Jay Cutler recent article on ESPN (1 Viewer)

[cvnpoka]

First his completion percentage isn't just "in comparison to" - it's better than Marino's - despite Cutler being sacked more than twice as often as Marino

realize, higher sack rates correlate with higher completion percentages.anyway, those stats are pretty useless, given the blatant cherrypicking nature.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Put me in the group that has no issue with him being standoffish to the media.

To that end, I have no problem with a player not sucking up to the media, but when you act as aloof as Cutler often does, that doesn't come off well, and considering how powerful the media is, he is basically inviting criticism, especially given the hot and cold nature of his on-the-field play. Cutler would be wise to start being a little more media-friendly and public-savvy.And LOL at Trent Dilfer criticizing any QB. I understand that he is a party of the media now, and that is his job, but consider how horrible he often was playing the QB position, and how horrible some of his turnovers were, it is just funny. I still remember him throwing an INT against the Giants by throwing against his body while running out of bounds to the left. That is still one of the worst INTs I have ever seen a QB throw.

 

[sho nuff]

The problem is that you think this information is knowable. You get what the media gives you, that's it. It is likely that a person's "drive" is manifested in many different ways.Perhaps Cutler's refusal to spend time prancing about for the media is a reflection of his drive. Maybe he is more focused on football than being well liked. Maybe he internalizes more than Tebow. Personalities are different. Just because Cutler doesn't fit the mold of the cheerleader quarterback that the media wants doesn't make him Jeff George. I highly doubt your ability to accurately measure Cutler's "overall passion for the game and craft of being a QB". What goes on inside either of these guys' heads is unknowable to all of us. Let's not pretend otherwise by ascribing things like "drive" to people we've never met. Evaluate both of them based on their performance on the field, that is something we can comment on intelligently (some of us).

Is it totally knowable? No.But I think we can get glimpses of it. There is a reason there are pieces done about it for quite a few QBs and it gets talked about.Maybe he does more inside that is not known or seen or talked about by anyone. I find it hard to believe though that if he worked as hard as Tebow appears to or was as driven as Tebow appears to be...that it would not have been talked about. Its not as if he has only been in the league a year or two.What was the point of the information in () though? Do you feel that really added to the conversation at all?

The information in parenthesis wasn't a shot at you. It was a qualifier. I don't want to make the assertion that everyone in the shark pool can comment intelligently about what occurs on the football field, so I qualified my statement. As to your statement about "pieces done about it for quite a few QBs", yes, that's true. Keep in mind, however, that the media is first and foremost a business. They want to sell a product. They sell a lot more feel good stories about people that are well liked than they do about people who aren't. Cutler isn't a great looking guy. He has an ####### sneer on his face at most times. His failure to be like-able makes him more valuable to the media as a foil than a hero.

Fair enough on the () info and the rest.

 

[Ksquared]

Put me in the group that has no issue with him being standoffish to the media.

To that end, I have no problem with a player not sucking up to the media, but when you act as aloof as Cutler often does, that doesn't come off well, and considering how powerful the media is, he is basically inviting criticism, especially given the hot and cold nature of his on-the-field play. Cutler would be wise to start being a little more media-friendly and public-savvy.And LOL at Trent Dilfer criticizing any QB. I understand that he is a party of the media now, and that is his job, but consider how horrible he often was playing the QB position, and how horrible some of his turnovers were, it is just funny. I still remember him throwing an INT against the Giants by throwing against his body while running out of bounds to the left. That is still one of the worst INTs I have ever seen a QB throw.

This drives me nuts. Trust me, being a long time basketball coach, the athletes that had the least athletic ability and succeed to any degree realize how important fundamentals are. Because they did not have the athletic ability to bail themselves out when their mechanics go south. Look at Cutler, that is a perfect example. His footwork is atrocious at times and will still succeed due to his ridiculous arm. An "average" athlete can not even dream of trying to throw with his feet parallel to the LOS and have any success. So my point is a player like Dilfer will be much more insightful about mechanics since most times he was not sound it would lead to failure.

