Must win for Cutler to remain a Bear

[WindyCity]

The only uncool thing about this is that Jay has never played the Pack in a Tress O. How can prior records mean diddly squat? :shrug:

They don't, but they have let me scarred.

They mean nothing to Emery who is 1-2 against the Packers, which is what he cares about.

 

[upthemiddle]

I'll tell you what, if he loses this game and it's clear that he contributed to the loss, it's going to be hard for me to justify keeping him. It's not like he set the world on fire after week 3 this year in his limited time.

 

[marines1]

not really

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

No, it's silly to place a contract on one game. It's not silly to think that Cutler shouldn't be in a Bear uniform next year if he ends up going 1-8 against your main division rival. If Cutler completes 65% of his passes, throws for 250 and 2 TDs with 0 INTs and the Bears lose - I'd have a hard time saying he didn't do everything to win the game. Which is what I think some of you don't understand concerning the Eagles game. Yeah, the defense laid a massive egg - but I certainly didn't see Cutler doing anything to help the cause.

If he throws 3 INTs in a must win situation - then fuck him, and I look forward to the excuses made.

 

[PolarBear]

Well the last two games have been average at best from Jay. He was playing the best ball of his career as a Bear before he got hurt but it still wasn't elite numbers and we still saw a collapse and horrible decisions (Lions game). He is still the same guy we have seen since we acquired him. He is going to take his shots, he is going to throw it up there and he is going to throw INT's. He will also astound you and have you going "how did he do that?" with some of the throws he makes. He truly makes plays that only the elite QB's in this game can make at times but he also makes boneheaded "rookie-like" decisions. The true definition of a gunslinger.

McCown showed Bear fans that this offense doesn't need a gunslinger who can hurl the ball further and faster than any other QB in football...it needs a smart, quick release and humble QB who is willing to check it down, take what the defense gives him and get the ball into the hands of the playmakers on this offense and let them do the work. I am not saying that guy is even McCown because let's face it, he isn't a long term solution. If Trestman can ever get Cutler not to force the ball so many times and take what the defense gives him, the Bears could have the makings of a top 5 QB. The problem is, this guy isn't a rookie or even a young QB. He is in prime and will be looking towards the back end of it soon.

As for whether this is do or die for Jay, I don't think it is. I think Trestman already knows what he wants to do and personally I think Jay Cutler will be in Chicago for at least 1 more year.

 

[roadwarrior_joe]

Not at all. He even said it himself on the Cutler Show, "I don't think they're gonna judge my entire contract on one game this year."

That quote, tells me that Cutler does not plan on being a difference maker in this game coming up Sunday.

 

[run and shoot]

That's the way I see it, how about you?

Must win for Cutler to remain a Bear GB VS. BEARS FOR DA PLAYOFFS


MUST WIN BABY.....NO DAMN EXCUSES. 4GET THE "D".....THE "O" HAS TO PICK UP SLACK. jay has to PUT THIS TEAM ON HIS BACK AND WIN.

 

[HeHateMe]

I think jay is going to get that win. I really do. I just hope he plays like its not all on him, even though it probably is.

 

[wklink]

A lot depends on how well Cutler pays against the Packers. At home, with the season on the line is the precise reason we have someone like Jay Cutler. If he can't at least keep us in the game then there will be an outcry from the fans to get rid of him.

He is past the point of potential anymore. I don't care how much potential the guy has. He is 30 years old and he shouldn't be a potential player for Chicago anymore, especially after five years in a Bears uniform. He is being paid for what he can do, right now, right here. Despite what is without a doubt the best receiving corps in Bears history, and arguably the best in the NFL right now he is still posting mediocre numbers. I'll cut slack on the Philly game, that was a pooch screw of epic proportions by just about every player on the team but this game is the reason we brought in someone like Jay.

If he can't peform at a high level in these situations then there is a problem with him, as a player. Even if we lose he has to play well, he has to have a 3-1 TD/INT ratio in this game. He can't make medocre secondaries look like all pros and he can't keep making bad decisions after bad decisions. He is too old, too well paid and truthfully, should be too mature as a player to continue to do that.

If he goes out and has another performance like he did against Philly then he will be gone. If he can't beat out a journeyman at QB then he needs to go. I am sure there are any number of QBs out there than can do what he is doing right now with this offense.

I've been a defender of Jay for a number of years. This was his year, the one where he could prove that the trust given to him was warrented. Honestly, has he shown that this trust is justified?

 

[FourthAndTwentysix]

If the Bears were inlove with someone coming out of this year's draft then I could see the possibility of moving on, but it seems way too risky to get rid of a good quarterback when you look at what the browns, jets, bills, raiders have been going through for years just looking for a somewhat good quarterback. Could you imagine if the Bears did let go of Jay and he went on to be a great quarterback while the Bears still haven't found one? Those circumstances would ruin Emery's career and I just don't think he is willing to take that risk.

