Life likely not a breeze in Windy City for Cutler
By Steve Foster 
| July 23, 2009 | 1:00 PM
Jay Cutler wanted a trade and he got it. But did he know what he was asking for by going to Chicago? (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/MCT)
Back in 2006, I was working on the sports desk at the Chicago Sun-Times. My biggest frustration that football season — other than trying to find a Broncos game on television without having to pay for the DirecTV package — was the absurd clamoring going on around the Bears quarterback position, which four seasons later would be occupied by Jay Cutler.
The Bears went to the Super Bowl that season. They started 7-0 and pretty well had the NFC North wrapped up at that point (the Packers ended up second in the division at 8-8). They finished 13-3 and had homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
The clamor began in Week 6. Oh, there were suspicions about Rex Grossman before that. A first-round draft pick in 2003, he had been injured and erratic since and not played a full season. But the Bears reeled off five straight wins, and Grossman threw nine touchdowns against just three interceptions. In Week 6, however, he fell apart on Monday Night Football: 14-for-37 for 144 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions. He finished the night with a 10.2 quarterback rating. It was bad, and maybe the fact that it was on national TV made it worse for Bears fans. But he did win the game. The Bears moved on to 6-0. No harm done.
Still, the name was mentioned, whispered in bars, fans began to wonder. Would the team be better off with Brian Griese — the Bears backup — starting? As a Broncos fan and sports editor who had watched the progression from John Elway to Bubby Brister to Griese to Jake Plummer to Cutler, I knew the answer. But I didn’t really think fans were serious. It was just idle talk, right, spurred on by the bye week? Without anything else to talk about, they talked about that. Right?
In Week 8, Grossman threw three touchdowns, no interceptions. In Week 9, it was one touchdown against three interceptions, and the Bears lost their first game. In Week 10, it reversed again: three TDs, one interception.
Then things went downhill for Grossman. In Week 11, he threw for just 119 yards. Week 12: 176 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions. Then finally Week 13 against the Vikings: 6-for-19, 34 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions and a 1.3 quarterback rating, nearly as low as mathematically possible. But the Bears still won.
Grossman was erratic, nervewracking and nervewracked. But your team is 10-2, you’ve clinched a playoff spot, and homefield advantage is pretty much assured. You don’t change your quarterback, do you? Never mind who the backup is, but . . . well, look who the backup was. You don’t make that switch, right? The Bears agreed with me, but the fans disagreed and believed until the end that Grossman would ruin the season. The Bears went to the Super Bowl and lost, but not because of their quarterback.
That was when I learned that in Chicago, when it comes to quarterbacks, nothing makes sense. You’re either perfect, or you’re on your way out.
So when the Broncos sent Cutler to the Bears this past offseason, my first thought was that he had no idea what he walked into when he demanded a trade. My next thought was that Kyle Orton had no idea what he was walking into here. Broncos fans have their own unrealistic expectations about the quarterback position even though after Brister, Griese, Plummer and Cutler, you’d think we’d all understand that they are the rule and Elway the exception.
Orton doesn’t scare me. All that time in Chicago, he was the forgotten man despite a rookie season that was serviceable, if boring. They remembered him eventually last season, and again he was serviceable and boring. When the Broncos announced Orton would be their starting quarterback, I shrugged. The greater concern was who would be available to catch the ball, with Brandon Marshall determined to go the way of Cutler. But that was me. Maybe I’m too optimistic. Maybe I, like other Broncos fans, still hold a grudge against Cutler for whining his way out of a good situation. So I turned back to Chicago, to a friend and former co-worker at the Sun-Times, Jeff Agrest, a Chicago native who used to cover the NFL for Pro Football Weekly for some help sorting out the situation:
Me: Kyle Orton is the Broncos starting quarterback. Should we be worried?
Jeff: Depends what you’re worried about. If you’re worried about missing the big plays that Jay Cutler provided, you should be. Kyle Orton missed Devin Hester on deep balls a number of times last season. Brandon Marshall will not be happy — if he sticks around. But if you’re worried about the offense running smoothly or the ball going where it’s supposed to go, don’t worry too much. Orton is slow and steady, and before he went down with an ankle injury against the Lions, he won some races. He won’t go all Peyton Manning on you at the line of scrimmage, but he’s come quite a ways audibling and taking what the defense is giving. Orton can stand in the pocket and take a hit, too. But he will need a consistent running game to stay off his back. Mobility is not one of Orton’s strengths, although he can move around if he has to. Basically, he’s the anti-Cutler — but he should fit in with the mountain men with that neck beard of his. So was Cutler’s crying about possibly being traded something new, or is there a precedent that Bears fans should be wary of?
Me: Be wary. So, for a reference point, rank these three Broncos-Bears quarterbacks in your order of preference: Cutler, Orton or Brian Griese?