 

[whitem0nkey]

funny how the tool who wrote this has a problem that his role model was not a QB. What is his dad was his role model?

 

[two_dollars]

What he is is an RPG-armed, 27-year-old Vanderbilt product who dates a reality TV star named Kristin Cavallari, battles Type 1 diabetes every day, and doesn't care who understands him and who doesn't. He's a giving person who does things behind the scenes and hates it when he gets found out. A few days before Christmas, he and Cavallari brought presents for an entire ward of sick hospital kids. A reporter for the Sun-Times got wind of it and asked him about it. Cutler refused to discuss it.

He's a battler who's done amazingly well considering the swinging saloon-door offensive line he has to play behind. The man has been sacked more times this season (52) than in his three seasons in Denver combined (51). Yet he never complains.

"He's as sharp an individual as I've ever been around," says Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

 

[candymanvandyfan]

1)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/Jdf6G

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have thrown more than 100 touchdowns:

Manning

Marino

Bledsoe

Cutler

Everett

Roethlisberger

Favre

Unitas

2)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/AOtSj

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have completed more than 1300 passes:

Manning

Marino

Cutler

Bledsoe

Favre

3)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/lA8n7

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have passed for more than 15000 yards:

Manning

Marino

Bledsoe

Cutler

Namath

Everett

4)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/oAVt8

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have a completion percentage 61% or over (minimum 1900 attempts):

Manning

Cutler

Roethlisberger

Favre

Brady

Aikman

5)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/L7Kzy

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have a passer rating 80 or over (minimum 1900 attempts):

Manning

Marino

Cutler

Everett

Roethlisberger

Favre

Brady

Kosar

Aikman

6) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/rUzsc

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have thrown for over 15000 yards and rushed for over 500 yards.

Cutler

Manning

7) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/yYZYc

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have thrown for over 100 touchdowns and rushed for over 4 yards per attempt:

Cutler

Favre

Unitas

8) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/CSA30

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, average over 225 yards per game passing (minimum 1900 attempts):

Manning

Marino

Cutler

Everett

Favre

Bledsoe

9) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/DLzhk

These are all the quarterbacks who, age 25 or younger, threw for over 4500 yards in a single season:

Marino

Bledsoe

Cutler

Lomax

He's doing all right at this point, I think, statistics-wise despite not having sterling receivers, a great line or a consistent offensive system.

Hopefully some more stability in offensive systems and a professional offensive-line will help Jay continue to have a fine career.

 

[thetman]

Cutler obviously doesn't care what the media or anybody thinks about him. I am always amused by what a jerk he APPEARS to be in interviews. Rick Reilly was great until he joined ESPN, but is a tool now.

 

[candymanvandyfan]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/...for-jay-cutler/

Mike Florio's take

 

[DoubleG]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/...for-jay-cutler/

Mike Florio's take

I also heard Silvy on ESPN 1000 (who had Reilyy on air to discuss the article) make a great point. Nowhere in Rielley's article does he actually bring up any new negative stories. All of his "news" was from Denver...which was how many years ago? Everything else is heresay or maybe a quote thrown in. The point was that Reilly had decided long before writing the article that it was going to be a "Cutler is Jerk" piece - and then he tried to make it seem "new", when all he did was rehash a few stories that everyone had heard before - ripped him here and there and then tried to pass it off as "work".

I think Florio's comments are 110% dead on. The article by Reilly tells us alot...about Reilly and what a lazy, biased and sensationalistic jerk he is...not Cutler.

 

[whitem0nkey]

1)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/Jdf6G

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have thrown more than 100 touchdowns:

Manning

Marino

Bledsoe

Cutler

Everett

Roethlisberger

Favre

Unitas

2)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/AOtSj

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have completed more than 1300 passes:

Manning

Marino

Cutler

Bledsoe

Favre

3)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/lA8n7

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have passed for more than 15000 yards:

Manning

Marino

Bledsoe

Cutler

Namath

Everett

4)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/oAVt8

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have a completion percentage 61% or over (minimum 1900 attempts):

Manning

Cutler

Roethlisberger

Favre

Brady

Aikman

5)

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/L7Kzy

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have a passer rating 80 or over (minimum 1900 attempts):

Manning

Marino

Cutler

Everett

Roethlisberger

Favre

Brady

Kosar

Aikman

6) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/rUzsc

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have thrown for over 15000 yards and rushed for over 500 yards.

