Pressure will build on Cutler, offense

Mike Mulligan
7:32 p.m. CDT, October 30, 2012

It's a tribute to the skill of Jay Cutler — as opposed to, say, generations of previous Bears quarterbacks — that the interpretation of his leadership ability now includes fluency in body language, facial expression recognition and, of course, lip-reading.

The guy quickly is becoming the most scrutinized civic treasure since the Picasso sculpture was unveiled 45 years ago. Legendary columnist Mike Royko wrote that the sculpture "has a long, stupid face and looks like some giant insect that is about to eat a smaller, weaker insect.'' Nobody is saying Cutler has a long, stupid face. But there are times he seems ready to devour an underling, be it a player or coach.

Jay doesn't suffer fools in the media. Whether real or imagined, he appears to wear his disdain proudly. It's a universal disdain, be it for fans or teammates, friends or foes. Watching that disdain emerge there are times where you wonder how the guy ever got stuck playing a team sport. Golf would suit him better, provided he wasn't selected for the Ryder Cup. Ditto tennis sans Davis Cup.

Why in the world would a guy like Cutler actually play a sport where 10 other players play a part in whether he succeeds? Why play a game in which the coach isn't a guy you hired to work your corner, get a small percentage, then move on?

Football is the ultimate team game, even for the guy under center who touches the ball on every offensive play. But quarterbacks are judged on a different criteria than any other players. It's victories and defeats for quarterbacks. Super Bowl titles for great quarterbacks.

Cutler has done a lot of winning with the Bears. In fact, he's 11-1 in his last 12 starts for the NFL's best winning percentage over that time. He has won 25 of his last 34 starts and has gone 23-9 in the regular season since the start of the 2010 season. Maybe the best example of his quality came last year when the Bears won seven of 10 games with him, then fizzled when he went down with an injury.

Part of the problem with Cutler these days is that he's playing in Chicago, a city that understands running backs and middle linebackers a lot more than quarterbacks. The urge for fans, just like his coaches, is to look at Cutler's skill set and want him to be Dan Marino. That is not Cutler's game or at least not what he does best. Sure, he's a big-arm guy with a good release and he can make all the throws at every level of the field.

But Cutler isn't really a pocket passer. In fact, he's a thrower, not a passer. You can ask him to sit in the pocket and go through a read progression and deliver the ball in time and on time. Getting him to do that well is another matter. Cutler is at his best when he's making plays with his feet and his arm. He likes to look the ball into a target and seems most comfortable operating as a one-route quarterback, throwing the ball on the move.

You can argue his mechanics were better a year ago, but he never really has been a quarterback with great mechanics. People want to compare him with Brett Favre for his penchant to throw off his back foot and take chances with his big arm. The better comparison might be a younger Donovan McNabb. He's more accurate than McNabb, who was a great player for a number of years in Philadelphia, getting to but never winning a Super Bowl.

You saw Cutler make plays with his feet against the Lions and try to sit in the pocket against the Panthers. He was much better on that Monday night than he was Sunday. Not that Cutler didn't close well. That's the nifty difference in him this year: his ability to play well late in games.

His passer rating in the first half of games this season is 56.6, followed by 103.6 in the second half. The big difference has been the fourth quarter, in which Cutler has a 132.0 rating. That certainly has been the quarter when you want to be at your best. The comeback against the Panthers was the 13th fourth-quarter rally of Cutler's career, including his sixth with the Bears.

The way the Bears defense has played this year, Cutler has been asked to be more of a game manager than he probably would prefer. That formula figures to change. There will be adversity at some point. While the defense has defied the aging process, the weather will get colder, a few injuries will occur and the offense will have to be there for the Bears to make a playoff run.

Defense has carried the day thus far, but for the Bears to win a Super Bowl, the offense will have to improve and Cutler, in particular, offers hope they can. He could make the journey easier on himself if he wanted to, but as long as he ends up a winner no one will care. If not, every moment to this point will be scrutinized as the reason why.

Special contributor Mike Mulligan co-hosts "The Mully and Hanley Show" weekdays from 5 to 9 a.m. on WSCR-AM 670.

Thanks for posting. Interesting article but you know where this is eventually headed right?

ChicagoBornCalifLiving said:

Thanks for posting. Interesting article but you know where this is eventually headed right?

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Ha, yeah I know...but the article touches on a lot of good points, positives and negatives of Jay and the offense in general...lets hope for the best

Good read. thanks.

