They still run and play defense, but new QB is part of the equation. Matt Bowen
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is good — very good — but watching the Bears and the Broncos play Sunday night in Denver, it’s obvious to me that Cutler was brought to Chicago for one reason: to make the plays that Kyle Orton could not.
And that’s why I’m still high on the Bears heading into the regular season.
APJay Cutler is the passing threat Chicago has always lacked.
We might have believed that Chicago would turn into the Houston Oilers of the early 1990s or the 1999 Rams — throwing the ball all over the place, racking up points on the scoreboard and becoming that team that’s part of the nightly highlights because of the quarterback.
But they’re still the Chicago Bears, and as head coach Lovie Smith said on more than one occasion last season, they “get off the bus running the football.”
That’s Chicago football, along with defense and special teams -- which, by the way, looks a lot better with Devin Hester back where he belongs, returning punts. But with Cutler, the offense — the same offense we saw in 2008 under offensive coordinator Ron Turner — is more efficient, more game-ready and now produces better results.
Sure, there will be times we see Cutler in the shotgun, but the Bears aren’t going to sacrifice personnel for him. Case in point last night in Denver: The Bears used TE Greg Olsen, who will be Cutler’s No.1 target, in a creative fashion. He aligned outside the numbers as a wide receiver, he aligned removed from the formation and he aligned as a tight end in the box — and Cutler got him the football in each instance.
Olsen will run the same routes he did in ’08, but this year, he’ll get the ball delivered to him faster and in more high-risk situations. Cutler does not like to dump off or check down. He plays the game with some arrogance, and he isn’t afraid to challenge defenders. Yes, that could result in some turnovers, but it also results in big plays when you have a quarterback who’s willing to take risks that Orton didn’t in ’08.
And that’s why the Bears sacrificed two draft picks this past April to get him to Chicago. You don’t win in this league without some risk at the quarterback position.
Look at the small things from Sunday night -- the way he moved in the pocket, the arm strength when he threw the ball into tight windows and his ability to lead a touchdown drive from near his own goal line — with a crowd that was all over him every time he stepped on the field.
APGreg Olsen will be the beneficiary of the Bears' new QB.
That’s called being a quarterback, and it’s called working within a system. We tend to measure QBs by big numbers, but we just aren’t going to see Cutler put up Texas Tech-type numbers in Chicago. No chance. As I said above, this team is going to win football games with Matt Forte, a Tommie Harris-led defense and special teams.
Cutler is another piece of the equation -- but a valuable piece who will produce not in terms of box scores, but in the win column.
I don’t want to put much too much stock into one preseason game, but last night was a measure of where he is with the Bears, and that’s the bottom line. He handled the situation in Denver the best way a player can — with his performance. And that’s why I’m starting to become a believer that he was brought here for one reason only — to win. Not to be flashy, not to throw five touchdowns a game. He’s another part of the equation that Smith and GM Jerry Angelo are working to put together.
We have to understand that this city has been waiting since 1985, when Jim McMahon was winning football games at the quarterback position. Well, those same fans — the ones who have endured countless busts and hopefuls at the position — now have the real thing in Cutler.
Can we name the Bears as the favorite in the NFC North just because of Cutler? No, not yet. But we can call them a major threat to Green Bay and Minnesota — and we couldn’t say the same thing with Orton under center.
The Bears’ offensive scheme won’t change from ’08, but the results will — and that’s why this trade happened in the first place.
Follow me on Twitter: MattBowen41
I'm liking what the teams in the NFC North have done this off-season. Loving the Cutler trade for Chicago, I like what Detroit has done so far (although they still have a ways to go) and I love where the Packers are at for this point in the year. Not liking Minny's off-season but hey, if they're happy, I'm happy!
Opening day should make for one helluva game between Chicago and GB. Still liking GBs odds in that one though.
I'll be at Lambeau for the Sunday night opener, and can't wait to see an awesome game!! The NFC North is back, I got so sick of the NFC East getting all the pub. Looking forward to a great year!!