Cutler

Manning

7) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/yYZYc

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, have thrown for over 100 touchdowns and rushed for over 4 yards per attempt:

Cutler

Favre

Unitas

8) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/CSA30

These are all the quarterbacks who through their first five seasons, age 27 or younger, average over 225 yards per game passing (minimum 1900 attempts):

Manning

Marino

Cutler

Everett

Favre

Bledsoe

9) http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/DLzhk

These are all the quarterbacks who, age 25 or younger, threw for over 4500 yards in a single season:

Marino

Bledsoe

Cutler

Lomax

He's doing all right at this point, I think, statistics-wise despite not having sterling receivers, a great line or a consistent offensive system.

Hopefully some more stability in offensive systems and a professional offensive-line will help Jay continue to have a fine career.

 

[Jason Wood]

Cutler is dating the chick from The Hills?

 

[RBM]

Cutler is dating the chick from The Hills?

Yes, Kristen Cavallari. Lucky dude

 

[Donnybrook]

Jay Cutler is one player I like more now than ever. He is one of the most resilient players I have ever watched. He can make a terrible play then follow it up and make a brilliant play right after. He never seems to get too high or too low. Who cares if his facial expressions and answers are not always appealing to the press. What does that have to do with the game?

 

[Polar Dude]

Just because he doesn't let the media close to him doesn't make him a bad guy.Do you want a QB or a media darling? Jay Cutler or Tim Tebow?

Those are the choices? Why does it have to be one or the other? Where do guys like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning fall?

 

[Polar Dude]

Does Cutler have to be likable to do his job?NopeBUT, he should keep in mind, he plays NFL quarterback. That position gets more blame and praise than any other position based on a team's results. If you are not well liked, the blame will come quicker and the praise will come slower.

You're correct that he doesn't need to be liked by the media to be a good quarterback, but I prefer his chances of being a highly successful quarterback much more if he is liked by his teammates, and there does seem to be some indication that this isn't the case.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

Just because he doesn't let the media close to him doesn't make him a bad guy.Do you want a QB or a media darling? Jay Cutler or Tim Tebow?

Those are the choices? Why does it have to be one or the other? Where do guys like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning fall?

Just an example. Tebow is very overhyped coming into the NFL.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I'm not sure I would say that Tebow is overhyped in regards to his chances in the NFL. Many thought the Broncos taking him in the first round was a reach, and many still question whether or not he can ever be an every week starting QB in the NFL. I think it is definitely true that the media loves him and wants him to do well, but I think most people have kept their expectations of him in the NFL in check, relatively speaking.

 

[SmoovySmoov]

All I really learned from this discussion is that A) I like Cutler even more now and B) sho nuff goes down on Tim Tebow. Jeebus, when's the wedding?

Really? Glad you brought something to the discussion though.

Yeah, great comeback. Way to turn a thread about an article on Jay Cutler into discussion on Tim Tebow's work ethic and yourself.

 

[Slapdash]

All I really learned from this discussion is that A) I like Cutler even more now and B) sho nuff goes down on Tim Tebow. Jeebus, when's the wedding?

Really? Glad you brought something to the discussion though.

Yeah, great comeback. Way to turn a thread about an article on Jay Cutler into discussion on Tim Tebow's work ethic and yourself.

This guy just kills threads.

 

[sho nuff]

All I really learned from this discussion is that A) I like Cutler even more now and B) sho nuff goes down on Tim Tebow. Jeebus, when's the wedding?

Really? Glad you brought something to the discussion though.

Yeah, great comeback. Way to turn a thread about an article on Jay Cutler into discussion on Tim Tebow's work ethic and yourself.

I did not bring up Tebow...and I have made nothing about myself.I left that for you.Two posts to me...nothing about the topic, just the typical immature crap that some of you like to try throwing at me.

