Why the Bears should stick with Cutler

[jason]

 

WK1 vs Buffalo: 1 of 2 mixup as Cutler throws short and Bennett goes long

WK4 vs Packers: 1 of 2 mixup as Marshall runs the stop and go, while Cutler throws the comeback.

WK6 vs Dolphins: 1 of 1 (starts at 0:22) as the WR runs deep and Cutler throws the comeback.

WK7 vs Patriots: 1 of 1, as it was a nonsense, end of half hail mary.

WK10 vs Packers: 1 of 2, a completely ridiculously unfortunate situation where the ball hits Long in the helmet, bounces right over Forte's hands, and to a streaking defender.

WK11 vs Vikings: 2 of 2. Cutler threw a stop or curl route to Bennett, and Bennett, who didn't read the blitz, continued on the post. And the other INT was with time dwindling in the first half, where, realistically, the next pass would have had to be a Hail Mary anyway.

WK13 vs Lions: 1 of 2, as the last one was a meaningless INT in the back of the endzone on the final play of the game.

WK14 vs Cowboys: 1 of 1, what do you know, another end of game INT. Granted, this one would have kept hope of a dying man alive, but I guess it was possible to get the onside kick afterwards (even though the Cowboys would have been expecting it since it would have been the third of the game), and then drive the field for another TD with about a minute left.

WK15 vs Saints: 2 of 3, as one INT hits Bennett right in the hands and gets tipped, and another is, big shocker, a late half heave, where there is also miscommunication

 

 

So that's 4 on pure miscommunication, 4 on late half/game heaves, 2 tipped passes (only one of which could really be put on Jay), and 1 that is both miscommunication and late heave.

 

If the receivers and Jay were on the same sheet of music, let's say half of those miscommunications are not INTs. And let's say Jay plays it safe and decides not to risk stats at the end of the half/game. That's 6 or 7 less INTs. I'm guessing 28TDs and 11INTs would be acceptable to most.

 

Jay Cutler is not the problem, he is only a drop in a bucket of problems. He's just not good enough to overcome all the problems. Who is? Maybe 3 or 4 guys in the NFL? Again, Jay Cutler is not the problem.

 

[CrackerDog]

Cutler is not the problem, he is only a drop in a bucket of problems. He's just not good enough to overcome all the problems. Who is? Maybe 3 or 4 guys in the NFL? Again, Jay Cutler is not the problem.

 

Ha! You're asking for it bubba. Lot's of Cutler hate here.

 

As far as your analysis is concerned, you make a lot of good points. My issue with Jay is more one of leadership than stats. I know I shouldn't read so much into the way he carries himself on the field but it just translates, to me, into "I don't care" or "I've given up".

 

As I've said, I can go either way on this. I want the right GM/HC hired and then let them make the decision on Jay. I see very little likelihood Jay isn't at QB for the Bears next year. And I think there's a chance, with the right system, Jay can be very successful. Certainly that's my hope.

 

['TD']

And if elephants flew, we could get rich off of steel umbrellas...

 

If we dismiss 7 of Cutler's INT's and 6 fumbles, his stats would look nice. Brilliant.

 

Ooo... How about if we ignore his poor mechanics, inability to work through progressions, inability to read a defense or audible, poor decision making, dependence on tall wall WR's that can out jump their defenders, staring down WR's, and anything else negative, then we add in some leadership skills, then he'll be an awesome QB.

[jason]

And if elephants flew, we could get rich off of steel umbrellas...

 

If we dismiss 7 of Cutler's INT's and 6 fumbles, his stats would look nice. Brilliant.

 

Ooo... How about if we ignore his poor mechanics, inability to work through progressions, inability to read a defense or audible, poor decision making, dependence on tall wall WR's that can out jump their defenders, staring down WR's, and anything else negative, then we add in some leadership skills, then he'll be an awesome QB.

 

How about instead you open your mind and actually look at what I posted? Or better yet, look at the plays in the links I provided. It's easy to forget through the course of the season how each INT happens. Of course it's revisionist history, but the fact remains that at least 5 of his INTs were garbage time, and he didn't have to throw them. And 5 others could be entirely the fault of the receiver on the play - not that we'd know because Jay won't sell them out.

 

I am not excusing any of the other stuff you mentioned, but the stats, which are used primarily against Jay, could be a lot better through no real fault of his own.

