My Questions for Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler is a Chicago Bear.  This is as exciting a time in Chicago sports as there has been since the 1998 Bulls were busy winning their sixth NBA title.  Bears’ fever has hit Chicago big time, and a game has not even been played yet.

However, there are many things to wonder about Jay Cutler.  I mean, he is a 26 year old QB from Vanderbilt who just finished a Pro Bowl season with Denver.  And yet, he was traded while still well in his prime.

There are many questions I would ask of Jay, and since I do not have him here with me, I can only speculate exactly what I think the answers might be.  For our purposes here, I will present the questions and analyze what Cutler may say based on his past.

My first question to Jay would be, ” What exactly went wrong with you and coach McDaniels?” 

From all reports, Cutler was upset that new Denver coach Josh McDaniels (former offensive coordinator for New England) attempted to trade for his QB last season, Matt Cassel.  Cassel led New England to an 11-5 record, and McDaniels believes his system is quite complex and that Cutler would have difficulty grasping it.

I got a feeling this is where Jay would start.  Cutler likely would talk about how McDaniels never even gave Cutler a chance to learn the new playbook, nor did McDaniels discuss the idea of trading for Cassel with his franchise QB.  Based on all that, Cutler likely would say the past is the past and that he is ready to move past that ugliness in Denver.

Following up on that, my next question to Jay would be, “If McDaniels talked to you first, would you still be a Bronco?” 

This answer would bother any Bears’ fan, for I believe the answer would be yes.  How could it not be?  This whole mess could have been avoided with a simple sit down or phone call with Cutler prior to attempting the trade for Cassel.

Tony Dungy, former coach of the Colts, went on record questioning Cutler’s maturity and his role in getting traded out of Denver.  So, I would ask Cutler, ” Do you think that Coach Dungy is right, and do you think you could have resolved the situation better than asking for a trade?”

Cutler would undoubtedly deny that he is immature.  He does have past issues that would concern me though.  In addition to his issues with McDaniels, Cutler called out wide receiver and teammate Brandon Marshall when he broke a TV supposedly tripping on a McDonald’s bag.

Just this offseason, Cutler also brushed off a group of kids looking for an autograph, as he was too tired and not wanting to sign autographs for people looking to sell his autograph.  Cutler also was late to many designated autograph sessions during his time in Denver.

These issues may not make Cutler immature on the field, however, and that’s really what the fans will care about.  Plus, he is a very vocal individual who expects as much from his teammates, as he would expect from himself.  So, his answer would focus on these things and less on his misgivings.

Speaking of Marshall, my next question would be, ” Do you think that you will be able to match your previous numbers with the receivers in Chicago?”  This one is difficult to answer, as there are so many unknowns on the Bears’ receiving core.

This year, the Bears drafted Oklahoma wideout Joaquin Iglesias with their first pick in the third round.  Iglesias will now join a receiving core of him, Devin Hester, Rashied Davis and Earl Bennett.  Not exactly household names, but neither was Eddie Royal going into last season, and Royal caught a Broncos’ rookie record 91 passes for 980 yards and 5 TD’s.

So, my guess is that Cutler does not care who he throws to, provided they catch it when he hits their hands.  If Hester can maintain his blazing speed, and with the underneath threats of tight ends Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark, along with running back Matt Forte, the Bears’ passing game should be exciting and effective.

My final question for Jay Cutler would be, “Knowing many in Chicago are expecting you to be a savior at quarterback, and knowing the history of Bears’ quarterbacks, how much do you expect of yourself and what are your expectations?” 

Cutler never saw the type of media attention he will receive in Chicago.  Considering the last great All-Pro level quarterback for the Bears was Sid Luckman in the 1940’s, Cutler needs to expect to be asked this question more than once.

This last question, I am unsure how Cutler would answer it.  For Bears’ fans, however, they just hope he answers it on the field with plenty of wins and a trip to the playoffs.

Vertical Passing Game/End Pressure Keys to Chicago Bears’ Title Hopes

Few teams have taken on such a major shift in philosophy this offseason than the Chicago Bears.  The motto in the town for decades has been to run the football, have a dominating defense and control the clock.

This all changed the moment the Bears traded for former Denver QB Jay Cutler.  Cutler is a Pro Bowl QB who has thrown for over 4,000 yards each of his last two seasons in the league.  The weather should not be much of a factor for Cutler, as he had to play in Denver which has plenty of snow and wind like he’ll face in Chicago.

The Bears last year were led at QB by former Purdue standout Kyle Orton.  Orton won a hotly contested battle with former Bears QB Rex Grossman in the preseason last year.  Orton is a good decision maker and limits his turnovers, something Grossman did in bunches.

Orton’s weakness though was lack of arm strength to get the ball downfield.  The Bears’ best receiver was to be their converted kick returner, Devin Hester, who is among the fastest men in the NFL. 

