I think we win the Houston game if Cutler does not get hurt and then make the playoffs. The SF game didn't matter, that was dud from everyone, you could have had Rodgers, Brees or Brady that night and we still get blown out.
Bottom line for me is why get rid of a QB (Cutler) when he has such a high ceiling if you are able to finally get him to elevate his floor?
At his best, Cutler is an elite QB - franchise worthy, up there with the best of the best.
Problem is, at his worst, he's Rex Friggin Grossman.
He needs to have a higher floor when things don't go right so that the team only has a certain level of "bad" from the position. I think anyone with a level head would agree on this.
The problem here is this - how the hell do you accurate assess Cutler when he has been given no line help, no receiver help, and just expected to make everything better himself with no real supporting cast under Angelo's tenure? Can you even call what they did, with Martz and Tice a fair evaluation period?
Any other QB I'd say he's done, ruined.
But I don't give up on Cutler yet, because I don't see the quit. He isn't lifeless in his eyes like other QBs that the Bears have shittily ground up in their cesspool over the years. He's looked God awful in games, but then he usually bounces back and at least has a decent game - he doesn't have 2 stinkers in a row usually, so he's hardly spiralling downward. And anyone with eyes can agree the line play has been abysmal. All you need to know is 3 and potentially 4 new starters on the line this year to get confirmation of that.
So while everyone is trying to paint this as some sort of make or break year for Jay, I see it as we finally get to see what he can fully do. Still learning a new offense, and there will still be some clunkiness from that, but even that should show some real potential within the system and flashes.
Beyond that, I think you sign Jay for at least 3 more years. You have no one in the pipeline, and you can get yourself into real trouble by feeling you "have" to draft a quarterback - some years are just shit for that, like the Year we took Rex - the ONLY QB from that class that ended up any good was Carson Palmer, and he was #1 overall. Cutler is still better insurance against a bad move in the draft, and at least then you have coverage if you do draft a QB to eventually replace Jay.
