Chicago Bears, Jay Cutler struggling on long passing attempts

With the addition of star wide receiver Brandon Marshall this offseason, many expected the Chicago Bears' offense to be as explosive as it has ever been in the long history of the team. But after a 41-point outburst in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Bears' deep passing game has stumbled.

According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has completed just 40.0 percent of his throws that have traveled over 10 yards. That ranks 31st in the entire NFL. Cutler has also been ineffective working with three wide receiver sets, especially compared to last season.

What's interesting, however, is that the Bears are near the top of the NFL in pass attempts over 10 yards. In fact, Cutler's average pass distance of 9.8 yards past the line of scrimmage ranks fourth in the league. So it's not like they have not been trying to throw it deep.

Cutler is confident that the offense will get it together as the season goes along, and that the early struggles are just a by-product of learning a new offense under coordinator Mike Tice. Cutler and the Bears will get their next chance to improve upon these numbers on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys. It will be a tough chore, as the Cowboys boast one of the top defenses in the league.