However, the Bears never capitalized on that speed, as Orton did not have the foot speed to evade pass rushers, nor did he have the arm to hit on the deep pass.

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner had to rely on the short passing game, many times having Orton check down to his running back Matt Forte, who led the Bears in receptions last season.  Also, Forte carried the ball 316 times last season, and the fatigue on Forte started to show at the end of last season.

This season, with a quarterback that can elude the pass rush with his quick feet, and a guy who has a tremendously accurate deep throwing arm, Ron Turner should be able to call more fly pattern for Hester, as well as utilize the speed of their top draft pick two season ago, tight end Greg Olsen.

Olsen will be the prime beneficiary of the new offense.  Olsen is a lightning fast tight end that few linebackers can keep up with in coverage.  With a QB now who can get him the ball in space, Olsen should be able to have his best season yet.

The offensive side of the ball is not the only place of change for Chicago.  Head Coach Lovie Smith has decided to put defensive coordinator Bob Babich back as head of the linebackers, and Smith will take over the defensive playcalling.

One of Smith’s first moves was hiring former Lions head coach Rod Marinelli to be the defensive line coach.  At first glance, one would wonder how an 0-16 coach would be hired for anything. 

However, upon further inspection, Marinelli was in charge on the Tampa Bay defensive line when it was dominating the league with Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp.

Marinelli has guys to work with.  Adewale Ogunleye, Mark Anderson and Tommie Harris have all had double digit sack seasons.  The issue with the Bears last year is no team blitzed more than the Bears, and this was due to lack of line pressure.  Marinelli’s schemes should change that.

Also, whereas former coordinator Babich brought up linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs up to the line to give a blitz look, Smith will likely apply more pressure from the front four and from his safeties. 

When Smith was coordinator in St. Louis, he would constantly put his safeties, like Adam Archuleta, in the box to provide run support and QB pressure.  He likely will do the same, as he would rather his two Pro Bowl linebackers roam the field and create turnovers.

If the Bears are able to create pressure on the QB without relying on linebacker blitzes, and the offense can generate points via the deep passing game, the Chicago Bears have a real chance to reach the NFC playoffs.

Minnesota Vikings Look To Rule the North Once More

The NFC North has seen much change over the past two offseasons. Each team has a different starting quarterback than in 2007. Two teams have different head coaches, and the other two have gone through various coordinators.

The one thing that has remained the same is that the division winner has been the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers or the Minnesota Vikings. Sorry Lions fans, but nothing will change this year. And for my money, the Vikings have the best team on paper.

As we all know, championships are won on the field. So, Minnesota seems to be the best team, but an examination of each team’s strengths and weaknesses will better determine how the North shall be won.

’85 Chicago Bears Greatest Team of All Time

I have heard the debate rage on for years.  Each team’s fans will go on about their team being the best there has ever been.  The only real proof a team has is championships and legacy. 

Some would argue the Dallas Cowboys of the early ’90s were the best.  They won three championships in that era, played in four straight NFC Championship games, boasted the all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith and amazingly did it with two different coaches (Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer).  However, did any one year stand out with them?

I have heard others argue the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s were the best ever.  It’s hard to argue with four Super Bowl wins.  It’s also hard to argue that Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Brent Jones, Roger Craig, and Tom Rathman did not make up one of the best offenses ever to play. 

However, other than their 15-1 run in 1984, no one season really stood out, and even that year, Dan Marino out shined them with his record 5,184 yard season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s were wonderful.  The list of Hall of Famers reads like a who’s who of football: Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Mean Joe Greene, Lynn Swann, Franco Harris, John Stallworth, and Terry Bradshaw, and that’s just naming a few. 

However, there was not one time the Steelers had the overwhelming favorite team to win with the possible exception of 1979.

So, arguing many years of dominance is tricky, so to make things easier, finding that team that was the greatest single season team in history will be our destination.  We will start with the only team to go undefeated in the modern era: the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

This team managed to go 17-0 on their way to a 14-7 win over the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl.  They had strong players for sure: Bob Griese, Larry Czonka, Mercury Morris, and Manny Fernandez to name a few. 

However, no one guy from this team was a standout, and frankly, the underdog Redskins could’ve taken this game away.  The Dolphins won, but it seemed they rolled into it more than closed it out.

The 2007 New England Patriots were awesome.  They were putting up points like they were playing an old game of Tecmo Super Bowl on the Nintendo.  Tom Brady put up 50 TD passes to break Dan Marino’s record, and Randy Moss caught 23 of them to break Jerry Rice’s record.  Speaking of records, they entered the Super Bowl against the New York Giants 18-0.

Of course, they lost.  They had the chance to be the best team ever, and they did not finish the job.  That to me really leaves only one team, and this team is still revered by NFL fans to this very day.

