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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Jay Cutlers return has come at the right time for the Chicago Bears.Cutler is back as the starter after five weeks away with a thumb sprain as a replacement Brian Hoyer, who went on injured reserve with a broken left arm.And Bears coach John Fox is thankful to have Cutler healthy enough to play, even if earlier he hinted there was a chance Hoyer could keep the job.He doesnt have a choice, I guess, at this point, Cutler said about Fox. Brian is out, so Ive got to go.Ive had good conversations with Foxy this week, last week, the week before. Theres never been any strain in our relationship. Were both very open and honest, and were on the same page. We just want to win football games.While Cutler was away, Hoyer played five-plus games without an interception and a 98.0 passer rating.It led to talk Cutler might have played his last down for the Bears, who are 1-6 on the season. And Fox didnt exactly throw cold water on the situation by saying the starting position is performance-based.It is what it is, Cutler said. Anytime you have a backup quarterback -- and to Brians credit, he played well.I think as a team, we wish we would have won some more of those ball games. But Brian went in there and did a great job.My discussions with everybody that I have relationships with in here were positive, and whenever I was ready to go, Id be ready to go.There was never any discussion regarding that with me.Cutler said he didnt expect to have a discussion.It didnt concern me, he said. I wasnt ready to play. My thumb wasnt healed.The future, Cutler said, will be an issue when it comes.Whatever happens at the end of the year, its supposed to happen, and will go accordingly, Cutler said. But right now its not something that I worry about.Its my 11th year, my eighth year here. Ive seen a lot of ups and downs, and its how it goes. At the end of the year, we can have those conversations. Whatever happens, happens.Cutler said the thumb sprain is no longer giving him pain.I havent gotten hit, Cutler said. Throwing good -- you cant feel it throwing.Fox on Monday said the plan all along was to bring Cutler back when he was healed, regardless of what he told reporters about performance-based starters.I think Jay kind of knew all along what our plan was, Fox said. And thats the important thing.Cutler said he wanted to return before Monday nights home game against the Minnesota Vikings.I mean, as a player you always want to come back probably sooner than you should, than the doctors allow, Cutler said. This being my right thumb and being kind of vitally important to my job.We thought that erring on the side of caution was best.It wasnt a situation Cutler enjoyed.Ive never liked being hurt, never liked being out, Cutler said. It could get to be a lonely feeling at times watching everyone else go out there and try to win ballgames. Youre kind of just a helpless bystander.So being able to get in the mix and trying to help these guys is going to be fun.Cutler threw in practice on the side the past few weeks, but wasnt involved with team drills except for one brief appearance three weeks ago. Its the first time in his career hes returned to play in a season after a layoff this long.Anytime you take a layoff like that and come back, theres going to be some (rust) youve got to knock off, he said. Luckily I was still around, saw the game, visualized the game, was able to stay behind the quarterback and stay involved, and weve got a long week.When Cutler started out the season with a 75.7 passer rating for two games, he was playing behind a completely revamped offensive line with Josh Sitton and Cody Whitehair making their first Bears starts.Now he returns with Sitton suffering from an ankle injury and right guard Kyle Long suffering from a pectoral muscle strain. Their status for the game is unknown. Eric Kush replaced Sitton and Ted Larsen took over for Long against Green Bay in a 26-10 loss Thursday.Its how it goes, Cutler said. Weve got a bye week after this, so hopefully well get those two guys back. Kush played well. Ted has played a lot of football. The good thing about it is we have had a lot of different guys in there through camp and during the games and stuff.We shouldnt miss a beat with those guys.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Brandon Roy Jersey . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. Gary Trent Jr. Blazers Jersey .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. https://www.blazerslockerroom.com/Bill-Walton-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Wade Baldwin Jersey . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Nassir Little Blazers Jersey . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Theres almost too much in terms of statistics out there for fantasy players to pore over on a routine basis, and Ive mentioned many times before that with all that data at our fingertips, its pretty easy to make a case both for and against the same players, cherry picking whatever suits your argument at the time.Thats why I like to simplify things a bit and look to shortcuts and single stats that can give you a quick, unbiased snapshot of which players are performing well for fantasy purposes in relation to their peers. Its by no means perfect in predictive accuracy, but it certainly can help you narrow down the waiver wire decision-making process, especially at a time when many fantasy pllayers are participating in leagues where they may not have very many transactions left under league maximums.ddddddddddddFor starting pitchers, average game score (AGS) has always been a favorite snapshot of mine, especially in points leagues. Game score, created by Bill James, sums up each start in a single number, adding value for batters retired and strikeouts, while deducting points for hits, walks and runs allowed. While its not a one-to-one correlation, taking a look at a pitchers AGS for the season tends to line up pretty well with points league value. ' ' '