ST. LOUIS - Jay Cutler delivered another stellar performance Sunday, recording a career-high 151.0 passer rating in leading the Bears to a 37-13 victory over the Rams.
Cutler completed 19 of 24 passes for 258 yards and a season-high three touchdowns with no interceptions. He also had the game's longest run, a 26-yarder, on a read-option play.
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Cutler's previous best passer rating was a 146.2 in a 31-26 win over the Eagles on Nov. 28, 2010 at Soldier Field, when he threw for 247 yards with four TDs and no interceptions.
Since missing a Week 3 loss in Seattle with a hamstring injury, Cutler has led the Bears to a 4-2 record by passing for 1,700 yards with 11 TDs, three interceptions and a 98.7 rating.
Cutler has not thrown multiple interceptions in a contest this season, an eight-game stretch that is the longest of his 10-year NFL career. His passer ratings over the last six games have been 89.4, 88.4, 88.8, 94.4, 100.5 and 151.0.
Cutler downplayed his performance Sunday, after tight end Zach Miller and running back Jeremy Langford turned short passes into 87- and 83-yard touchdowns, respectively.
"I don't feel like I did that much," Cutler said. "The offensive line did a great job controlling the ball in the second half. Some guys on the outside made some plays. Against a front like that and a secondary like that, very rarely are you going to get some 'chunk' plays like that.
"I think they had only given up a couple past 25 yards all year long. You've got to give guys on the outside credit. They didn't back down. Up front, we knew it was going to be a physical game against a really talented team."
Welcome back: After missing three games with a knee injury, Shea McClellin made an immediate impact in his return to action. The inside linebacker recorded the first forced fumble of his career when he ripped the ball away from running back Tre Mason late in the first quarter.
McClellin recovered the fumble at the St. Louis 19, setting up Robbie Gould's 35-yard field goal, which tied the game 10-10.
"I was just trying to make a play," said McClellin, who led the Bears with eight tackles. "We're always focusing on stripping the ball out, trying to work on that ball. I kind of wrapped the guy up and felt the ball in there, so I just went for a rip, happened to get it out and it kind of just spin into my lap."
Double trouble: With Kyle Long inactive due to a knee injury, Jeremy Langford rushed for 73 yards on 20 carries and Ka'Deem Carey added 56 yards on 14 attempts.
"Those two guys were hitting the hole pretty quick," Cutler said. "They're getting downhill, and even when we don't block it up exactly right, they're still getting four or sometimes five yards, which is huge.
"Second-and-five, second-and-six, you can live in that world. It makes it a little easier for [offensive coordinator] Adam [Gase] and makes us a little more unpredictable going into second down and third down."
Center of attention: A natural guard who made his third straight start at center Sunday, Matt Slauson was praised by teammates for his performance against Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
"[Donald] is an unbelievable player," Cutler said. "It's hard moving from guard to center. I think snapping was probably the biggest transition for him, and then communicating to the right side as well. He's communicated to the left a lot, but having to communicate to the right, we couldn't ask for a better guy.
"He knows the offense inside and out. He knows how to play technically at guard and center, and he's able to communicate with the tackles out there."
Slauson delivered the key block to spring Langford on a screen pass that the rookie turned into an 83-yard touchdown.
"When he came over to me he said, 'Good job setting me up,'" Langford said. "That's what as a running back you want, to try to get them in a good position to get that cut block. He did a great job of getting his man down."