But to get this started right....Cutler > Rodgers ....jk

Meh. Its an interesting read and all and nice to have a somewhat newish perspective. But in the end the writers are still speculating about demeanor and squeezing a story out of almost no info.

I thought this was the best part:

"Part of the problem with Cutler these days is that he's playing in Chicago, a city that understands running backs and middle linebackers a lot more than quarterbacks."

His teammates like him, and he wins games.

That's what I care about.

I'm feeling a lot of pressure right now .... :cum:

I think Jay already has more pressure than most. I want him to win games and he and the D are doing it. Fucking how he looks on the sideline? Mcnabb ?

To the O.P. Tells us something we don't know...

I'll admit I have grown quite tired of the whole Jay Cutler isn't a team player talk and I was about to stop reading when Mully started that whole rant about Cutler and golf, but I pressed on. In the end I am pleased I finished it because Mully brought everything into perspective by the end and I will have to give this article a 9/10 very well written and thought out!

I was a bit surprised as I've turned off the score a bunch of times because Mully and Hanley both start going on about Cutlers body language and I listen in on my drive in to hear them talk about football and what the Bears can do better. Not our QB's body language.

Alshon Jeffery coming back will help

Ari Bear said:

To the O.P. Tells us something we don't know...

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Aww look who's pussy is sore again today, what a surprise. I posted an article, I didn't write it you punk bitch.

I've ignored you baiting me long enough. You did it on the CBMB, and your doing it here again...I've never started a conversation with you, and basically don't even reply when you try and bait/troll me. But since you continue, say what you gotta say and stop acting like a punk about it.

Here's the background for people who may see this as an overreaction on my part. About a year ago, before Forte got signed to his new deal, the CBMB was filled to the brim with idiots starting ''Trade Forte for this'', and ''Trade Forte for that'' threads every 15 minutes. One poster in particular(StephenRyan) trolled the boards with thread, after thread, after thread, after thread of ''Trade Forte'' threads...while there were already multiple Forte threads on the front page. One night, StephenRyan started 4 or 5 ''trade Forte'' threads within a matter of like 30 minutes, I finally got sick of it, and told him in his threads that I am ''reporting'' him, and I did. So here comes "Ari Bear'' into the thread basically calling me a bitch for reporting the relentless jackass that kept starting these bullshit threads.

It's beyond me why you took exception with me for reporting a clear offender, who relentlessly went out of his way to make a mockery of our board, and piss people off. Then for you to try and start shit with me in threads since, from the CBMB, to now here at CCS, is fucking ridiculous. Grow up, you attention seeking dick lover.

Take care of the ball, don't make mistakes and WIN. Simple as that

I don't get a lot of the hate Jay gets. The guy wins games, he turns it up in crunch time. He's never gonna be the safe guy, he's a gunslinger type. Accpet what he is, not what people think he should be, & we'll all be fine.

JJMPB said:

Alshon Jeffery coming back will help

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Exactamundo!

-Cago34- said:

Aww look who's pussy is sore again today, what a surprise. I posted an article, I didn't write it you punk bitch.

I've ignored you baiting me long enough. You did it on the CBMB, and your doing it here again...I've never started a conversation with you, and basically don't even reply when you try and bait/troll me. But since you continue, say what you gotta say and stop acting like a punk about it.

Here's the background for people who may see this as an overreaction on my part. About a year ago, before Forte got signed to his new deal, the CBMB was filled to the brim with idiots starting ''Trade Forte for this'', and ''Trade Forte for that'' threads every 15 minutes. One poster in particular(StephenRyan) trolled the boards with thread, after thread, after thread, after thread of ''Trade Forte'' threads...while there were already multiple Forte threads on the front page. One night, StephenRyan started 4 or 5 ''trade Forte'' threads within a matter of like 30 minutes, I finally got sick of it, and told him in his threads that I am ''reporting'' him, and I did. So here comes "Ari Bear'' into the thread basically calling me a bitch for reporting the relentless jackass that kept starting these bullshit threads.

It's beyond me why you took exception with me for reporting a clear offender, who relentlessly went out of his way to make a mockery of our board, and piss people off. Then for you to try and start shit with me in threads since, from the CBMB, to now here at CCS, is fucking ridiculous. Grow up, you attention seeking dick lover.

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As much as that sucks, this isn't the CBMB. And quite frankly, any CBMB shit has been erased. Dead and gone. instead of defending yourself; instead of blaming it on the past, just say, "Ari Bear is a cunt" and move on.