LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Reading between the lines is hardly necessary anymore.

Even when the Chicago Bears win and the offense works, it is increasingly obvious that Mike Martz doesn't and that the team is likely to make still another change at offensive coordinator after the season.

Jay Cutler seemed to struggle to dole out any credit to offensive coordinator Mike Martz for Sunday's game plan. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Jay Cutler was not very subtle when he deflected praise from Martz after the Bears' 39-10 victory over the hapless Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, saying there were "a lot of people involved" in simplifying the game plan, naming pretty much everyone but Martz.

"When we are smart about it and do the things we did [Sunday night], we are more than likely going to be successful," Cutler said.

And then there was the even blunter comment, picked up partly by the on-field microphone after Devin Hester dropped a Cutler pass on second-and-7 from the Minnesota 32 with 49 seconds remaining in the first half.

After breaking the huddle for the next play, Cutler turned in the direction of the sideline clearly disgusted and was heard swearing, leading to speculation he was openly frustrated with Martz.

"It's not that difficult," Cutler said later of the decision to add more play-action and let him go from a seven-step drop to a five-step drop in order to get the ball out quicker and avoid great bodily harm. "We need to be very judicious going forward with what we can and can't do."

The irony is that the more efficient the Bears' offense becomes, the more obvious it is that Martz, whose contract runs out after this season, should not be the one running it. After turning down a contract extension without a raise this past offseason, he appears as good as gone when this season is over.

It might become a bit sticky if the Bears were to somehow make the playoffs. But even in that case, expect a lowball offer from general manager Jerry Angelo, who wanted to name Mike Tice the offensive coordinator before Lovie Smith convinced him to hire Martz and make Tice the line coach.

A new offensive coordinator would be Cutler's fourth in five years. But the most seamless and predictable move would be to promote Tice, who in addition to serving as a head coach in Minnesota, was instrumental in the Jaguars' productive run game which ranked 10th in the league in total offense and third in rushing in 2009 as Jacksonville's assistant head coach/tight ends coach from 2006 to 2009.