 

[Sculpt]

Must win for Cutler to remain a Bear. That's the way I see it, how about you?

I don't think Cutler has to win this game. But I think he has to play well.

Guess what Cutler's QBR was last game against the Eagles? 73.8

Seriously, that's pretty sad. Eagles were no great Defense. And McCown was over 100 through 6 games. Cutler wasn't playing the Trestman Offense correctly. If Cutler plays another poor game, let's say, less than QBR 85, and we lose the game, I just don't see how Cutler can be viewed as the QB to take us to the Superbowl. If that's what happens, he may be resigned, but they have to plan on replacing him ASAP.

If Cutler's QBR is over 100, playing the Trestman Offense correctly, and we lose, I'd say Cutler is looking good to be resigned and the plan for our Superbowl run next year.

 

[Jester]

A lot depends on how well Cutler pays against the Packers. At home, with the season on the line is the precise reason we have someone like Jay Cutler. If he can't at least keep us in the game then there will be an outcry from the fans to get rid of him.

He is past the point of potential anymore. I don't care how much potential the guy has. He is 30 years old and he shouldn't be a potential player for Chicago anymore, especially after five years in a Bears uniform. He is being paid for what he can do, right now, right here. Despite what is without a doubt the best receiving corps in Bears history, and arguably the best in the NFL right now he is still posting mediocre numbers. I'll cut slack on the Philly game, that was a pooch screw of epic proportions by just about every player on the team but this game is the reason we brought in someone like Jay.

If he can't peform at a high level in these situations then there is a problem with him, as a player. Even if we lose he has to play well, he has to have a 3-1 TD/INT ratio in this game. He can't make medocre secondaries look like all pros and he can't keep making bad decisions after bad decisions. He is too old, too well paid and truthfully, should be too mature as a player to continue to do that.

If he goes out and has another performance like he did against Philly then he will be gone. If he can't beat out a journeyman at QB then he needs to go. I am sure there are any number of QBs out there than can do what he is doing right now with this offense.

I've been a defender of Jay for a number of years. This was his year, the one where he could prove that the trust given to him was warrented. Honestly, has he shown that this trust is justified?

I'm sure the staff has already made up it's mind before the Green Bay game. He is also the best QB we have had since Luckman. He did beat out a journeyman QB if you are referring to McCown. Most experts believe he will be re-signed and that it's just about what his payday will be at this point. Jay is frustrating for sure.

 

[Jester]

I don't think Cutler has to win this game. But I think he has to play well.

Guess what Cutler's QBR was last game against the Eagles? 73.8

Seriously, that's pretty sad. Eagles were no great Defense. And McCown was over 100 through 6 games. Cutler wasn't playing the Trestman Offense correctly. If Cutler plays another poor game, let's say, less than QBR 85, and we lose the game, I just don't see how Cutler can be viewed as the QB to take us to the Superbowl. If that's what happens, he may be resigned, but they have to plan on replacing him ASAP.

If Cutler's QBR is over 100, playing the Trestman Offense correctly, and we lose, I'd say Cutler is looking good to be resigned and the plan for our Superbowl run next year.

McCown played some of the worst defenses in the NFL but there is no doubt McCown reads the field better than Jay. That's a huge concern for me at this point. The Oline was terrible against Philly unfortunately. Question for me is why didn't we try to beat the blitz and pressure with short passes vs Philly? Maybe due to the fact we were down 14 points right away? Not sure.

 

[wklink]

McCown played some of the worst defenses in the NFL but there is no doubt McCown reads the field better than Jay. That's a huge concern for me at this point. The Oline was terrible against Philly unfortunately. Question for me is why didn't we try to beat the blitz and pressure with short passes vs Philly? Maybe due to the fact we were down 14 points right away? Not sure.

I haven't heard how many of those sacks were because Jay audibled out of a play to go to a middle or deep pass.

I do agree that the score early on took the Bears out of any gameplan that they put together but 14 points isn't insurmountable. In all honesty I get the impression that much of the problems with the Bears passing offense can at times be attributed to Cutler's offensive mindset. He reminds me of Brett Favre, both good and bad in this respect. Cutler still has that fuckit and chuckit mentality about him which can get him, and this team, into some real trouble. I am not sure that it is the fact that McCown reads defenses better, I seriously wonder if Cutler is so confident in his ability that he attempts throws that a QB like McCown would never attempt. When McCown does go deep it works because teams don't necessarily expect it but Cutler is a known gunslinger so teams are ready for it.

If we sign him, and I do think we probably will, we might as well resign ourselves to the Brett Favre type games from him. It will be exciting some days, other times flat out frustrating but I guess it won't be boring.