 

Cutler is not the main problem with the Bears. He is not Rodgers, Manning, or Brady, but he's in that next tier if the team around him doesn't suck.

[Chitownhustla]

How about instead you open your mind and actually look at what I posted? Or better yet, look at the plays in the links I provided. It's easy to forget through the course of the season how each INT happens. Of course it's revisionist history, but the fact remains that at least 5 of his INTs were garbage time, and he didn't have to throw them. And 5 others could be entirely the fault of the receiver on the play - not that we'd know because Jay won't sell them out.

 

I am not excusing any of the other stuff you mentioned, but the stats, which are used primarily against Jay, could be a lot better through no real fault of his own.

 

Cutler is not the main problem with the Bears. He is not Rodgers, Manning, or Brady, but he's in that next tier if the team around him doesn't suck.

 

 

I agree with what you are saying. But dont waste your time trying to convince TD. He refuses to see the other side. I agree with TD- Jay is overpaid and NOT an Elite QB but you can win with him.

 

 

Cutler is most likely in that 10-15 range ranking of QB's. The problem is the Bears paid him like a top 5 and everyone in Chicago wants him to be a top 5 QB, he is just not so most people are pissed.

 

 

I sooooo wanted Jay to be an Elite QB, the Bears have never had one in my life time. Im still pissed that all he is not.

 

 

The Bears biggest issues in no particular order:

1. Coaching- they have been fired, I really dont think you can do any worse than Trestman and Tucker.

2. Talent on the D- GM was fired, hopefully the new GM is better- Emery had some nice picks but he lacked in other areas.

3. Undisciplined football - blown coverage, miscommunications, stupid penalties.....see number 1

4. Poor play calling/scheme- offense was predictable, pass heavy.....see one number 1 (best part is Trestman said they would run more every week and failed to do it)

5. Coaches lost the locker room- see number 1

6. Ted Phillips- need I say more

 

 

You can blame Cutler all you want, he didnt call the plays except for some audibles, he didn't coach the SP Teams, he didn't coach the Defense and he didn't cause all the stupid personalities(maybe a couple tho).

 

 

 

 

 

[madlithuanian]

I'm pretty much right there with ya C-Dog.

 

jason made some great points, and on paper it doesn't look as bad as when it's actually watched.

 

Cutler, to me, just doesn't seem to have "it". He does not appear to be a leader of men. He's got the skills, but not the x factor. Jimmy Mac had it.

 

I think we will have him next year, so we should attempt to make the most of it... But I think we should draft prospects every season until we find the guy...

 

Ha! You're asking for it bubba. Lot's of Cutler hate here.

 

As far as your analysis is concerned, you make a lot of good points. My issue with Jay is more one of leadership than stats. I know I shouldn't read so much into the way he carries himself on the field but it just translates, to me, into "I don't care" or "I've given up".

 

As I've said, I can go either way on this. I want the right GM/HC hired and then let them make the decision on Jay. I see very little likelihood Jay isn't at QB for the Bears next year. And I think there's a chance, with the right system, Jay can be very successful. Certainly that's my hope.

 

[Chitownhustla]

I'm pretty much right there with ya C-Dog.

 

jason made some great points, and on paper it doesn't look as bad as when it's actually watched.

 

Cutler, to me, just doesn't seem to have "it". He does not appear to be a leader of men. He's got the skills, but not the x factor. Jimmy Mac had it.

 

I think we will have him next year, so we should attempt to make the most of it... But I think we should draft prospects every season until we find the guy...

 

 

Mongo posted a little about Jay the leader from someone inside the locker room; http://www.talkbears.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10529

 

 

No one really knows what type of leader he is unless you are on the team or coaching the team. I know his demeanor is not the best on the field but it doesnt mean he is not a good leader.

 

Now what Mongo posted is only from 1 player, I would be interested in what others have to say.

 

 

I agree with you, they need to try to find THEE guy every year until they do.

 

 

 

[adam]

I agree Cutler is not the biggest problem, but he remains part of it. When evaluating INTs, you almost have to look at all attempts versus just INTs. Cutler had some INT's that were definitely not his fault, but he also had a bunch of near miss INTs that should've been INTs (dropped by defender). So in the end it almost evens out. If you look at Cutler holistically, he has some serious flaws and actually took a step backwards this year (for some reason), but in the end still remains a viable option at QB.

