I never liked the Bears to win this week in Detroit but I must admit the way they lost surprised me. A bunch of pre-tape thoughts are coming here. Remember these are based on initial viewing only:

• Jay Cutler was awful and he knows it. “I just missed the throws,” said Jay Cutler. “They are throws I’m accustomed to making. I just have to make them.”  Cutler wasn’t making poor decisions Sunday in Detroit. He was making poor throws. It’s a rarity for him.
• Cutler missed Alshon Jeffery on that last interception by about ten yards. And Jeffery was wide open.
• Lance Briggs has been terrible in pass coverage and it seems he’s constantly isolated in the middle of the defense.
• Adam Podlesh performed brilliantly against the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s been dreadful since.
• Martellus Bennett and Jeffery are legitimate second and third options. They played great in this loss.
• Where is Shea McClellin?
• Where is the interior of the Bears defensive line against the rush?
• Where is the Bears kick coverage thus far in 2013?
• Two weeks ago the questions was whether Julius Pepper was done. Now he’s the only defensive lineman showing up on game day.
• Sure looked like Kyle Long played a brilliant game against Suh and Suh still almost broke Cutler’s leg.
• The Bears forced turnovers in this game. They just didn’t recover the fumbles. If Stafford doesn’t recover his own fumble on the goal line, is it a different game?
• Didn’t expect that kind of performance from Reggie Bush. Most impressive professional game I’ve seen him play.
• Is that really the best onside kick Robbie Gould has to offer? Lord.
• Jordan Mills looked like a rookie. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a normal thing.
• What was that punt return about when Devin Hester left the return post and Weems took his place? Was it the old, “You think the greatest returner ever will be involved but, nope, WEEMS!” move?
• Chris Conte’s whiff on Reggie Bush is one of those moments a player dreads in the coming film study. How can you fault a defensive coordinator when his play call is perfect and the safety does what Conte did?
• Someone explain to me why Charles Tillman played this game. It is September. He is the team’s best defensive player. Why are they risking further injury? Give the guy two or three weeks off if he needs them.
• I heard a lot about Nate Collins this week. I heard very little about him Sunday.
• Missed tackles are a growing trend of the 2013 season. Say what you want about Lovie Smith but his defenses did not miss tackles.
• Major Wright seems to hit a lot of people in the head.

Overall a poor performance. But the Bears are 3-1 through 4 games and there isn’t a Bears fan alive who would not have signed for that. Bears need no worse than a split of the next two and they’ll have set the table for a successful 2013 meal.