LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears were already losing games. Now theyre going to be without their most important players on both sides of the ball. Injured quarterback Jay Cutler will miss at least the next four weeks of the season and Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs will be out for around six weeks, staggering blows for a struggling team. The Bears announced the news Monday, a day after Cutler suffered a muscle tear in his groin during a 45-41 loss to the Washington Redskins, forcing the Bears to go with veteran Josh McCown. Briggs left the game with a small fracture in his left shoulder. Neither player will need surgery. "Theyre not done," coach Marc Trestman said. "Theyre going to be back (this season)." Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Tillman also left the game with a knee injury as Chicago (4-3) lost for the third time in four games. The Bears are off this week, but with the injuries mounting, their season could be slipping away from them. The defence has been hit particularly hard in recent weeks, and with Cutler out, itll be veteran McCown lining up behind centre as they try to keep up with Green Bay and Detroit in the NFC North. Cutler came up clutching the top of his left leg following a sack by 333-pound nose tackle Chris Baker with about 10 minutes left in the first half. He stayed down for a few minutes and eventually limped off the field. "They said this is a minimum four weeks and then well evaluate it week to week," Trestman said. "Based on the history -- I talked to the doctors this morning -- of this injury, four weeks is a reasonable start and that it would be week to week." The Bears insisted Cutler will return this season. "Unless theres a complication during his rehab, with the injury that he has that Im certain hell be back at some point," general manager Phil Emery said. Where Cutler will be next season remains to be seen, given his expiring contract. Its the second time in three years that he will miss a significant chunk of time, after suffering a season-ending injury in 2011. Emery said he doesnt see a pattern. As for how this injury will impact contract negotiations with Cutler after the season, he wouldnt discuss that. "Theres no reason to because its not the here-and-now," Emery said. The here-and-now has the Bears forced to go with McCown, hoping he can at least keep them afloat while Cutler recuperates. He entered Sundays game at Washington in the second quarter, seeing his first game action since the 2011 season. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 204 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett that gave his team a 41-38 lead with 3:57 to play. McCown looked understandably rusty in his first few plays, but he did put Chicago in position to win the shootout with the Redskins. The Bears will need more of the same if theyre going to have a chance of winning their next game at Green Bay on a Monday night following the bye, not to mention beating Detroit the following week. They didnt fare well the last time they went an extended period without Cutler. After he broke his thumb two years ago, the Bears dropped five of six following a 7-3 start in a collapse that cost general manager Jerry Angelo his job. Back then, Caleb Hanie struggled in a big way. The Bears then turned to McCown, who had been coaching high school football in North Carolina, late in the season. They have more weapons now with Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Bennett, not to mention a rebuilt offensive line and a system thats geared more to quick, high-percentage passes than what they were running under Mike Martz. "Especially in this league where the quarterback drives the ship, I dont know if youre ever ready to handle losing your starting quarterback," McCown said. "But I think the structure is in place and the emphasis has been put on individuals to do their job and do their part. If we continue to get that, and we felt like we got that yesterday, it allows the quarterback to step in there, whether its Jay or myself, to function and play, because guys are going to be coached to be where they are supposed to be and do what theyre supposed to do." With Cutler out, Chicago is bringing in Jordan Palmer to back up McCown. The Bears were one injury away from having receiver Earl Bennett line up behind centre because they only carry two quarterbacks. Emery said that wont change. He also said the Bears are looking to bring in a veteran with Briggs injured. And just for the record, Brian Urlacher is not a candidate. Emery shot down that idea, pointing out that the former star middle linebacker filed his retirement papers before the season and received his termination pay. He also said the Bears wont make a trade simply because of the injuries, even though they have some big holes to fill. They lost defensive tackle Henry Melton, his replacement, Nate Collins, and middle linebacker D.J. Williams to season-ending knee injuries. With Briggs out, rookie Jon Bostic or veteran James Anderson figure to call plays and rookie Khaseem Greene will likely get more playing time. "Weve worked trades here the last couple of weeks, we just havent found the correct combination of value and player exchange," Emery said. NOTE: To make room for Palmer, Emery said the Bears released TE Steve Maneri. Nike Sneakers Clearance Sale . Perhaps as important, shes sending a message to 17-year-old gold medal favourite Sara Takanashi of Japan. Iraschko-Stolz relegated Takanashi, who has 10 World Cup victories this season, to second place in two of three training jumps Saturday. Buy Nike Sneakers Wholesale . 