Bears vs. Buccaneers: 7 Predictions for Jay Cutler vs. Tampa Bay

While there are a lot of side stories to the Bears game versus the Bucs in London, there can be no denying that how Jay Cutler plays will go a long way toward determining the outcome of the game.

The QB has a huge impact on the game obviously, and in the Bears case, how Cutler performs is usually a microcosm of how the team plays as a whole.

What I mean by this is that Cutler's success, by and large, depends on how other parts of the offense perform.

The receivers need to run good routes, Matt Forte has to run the ball well, the offensive line has to pass protect well and so on.

Even how the special teams and defense perform has a lot to do with Cutler's success.

For when a team gets an early lead against the Bears, Mike Martz gets away from that balanced offense and that spells trouble for Cutler.

Likewise, if Devin Hester can break one and get the Bears the lead, it allows for the Bears to mix in the run. Even if he just gets us good field position, that obviously helps Jay as well.

That said, here are some predictions for Cutler and, in turn, for the Bears on Sunday.

He Will Need to Watch His Blood Sugar Even Closer

As a diabetic myself, I am always a bit more concerned about the tolls that travel take on my body. Things like jet lag, stress and sleeping habits all have the potential to affect blood sugar levels.

Even though Cutler won't use that as an excuse, I have to believe that his diabetes plays a role in how he feels before and during games.

While I am not an athlete and older than Cutler, I know how diabetes affects your ability to do even simple tasks, much less play football at the highest level.

Having been to London, I know that the food there is not very good, though I realize that is a subjective thing depending on one's individual tastes.

But perhaps that means Cutler eats poorly, and that can affect blood sugar levels too.

All in all, I'm sure that Cutler understands his disease and has the best doctors at his disposal. Still, I wouldn't discount that as a factor.

He Will Throw at Least One Interception

Cutler has now gone consecutive games without tossing a pick. I expect that to come to an end this Sunday.

The reason is that the Bucs suddenly looked good against the Saints last weekend, following an embarrassingly awful loss to the 49ers the week before.

Perhaps that loss woke them up. Or, it could be that this is a young team with a short memory.

Either way, they forced four turnovers, including three interceptions of Drew Brees. If they can pick off an elite QB like Brees, they can certainly do that against Cutler.

Tampa Bay entered the New Orleans game ranked just 23rd in total defense, but really stepped up their effort, even without defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.

The Bucs are now plus-two in turnover margin for the season.

Cutler Will Throw for 300 Yards

One thing that Tampa does not do well is defend the pass. While they may get a turnover (or two), they rank 27th in the NFL against the pass.

Teams average 276 yards passing per game against the Bucs secondary, which is tied with the Bears.

Meanwhile, Cutler has played well and has been given time to throw the past couple of games.

After a gutsy, on-the-run performance against the Lions, Cutler came back to throw for 267 yards and two touchdowns against a Vikings defense ranked slightly better than Tampa.

There Won't Be Any F-Bombs

An on-field camera caught Cutler cursing out offensive coordinator Mike Martz in the first half the Sunday's victory over the Vikings.

A microphone caught Cutler dropping the f-bomb and it is widely thought to have been directed at Martz. For his part, Martz didn't seem to care.

"Well, if it was at me, that's probably the nicest thing that [a] player has ever said to me during the game," Martz quipped.

"Hey, you've got to understand that during the course of a game, a lot of things get said. It's a very strong, very competitive environment. That stuff is ... that's not an issue really; just part of the deal. During a game, a lot of things get said, trust me, by everybody. So that's not an issue."

But even if it didn't bother Martz, I'm sure that the Bears had some words of their own for Cutler, and have asked him to be careful about not letting TV catch those ugly moments.

The reason is that everyone overreacts and assumes that everything is bad between the two, when we do not know that to be the case.

The focus needs to be on the field and on doing what is necessary to win the game.

I don't blame Cutler; in fact, after all the hits he's suffered in that offense, I'm surprised he hasn't hauled off and slugged Martz.

But just don't do it in front of the cameras. The PR guys don't like it.

He Will Hit the Ground Four Times

I am predicting that Cutler will be sacked four times by "the Bus" on Sunday. That is a combination of pressure from Tampa's front four as well as little faith in our offensive line.

The line played well against the Vikings, despite the presence of Jared Allen and Brian Robinson.

But they seem to be inconsistent, where they play well for one game, sometimes two, and then have a clunker.

Now, the Bus did not register a sack against Drew Brees, but Michael Bennett and Adrian Clayborn were able to generate consistent pressure up front.

With the exception of the 49ers game, the Bucs have been stout against the run, so if they stop Matt Forte, Cutler may be forced to throw more often and that's when Tampa can key on him.

He Will Throw a Pass to Earl Bennett

Yes, this is my way of predicting that Bennett will return tot he field on Sunday for the Bears. And that is welcome news.

Although Dane Sanzenbacher has been good, he is second in the league in dropped passes.

Before his injury, Bennett looked to be Cutler's most stable weapon on the field and someone he can trust.

If Cutler is allowed to throw short, quick passes out of the slot to Bennett, in addition to Forte, that could help alleviate the pressure on him and help pick up the running game.

He Will Test the Bucs Secondary Early with Long Passes to Hester

Cutler will likely present a test to the struggling Bucs secondary early, by throwing a couple of long passes to Devin Hester.

Hester has been the most reliable deep target for Cutler lately, and Martz will look to capitalize on that connection early and often if he can.

Tampa's secondary has given up lots of yardage through the air, so Cutler-to-Hester will be attempted. If it works again, the Bears will win this game.

If not, then we'll settle for another TD return by Hester.