Bears to be without Jay Cutler to face Raiders

The Raiders are set to hit the road for the next two weeks, heading first to Cleveland this Sunday and then to Chicago the following Sunday. They found out today that when they get to Chicago, they will be facing a Bears squad without their starting quarterback.

Jay Cutler left the Bear's game Sunday against the Cardinals with a hamstring injury which will keep him out at least two weeks according to several media reports.

In Cutler's absence, the currently winless Bears will start Jimmy Clausen. Over his five NFL seasons, he has appeared in 18 games, with 11 starts with 5 TD's to 11 interceptions, one of which came in relief of Cutler last week.

As much criticism as Cutler receives, he is a bonafide veteran NFL starting quarterback. He has thrown for nearly 30,000 yards and 185 touchdowns in ten seasons. And he will be watching as Clausen tries to hold down the fort in his absence.

What was looking like a tough match-up in a trip to the Windy City just got a whole lot more favorable for the Raiders. If they get a win over the Browns in Cleveland, the early part of the season could look a lot brighter.

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