Bear in the Bowl.... he gone.
just like cubbies to the series right matt?!!!
let's not get overly excited about cutler having a decent performance against aguably the worst defense in the league last year..
culter makes them better, but they still have the worst receiving crew ever to walk on a field...if the broncos weren't losing by 40 last year every game, cutler's numbers wouldn't have been so good...for a .500 qb he might be one of the most overrated qbs ever...we should stop talking about his potential to be an elite qb...it has reached that time for him to "show me" or forever go into the qbs of past like bulger, trent green, etc. that put up nice numbers but never get er done when it counts
The trade for Cutler looks better and better for da Bears , and dumber and dumber for da Broncs !!!!
Ok Pack fans.... we will see on opening night. Until then, you guys are still a six win team.
Let me check, oh yeah, Cutler did win more games than Aaron Rodgers last season.
Thanks.
My advice to Bears fans. Enjoy this. It won't last. The Bears are not a great team. They're not even a very good team. They have a weak defense, poor receivers and a suspect O line. The deal for Cutler was dumb. It made sense only if he was the missing piece. He's a big improvement, but they gave up too much, considering how many other holes they have.
The team that should have gone after Cutler was the Vikings.
I think people are going to get a shock with the Bears receiving corps once Cutler gets them broken in. People have a tendency to forget how much of a difference a quality QB can make. Basically, WR have a very limited ability to make a QB look good. On the other hand, a good QB can make anyone capable of catching the ball look like a stud. Truth be told, for most of Favre's career in GB, his receiving corps wasn't much better than what Chicago has right now.
Devin Hester looks great on the choice route. He will always be open vs. defender leverage unless you defend him with two levels of coverage, over and under.
The Bears young TE is actually the top receiver for a fantasy list(unless it is a return yardage league). His ability lets you move him around and do a lot of the same thing very well, but from different looks.
Do they have the people to punish you in the run game? Maybe not, but the screen pass should be really effective now that teams cannot crowd the scrimmage line. The screen pass has replaced the Lombardi sweep as football's staple play.
The above three items all reflect traits in the Bears top players that Jay Cutler's abilities and moxie can help them make into trademark plays to feature within an offense. The Turner brand of football always has vertical legs to it. Cutler will stand tall in that, and creates additional points with his scrambling because teams get their bearings on him being a pure pocket passer when they are forced into coverage mode.
The perfect fit for a downfield plan, and he worked on distribution at his prior stop and did that well. This should be all about the upside in his game now. He has a grasp of the percentage and restraint plays needed to make an offense click along at a good pace, that plays into the defensive plan of Lovie Smith. He has the pistol packin' mentality to inspire the entire team as playmakers within their system. On offense everyone gets their reps and on defense people get to be the playmaker and fly to the ball because they know the QB has their back.
Super Bears shuffle?
Devin Hester looks great on the choice route. He will always be open vs. defender leverage unless you defend him with two levels of coverage, over and under.
The Bears young TE is actually the top receiver for a fantasy list(unless it is a return yardage league). His ability lets you move him around and do a lot of the same thing very well, but from different looks.
Do they have the people to punish you in the run game? Maybe not, but the screen pass should be really effective now that teams cannot crowd the scrimmage line. The screen pass has replaced the Lombardi sweep as football's staple play.
The above three items all reflect traits in the Bears top players that Jay Cutler's abilities and moxie can help them make into trademark plays to feature within an offense. The Turner brand of football always has vertical legs to it. Cutler will stand tall in that, and creates additional points with his scrambling because teams get their bearings on him being a pure pocket passer when they are forced into coverage mode.
The perfect fit for a downfield plan, and he worked on distribution at his prior stop and did that well. This should be all about the upside in his game now. He has a grasp of the percentage and restraint plays needed to make an offense click along at a good pace, that plays into the defensive plan of Lovie Smith. He has the pistol packin' mentality to inspire the entire team as playmakers within their system. On offense everyone gets their reps and on defense people get to be the playmaker and fly to the ball because they know the QB has their back.
Super Bears shuffle?
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Aug 31, 2009
12:22 PM
The Bears looked solid last night. I really like Forte and Olsen, they both could have a great season. Bear Down!!!