LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Jay Cutler is ready for just about any scenario next week after the Chicago Bears’ dismal season comes to an end.
He understands changes could be coming, that coaches could be gone and so could he. Cutler says that’s “part of it.”
The future of everyone from general manager Phil Emery to coach March Trestman to his assistants and the quarterback with a seven-year contract is in question with the Bears (5- 10) last in the NFC North and the season ending at Minnesota on Sunday.
It’s quite a fall for a team that envisioned a playoff run.
Instead, the Bears are missing the postseason for the seventh time in eight years.
Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers has been limited in practice with a sore left calf, though Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy says his franchise quarterback is getting better.
Off the field, Rodgers was feeling especially charitable Wednesday. He gave new 55- inch televisions to the Packers offensive linemen and backup quarterbacks.
The packages arrived Tuesday night, and the players apparently didn’t know that reporters would be allowed in the locker room on Christmas Eve, after practice ended at an earlier hour for the holiday.
Guard Josh Sitton says the ever-private Rodgers likely didn’t want people outside the team to know.
Regardless, it’s a pick-meup for the linemen right before they have to face the Detroit Lions’ tough defensive front Sunday.
Bills
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills’ once-formidable ground attack has been slowed to a crawl, and in jeopardy of setting a franchise low for a 16-game season.
So don’t tell veteran running back Fred Jackson the Bills (8-7) have nothing to play for after being eliminated from playoff contention with a 26-24 loss at Oakland last weekend.
Jackson says there’s still much to prove entering their season finale at New England (12-3) on Sunday.
The running game faces an uphill test. With 1,378 yards rushing, Buffalo is 174 yards short of matching the team’s 16-game low of 1,552 yards in 2006.
That won’t be easy for an offense that has not topped 120 yards rushing since gaining 193 in a season-opening 23-20 win at Chicago.
Ravens
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The improvement of the Baltimore Ravens’ offense under Gary Kubiak can be measured by a variety of statistics, including Justin Forsett’s 1,147 yards rushing and Joe Flacco’s career-high tying 25 touchdown passes.
To focus solely on those numbers would be missing the point, or rather, the points. The Ravens have scored 389 points this season, and with 10 more on Sunday against Cleveland they will set a franchise record.
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