 

One of the biggest things was with expectation management. Everyone expected a huge year from him and the offense this year and the consistency was not there. Some have pointed to the fact that Cutler had the ability to audible out of plays and switch from run to pass or pass to run at the line, and this led to most of the confusion this season. So as the season went on, teams just showed a certain front to initiate the audible, only to drop into the coverage needed for the expected play. The team also had a bunch of pre-snap penalties that can be linked to these line calls. Not that any of the audibles were right or wrong, they just added a layer of complexity to the offense that seemed to be one of the roots of the problem.

 

To Cutler's defense, the offense play calling was horrible. Even when there was no audible, the offense was never in rhythm. I also believe the team had a bunch of dropped passes that were legit drops and not necessarily bad passes.

 

In the end, I still believe we can win with a Cutler-caliber QB, but not unless the defense gets back to at least a respectable level and the Special Teams doesn't pin us behind the 20 every drive.

[CrackerDog]

Cutler, to me, just doesn't seem to have "it". He does not appear to be a leader of men.

 

Yep, they're called intangibles for a reason. You can't quite put your finger on a stat to show what you're seeing but you're eyes aren't lying.

 

I was a big Cutler backer during most of the wars here about QB. I still hope he does something for this franchise but if they cut bait in the next few months I'm ready to move on. Jay isn't going to break my heart, one way or the other. But the proof is really in the results we've seen and I want a guy, no matter how bad things are going, who goes out there and grabs the team by the balls and wills them to victory. If not victory, at least to keep giving it 110%. That hasn't been Jay and I'm not sure if he's got it in him anymore. I think Jay would be good to great with a team that didn't need to rely on him as much as the Bears have had to under Trestman. That D and ST was firkin horrible!

 

So, I guess we'll see. The next few weeks will really determine if he's around for the season next year. As the pieces fall into place, we'll know more about whether the new HC is a believer in Jay. And we'll also learn if other teams are willing to offer a trade for Jay. Frankly if teams expect the Bears to eat a portion of the contract I think we'll be watching Jay with the new HC (or his OC) calling the plays. And at that point, I'm going to be hoping like hell that Jason was right in having faith in Jay for another season. We all will.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

WK1 vs Buffalo: 1 of 2 mixup as Cutler throws short and Bennett goes long

WK4 vs Packers: 1 of 2 mixup as Marshall runs the stop and go, while Cutler throws the comeback.

WK6 vs Dolphins: 1 of 1 (starts at 0:22) as the WR runs deep and Cutler throws the comeback.

WK7 vs Patriots: 1 of 1, as it was a nonsense, end of half hail mary.

WK10 vs Packers: 1 of 2, a completely ridiculously unfortunate situation where the ball hits Long in the helmet, bounces right over Forte's hands, and to a streaking defender.

WK11 vs Vikings: 2 of 2. Cutler threw a stop or curl route to Bennett, and Bennett, who didn't read the blitz, continued on the post. And the other INT was with time dwindling in the first half, where, realistically, the next pass would have had to be a Hail Mary anyway.

WK13 vs Lions: 1 of 2, as the last one was a meaningless INT in the back of the endzone on the final play of the game.

WK14 vs Cowboys: 1 of 1, what do you know, another end of game INT. Granted, this one would have kept hope of a dying man alive, but I guess it was possible to get the onside kick afterwards (even though the Cowboys would have been expecting it since it would have been the third of the game), and then drive the field for another TD with about a minute left.

WK15 vs Saints: 2 of 3, as one INT hits Bennett right in the hands and gets tipped, and another is, big shocker, a late half heave, where there is also miscommunication

 

 

So that's 4 on pure miscommunication, 4 on late half/game heaves, 2 tipped passes (only one of which could really be put on Jay), and 1 that is both miscommunication and late heave.

 

If the receivers and Jay were on the same sheet of music, let's say half of those miscommunications are not INTs. And let's say Jay plays it safe and decides not to risk stats at the end of the half/game. That's 6 or 7 less INTs. I'm guessing 28TDs and 11INTs would be acceptable to most.

 

Jay Cutler is not the problem, he is only a drop in a bucket of problems. He's just not good enough to overcome all the problems. Who is? Maybe 3 or 4 guys in the NFL? Again, Jay Cutler is not the problem.

