On A Night Celebrating QBs, Cutler Gets His Signature Win
This was Brett Favre’s night, his number 4 was being retired by the Green Bay Packers, legend Bart Starr (who had been suffering from medical conditions) was in Lambeau, and of course the latest thorn in the Chicago Bears side Aaron Rodgers was suited up. This, in many Packers fans minds was a night for celebrating QBs, and not just any QBs, Packers QBs. Only problem, the best quarterback on a rainy Thanksgiving night was the Bears Jay Cutler.
That doesn’t happen very often in a Bears Packers game, in fact Cutler was just 1-11 coming into Thursday night’s game, and had last his last eight against the Rodgers led Packers.
While the Chicago defense had tormented Aaron Rodgers since he connected on a 25 yard screen pass to Eddie Lacy, and that’s when the Bears Jay Cutler took off.
Jay connected with breakout tight end, Zack Miller on the drive following the Packers touchdown. He then proceeded to outplay the two-time MVP (Rodgers) with three-time MVP (Favre) and Hall of Fame and one-time MVP (Starr) watching.
While Jay has had other preformances that have been statistically better, this game might have been his signature game. Ten years into his career, and he’s got his signature win. In fact, over Jay’s last four games, not only has he performed exceptionally well, he’s been far superior to Rodgers, who some consider the best QB in the league.
The “Jayters” as they are called around social media circles, will still point to Jay’s lack playoff success as a reason they don’t like Cutler. Others are quick to note that he hasn’t had the success because he hasn’t been there much, too which the Jayters reply it’s because he’s not good enought to lead them there.
Regardless of the lack of playoff success, Cutler has played extremely well in 2015. If that is due to his new offensive coordinator Adam Gase, or because he had finally taken that same step as a quarterback — much like fellow gunslinger Brett Favre made — Jay is playing the best football of his career.
His play has turned heads throughout the league, and for the first time since he was traded to the Bears from Denver, he is fulfilling his potential.
But what does this all mean, especially for a team that doesn’t appear to be a contender?It could mean a possible Pro Bowl nod for Cutler, as Chris Emma of CBS Chicago has starter to believe.
“(Adam) Gase has made Jay Cutler into a Pro Bowl quarterback this season. He finished Sunday’s contest 19-of-24 for 258 yards and three touchdowns, compiling a 151.0 quarterback rating. In the first half, he finished with a perfect 158.3 mark.
More notably, Cutler has done this without Forte, Eddie Royal and Kevin White, with Alshon Jeffery playing at less than 100 percent after injuring his groin in practice last week. Miller has become a playmaker for the Bears’ offense, Langford is emerging as a bright back and Carey provided a change of pace.”
This is Jay making people around him better, while playing great football himself. This is what Pro Bowl quarterbacks do. It doesn’t hurt that Cutler has a better than 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio for the first time in his career, or that his quarterback rating is higher than ever (92.7), and he is rated as the tenth best passer according to ESPN’s total QBR (nine tenths of a point behind Rodgers).
Jay has had his trials over the course of his career, but this season we have all witnessed a completely different side to the Bears signal caller. While his past says he could very well go back to the Cutler of old, his maturity and discipline shown this season is telling a different story. Hopefully this new Cutler is here for the long haul.