 

[sho nuff]

All I really learned from this discussion is that A) I like Cutler even more now and B) sho nuff goes down on Tim Tebow. Jeebus, when's the wedding?

Really? Glad you brought something to the discussion though.

Yeah, great comeback. Way to turn a thread about an article on Jay Cutler into discussion on Tim Tebow's work ethic and yourself.

This guy just kills threads.

Please tell me how I killed it?Did I get personal and bash anyone? Nope.Instead, I remained civil and posted my opinion. Can't say the same for smoovy or you for that matter.

 

[cvnpoka]

nice drive through some tacklers for a td

 

[Joe Bryant]

Not surprised at all the article. You can see that in just about every interview.

I don't think he's a bad guy at all. I think he just absolutely doesn't care what you think of him.

And I think as long as he wins, it won't matter.

J

 

[Slapdash]

All I really learned from this discussion is that A) I like Cutler even more now and B) sho nuff goes down on Tim Tebow. Jeebus, when's the wedding?

Really? Glad you brought something to the discussion though.

Yeah, great comeback. Way to turn a thread about an article on Jay Cutler into discussion on Tim Tebow's work ethic and yourself.

This guy just kills threads.

Please tell me how I killed it?Did I get personal and bash anyone? Nope.

Instead, I remained civil and posted my opinion. Can't say the same for smoovy or you for that matter.

I think Smoov covered it pretty well with the bolded.

 

[sho nuff]

I think Smoov covered it pretty well with the bolded.

I didn't make it about Tebow...benson brought him into the conversation. Nor did I make it about me...you all did. And yet here you are posting about me and not the actual topic. Proving my point about who is making this about me.

 

[Freaky Styley]

Super Bowl-winning QB Trent Dilfer doesn't like what he sees from Gomer:

Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer continued his highly critical assessment of the Bears' Jay Cutler on Thursday.

"The issue with mechanics and why I think Steve Young and I have been two of the most critical of Jay's laziness with his mechanics ... and I speak on the subject with intimate knowledge of it because it really hurt my career ... the limiting factor in reaching your athletic potential is flawed mechanics," Dilfer responded to a Tribune question during an ESPN conference call.

"It doesn't mean you can't be good. But you'll never reach your potential with flawed mechanics. It truly is a limiting factor. So you look at a guy like Jay Cutler and your jaw drops with all of the potential he has. But then you are frustrated because you wonder, 'Does he not understand how good he could be, if he just fixed and dedicated himself to fixing some very basic principles of his mechanics?'

"So I think that is one of the reasons we are very critical. Not that he is not a good player. He has immense talent, you can't argue with that. But that's the frustration behind it"

Dilfer was a 14-year NFL veteran and played for five teams during his career, including the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, whom he helped lead to a 34-7 victory over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

Dilfer's criticism of Cutler does not extend to the frequent media observations about his leadership skills and overall demeanor.

"Others who talk about the body language and demeanor ... now I am a believer that he is different privately than he is publicly," Dilfer said. "I have spoken to enough people that know the situation and who have played with him and had no problem with that and say he is a good leader, that he does handle the team aspect very well, privately. He just doesn't come off that way publicly. So I try to avoid those comments because I know privately his players like him. And he has handled those situations well. My criticism of Jay Cutler is simply this: He could be an elite player in this league. But he won't be until he dedicates himself to dealing with the basic things that will bring out and maximize his potential."

Cutler will be making his first playoff appearance Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Dilfer has not been impressed with Cutler's big-game performances in the past.

"And they tend to show up -- the laziness in his mechanics, the flaws in his mechanics tend to show up late in games," Dilfer said. "Red zone, critical downs, tight games. You go to the interception he threw against the Packers ... it was a high ball on a crossing route. You, know, the guy's open. I think it's (Devin) Hester, running the deep end route at the end of the game as they're trying to come back. (He) loses control of the ball on an intermediate throw across the middle, because of that excess motion in his delivery and his feet are unbalanced.