The question I have is who are these miscommunications on? Are they all because of inept coaching? Or are they also because of a QB who can't get on the same page with his players, etc. I think we were very undisciplined and a lot of that fell on Trestman but you can't ignore your leader. Poor coaching or not, I don't see near the miscommunications from a lot of the other QB's in the league. Yes, they have had more experience with systems, etc, but after so many years of seeing it, I wonder how much of this is on Jay.

 

That is a rhetorical question as none of us know that answer. We aren't observing the practices and ultimately we don't know what the play call was and what the read was, either. We just don't have that sort of information. I was a Jay apologist for years and I still think all of the points were valid during that time. However, with as large of a sample size that is out there, I think if he had more "upstairs", we wouldn't see these issues. As Dilfer has said, some of the mistakes Jay makes, a high school QB would have been able to figure out.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Ha! You're asking for it bubba. Lot's of Cutler hate here.

 

As far as your analysis is concerned, you make a lot of good points. My issue with Jay is more one of leadership than stats. I know I shouldn't read so much into the way he carries himself on the field but it just translates, to me, into "I don't care" or "I've given up".

 

As I've said, I can go either way on this. I want the right GM/HC hired and then let them make the decision on Jay. I see very little likelihood Jay isn't at QB for the Bears next year. And I think there's a chance, with the right system, Jay can be very successful. Certainly that's my hope.

I think it turns out on the field. He just isn't a born leader and the combination of him and a head coach who wasn't, along with some difficult personalities, made for a horrific combination.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

How about instead you open your mind and actually look at what I posted? Or better yet, look at the plays in the links I provided. It's easy to forget through the course of the season how each INT happens. Of course it's revisionist history, but the fact remains that at least 5 of his INTs were garbage time, and he didn't have to throw them. And 5 others could be entirely the fault of the receiver on the play - not that we'd know because Jay won't sell them out.

 

I am not excusing any of the other stuff you mentioned, but the stats, which are used primarily against Jay, could be a lot better through no real fault of his own.

 

Cutler is not the main problem with the Bears. He is not Rodgers, Manning, or Brady, but he's in that next tier if the team around him doesn't suck.

The real question is, how much does it happen with other teams too. And I agree with you that he is in that next tier and you can win with him if you have a good team around him. I also think it is absurd to take a QB who is more turnover prone and ask him to drop back 50 times a game while rarely handing the football off. That was just absurd and put the QB in even worse position.

['TD']

How about instead you open your mind and actually look at what I posted? Or better yet, look at the plays in the links I provided. It's easy to forget through the course of the season how each INT happens. Of course it's revisionist history, but the fact remains that at least 5 of his INTs were garbage time, and he didn't have to throw them. And 5 others could be entirely the fault of the receiver on the play - not that we'd know because Jay won't sell them out.

 

I am not excusing any of the other stuff you mentioned, but the stats, which are used primarily against Jay, could be a lot better through no real fault of his own.

 

Cutler is not the main problem with the Bears. He is not Rodgers, Manning, or Brady, but he's in that next tier if the team around him doesn't suck.

I didn't see the point in arguing each video and INT. If you were making a logical argument that maybe 5 turn overs wasn't his fault, and that mattered, then I would taken your argument more seriously. However, you are dismissing two third's of Cutler's turnovers (16 of 24 turnovers). You completely ignored the 6 fumbles, placing the blame on 5 int's on the receivers, and 5 on "garbage time". That's such a reach, what's a point in addressing each one?

 

I looked at some of the links, and saw them when they happened. The Buffalo one, it wasn't just a bad communication. it was a bad decision. I think it was Greg Cosell that had an in depth breakdown of why it was a throw that shouldn't even happened. Graham came out after the game saying he knew he just had to watch Cutler's eyes.

 

Garbage time INt's aren't always irrelevant, imho. The Patriot's one, yes that is one that really doesn't matter. You placed the Cowboy's one in the same grouping. It's first down, 1:30 in the game, and he just made a bad play. If we are going to dismiss the Cowboys ones, then we have to dismiss TD's in the same situation, and it all get's convoluted.

 

The main problem with the Bears is the drafting. Angelo drafted poorly, and left the team with little talent on both sides of the ball. Emery made some nice additions through free agency, but also drafted poorly and left the team with bad contracts. The next biggest problem with the team is the coaching.

 

Both of those problems are being addressed at this moment.

