Warning: Cutler Apologetics Below
This will be my last shot at the long answer. When Jason describes high praise of Cutler as unfounded, I have to... defend. Hopefully the format below at least can dispell the "unfounded" notion. If not, then I can be insulting too. I would use "ignorant" to describe those who say the praise is unfounded. I think that's accurate. I understand few got to watch Jay play this year, which explains the ignorance to an understandable degree. I had to specifically order games, and follow the little ball on the screen and read ongoing game chats. I strenuously object to being described as one who makes unfounded opinions (even indirectly and especially on this topic). I try hard to be informed because I want to get this right. Sometimes I think about this and wonder if I shouldn't have just followed the herd, but it's when
I think about it that I remember why I like Cutler better than Leinart. So... here's almost my unabridged answer.
#2. Mayock I'm sure really likes Cutler but it seems to me he's chosen Cutler as his guy to hitch his wagon to. It's a pretty smart pick. He doesn't have to worry about Cutler being taken before Young or Leinart. Which means he'll likely go to a better team. And means he's got a fair shot to have success first.
Maybe you're being shrewd and I'm being naive, but I think Mayock is sincere and not making a clever professional decision. There were some interesting games for film junkies last season. Mayock's late October love for Cutler coincided with several of ours at another site (where live blow by blow play by play of every college game was being discussed). It also coincided with some dicey performances by Leinart, but you had to watch the games (or read those forums to believe me).
You cannot see this stuff in boxscores.
Leinart was bad in the first half against Oregon (sept. 24). The television analysts commented that the best QB on the field was Clemens. USC trailed 13-10 and just shoved the running game down their throats in the second half.
One week later (oct. 1) at Arizona State Leinart was
very bad in the first half. The television analysts were saying the best QB on the field was Keller (and I agreed - it was obvious). USC trailed 21-3 and just shoved the running game down their throats in the second half.
Two weeks later everyone saw the ND game and interestingly that game launched Brady Quinn into the national spotlight with the common sentiment that he was better than Leinart
that day, maybe just better. Quinn wasn't so great the rest of the year, but the comparison to Leinart still has him considered QB1 in his class (among other reasons, but this was his catalyst). I like Stanton better than Quinn myself, but we can do that next year this time. There was a theme here to those of us following USC every week. Leinart was not looking as impressive as opposing QBs. What the hey?
Leinart then had four consecutive impressive outings in the Pac 10. The stats piled up. I commented elsewhere that his questionable arm strength seemed vastly improved, and I figured he was recovered from the elbow surgery, which may have explained his poor early season play. Made sense. I was worried about his play and these 4 games seemed like a good sign. Though the Stanford coach commented that his QB (Trent Edwards) would post the same numbers as Leinart in that offense (interesting comment you hear all the time from pretty shrewd characters).
Then Leinart backslid finishing the regular season with two performances similar to the early ones. He wasn't effective against Fresno State. His boxscore doesn't look bad, but the throws were not impressive. Reggie went nuclear in that one and again the running game saved USC. After the game their was high praise for Pinegar who looked better than Leinart to many that day.
In the regular season finale against UCLA, there was a thread going here and the discussion was about how awful Leinart looked. It was a blowout, but Matt was way way off that day. He missed three easy TDs, and the ball was sailing early and often. No one suggested Olson was better though, because he was equally inept. Someone asked if Leinart always looked like this. I wasn't here to respond (read it later), but the correct answer is "not always, but a lot more than you would believe".
Leinart finally topped off this season of inexplicable play with a great performance (I thought) in the Rose Bowl-- the game everybody watched gave no one reason to question the guy. But, I watched them all (a few of them a few times), and I stand by this assessment. His reported accuracy is only applicable to the short game. He does not make tough throws into tight spaces. When he's been good, he's had ungodly protection and a choice of very talented wide open receivers. He's been bad much more than people know. And he really struggles with the deep ball. It's lobbed, it floats, it's not accurate, but sometimes a wide open reciever can track it down anyway.
During this same time period Cutler was also having an interesting season for film junkies like Mayock and the gambling crowd.