"So he could say, well, he missed one. And people can make excuses for him. But at the end of the day, you don't see Tom Brady miss that throw, you don't see Aaron Rodgers miss that throw, you don't see Drew Brees miss that throw, you don't see Phillip Rivers miss that throw. Why? Because mechanically they are so sound, and in crunch situations, their body responds the way it should and they are able to deliver the ball on target. Jay, too often doesn't. You can make a lot of excuses for him why he does it. But ultimately it's because his mechanics fall apart in those situations."

Like that toolbag Dilfer should talk. This guy was the biggest stroke back in the day.One time Dilfer was home from Fresno and him and his Vanilla Ice wannabe posse tried to pick a fight with my brother and some friends at BK. My brother and his friends handed him a beating. Of course the doosh makes the manager call the cops and tells them he was attacked because he was a "celebrity". The manager and patrons back up my brother and his friends side of the story and Dilfer decided to not pursue the matter further.

So now the guys an ESPN analyst hating and talking smack for a living. I guess ESPN needed another tool former QB to replace Sean Salisbury.

Bottom line, Jay is 10x the QB Dilfer ever was and Dilfer needs to resign himself with that fact and move on.

 

[ericttspikes]

Jay Cutler is one player I like more now than ever. He is one of the most resilient players I have ever watched. He can make a terrible play then follow it up and make a brilliant play right after. He never seems to get too high or too low. Who cares if his facial expressions and answers are not always appealing to the press. What does that have to do with the game?

Yeah, I don't get it either. The guy gets roasted on Chicago sports talk for his facial expression and attitude to the media all the time. Just ridiculous stuff. I couldn't even imagine what kind of flak he'd get if he started doing something as toolish as the Aaron Rodgers championship belt thing.

 

[Dawg Pound 69]

Super Bowl-winning QB Trent Dilfer doesn't like what he sees from Gomer:

Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer continued his highly critical assessment of the Bears' Jay Cutler on Thursday.

"The issue with mechanics and why I think Steve Young and I have been two of the most critical of Jay's laziness with his mechanics ... and I speak on the subject with intimate knowledge of it because it really hurt my career ... the limiting factor in reaching your athletic potential is flawed mechanics," Dilfer responded to a Tribune question during an ESPN conference call.

"It doesn't mean you can't be good. But you'll never reach your potential with flawed mechanics. It truly is a limiting factor. So you look at a guy like Jay Cutler and your jaw drops with all of the potential he has. But then you are frustrated because you wonder, 'Does he not understand how good he could be, if he just fixed and dedicated himself to fixing some very basic principles of his mechanics?'

"So I think that is one of the reasons we are very critical. Not that he is not a good player. He has immense talent, you can't argue with that. But that's the frustration behind it"

Dilfer was a 14-year NFL veteran and played for five teams during his career, including the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, whom he helped lead to a 34-7 victory over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

Dilfer's criticism of Cutler does not extend to the frequent media observations about his leadership skills and overall demeanor.

"Others who talk about the body language and demeanor ... now I am a believer that he is different privately than he is publicly," Dilfer said. "I have spoken to enough people that know the situation and who have played with him and had no problem with that and say he is a good leader, that he does handle the team aspect very well, privately. He just doesn't come off that way publicly. So I try to avoid those comments because I know privately his players like him. And he has handled those situations well. My criticism of Jay Cutler is simply this: He could be an elite player in this league. But he won't be until he dedicates himself to dealing with the basic things that will bring out and maximize his potential."

Cutler will be making his first playoff appearance Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Dilfer has not been impressed with Cutler's big-game performances in the past.

"And they tend to show up -- the laziness in his mechanics, the flaws in his mechanics tend to show up late in games," Dilfer said. "Red zone, critical downs, tight games. You go to the interception he threw against the Packers ... it was a high ball on a crossing route. You, know, the guy's open. I think it's (Devin) Hester, running the deep end route at the end of the game as they're trying to come back. (He) loses control of the ball on an intermediate throw across the middle, because of that excess motion in his delivery and his feet are unbalanced.