In 1984, the Chicago Bears made it to the NFC championship game for the first time (please note, all Bears’ titles were won prior to the AFL/NFL merger).  However, they could not withstand the San Francisco 49ers in San Fran, and the hopes of a city were dashed.

Chicago fans would not have to wait long.  1985 was one of the most dominant seasons ever put in by a football team.  The team was led by a no-nonsense coach with fire breathing out of his nostrils and a burning desire to defeat all in his way. 

Mike Ditka was the same as a coach as he was as a player.  Ditka played for both the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys as a Hall of Fame tight end, and he was called on by Bears’ founder and owner George Halas to take over the team in 1982.  Ditka knew there was a lot of young talent, but he needed the talent to gel into one whole team.

Enter Buddy Ryan.  Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka were both proud, stubborn men who believed in their principles.  People thought they might kill each other because of the fiery differences. 

However, Ditka knew Buddy Ryan’s 46 defense (named after former Bears safety Doug Plank) would be the key to getting the Bears where he thought they could go.

For those unfamiliar, the 46 defense means that you play with your four down linemen, followed by your three linebackers and your three defensive backs, with a safety over the top.  This defense totally is predicated on pressure, and it only works if you have speed and good reading ability of the gaps in the offensive blocking schemes.

Mike Singletary was the middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears.  His nickname was “Samurai Mike” due to his stare at opposing players.  However, those eyes also were able to line everyone up on the field to make sure the uncovered gaps would be filled by the defense, making it impossible for the offense to move the ball.

It didn’t hurt Singletary had great players to work with.  At the defensive ends, Richard Dent and Dan Hampton stalked the QBs.  If the ends couldn’t get there, Steve McMichael would get there from the inside. 

And if the offense stopped the first line of defense, Wilbur Marshall and Otis Wilson would come up from their linebacker spots and knock out anyone running toward them.

The thing lost with this Bears’ team is that their offense put up 411 points.  Yes, the defense of the Bears was dominant, but someone still had to put points up.  This is where a brash, arrogant QB named Jim McMahon stepped in. 

He was hated by opponents for his attitude, but his teammates loved his energy and his desire to get under people’s skin.  He got hurt quite often, but his never quit attitude won over his team and their fans.

If McMahon was the spark, Walter Payton was the engine.  Payton was not the Payton of old, as he already broke Jim Brown’s all-time rushing record in 1984.  However, he was still a major threat, and with fullback Matt Suhey opening up lanes for him, Payton showed he still had plenty left in the tank.

The Chicago Bears nearly shot themselves in the foot, however.  First, prior to week 11, the Bears produced an album called “Super Bowl Shuffle.”  Yes, they were 10-0 at the time, but claiming yourselves champions before getting it done seemed risky at best. 

Then, the Bears finally stumbled against the Miami Dolphins in week 12 losing their first game of the season.  Many believed this might be the end for the Bears, as their aura of invincibility was gone.

Well, then the playoffs happened.  And from the word go, the Chicago Bears were on a serious mission.  They started against a very tough New York Giants squad led by Hall of Fame-to-be coach Bill Parcells.

And the Bears wasted no time putting them away 21-0.  The next game proved to be tougher, as the Los Angeles Rams had to come into Chicago and Soldier Field for the NFC Championship game.

Once the snow began to swirl around the stadium, it was like vultures hovering the roadkill.  The Chicago Bears bludgeoned the Rams 44-0 to advance to their first ever Super Bowl. 

Everyone believed the Bears would see the Dolphins one more time to get their rematch, but the New England Patriots put a stop to that and set up a matchup in New Orleans for the Super Bowl.

The New England Patriots recovered a Walter Payton fumble and would kick a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.  Big mistake!  The Bears would put up 46 points after that, and despite a late TD, would win what was then the most lopsided Super Bowl in history 46-10. 

To Bears fans, the only bitter pill is the great Walter Payton never reached the end zone, but he did get his long awaited title.

So, if you recap the Bears’ playoff run, they outscored their opposition 111-10.  To go along with a 15-1 regular season, I’d say that’s dominance.  The Bears were never able to rekindle this, as Buddy Ryan left right after the Super Bowl.  However, for this one year, no team has ever been better.

NFL Rankings: NE Patriots’ Dynasty Could Be Back

With the 2009-10 NFL Season just months away from its beginning, the New England Patriots look to be favorites once again. It does not appear anyone in the NFC is loaded to bear, but the AFC is loaded with teams that will give New England the toughest of tests to return to former glory. All hopes may linger on Tom Brady’s surgically repaired knee, but if he is even at 70% what he was, that still puts him among the NFL elite, and with a younger defense and new playmakers, the Patriots will be hard to stop.

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