Someone here said he was horrible against LSU (oct 8). The boxscore sure looks that way, but this was the game that started the buzz. He managed a very difficult game with very smart play. He was knocked down something like 17 times, sacked five, etc. But he played smart and drove the Coms down the field late in the 3rd quarter and had two perfect TD passes dropped. Vandy would have led LSU late in a tough game if his receivers caught the ball. The 4th quarter was ugly, but not due to Cutler.
The next week at #5 Georgia was the game that started the hype. Cutler faced a fierce defense and picked it apart, but again was let down by his team.
Marlon White was running wide open toward the end zone, but Cutler's pass went through his hands so cleanly the ball bounced off his knee. Vandy instead settled for a 45-yard field goal by Bryant Hahnfeldt and pulled to 27-17 with 3:55 left in the third.
That was one of at least five dropped passes by the Commodores that had Johnson upset.
``I'm not saying we win the game if we catch some of those balls, but those plays prevent you from having a chance to win,'' Johnson said.
Cutler was 15-28 in the game, and I counted 7 drops, three that would have been scores. These weren't tough catches. They were nice throws. If he has a decent day from receivers he goes 22-28 and probably beats the #5 team in the country with a joke of a team. It was after this loss that people started talking about the Vandy QB as a candidate for SEC Player of the Year, an honor he later won. There's nothing unfounded about my opinion. He is the SEC Player of the Year. That is the toughest conference in the country. His team stunk. He rocked. It happens. Impressive isn't a strong enough superlative for how he played in this game. The next week against one of the best secondaries in the country, Ko Simpson Jonathan Joseph and the Gamecocks, Cutler was better than he was against Georgia. Joseph said Cutler had "an amazing arm". He picked them apart while avoiding pressure all day. It was almost his best game of the year. This is where I came to like him more than Leinart (who was undergoing the difficulties described above). This 87 yard drive to tie the game late in the 4th quarter was loaded with throws and decisions that translate very nicely to the NFL. Btw, a typical scouting report will praise Leinart for reading defenses. He's pretty good. Cutler is better. Watch this game. Amazingly quick reading and reacting. Very NFL-like. He had to learn to react quickly, correctly and accurately. Leinart rarely had that kind of pressure on him.
1st-10, VAN13 7:11 J. Cutler sacked by D. Coley
2nd-15, VAN8 6:30 J. Cutler passed to E. Bennett to the left for 23 yard gain
1st-10, VAN31 6:00 J. Cutler incomplete pass to the right
2nd-10, VAN34 5:55 J. Cutler passed to E. Bennett to the right for 16 yard gain
1st-10, 50 5:30 J. Cutler passed to D. Dunning down the middle for 11 yard gain
1st-10, SCAR39 5:10 J. Cutler rushed up the middle for 16 yard gain
1st-10, SCAR26 5:00 J. Cutler incomplete pass down the middle
2nd-10, SCAR26 4:55 J. Cutler incomplete pass down the middle
3rd-10, SCAR26 4:54 J. Cutler incomplete pass to the right
4th-10, SCAR26 4:53 J. Cutler passed to E. Bennett down the middle for 11 yard gain
1st-10, SCAR15 4:30 J. Cutler passed to D. Dunning to the left for 6 yard gain
2nd-4, SCAR9 4:11 J. Cutler rushed to the left for 2 yard gain
3rd-2, SCAR7 4:00 C. Garrison rushed up the middle for 7 yard touchdown. B. Hahnfeldt made PAT
Then South Carolina marched down the field to win the game. Not Jay's fault. Not a chance in this world Leinart can make that drive under those circumstances. Next Jay and his Vandy of reknown headed to Gainesville, where Vandy typically gets blown out by fitty. Cutler took the game into overtime. It was an impressive performance:
The Gators seemingly had the game wrapped up with 4:11 to play when Markus Manson's 2-yard TD run made it 35-21.
Cutler, however, had other plans. He directed a 61-yard scoring drive in 1:54 and capped it with a 2-yard pass to George Smith with 2:17 to play.
Andrew Pace recovered the onside kick for Vandy, and Cutler went to work again. He sliced up Florida's secondary -- most of it against Lewis, who replaced injured starter Vernell Brown -- and found Earl Bennett wide open in the end zone for a 6-yard score with 54 seconds remaining.
Johnson was ready to go for a 2-point conversion, but a celebration penalty against Bennett forced the Commodores to kick the extra point. Johnson called the penalty ``stupid.''
The Gators managed to regroup in overtime.