"So he could say, well, he missed one. And people can make excuses for him. But at the end of the day, you don't see Tom Brady miss that throw, you don't see Aaron Rodgers miss that throw, you don't see Drew Brees miss that throw, you don't see Phillip Rivers miss that throw. Why? Because mechanically they are so sound, and in crunch situations, their body responds the way it should and they are able to deliver the ball on target. Jay, too often doesn't. You can make a lot of excuses for him why he does it. But ultimately it's because his mechanics fall apart in those situations."

Like that toolbag Dilfer should talk. This guy was the biggest stroke back in the day.One time Dilfer was home from Fresno and him and his Vanilla Ice wannabe posse tried to pick a fight with my brother and some friends at BK. My brother and his friends handed him a beating. Of course the doosh makes the manager call the cops and tells them he was attacked because he was a "celebrity". The manager and patrons back up my brother and his friends side of the story and Dilfer decided to not pursue the matter further.

So now the guys an ESPN analyst hating and talking smack for a living. I guess ESPN needed another tool former QB to replace Sean Salisbury.

Bottom line, Jay is 10x the QB Dilfer ever was and Dilfer needs to resign himself with that fact and move on.

Dilfer threw down at Burker King ? I agree that Dilfer is phony, that subject could be a thread itself. When he was briefly with Cleveland, he was a selfish cancer who backstabbed Charlie Frye. Then he did the same thing to Alex Smith in San Fran. The tragedy with his son is likely the only thing keeping everyone from bagging on Dilfer.Cutler is the complete opposite from Dilfer. What you see is what you get with Cutler. All he cares about is playing ball. While his footwork is sloppy, all his coaches have wisely come to the same conclusion : don't mess with his mechanics. His arm is so superior that he will always be able to overcome his inferior mechanics.

 

[Da Guru]

Barry Sanders never gave the media much his whole career. It is different when guys are talkers than clam up because they are pissed about something..guys like Sanders and Culter have been this way forever. That is who they are.

 

[Ksquared]

Dilfer haters, read what he said about Cutler (who I seem to like more than most). I think he was very fair and dead on. He is flawed mechanically but gets away with it most of the time due to his immense physical talent. He even gives him a pass about his demeanor/facial expressions (that most haters love to jump on). Dilfer like many other non-elite athletes had to learn to do the mechanics of the game precisely or they failed because their athleticism would not bail them out. I would rather listen to someone that was successful (starting QB in NFL I would call successful - especially since he became a better QB late in his career than earlier) that had less athletic ability than others and had to "learn" the proper technique in everything to just survive.

Can Dilfer be a "opinionated tool" at times, yes but at the core of what he states technically seems to be sound.

 

[pyite76]

Cutler has always been a bit of a mystery to me, as his head hanging and lousy facial expressions have always made me think he is a bit of a sissy. Kinda like Eli, everytime he throws a pick he walks off the field hanging his head or crying. That always bugged me about Jay. Being a Bears fan, I now get to see him a ton more (every game) and I still see this behavior. However, this kid is a baller. He never quits on a play, and while he makes a ton of bad decisions, he still makes more good plays than bad. He gets absolutely CRUSHED sometimes, and still delivers the ball right in the face of the rush and takes the hit. He always gets right up afterwards too. The kid is TOUGH. I mean, he has been absolutely harassed this season (and last for that matter) and he never whines or #####es to the media. Even when he is being continuously criticized for poor decision making/QB play, he never speaks up to defend himself. I personally believe this guy has been getting zero to very little help from his O-line, and the Martz system doesn't really lend itself to protecting the QB either. Most other QBs would miss a lot more games if they had taken some of the hits he has. If we can ever protect him regularly, look out.

I've also seen him throw a pick and chase down the defender relentlessly. A lot of QBs just stand and watch, knowing they will get blown up if they try and make a tackle. Also, as mentioned before, his teammates seem to love playing with him, and they would be the first to quit on him if he was as terrible of a person as the media makes him out to be.

Not talking to the media doesn't make him a bad person. hell, the media is what players are looking out for as they typically build a persona about athletes. I wouldn't talk to them much either if I was a player. What good could it do? They are gonna write what they want to write. If he doesn't look people in the eye, then he has a social issue. Still, that doesn't make him a bad person. A lot of players have social issues. Not talking, or being a jack-### loud mouth (a la Ochocinco) are the polar ends of the spectrum. A lot of players are on these ends. Who cares... Just play.