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Ancelotti says "Gareth had some problems at the beginning (of the season) but when he found good physical condition he scored a lot of goals, he had a good impact on the team.HOUSTON -- Bill OBrien got a bit antsy as his introductory press conference with the Houston Texans started to drag on and a question was posed about how much he knows about his new team. "Ive got a lot of work to do on this team and the sooner that I can get back to my office and start that work, itll be better," he said straight-faced as the rest of the room erupted in laughter. Less than two years after replacing Joe Paterno as coach at Penn State, the 44-year-old OBrien has returned to the NFL as coach of the Houston Texans. He was an offensive assistant under Bill Belichick at New England from 2007-12, but the Penn State job was his first as a head coach. Now he gets the Texans, who spiraled to an NFL-worst 2-14 record last season. "He showed that he has the ability to step into difficult situations and turn them around," Houston owner Bob McNair said. "He did that at Penn State under very difficult circumstances and did an outstanding job there. We expect to see good things happen immediately." OBrien was 15-9 at Penn State, hit hard by NCAA sanctions levied for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal that cost the late Paterno his job. He takes over for Gary Kubiak, who was fired with three games left in the Texans dismal season. Despite Houstons collapse, many believe it is a plum position because the Texans have many talented pieces in place and could make a quick turnaround. Houston won consecutive AFC South titles before this years disaster. OBrien said he planned to meet with Houstons assistant coaches on Friday and begin making decisions on who will make up his staff. After his first season at Penn State, OBrien interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns, among others, only to stay in State College. This time the lure of the NFL was too strong to resist. "I do regret not being able to continue with the great kids on that team," OBrien said. "While I tried never to mislead anyone, I understand that some people feel let down. But again, it was a decision that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me." He said an attractive aspect of this job was Houstons world-class medical centre. OBriens 11-year-old son Jack cant walk or talk because of a rare neurological disorder that also causes seizures. Almost exactly two years ago, OBrien fidgeted with a water bottle while taking questions from reporters at his introductory news conference at Penn State. He said then that he couldnt wait to get going, and he feels that way in Houston, too. The first-time NFL head coach was relaxed and confident throughout most of his first press confereence in Houston.dddddddddddd He did squirm a little when asked about his lack of ties to Texas in following Houston native Kubiak, and stammered some when asked about his infamous sideline blowout with Tom Brady in New England. He escaped the first question by saying he was going to buy his first pair of cowboy boots after the press conference. As for the second issue -- he downplayed the screaming match that ended with other coaches pulling OBrien away. "These things happen," he said. "There was a camera on it which I feel bad about, but what people dont understand about that was 30 seconds after that was over, we were sitting together looking at the pictures ... that quickly passed." OBrien follows Dom Capers, who led the team from its expansion season in 2002, and Kubiak as the only coaches in Texans history. Like Kubiak, OBrien is known as a quarterback guru, which will be important for a team searching for a solution after veteran Matt Schaub had a terrible season and lost his job to Case Keenum, who also struggled. OBrien has almost exclusively coached offence with a focus on quarterbacks, though he was a defensive end and linebacker while at Brown. "Its a job thats never-ending," he said of coaching quarterbacks. "Its a job that you can always improve if you like coaching quarterbacks and its a lot of fun to do." Houston has the top overall draft pick and could use it on a one of a trio of talented signal-callers who could be available. Louisvilles Teddy Bridgewater, 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M and Fresno States Derek Carr, younger brother of Houstons first-ever draft pick, David Carr, are the top-rated quarterbacks expected to be in the draft. "If we wound up with a young quarterback, wed probably bring in a veteran so we dont have to depend on that rookie," McNair said. "Thats tough putting a rookie in there and expecting them to be able play right off the bat. Thereve been a couple of them that have done it but a number of them didnt do so well. I think having that veteran presence is important." Houston has had the first pick in the draft two other times, choosing Carr in 2002 and defensive end Mario Williams in 2006. "The defensive player worked out better than the offensive player," McNair said with a laugh. "But that wont lock us into anything. Theres always a possibility. (General manager) Rick (Smith) and the coaches will trade around. Maybe well trade down and still get a quarterback that can do the job and get an outstanding defensive player." 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