``Jay Cutler is a big-time quarterback,'' (Urban) Meyer said. ``That's an NFL quarterback.''
I already knew that, but at this point I couldn't honestly claim I believed Leinart was in Cutler's league. There's just a huge difference in what they are capable of as individuals. So, when you say Cutler isn't in Leinart's league that's fine, but Leinart didn't play up to the opinion. Not this year. The next week at Kentucky people are annoyingly saying Cutler reminds them of Brett Favre. Meh, I hate that kind of talk. So, Kentucky just mugs Vandy and Cutler looks pretty bad. The score is 34-3 Kentucky when Cutler leads a decent drive before the half to cut it to 34-10. Cutler finished with 396 yards and five TD passes, almost making the comeback. It was impressive, and I admit on a few of the plays, he was very reminiscent of Favre. He can generate amazing heat with stunning accuracy. Catch it or get hurt by it. He bounced similar throws off of Hagan and Williams in the Senior Bowl. NFL receivers catch those balls. I have never seen Leinart play like that, but Palmer sure did as a senior. Still, not Jay's best performance because he played the first half like Leinart early in the season.
The game winning drive against Tennessee has been discussed enough, so I'll spare you, but they do show the final TD pass all the time. Watch it and tell me if it reminds you of someone. Then consider Cutler had taken a fierce beating up to that point.
Liking Cutler over Leinart is just an opinion. But it isn't at all unfounded. Quite the opposite. Anyone who wants to sit down and watch these games would have to at least agree there is considerable substance to the opinion. You have to watch Leinart and Cutler struggle. They did. Then watch them both play well. Cutler's struggles were far more understandable given his team. I don't know what was up with Leinart in those games but he was bad. Cutler's solid play was much more impressive. That's what I saw with my eyes. What should I do? Join the herd and pretend I didn't see what I know I saw? I can't do that.
Leinart has been loved by the media and the fans, but scouts have always had some pretty serious questions-- not all scouts, but several respected ones. Rob Rang rates Cutler higher. He's been around for a long time and been on a few NFL payrolls. Chris Landry disagrees with Rang. Both are entitled to opinions and anyone claiming either of these quality pro scouts makes unfounded decisions or doesn't know what he's talking about is being absurd. Leinart and Cutler bring different qualities to the table and it is a matter of what you prefer. Bloom loves the Brady he sees in Leinart. I see that too, and I can respect that hopeful opinion. I see the Palmer or Favre in Cutler. Those kinds of tools are there and they're not under the surface. You just have to watch the individual, not the team. I have a preference for strong armed QBs, but I'll admit it takes
a lot more than a big arm to get the job done. I have seen
a lot more in Cutler.
Next year if Cutler becomes the 2004 version of Roethlisberger, he'll look pretty smart. If he doesn't play or play well, more will forget than remember. If Leinart or Young play great, Leinart can say sure, I had them on my board at #1 and #2.
I think you meant to say "Mayock (not Leinart) can say sure, I had them on my board at #1 and #2. Right?He has Leinart and Young at #2 and #3. He
actually is saying Cutler will be drafted first. I'm guilty of having the out that you're saying Mayock has. I like Cutler better than Leinart but expect Leinart to be drafted first. So, I can always backtrack and say sure I had Leinart ahead of Cutler (but I won't do that). I think it will take awhile, but I'm saying Cutler will be the better NFL QB, regardless of draft position. Mayock is saying he will be the first QB drafted. Maybe he
knows what I have speculated about Sean Payton? Leinart has the wrong skillset for Payton's offense. :dunno:
Might be the only good thing Jefferson ever said.
when it comes to the NFL Network. Including the Networks. These guys are not the sharing kind. And they see suddenly that this league they've helped create is now rising up on it's own and doing all the things they used to do (promote the news / broadcast games etc) This is just me speculating but I really do think everyone else outside the NFL Network is watching this like a Baby T-Rex that just hatched. It's cute and cuddly now but they know exactly what it can grow in to.
on this one but to me it looks like a very carefully crafted plan with logical progressions from the preseason game broadcast last year to the regular season game stuff on Thursdays this year. Interesting to watch.
I still maintain that Cutler isn't nor should be considered in Leinart's class, but kudos to you for taking the minority viewpoint under your wings with such fervor. 
