Jay Cutler Will Face The Vikings On Sunday, Unless He Doesn't

After getting off to a 7-1 start and looking like they might run away with the NFC North, the Chicago Bears have dropped two straight games to fall to 7-3 and in a real dogfight for the division. They've been without starting quarterback Jay Cutler for the past six quarters, during which their offense has looked pretty pedestrian at best. Granted, an offensive line that has looked God-awful the last couple of weeks doesn't help, but the drop-off from Cutler to backup Jason Campbell has been pretty noticeable.

So, will Cutler be ready when the Bears meet the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon? Definitely.

Well, maybe.

Actually, it depends on who you ask.

In an interview with Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Cutler said that he felt good, but he wasn't sure if he was going to play on Sunday.

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said Tuesday that he's feeling normal, but he's not sure he's going to play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday after missing a game with a concussion.

"I feel good," Cutler said on "The Jay Cutler Show" on ESPN 1000.

When asked whether he's been cleared to play, Cutler said: "We're going through the process. Met with them Monday morning, the doctor. Got a few more hoops to jump through, so we'll see how it goes this week."

NFL.com, on the other hand, says that Cutler is "looking good" for this Sunday.

Bears fans got a sliver of good news during a dreadful night when coach Lovie Smith said Cutler could return this week against the Minnesota Vikings.

"He was feeling better. He got better as time went along," Smith said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "We left him at home, didn't have him fly out. He was feeling a lot better by the end of the week so it's looking good."

This development will definitely be something to keep an eye on as the week progresses.

Adding injury to injury for the Bears, the Vikings won't have to worry about seeing rookie wide receiver Alshon Jeffery on Sunday afternoon. Jeffery, who missed four games earlier this month with a broken hand, returned to the Bears' lineup on Monday night. . .and promptly injured his knee to the point where he will have arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday. That means there's a good chance that he won't be available for the Bears when they travel to Minnesota to face the Vikings in Week 14, either.

The Vikings could make a huge statement if they could beat the Bears at Soldier Field for the first time since 2007. With some of the injuries that the Bears have sustained as of late, that job might get a bit easier.