Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said he was shocked the NFL fined him $10,000 for flipping the ball to a defender during a victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 25 and he plans to appeal.

"I was shocked by that one. I didn't see that one coming," Cutler said Monday on "The Jay Cutler Show" on ESPN 1000. "I think we're going to appeal that and go through the process."

And what exactly is "the process?"

"You call up the same people that fined you and ask them to think about it," Cutler joked. "It's a unique process."

With the Bears leading 7-3 in the first quarter of a 28-10 victory, Cutler scrambled for 5 yards and elected not to slide, stiff-arming the Vikings' A.J. Jefferson before being forced out of bounds at the Minnesota 18-yard line. On his way back to the huddle Cutler flipped the ball to Jefferson which drew a 15-yard penalty for taunting.

The penalty backed the Bears up to the Vikings' 28-yard line and turned a drive with touchdown potential into a 47-yard field goal by Robbie Gould.

The Vikings game proved costly for several Bears. Linebacker Brian Urlacher was fined $15,750 for a
horse-collar tackle on the Vikings' Adrian Peterson, defensive tackle Henry Melton was fined $7,875 for grabbing Peterson's facemask and receiver/kick returner Eric Weems was also fined $7,875 for unnecessary roughness.