We all knew that the Chicago Bears would miss star quarterback Jay Cutler while rehabbing from thumb surgery, but now Bears fans have a better idea of just what kind of hill their team is going to have to climb. Early in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders, the Bears currently trail 6-0, and have gotten little to nothing going with the passing game so far.
Caleb Hanie, the quarterback starting for Chicago today in place of Cutler, is just 3-for-8 passing for 25 yards so far, but even worse, he's already thrown two interceptions and been sacked once. The team's running game has been working, with Hanie, Matt Forte and Marion Barber combining for 58 yards rushing on 9 carries, but it's slowly becoming clear how limited Chicago's passing offense will be going forward.
The Bears have actually done a good job of stifling Oakland's offense so far, limiting the Raiders to 65 total yards while sacking Carson Palmer twice, but they've been able to capitalize on both of Hanie's interceptions with Sebastian Janikowski field goals. Chicago is currently 7-3 on the year and riding a five-game winning streak, but their road to the postseason doesn't look too easy right now.
For more on this game, check out the Bears blog Windy City Gridiron and Raiders blog Silver and Black Pride. Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more Chicago sports scores and updates.