Is the Turf at Soldier Field to Blame for Cutler's Injury?

Now I know what you are thinking, Jay Cutler hurt his thumb and not his knee or ankle. But the very reason the Chicago Bears have said time and time again why they choose not to install field turf (player safety) at Soldier Field may be what caused Cutler to go down.

The Bears have said they want to keep the field safe for the players and that field turf is less safe then the sod they currently have. 

On the play that Cutler broke his thumb, and perhaps the Bears season, Johnny Knox slipped on his route, causing Cutler's pass to be picked off. Now, if you watched closely, you see a puff of dirt and sand shoot up as Knox is making his cut; and bam, down he goes.  

The pass is picked off and as Cutler is trying to make a play on the ball, he breaks his thumb. Bad footing causing players to slip has been a problem at Soldier Field for years. I am aware that this is a bit of a stretch, but you cannot deny that had Knox not fell, not only would Cutler not have been injured, but the Bears probably score on that drive. 

How long Cutler will be out is still not determined and Lovie Smith says he will be back before season ends, but this is the same man who said that Gabe Carimi would not be put on the injured reserve after his knee scope saying that "minor procedure and IR do not go together."  

So forgive me if I don't believe his assessment. The Bears have six games remaining and all were winnable when Cutler was at the helm, including Green Bay.

I realize that Green Bay is playing better football then any team in the league, but I also believe the team that has the best chance of beating those Packers is the Bears. 

This is not a drinking the Kool-Aid moment either. The stats show that the Bears play the Packers better then anyone else in the league so it is not a huge jump to think that is a winnable game, especially considering that the Pack may not have a lot to play for at that point.

What is a realistic goal for wins with Caleb Hannie behind center? I think 4-2 or even 5-1 is not out of the question. Eleven or 12 wins and the Bears are in the playoffs. The real problem I have is a team that was coming together at the right time and had a real shot to go deep in the playoffs. Now they will need to reshuffle not once, but twice (if Cutler does return).  

Cutler will need time to find his form once he returns. Let's hope they can get it together quickly.

The Bears will also need to sign a veteran quarterback while Cutler is out.

Who will that be? Kurt Warner has said he has no intent to unretire. David Garrard is coming off back surgery and won't be ready for weeks. Maybe Marc Bulger can be coaxed out of retirement. Or dare I say Brett Favre?   

Lets keep our heads up and hope for a speedy recovery and BEAR DOWN!! Let me know what you think.

Special thanks to my best friend Keith for the idea about this post!