LAKE FOREST, Ill. – With the Bears offense struggling to score points, coach Lovie Smith vowed Monday to get speedy playmakers Devin Hester and Greg Olsen more involved in the game plan.

The former Miami teammates brought an explosive element to the offense in training camp, but they’ve been used sparingly in the Bears’ first four games. Hester’s 3-yard catch in Sunday’s 37-27 loss to the Detroit Lions was his first of the season, while Olsen has two receptions for 28 yards.

Devin Hester is the only Bears player with more than one TD this season.

Hester’s role on offense has been limited in part because he’s been expending so much energy on special teams. On Sunday, he shattered his own Bears record by amassing 314 total return yards while averaging 31.3 yards on seven kickoff returns and 19.0 yards on five punt returns.

Hester’s two touchdowns on a 97-yard kickoff return against Detroit and a 73-yard punt return versus Kansas City two weeks earlier account for one-third of the Bears’ team total this season.

“Devin is doing quite a bit in the return game,” Smith said. “We’re not getting the production we need on the offensive side. We’ll just look to try to get him more involved in the offense.

“I know I’ve said that before. But it’s becoming more and more obvious that we can’t just talk about it, we have to do it. I’ll just say that you’ll see Devin Hester more on the offensive side of the ball.”

The Bears are easing Olsen back into the lineup after he missed the first two games with a sprained knee sustained in the preseason finale. The first-round draft pick played only 10 of 80 snaps Sunday in Detroit after practicing without restrictions for the second straight week.

“Obviously everybody feels that they can contribute,” Olsen said. “But that’s not in my control. I just have to continue to practice hard and show them that I’m ready to contribute.”

Out the door: The Bears on Monday terminated the contract of fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo. The 6-2, 230-pounder signed with Chicago June 12 after playing eight seasons with the Baltimore Ravens (1999-2001), Miami Dolphins (2003) and Arizona Cardinals (2004-06). 

The older brother of Bears special teams standout Brendon Ayanbadejo just completed a four-game suspension for violating the NFL policy on steroids and related substances. He tested positive for a banned substance that he had ingested in an over-the-counter supplement.

Candid coach: Smith reaffirmed his commitment to Brian Griese Monday, saying “Brian is our quarterback, yes.” But the coach had few positive things to say about any aspect of the Bears offense one day after Sunday’s loss to the Lions.

“I just think it’s hard to find a lot of good in anything you do if you lose the game,” Smith said. “That’s not the type of effort we need to have from any of our team, me on down. To talk about good things really is pretty hard on a day like today.”

Immediately after the defeat, Smith was as candid about the Bears’ struggles as he’s ever been in a post-game press conference. “Offensively again we didn’t get a lot done—running game-wise, passing game,” he said. “There’s not a lot of positive things for me to talk about really.”

High five: Sunday marked the first time in Bears history that five different players caught at least five passes in a game. The group included Bernard Berrian (8 receptions for 99 yards), Desmond Clark (7-44), Muhsin Muhammad (5-49), Rashied Davis (5-38) and Cedric Benson (5-24).

Numbers game: Griese’s 34 completions Sunday tied the team record set by Jim Miller on Nov. 14, 1999 against the Minnesota Vikings. … The Lions set an NFL record by scoring 34 points in the fourth quarter, the most the Bears have ever permitted in one period in team history. The only other time the Bears allowed more than 30 points in a quarter was in 1985 when the Dolphins dealt the eventual Super Bowl champions their only loss by tallying 31 points in the second quarter en route to a 38-24 win. ... The Bears committed 14 penalties Sunday, matching their total from their first three games.