As we move past the weeklong discussion on the Chicago Bears and the behavior of their quarterback, I think the last point (for now) should focus on the recipient of Jay Cutler's ire: Left tackle J'Marcus Webb. What did we learn about Webb, who might be the most scrutinized Bears player since the start of training camp, and what can we conclude moving forward?
As we discussed last month, Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice set up a competition at left tackle that seemed primarily focused on elevating Webb's intensity. If you've spoken with Webb before, you know he has a laid-back personality. You might also find his Twitter feed a bit eccentric, as he demonstrated by posting a poem during the preseason.
You wonder if those character traits were part of what enraged Cutler after a series of sacks in Thursday night's game at Lambeau Field. When you watch the broadcast replay, you see Webb smiling after Cutler shoved him.
During his Tuesday appearance on ESPN 1000, Cutler was asked if he was looking for a reaction from Webb and if he would have been happier if he had pushed back.
"Sure," Cutler said. "Anything really to let me know that, 'Hey, I'm [ticked] off that I got beat. I'm going to try to rectify it and try to get us back in this ballgame.'"
Cutler acknowledged he shouldn't have shoved Webb but said he didn't regret lashing out verbally.
Everyone wears their disappointment differently, so it wouldn't be fair to conclude that Webb didn't understand the gravity of his individual defeats Thursday night simply because he didn't appear enraged on the sideline. But I can understand why a fiery personality like Cutler would be quickly frustrated when he doesn't see similar passion in others.
Webb won't become a better player if he forces himself to be more passionate on the field. But are his teammates convinced he is passionate about being a good player? It's a question worth monitoring.
On his Facebook account, Webb said in part: "I don't want the fans, media, or any of our teammates to become distracted with the interaction on the sidelines. We will handle any disagreements as a team. The concern I have remains the same: to protect our quarterback and win. This is my focus and no one needs to identify this for me or question my desire to win. We win together and we lose together."
Moving on ...