Top 5 NFL storylines heading into Week 5

3. Jay Cutler falls short again

Heading into Week 4, the Green Bay Packers were reeling and the Chicago Bears looked like they were back on track. That script has been flipped thanks to Sunday’s pasting at Soldier Field. The Packers annihilated the Bears 38-17, showing that even when his team isn’t at his best, Aaron Rodgers is still light-years better than Jay Cutler. The two men don’t even reside in the same area code when it comes to quarterbacking ability.

This was supposed to be the year Cutler “got it” in Marc Trestman’s quarterback-friendly system. Through four games all he’s “got” is a 2-2 record, 10 touchdowns (three of which came thanks to a brutal fourth quarter collapse by San Francisco) four interceptions, a weak 6.49 yards per attempt and a Total QBR of 66.0 that ranks him 16th in the NFL. He’s currently below studs like Brian Hoyer, Mike Glennon, Kirk Cousins and Austin Davis in those rankings.

Against the Packers, Cutler looked wobbly after halftime. He finished the day with two touchdowns, two interceptions and 256 yards passing. Both touchdowns came in the first half, and both interceptions came on awful second-half throws.

Despite being in his ninth NFL season, Cutler still makes horrendous decisions with the football. When he came out against vaccinations, he must have thought he was already immune to inexcusable, soul-crushing interceptions. He’s not.

After both of those terrible picks this week he got all slouchy on the sidelines, looked bored and disinterested in not just Sunday’s contest, but the game of football itself and in a larger sense, the world. He looks so distant and moody after he screws up, like he would probably feel most at home tipping back Lone Star tallboys with Rust Cohle while discussing the M-brain theory.

On Sunday as I watched Cutler completely collapse, I became convinced that time really is a flat circle. He has fallen apart in big moments before and he will do it again…and again…and again…