Jay Cutler is easily one of the most controversial players in the NFL. On one hand, he’s praised for his athletic ability, powerful arm, and even his QB rating in the fourth quarter. On the other hand, he throws picks, has an attitude problem, and he’s only led Chicago to one playoff berth in his five-year tenure. So, is Jay Cutler the quarterback that will lead the Bears to a Super Bowl? The answer is a resounding maybe.
No one’s denying Cutler’s athletic ability. His high school highlight reel is a fun watch if you want to see how he stacks up against mere mortals. My favorite is watching Cutty making those sweet picks on defense.
Thing is this athletic ability comes as a double-edged sword, see, Cutler has what I like to call Brett Favre Syndrome. He believes he can make any throw, which is good, a quarterback needs to be confident, but he has a tendency to force the ball, which results in a lot of interceptions. This is hardly news, he’s averaged fifteen picks a season since he’s been in Chicago, and that is considering all of the injuries he’s sustained in his career.
Over the past three seasons Cutler has missed at least four games due to injury, and in 2010 he went out in the NFC Championship game against the f***ing Green Bay Packers. There are plenty of scapegoats. In 2011 people blamed offensive coordinator Mike Martz for calling plays that put Cutler in danger. In 2012, the Bears offensive line was beyond pathetic. But Cutler went down again in 2013, this time for six weeks. The problem is, injuries culminate and they only get worse with time. The Bears survived last season because of veteran Josh McCown, but he’s been sent to the Tampa Bay Clockaneers.
Since Cutler’s been on the Bears roster, they’ve only made the playoffs once. So he’s a choke artist, right? Not quite. In 2012 Cutler had the best fourth quarter QB rating with 114.7. Last season he was seventh, but still stayed above a buck with 102.7. He’s also been praised for his toughness and tenacity. It really puts the perception that he doesn’t care into perspective.
Things are only looking up, too. Mark Trestman is a bona-fide quarter back guru, and many credit McCown’s excellent performance to Trestman’s influence. Cutler’s stats improved a bit in 2013, they were the best since he’s been in Chicago, But they missed the playoffs yet again which is especially infuriating considering it’s because they lost to the f****ing Green Bay Packers in Week 17.
The personnel on the Chicago Bears offense is the best it’s ever been. The Bears arguably have the best wide receiving tandem in the NFL with Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall; Matt Forte is one of the most reliable running backs in the league, and their o-line is heads and tails beyond where it was in 2012. Any quarterback would kill to get these players in their arsenal.
Cutler knows what he has in front of him. He signed a seven-year contract that is worth $126 million, but the plot thickens when we dig a little deeper. One of the contract’s clauses states that the Bears can revisit the agreements in four years. This means that they could kick Jay Cutler to the curb before the seven years are up. Jay even restructured again late March in a move that some believe freed up enough space to get Jared Allen on the roster.
Cutler’s bromantic partner Brandon Marshall has gone on the record saying that he’ll force the Bears to re-sign him. He even inferred that he’d take a pay cut if necessary, and it seems like Cutler is in the same boat. Cutler believes that the Bears give him the best shot at the Lombardi Trophy, and for the time being, it seems like the Bears believe the same thing.
The problem is, with Jay Cutler at the helm it only takes one play. One play could dash the hopes of an entire season. Whether Jay hurts himself, or throws a pivotal pick in the fourth quarter, the season could go down the drain with one play. This may sound a bit dramatic, but there’s enough precedence to make any Bears fan nervous.
Whether you believe Jay Cutler is the quarter back that will lead the Bears to the Super Bowl, or if you think he’s a temperamental liability, one thing is for sure: he is responsible for one of the best things on the entire internet.
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