 

Looking at the roster, Cutler is the biggest problem imho. No one position effects a team more than QB. It's also the hardest position to fill. The biggest lack of talent on the team is safety. If you replace Chris Conte with Earl Thomas, it's not going to be as big of a difference as replacing Cutler with Russell Wilson that is in the 10-15 range ppl are claiming Cutler is in.

[jason]

I agree with what you are saying. But dont waste your time trying to convince TD. He refuses to see the other side. I agree with TD- Jay is overpaid and NOT an Elite QB but you can win with him.

 

Cutler is most likely in that 10-15 range ranking of QB's. The problem is the Bears paid him like a top 5 and everyone in Chicago wants him to be a top 5 QB, he is just not so most people are pissed.

 

I sooooo wanted Jay to be an Elite QB, the Bears have never had one in my life time. Im still pissed that all he is not.

 

I completely agree with that sentiment. I didn't like his contract at all. Overpaid. However, he is far and away the best QB the Bears have had for quite some time. Maybe my lifetime.

 

[jason]

The question I have is who are these miscommunications on? Are they all because of inept coaching? Or are they also because of a QB who can't get on the same page with his players, etc. I think we were very undisciplined and a lot of that fell on Trestman but you can't ignore your leader. Poor coaching or not, I don't see near the miscommunications from a lot of the other QB's in the league. Yes, they have had more experience with systems, etc, but after so many years of seeing it, I wonder how much of this is on Jay.

 

That is a rhetorical question as none of us know that answer. We aren't observing the practices and ultimately we don't know what the play call was and what the read was, either. We just don't have that sort of information. I was a Jay apologist for years and I still think all of the points were valid during that time. However, with as large of a sample size that is out there, I think if he had more "upstairs", we wouldn't see these issues. As Dilfer has said, some of the mistakes Jay makes, a high school QB would have been able to figure out.

 

I agree with the ideas of placing blame. But I'm not willing to place them on Jay.

 

By all accounts he is very smart. But this year was the first year I can ever remember, for any pro team, where there were so many passes that went left where a receiver went right, or some variation like that.

 

Problem is, nobody will throw the other under the bus, and we just don't know if the receiver ran the wrong way, or Jay threw the wrong way. But since Jay is under the pressure of 5 men the size of gorillas who are trying to kill him, and the receiver is trying to outmaneuver a 200lb DB who is barely allowed to touch him, I'm going to err on Jay's side of the equation. His decision should trump the receiver's decision on those 50/50 reads.

[jason]

I didn't see the point in arguing each video and INT. If you were making a logical argument that maybe 5 turn overs wasn't his fault, and that mattered, then I would taken your argument more seriously. However, you are dismissing two third's of Cutler's turnovers (16 of 24 turnovers). You completely ignored the 6 fumbles, placing the blame on 5 int's on the receivers, and 5 on "garbage time". That's such a reach, what's a point in addressing each one?

 

 

And if you've looked at those videos honestly, yet still think the argument is a reach, then you're too far gone into the Cutler hatred to be reached. There is a compelling argument in each and every video link. Even if you disagree on one or two of those INTs, the rest remain iffy at best.

 

He's not nearly as bad as people try to make him out to be. The Bears can, and should win with him, especially considering the contract. They need to draft better, fix the OL so he has time to throw, and fix the defense so the Bears can actually win time of possession or at least flip the field every once in a while.

 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I agree with the ideas of placing blame. But I'm not willing to place them on Jay.

 

By all accounts he is very smart. But this year was the first year I can ever remember, for any pro team, where there were so many passes that went left where a receiver went right, or some variation like that.

 

Problem is, nobody will throw the other under the bus, and we just don't know if the receiver ran the wrong way, or Jay threw the wrong way. But since Jay is under the pressure of 5 men the size of gorillas who are trying to kill him, and the receiver is trying to outmaneuver a 200lb DB who is barely allowed to touch him, I'm going to err on Jay's side of the equation. His decision should trump the receiver's decision on those 50/50 reads.

I think the issue is, as Dilfer / Steve Young have pointed out, by all accounts, he's smart and doing everything right Monday - Saturday. However, in game situations, he doesn't display the in-game smarts. I think it is more that his quick-twitch reflex decision is not smart where as his film decision is smart. By all accounts the last two years he has really changed how he has handled his business (prior to that he didn't do what it took on Monday - Saturday and relied more on his pure skills)...however, the results on the field haven't necessarily translated. Could it...certainly, but I think the better question is, whether we are comfortable with Jay in the lockeroom and who he is and are okay managing him. If you do that, I think you have a guy that on the right team is a top 5-10 QB. If you don't, than sure, he could spiral out and be a 15-20 QB.