As a Bears fan, he is the best QB to play for the beloved in quite some time. I'm happy to have him in town. If we can ever protect for him (and our O-line is getting better!) or some decent WRs (Hester doesn't qualify) he will be even better. Go Cutler.

 

[RudiStein]

Stuff like this is why, although I'm a huge NFL fan, I try to avoid the media. I don't read SI or ESPN or listen to SportsTalkMonster with Arty Turf and Joe Hasbeen.

 

[RBM]

Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer continued his highly critical assessment of the Bears' Jay Cutler on Thursday."The issue with mechanics and why I think Steve Young and I have been two of the most critical of Jay's laziness with his mechanics ... and I speak on the subject with intimate knowledge of it because it really hurt my career ... the limiting factor in reaching your athletic potential is flawed mechanics," Dilfer responded to a Tribune question during an ESPN conference call."It doesn't mean you can't be good. But you'll never reach your potential with flawed mechanics. It truly is a limiting factor. So you look at a guy like Jay Cutler and your jaw drops with all of the potential he has. But then you are frustrated because you wonder, 'Does he not understand how good he could be, if he just fixed and dedicated himself to fixing some very basic principles of his mechanics?'"So I think that is one of the reasons we are very critical. Not that he is not a good player. He has immense talent, you can't argue with that. But that's the frustration behind it"

This is how I feel. Extremely frustrating to think how good Cutler could be if he would stop throwing off his back foot so often. When I see him plant his feet I have almost 100% confidence something good is going to happen. It just doesnt happen nearly enough.

 

[tdmills]

Super Bowl-winning QB Trent Dilfer doesn't like what he sees from Gomer:

Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer continued his highly critical assessment of the Bears' Jay Cutler on Thursday.

"The issue with mechanics and why I think Steve Young and I have been two of the most critical of Jay's laziness with his mechanics ... and I speak on the subject with intimate knowledge of it because it really hurt my career ... the limiting factor in reaching your athletic potential is flawed mechanics," Dilfer responded to a Tribune question during an ESPN conference call.

"It doesn't mean you can't be good. But you'll never reach your potential with flawed mechanics. It truly is a limiting factor. So you look at a guy like Jay Cutler and your jaw drops with all of the potential he has. But then you are frustrated because you wonder, 'Does he not understand how good he could be, if he just fixed and dedicated himself to fixing some very basic principles of his mechanics?'

"So I think that is one of the reasons we are very critical. Not that he is not a good player. He has immense talent, you can't argue with that. But that's the frustration behind it"

Dilfer was a 14-year NFL veteran and played for five teams during his career, including the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, whom he helped lead to a 34-7 victory over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

Dilfer's criticism of Cutler does not extend to the frequent media observations about his leadership skills and overall demeanor.

"Others who talk about the body language and demeanor ... now I am a believer that he is different privately than he is publicly," Dilfer said. "I have spoken to enough people that know the situation and who have played with him and had no problem with that and say he is a good leader, that he does handle the team aspect very well, privately. He just doesn't come off that way publicly. So I try to avoid those comments because I know privately his players like him. And he has handled those situations well. My criticism of Jay Cutler is simply this: He could be an elite player in this league. But he won't be until he dedicates himself to dealing with the basic things that will bring out and maximize his potential."

Cutler will be making his first playoff appearance Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Dilfer has not been impressed with Cutler's big-game performances in the past.

"And they tend to show up -- the laziness in his mechanics, the flaws in his mechanics tend to show up late in games," Dilfer said. "Red zone, critical downs, tight games. You go to the interception he threw against the Packers ... it was a high ball on a crossing route. You, know, the guy's open. I think it's (Devin) Hester, running the deep end route at the end of the game as they're trying to come back. (He) loses control of the ball on an intermediate throw across the middle, because of that excess motion in his delivery and his feet are unbalanced.

