.J. Ward and picked off by Tashaun Gipson. Ouch.

(GIF courtesy @SBNationGIF)

Gipson returned the pick from the end zone to the Cleveland 27-yard line. The throw was vintage Cutler, and not in a good way -- he forced a zinger into coverage with iffy footwork, and the result seemed somewhat inevitable.

And then, with 8:14 left in the first half ... the Cutler-to-Gipson connection happened again. This time, Gipson scored a touchdown on a 44-yard return.

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Published Dec 15, 2013

DOUG FARRAR

SI.com contributing NFL writer and Seattle resident Doug Farrar started writing about football locally in 2002, and became Football Outsiders' West Coast NFL guy in 2006. He was fascinated by FO's idea to combine Bill James with Dr. Z, and wrote for the site for six years. He wrote a game-tape column called "Cover-2" for a number of years, and contributed to six editions of "Pro Football Prospectus" and the "Football Outsiders Almanac." In 2009, Doug was invited to join Yahoo Sports' NFL team, and covered Senior Bowls, scouting combines, Super Bowls, and all sorts of other things for Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog through June, 2013. Doug received the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse from SI.com in 2013, and that was that. Doug has also written for the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, the New York Sun, FOX Sports, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine. He also makes regular appearances on several local and national radio shows, and has hosted several podcasts over the years. He counts Dan Jenkins, Thomas Boswell, Frank Deford, Ralph Wiley, Peter King, and Bill Simmons as the writers who made him want to do this for a living. In his rare off-time, Doug can be found reading, hiking, working out, searching for new Hendrix, Who, and MC5 bootlegs, and wondering if the Mariners will ever be good again.