 

How the Bears handled him this past year and what happened with Trestman was just an utter disaster though. I've heard numerous people talk about how you could call every play the Bears would run from the press box, based upon the formation, distance, and downs. That is truly pathetic and that is 1000% on our coaches.

 

I also think the crappy oline played a part but I also think we ruined Jay by not investing in his protection early in his career. By the time we did it, he had already been ruined by years of running for his life (kind of like how the Texans ruined David Carr).

[madlithuanian]

I did read that. However, all that doesn't appear to translate on the field. I'm simply looking at results and what I see. The results aren't there, and there doesn't appear to be a tremendous amount of communication between Ctuelr and other players on the sideline.

 

Part of being a good leader isn't that you're the popular kid. It's that you get results. All the players could like him. But the results aren't there. There are very few comeback wins on his resume. Especially when down more than a TD. At least to me best recollection.

 

I've just seen enough from Cutler to get the feeling he's not the one. He can be the filler for a year or 2 while we find the one...but that's about it.

 

Mongo posted a little about Jay the leader from someone inside the locker room; http://www.talkbears.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10529

 

 

No one really knows what type of leader he is unless you are on the team or coaching the team. I know his demeanor is not the best on the field but it doesnt mean he is not a good leader.

 

Now what Mongo posted is only from 1 player, I would be interested in what others have to say.

 

 

I agree with you, they need to try to find THEE guy every year until they do.

 

[madlithuanian]

I'm right there with ya.

 

I really thought and wanted him to be the guy. I think he can be useful for another year...maybe 2 depending. But, I just don't see him as the man.

 

Yep, they're called intangibles for a reason. You can't quite put your finger on a stat to show what you're seeing but you're eyes aren't lying.

 

I was a big Cutler backer during most of the wars here about QB. I still hope he does something for this franchise but if they cut bait in the next few months I'm ready to move on. Jay isn't going to break my heart, one way or the other. But the proof is really in the results we've seen and I want a guy, no matter how bad things are going, who goes out there and grabs the team by the balls and wills them to victory. If not victory, at least to keep giving it 110%. That hasn't been Jay and I'm not sure if he's got it in him anymore. I think Jay would be good to great with a team that didn't need to rely on him as much as the Bears have had to under Trestman. That D and ST was firkin horrible!

 

So, I guess we'll see. The next few weeks will really determine if he's around for the season next year. As the pieces fall into place, we'll know more about whether the new HC is a believer in Jay. And we'll also learn if other teams are willing to offer a trade for Jay. Frankly if teams expect the Bears to eat a portion of the contract I think we'll be watching Jay with the new HC (or his OC) calling the plays. And at that point, I'm going to be hoping like hell that Jason was right in having faith in Jay for another season. We all will.

 

[madlithuanian]

great thoughts...

 

I agree Cutler is not the biggest problem, but he remains part of it. When evaluating INTs, you almost have to look at all attempts versus just INTs. Cutler had some INT's that were definitely not his fault, but he also had a bunch of near miss INTs that should've been INTs (dropped by defender). So in the end it almost evens out. If you look at Cutler holistically, he has some serious flaws and actually took a step backwards this year (for some reason), but in the end still remains a viable option at QB.

 

One of the biggest things was with expectation management. Everyone expected a huge year from him and the offense this year and the consistency was not there. Some have pointed to the fact that Cutler had the ability to audible out of plays and switch from run to pass or pass to run at the line, and this led to most of the confusion this season. So as the season went on, teams just showed a certain front to initiate the audible, only to drop into the coverage needed for the expected play. The team also had a bunch of pre-snap penalties that can be linked to these line calls. Not that any of the audibles were right or wrong, they just added a layer of complexity to the offense that seemed to be one of the roots of the problem.

 

To Cutler's defense, the offense play calling was horrible. Even when there was no audible, the offense was never in rhythm. I also believe the team had a bunch of dropped passes that were legit drops and not necessarily bad passes.

 

In the end, I still believe we can win with a Cutler-caliber QB, but not unless the defense gets back to at least a respectable level and the Special Teams doesn't pin us behind the 20 every drive.

