Bears fans haven't seen offense like that since...ever

The Bears, somehow, some way, managed to live up to Bears fans expectations yesterday. I was actually surprised. Of course, early on it looked scary and I wasn't in the game threads but I'm sure at the end of the first quarter thread I am sure there was more than one call to the "Bears Fans Suicide Watch Hotline."

However, the Bears offense and Cutler brushed off the early problems and hit their stride and never looked back. I was watching the game with a Colts fan and we actually enjoyed the game, early he was really happy, then I was real happy and it was a good time. Bears fans aren't used to 41 points and I'm not sure we can expect that week in and week out yet, but it's a start. However, an offense like this is such a foreign concept to fans that it is a bad thing. Stick with me to see what I am getting at.

In Jay Cutler's postgame press conference, he had a "PSA" to fans, from Brad Biggs:

"Please, please, please let’s tone it down a little bit when we’re down in the 20," Cutler said. "You’re more than welcome to tell and scream and do whatever you want to do after we score, but please let’s go ahead and quiet the stadium down and save it for after we score. Thank you. That’s my PSA."

Now, I turned on ESPN 1000 this morning and what is one of the first things I hear? A fan call in and say (paraphrasing): "Cutler needs to be quiet, the offense knows what it's going to do and so fans should be allowed to be loud in the redzone, we're trying to throw off the defense, we're the 4th Phase." He overall panned Cutler for sounding "cocky" and rude when he delivered the message.

Facepalm.

Seriously, I am not even going to get into defending Cutler's personality again, but I am not sure throwing in four pleases and a thank you is rude. He kind of said it joking, throwing in the "That's my PSA" thing but I don't think he in any way was trying to push away Bears fans or be mean. He's just giving advice.

Bears fans are excited! They've never seen an offense like this, at least not since the McMahon era or even going back to the 1940s! So they're excited to see their team go on 60+ yards on back-to-back drives for TDs.

Rightfully so, this offense is going to be exciting to watch, but as such, fans are used to being loud for the defense. There is a difference.

The defense generally gets setup and is matching up against the offensive personnel. The crowd cheers to throw off the offense. It's straightforward.

Therefore, don't cheer when OUR team has the ball because again, advantage defense not offense!

Bears fans can be forgiven, naturally, and I think they will understand the message and can improve from here on out but it's crazy to think that Cutler is a jerk for calling out fans. Cheer the big plays, between plays, not when the team lines up.

If this was 2010 or '11 it would be fine, because the Bears couldn't audible. But now Cutler can audible and he needs to be heard by his teammates. It will also help the bad offensive line, give them less chance of a false start or other penalty.

This is a home environment, but the ignorance by some Bears fans for good offensive football shows when they cheer uncontrollably when their team is in the redzone, because historically it's rare for a Bears team.

I look at the Indianapolis Colts for this, in the old RCA dome, when the opposition had the ball the place was as loud as any stadium in the NFL, but when Manning went to work, you could always hear Manning clear as day on the TV feed...because fans understood to be quiet.

When I was at Ball State the team had the same problem. Ball State knows bad football, so in 2008, when the team was great fans didn't know what they were doing. The offense was great, with Nate Davis and Co. at the helm putting up points.

But coach Brady Hoke had to do the same thing as Cutler: "Be quiet when we have the ball." Fans were so ignorant to good football they had to be told how to behave (and even then it didn't always work).

So, from here on out Bears fans, save your voice for when the opposition has the ball and for after the Bears score. Yesterday, it would've saved the team a timeout. We'll all be better for it and we might even be able to see even better redzone performances by the Bears.