 

[Jester]

I haven't heard how many of those sacks were because Jay audibled out of a play to go to a middle or deep pass.

I do agree that the score early on took the Bears out of any gameplan that they put together but 14 points isn't insurmountable. In all honesty I get the impression that much of the problems with the Bears passing offense can at times be attributed to Cutler's offensive mindset. He reminds me of Brett Favre, both good and bad in this respect. Cutler still has that fuckit and chuckit mentality about him which can get him, and this team, into some real trouble. I am not sure that it is the fact that McCown reads defenses better, I seriously wonder if Cutler is so confident in his ability that he attempts throws that a QB like McCown would never attempt. When McCown does go deep it works because teams don't necessarily expect it but Cutler is a known gunslinger so teams are ready for it.

If we sign him, and I do think we probably will, we might as well resign ourselves to the Brett Favre type games from him. It will be exciting some days, other times flat out frustrating but I guess it won't be boring.

I think McCown has made much better and quicker reads this season. Cutler often just stares down Marshall when other options are open, sometimes giving up quicker throws to open receivers. The point is that taking those other options will open up the field more. You are right, Cutler does have a Favre mentality and tends to force his throws, especially to Marshall. This often gets him into trouble. This is just Jay. Unfortunately we don't have the defense to make up for his risk taking now.

 

[Run the ball]

It's time to move on if he can't play well under the big lights or against GB.

 

[Jester]

It's time to move on if he can't play well under the big lights or against GB.

Even if he played well we all know you would still bitch.

 

[Run the ball]

Even if he played well we all know you would still bitch.

That's cool, you're always a bitch too.

 

[Jester]

That's cool, you're always a bitch too.

Call me what you want, I am a level headed truthful poster.

 

[airtime143]

I think McCown has made much better and quicker reads this season. Cutler often just stares down Marshall when other options are open, sometimes giving up quicker throws to open receivers. The point is that taking those other options will open up the field more. You are right, Cutler does have a Favre mentality and tends to force his throws, especially to Marshall. This often gets him into trouble. This is just Jay. Unfortunately we don't have the defense to make up for his risk taking now.

Athough he has not just stared down Marshall this year... he sometimes stares down Jeffrey or Bennett.... That has always been a large part of my gripe about cutler.
Bad decision making, bad vision, and desire to go for everything in one shot happens WAY too often for my taste and can kill a game via turnovers.
The lack of desire to take what the defense gives him leads to many of the hits and sacks he suffers as well.
He also has not been very successful finding the favorable matchup in a blitz.

None of this is new. None of this will likely change.

I have not seen an improvement in those tendencies this year.
His results are SLIGHTLY improved, but honestly the addition of Bennett and emergence of Jeffrey are big enough factors to account for the improvement in results.

I have been a "move on from cutler guy" for a long time, but I honestly believe that if I had been a cutler supporter or fence sitter, watching McCown thrive here would have pushed me over the edge.
McCown played the most basic game he could, played as safely as he could, and the offensive playmakers around him thrived as a result.
If McCown can come in and do what he did given his lack of overall talents, I have no doubt in my mind that a talented rookie could step in and do that same to start with a much higher ceiling.

At the end of the day, Fixing Cutler is illogical. The best case scenario is to tame Cutler down, teach him how to progress through his reads, and stop making the risky shots downfield.... the end result, if successful, would be a QB that may in fact be a lesser version of McCown.

His aggressiveness that allows the occasional big play is inextricably tied to his turnovers, take away one and you will lose the other.
His decision making is not as quick as McCown it seems, and he is missing some of the little talents McCown has such as looking off the safety, cycling through his reads, being elusive in the pocket without rolling out, and selling a pump fake..... that just isn't Cutlers style.

As you said, Jay is Jay. 8 years tells us he is not going to change the up and down play, and tearing him down, chipping away at his game and making him McCown 2.0 is senseless when we have a coach that likely could teach a talented, less injured rookie to be the same thing.

The choice is crystal clear- 1- The Bears live and die with Cutlers up and down play, hoping to get a Eli manning-like streak in the playoffs.
2- Cut the losses and let Trestman draft and create a new player.... something he is purported to be good at.


The option everyone was hoping for- Cutler maintaining his big play ability AND cutting down the turnovers- is just not realistic.

We can all agree on exactly what he is for the most part. The likelyhood of that changing is slim to none (enough of the "lets give him another year in the system and see" is false hope... McCown hit his ceiling immediately and Cutler should have as well).
So do we break the bank or commit long term to someone who will likely produce at the same level he always has with the negative of being injury prone?

I would rather go with a draft pick, believe that Trestman can make him functional at the McCown level at least, and hope that he grows from there.

I think it is clear enough that Cutlers ceiling has been reached, and it isn't high enough to tie the team to it long term, especially when you factor in the injury concern.