Jeff: Cutler-Orton-Griese. Cutler is in another class. Orton can get the job done. Griese is streaky. You don’t want him playing too many games because his weaknesses will become more prevalent. But he showed the Bears — for them and against them — that he can carry the load. Orton can’t do that, but over the long haul, I’ll take Orton’s consistency. Bottom line: Cutler is far ahead of Orton and Griese, but the latter two are closer.
Me: Is Cutler the Bears’ savior? Is he the guy you’ve been waiting for since . . . well, when was the last time you guys had a quarterback?
Jeff: OK, this is where it gets silly. The Bears’ career leader in passing yards is Sid Luckman. He threw for 14,685 yards from 1939 to 1950. Their career leader in receptions is Walter Payton with 492. For the youth in the audience, Payton was a running back. That shows how much of a problem the passing game has been for this franchise. Yes, Cutler is being viewed as the savior, and management seems to feel the same way. The team is returning the same receiving corps (minus rookies) as last season because the belief is that a quarterback can make all the difference.
Me: So how badly do you want Jay Cutler to keep throwing to Brandon Marshall this season? You might have heard: He’s announced himself to be available.
Jeff: That would be awesome. Devin Hester is not a No. 1 receiver. He needs help, and Baby T.O. would provide more than enough. It might feel like a hollow Super Bowl title, though, if the Broncos keep giving the Bears their spare parts . . . nah, we’ll take it. In fact, I’d like Tony Scheffler next, please. That’d be some two-tight-end set with him and Greg Olsen.
Me: But, be honest: Aren’t you a little worried about Cutler in Chicago? Forget the talent for a second (fair warning: sometimes even he does). Chicago eats its quarterbacks alive. A couple bad games and you’re clamoring for the next guy in line, even when that guy is Brian Griese. Cutler doesn’t seem to — oh, how do we put this — like pressure. I mean, he demanded a trade because the new Broncos coach dared to wonder if Cutler might not be all that. What happens when Jim Schwartzenfelderski starts yelling that Cutler sucks when he throws a pick?
Jeff: I think there will be a lengthy honeymoon period for Cutler, considering he might be the best quarterback the franchise has had. And considering the backups are Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez. I don’t think even homer Bears fans could conclude that “maybe we oughta give that Hanie a try” because Cutler had a bad game. But you’re right about one thing: Bears fans have a love-hate relationship with their quarterbacks. They were begging for Rex Grossman at the end of 2005, were complaining about him DURING A SUPER BOWL run, then couldn’t get him out of town fast enough THE NEXT SEASON. They ran the gamut with him. It was unreal. And in less than three years.
Me: Maybe they won’t yell for the next guy, but it’s probably not going to stop them from yelling at the first guy. But point well taken. So, Broncos/Bears play today — who wins and which quarterback has the better numbers?
Jeff: What upgrades have the Broncos made to their defense that will take effect next season? If the answer is not enough — which I suspect — I’d expect the Bears to win and Cutler to have a big day. The Bears believe their defense will be coached better this year with Lovie Smith calling the plays and Rod Marinelli calling the shots on the defensive line. Orton would have some problems.
Me: Well, they did add Brian Dawkins. And who is Jay Cutler throwing to exactly?
Jeff: Here are the Bears’ top three wide receivers and tight ends: WR: Devin Hester-Rashied Davis-Earl Bennett-Brandon Rideau; TE: Desmond Clark-Greg Olsen-Kellen Davis. That could be a problem. I’m sure Hester could get past Dawkins deep at least once. But here’s an overlooked difference between Cutler in Denver and Cutler in Chicago: Matt Forte. Cutler will have one guy to hand off to, and that guy is better than anyone he had last season. I think that’s another reason the Bears believe a capable quarterback can make all the difference. They have one-half of the offense ready to go. Cutler just better hope the Bears’ offensive-line-in-transition takes hold. Is Orlando Pace anything like he was during his heyday? I can’t see how. That’s my biggest concern on offense, even ahead of the pass catchers.
Me: So what are your predictions for Cutler and Orton? What kind of season do they each have?
Jeff: Cutler will become only the fourth quarterback in Bears history to throw for more than 3,000 yards, joining Erik Kramer (twice), Rex Grossman and Jim Harbaugh. I don’t think he’ll break the touchdown mark of 29 (by Kramer), but the low 20s sounds about right. Orton should be productive for the Broncos, but the wild card is Marshall, whether he sticks around. The running game could be an issue, too. There seems to be more variables. But Orton certainly showed a lot of improvement last season, completing almost 60 percent of his passes and throwing for nearly 3,000 yards in 15 games. I don’t think it can be argued that the Bears didn’t get the better of the QB swap, but the Broncos did get themselves somebody to capably hold the fort until the next big thing comes along.
Yeah, we’ve been waiting for that almost as long as Chicago has.
brandon marshall, brian griese, bubby brister, chicago sun-times, denver broncos, jake plummer, jay cutler, john elway, kyle orton, rex grossman