 

['TD']

And if you've looked at those videos honestly, yet still think the argument is a reach, then you're too far gone into the Cutler hatred to be reached. There is a compelling argument in each and every video link. Even if you disagree on one or two of those INTs, the rest remain iffy at best.

 

He's not nearly as bad as people try to make him out to be. The Bears can, and should win with him, especially considering the contract. They need to draft better, fix the OL so he has time to throw, and fix the defense so the Bears can actually win time of possession or at least flip the field every once in a while.

Buffalo's: I already mentioned.

Packers: there's no route Marshall could have ran to make it a good throw.

Dolphins: I actually think Cutler was throwing to Bennett that was slowed down double covered and third guy got the ball

Patriots: that's fine, a hail mary is a hail mary, nothing wrong with that

Packers: it does suck it hit off Long's helmet, but he look at how Cutler threw it

Vikings: the one I could see, he was jumping backwards and forced it when he threw

Lions: May have been meaningless but Carey was wide open

Cowboys: Still had a chance to win, it was 1st down and a bad play by Cutler

Saints: First one is thrown behind Bennett, and should have just been uncatchable and an unpredictable INT. I have a link that actually below covering the play prior from Cosell, and gives a good critique of my Cutler and Trestman's offense wouldn't work.

Cosell article

 

 

I don't think that 5 int's over all being iffy or "not mattering" is nearly the same as the point you were trying to make. You were trying to take off 10 INTs of 18, plus ignoring the 6 fumbles. So yes, I think your arguement is a reach. The one's I agree with that are no big deal, are also in the other QB's in the league stats too. They don't get subtracted.

 

[jason]

Buffalo's: I already mentioned.

Packers: there's no route Marshall could have ran to make it a good throw. You gotta be kidding me. Did you not see the play? Cutler threw it EXACTLY where Marshall would have done a curl route.

Dolphins: I actually think Cutler was throwing to Bennett that was slowed down double covered and third guy got the ball Interesting. I don't see that at all. It looks like a soft spot under the safety, but I guess it could simply be an overthrow..

Patriots: that's fine, a hail mary is a hail mary, nothing wrong with that

Packers: it does suck it hit off Long's helmet, but he look at how Cutler threw it

Vikings: the one I could see, he was jumping backwards and forced it when he threw Does it matter how Cutler threw it if the TE ran the wrong route? The EZ view shows Cutler throwing it right where Bennett would have stopped and come back to the ball. Instead, Bennett goes deeper on the post. More than likely complete at that spot if Bennett turns on it.

Lions: May have been meaningless but Carey was wide open I won't argue that type of stuff. I don't think Cutler picks the right guy a lot of times.

Cowboys: Still had a chance to win, it was 1st down and a bad play by Cutler A VERY remote chance of winning. They were damn near in the hail mary stages.

Saints: First one is thrown behind Bennett, and should have just been uncatchable and an unpredictable INT. I have a link that actually below covering the play prior from Cosell, and gives a good critique of my Cutler and Trestman's offense wouldn't work.

Cosell article Again, arguing the proper reads and check-downs is something completely different.

 

I don't think that 5 int's over all being iffy or "not mattering" is nearly the same as the point you were trying to make. You were trying to take off 10 INTs of 18, plus ignoring the 6 fumbles. So yes, I think your arguement is a reach. The one's I agree with that are no big deal, are also in the other QB's in the league stats too. They don't get subtracted.

 

So, subtract 3 or 4. I'm not ignoring the fumbles, just isolating the interceptions since that's where everyone critiques him. You already know I think it's more like 11 or 12 INTs, which would be even better, but 28 TDs and 14 INTs with about 4K yards, from a harsh critic like yourself, is something I think we'd all take.

[adam]

Looking at the roster, Cutler is the biggest problem imho. No one position effects a team more than QB. It's also the hardest position to fill. The biggest lack of talent on the team is safety. If you replace Chris Conte with Earl Thomas, it's not going to be as big of a difference as replacing Cutler with Russell Wilson that is in the 10-15 range ppl are claiming Cutler is in.

Cutler is not the biggest problem, but you are right that the QB position has the most impact on the game. However, some other positions and impact players can have close to the same amount of impact on our team. Just think if we had JJ Watt? How about Suh in the middle? How about Kuechly as MLB?

