Cutler

[Harlan Huckleby]

Favre's play on the field spoke differently. Cutler's often has not.

Favre was not better than Cutler because he wanted to win more, or was of higher character. I expect they both are similarly competitive.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I suppose in your world 10 staff members of Favres former coaches also questioned the Packers ability to win with Favre, too, huh?

Of course not, Favre was a more talented player.

[Patler]

Favre was not better than Cutler because he wanted to win more, or was of higher character. I expect they both are similarly competitive.

My comments related nothing at all to who was better, or more successful.

What I was referring to was that Favre consistently exhibited a highly competitive nature on the field. Cutler has not always shown that. When you couple that with perhaps questionable leadership qualities on and off the field, you have OC's and other coaches questioning the teams ability to win consistently with Cutler. I don't recall many questions about Favre's competitiveness, or leadership qualities. Those questions have followed Cutler since early in his career in Denver.

[Zool]

My own .02, Cutler absolutely has a "fuck it" mode that he hits when adversity strikes him or the team. To say he doesn't is to not have watched him play much. Things start going south and he starts heaving up prayers.

[Harlan Huckleby]

What I was referring to was that Favre consistently exhibited a highly competitive nature on the field. Cutler has not always shown that.

I strongly disagree, Cutler is a fighter. You are biased by not liking the guy.

[Patler]

I strongly disagree, Cutler is a fighter. You are biased by not liking the guy.

That's ridiculous. I don't even know the guy. Why would I dislike him?
(I suppose I could have responded by saying you are biased by liking the guy?)



Let's leave it to the words of an expert, a professional commentator who, in his words, "spent countless hours analyzing the body language of every team's signal caller following an interception to compose these rankings." (I'll leave off the next sentence of the quote because it doesn't support my premise.) From theScore's Michael Amato's ranking of QB reactions to throwing interceptions:
http://www.thescore.com/news/783630

6. Jay Cutler, Bears



This classic Cutler look follows almost every interception he throws. His eyes say he doesn't care, but his body language says he really doesn't care.

[mraynrand]

Tonya Reiman says my body language right now reads "Screw you all"

I'd like to get a better assessment of Cutler, but I don't have any tea leaves, and I doubt he'd let me examine his poop.

Still, Jay's best non-verbal communication:

[Pugger]

You are repeating a 100% myth. Cutler has exceptional heart and toughness. His "demeanor" is just how he looks, nothing more. The Bears players have argued against this untrue impression from know-nothing fans and the media since Cutler has been in Chicago.

Cutler does not "go through the motions", that is baloney. There was an incident three years ago where Cutler came out of game with knee injury that was unfairly observed and reported, and that bad shake stuck to an extent.

Cutler has many talents and positive qualities. I'd say his shortcoming is in reading defenses and situations. He sometimes gets excited and makes a bad decision. He's not terrible in that regard, but his unreliable poise keeps him from being more than an above average QB.

You seem to be in the minority here. How come most Bears fans - who see his every game - have had their full of him? My BIL is a big bear fan and he is so ready for a new signal caller it is ridiculous. How come Jay Cutler, who you say is a warrior with a huge desire to win, has only had one winning season as a starting QB since high school? Is that his coaches and teammates fault but not his? How come Denver traded him away? If he was everything you say he is teams just don't ship franchise QBs like him away to another club. There is something seriously lacking in a guy with this much physical talent.

[Bossman641]

I also think the Cutler "doesn't care" thing is a load of crap. He's gotten hurt twice now when chasing down INT's that were ultimately returned for TD's. IMO his problems are poor footwork and inability or unwillingness to read coverage. I've never seen a guy throw so many INT's that never even had a chance to get to a receiver.

He cares about football, but he doesn't care about what others think about him. That's why so many teammates speak out about him. He's not your normal pump up/inspire the team leader that the QB is supposed to be.

[Patler]

There is a presumption that every professional athlete has a burning passion for the sport he plays. A presumption that he couldn't possibly get to where he is if he wasn't ultra-competitive. That isn't always the case. Just as some "regular folks" stay in jobs they don't particularly enjoy because they want the paycheck, some athletes play because the money is darned good, and they don't really have anything else to go to. Winning is nice, but it doesn't consume them.

I don't know if Cutler eats and breathes football, or if he neatly compartmentalizes to his time "on the job". I don't know if he can't wait for the season to start, or if he dreads the start of yet another. I have no idea if he would play for nothing. or if he plays only because he earns millions. I have no idea if he inspires those around him, or if he alienates them. I have no idea if he agonizes over losses or his bad performances, or simple sees them as part of his job, to be forgotten quickly. But I do know there are more negative reports about him from current and former players/teammates, coaches, analysts, broadcasters and writers than about any other "franchise quaterback" I can think of.

Ask yourself how successful the Packers would have been since Favre if all was the same except they had Cutler instead of Rodgers? What about the Bears with Rodgers instead of Cutler? Might the team successes be virtually reversed?

[pbmax]

Patler, can you give me any details about that INT Cutler failed to chase after? Year, opponent or something?

Looking at Bronco losing streaks during his tenure isn't doing it.

[pbmax]

You seem to be in the minority here. How come most Bears fans - who see his every game - have had their full of him? My BIL is a big bear fan and he is so ready for a new signal caller it is ridiculous. How come Jay Cutler, who you say is a warrior with a huge desire to win, has only had one winning season as a starting QB since high school? Is that his coaches and teammates fault but not his? How come Denver traded him away? If he was everything you say he is teams just don't ship franchise QBs like him away to another club. There is something seriously lacking in a guy with this much physical talent.

Well, Denver traded him away because they hired a tin pot dictator who thought he sprung out of Belichick's forehead fully formed as a successful NFL head coach. He might have wanted a different QB (though perhaps not) and managed to bungle the situation badly enough that he was left with Kyle Orton and Tebow.

Wins are a terrible way to measure the effectiveness of a QB. Some of Cutler's teams have been brutal. But he commits enough conventional errors that his talent is all but neutralized.

[mraynrand]

Ask yourself how successful the Packers would have been since Favre if all was the same except they had Cutler instead of Rodgers? What about the Bears with Rodgers instead of Cutler? Might the team successes be virtually reversed?

Packers would be very very good, but maybe not exceptional and no Superbowl. Bears would suck rocks/be about the same Why? Because of the organization, TT, and Stubby versus Chicago's pile of crap.

That is, I doubt Stubby could coach away that whatever attitude of Cutler's and I doubt Rodgers' fire could compensate for Chicago's organizational dysfunction.

[sharpe1027]

Maybe he doesn't not care what people think, but from all accounts that includes not caring what his teammates think. Even assuming his body language and demeanor are "just the way he looks," that's still what his teammates see. You can't tell me it doesn't piss some of them off to see him sulking around the way he does.

If he was concerned about how his attitude affected his teammates, he could have shown some enthusiasm and fire. I'm not talking Jim Schwartz crazy, but just enough to let everyone know he gives a damn. In short, I think Harlan is right, he doesn't care.

Then again, this mostly just speculation. The facts are that many people have that impression of him, and his play is erratic and not consistent enough to be a top QB.

[Harlan Huckleby]

You seem to be in the minority here. How come most Bears fans - who see his every game - have had their full of him?

Nobody wants a QB who doesn't seem capable of taking the team to promised land, he's not good enough. When he's on a winning streak, fans are fine with him.

When Philip Rivers is loosing, he's a jerk on wheels. When he wins - firey competitor.