Come to Think of It: Jay Cutler Has Nightmare Debut for Chicago Bears
Published by Bob Warja on September 14, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
I know there is plenty of blame to go around, but one thing that can’t be denied is just how badly Jay Cutler played in his very first game as a Chicago Bear.
Yes, I know the offensive line didn’t block well. I know the secondary was a sieve at the wrong time. And of course, Cutler’s targets on offense are largely inexperienced and run questionable routes.
Still, four interceptions? That harkens back to the days of Kyle Orton—not to mention almost every Bear quarterback ever.
Look, I’m not ready to jump off the Jay Cutler bandwagon after one lousy performance. I was thrilled when the Bears got him, and I still believe he can be a good QB. But damn, there better be some serious improvement next week, or the honeymoon will be over almost as quickly as it has begun in Chicago for Cutler.
On a day when Orton won a game with the Broncos, I’m sure this will be used as fodder for every Cutler basher out there—and there seem to be plenty of them.
Meanwhile, let’s examine what else went wrong in the Packers’ 21-15 victory over the Bears.
For one thing, just who in the hell made the disastrous decision to go for a fake punt on 4th-and-11 in Bears territory when up by only two points? If that came from the bench, then Lovie Smith needs to explain just what the hell he was thinking.
The second thing that bothers me about this game is that the deficiencies we witnessed were so damn predictable. All the things we talked about as concerns during the preseason were evident during the first regular season game, except for the pass rush, which was actually pretty decent at times.
The receivers and Cutler weren’t in synch, and the secondary was toast on the winning touchdown. I’m sorry, but Nathan Vasher is no longer a good football player. Still, what he was doing one on one on that play with no obvious safety help is beyond me.
The bad news doesn’t end with this game: Brian Urlacher hurt his wrist and missed the second half. Hopefully he won’t miss any significant time going forward.***
Furthermore, the next opponent only happens to be the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
This was a game the Bears should have won. If a team can be in it until the very end after throwing four picks, imagine how well they can do when the QB isn’t doing his best Rex Grossman impression, come to think of it.
***UPDATE: Urlacher likely out for season.
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