 

The defense has allowed the most points in team history in back to back years. It has been historically bad and not even Wilson makes this magically a playoff team. Do we win a few more games with Wilson, sure, but we probably go 8-8 with him at the helm. We only lost 3 games when the defense allowed less than 30 (BUF, MIN, and MIA). Do you really think Seattle is a playoff team if they had our defense? I don't think so. However, I could easily see them still being a playoff team with Cutler at QB.

 

Besides our ridiculously bad defense (of all-time), we had one of the worst Special Teams units in football with us giving opponents the best field position in the league starting at the 32 and giving our offense the 7th worst starting position in the league at the 26. That is over 1000 yard difference over an entire season and about 64 yard swing per game.

['TD']

So, subtract 3 or 4. I'm not ignoring the fumbles, just isolating the interceptions since that's where everyone critiques him. You already know I think it's more like 11 or 12 INTs, which would be even better, but 28 TDs and 14 INTs with about 4K yards, from a harsh critic like yourself, is something I think we'd all take.

I wouldn't take that, because it's 20 turn overs. Plus, my criticism of Cutler isn't just based on int's or turn overs. It's a nonstat based opinion, but the stats back it up the further you delve into them.

 

On the first Packers INT, I just don't see what you see. I can't figure out the words to describe it, but I can't see how Marshall arrives at the ball given where he was, where the ball ended up, and the distance Marshall traveled from the release. Even if it was a miss communication on the route, the pass was under thrown and thrown late imho, and the CB had it all the way.

 

 

Cutler is not the biggest problem, but you are right that the QB position has the most impact on the game. However, some other positions and impact players can have close to the same amount of impact on our team. Just think if we had JJ Watt? How about Suh in the middle? How about Kuechly as MLB?

 

The defense has allowed the most points in team history in back to back years. It has been historically bad and not even Wilson makes this magically a playoff team. Do we win a few more games with Wilson, sure, but we probably go 8-8 with him at the helm. We only lost 3 games when the defense allowed less than 30 (BUF, MIN, and MIA). Do you really think Seattle is a playoff team if they had our defense? I don't think so. However, I could easily see them still being a playoff team with Cutler at QB.

 

Besides our ridiculously bad defense (of all-time), we had one of the worst Special Teams units in football with us giving opponents the best field position in the league starting at the 32 and giving our offense the 7th worst starting position in the league at the 26. That is over 1000 yard difference over an entire season and about 64 yard swing per game.

 

I think if you added Watt, Suh, or Kuechky on the Bears team that they would have won at best one more game. The defense just didn't have the talent. I do think even a Wilson level upgrade, that the Bears could have won 3 more as you said. I don't think they were a play off team either. I also don't think they will be next year, no matter who the quarterback is. That's part of the reason I want to see the transition done now.

 

Part of the D's problem, was the lack of offense. It obviously isn't their biggest problem, but when your offense isn't moving the ball or worse turn it over, it doesn't help a poorly talented and coached defense.

[adam]

I think the issue is, as Dilfer / Steve Young have pointed out, by all accounts, he's smart and doing everything right Monday - Saturday. However, in game situations, he doesn't display the in-game smarts. I think it is more that his quick-twitch reflex decision is not smart where as his film decision is smart. By all accounts the last two years he has really changed how he has handled his business (prior to that he didn't do what it took on Monday - Saturday and relied more on his pure skills)...however, the results on the field haven't necessarily translated. Could it...certainly, but I think the better question is, whether we are comfortable with Jay in the lockeroom and who he is and are okay managing him. If you do that, I think you have a guy that on the right team is a top 5-10 QB. If you don't, than sure, he could spiral out and be a 15-20 QB.

 

How the Bears handled him this past year and what happened with Trestman was just an utter disaster though. I've heard numerous people talk about how you could call every play the Bears would run from the press box, based upon the formation, distance, and downs. That is truly pathetic and that is 1000% on our coaches.

 

I also think the crappy oline played a part but I also think we ruined Jay by not investing in his protection early in his career. By the time we did it, he had already been ruined by years of running for his life (kind of like how the Texans ruined David Carr).

That is a pretty good analysis about practice versus game days, but I completely discount anything Dilfer says about playing football. He was arguably the worst QB to ever win a Super Bowl and I never understood why ESPN felt he had any credibility.

 

I agree about the OLine and lack of protection. Those ghosts are real, and Carr never truly recovered and had similar bad habits.