"So he could say, well, he missed one. And people can make excuses for him. But at the end of the day, you don't see Tom Brady miss that throw, you don't see Aaron Rodgers miss that throw, you don't see Drew Brees miss that throw, you don't see Phillip Rivers miss that throw. Why? Because mechanically they are so sound, and in crunch situations, their body responds the way it should and they are able to deliver the ball on target. Jay, too often doesn't. You can make a lot of excuses for him why he does it. But ultimately it's because his mechanics fall apart in those situations."

I've seen some of those QB's miss throws. Brady threw high on that screen pass, Brees had 20 some INT's this year(i'm sure not all with good mechanics), Rodgers missed Greg Jennings to win the game in OT of the playoffs last year.

I wonder how bad his mechanics would be if he didn't have a poor OL? Phillip Rivers doesn't have a "perfect" throwing motion either.

I agree though, from the games i've seen Cutler, the mistakes he makes are usually off his backfoot.

 

[flapgreen]

No one cares what Dilfer has to say. Even the guys around him look at him like he's a moron sometimes. His opinion is meaningless.

 

[flapgreen]

Dilfer haters, read what he said about Cutler (who I seem to like more than most). I think he was very fair and dead on. He is flawed mechanically but gets away with it most of the time due to his immense physical talent. He even gives him a pass about his demeanor/facial expressions (that most haters love to jump on). Dilfer like many other non-elite athletes had to learn to do the mechanics of the game precisely or they failed because their athleticism would not bail them out. I would rather listen to someone that was successful (starting QB in NFL I would call successful - especially since he became a better QB late in his career than earlier) that had less athletic ability than others and had to "learn" the proper technique in everything to just survive. Can Dilfer be a "opinionated tool" at times, yes but at the core of what he states technically seems to be sound.

Dilfer haters?

 

[tdmills]

No one cares what Dilfer has to say. Even the guys around him look at him like he's a moron sometimes. His opinion is meaningless.

Hmm. Guy on a message boardvsSuper Bowl winning, high first round pick, NFL analyst, someone paid for their football knowledgeThis one is tough

 

[flapgreen]

No one cares what Dilfer has to say. Even the guys around him look at him like he's a moron sometimes. His opinion is meaningless.

Hmm. Guy on a message boardvsSuper Bowl winning, high first round pick, NFL analyst, someone paid for their football knowledgeThis one is tough

K. I will cease criticizing anyone on tv, because of the simple fact they are on tv and have played in the NFL. They have to be right, right?

 

[tdmills]

No one cares what Dilfer has to say. Even the guys around him look at him like he's a moron sometimes. His opinion is meaningless.

Hmm. Guy on a message boardvsSuper Bowl winning, high first round pick, NFL analyst, someone paid for their football knowledgeThis one is tough

K. I will cease criticizing anyone on tv, because of the simple fact they are on tv and have played in the NFL. They have to be right, right?

You simply downgrading them to meaningless without any credentials makes you ignorant.

 

[flapgreen]

No one cares what Dilfer has to say. Even the guys around him look at him like he's a moron sometimes. His opinion is meaningless.

Hmm. Guy on a message boardvsSuper Bowl winning, high first round pick, NFL analyst, someone paid for their football knowledgeThis one is tough

K. I will cease criticizing anyone on tv, because of the simple fact they are on tv and have played in the NFL. They have to be right, right?

You simply downgrading them to meaningless without any credentials makes you ignorant.

 

[DoubleG]

No one cares what Dilfer has to say. Even the guys around him look at him like he's a moron sometimes. His opinion is meaningless.

Hmm. Guy on a message boardvsSuper Bowl winning, high first round pick, NFL analyst, someone paid for their football knowledgeThis one is tough

K. I will cease criticizing anyone on tv, because of the simple fact they are on tv and have played in the NFL. They have to be right, right?

You simply downgrading them to meaningless without any credentials makes you ignorant.

Welcome to FBGs....that's kinda what it's here for. BTW, what's a Dilfer?

 

[Carolina Hustler]

Isn't Dilfer the one who had so much criticism for Sam Bradford before he was drafted?

You don't need to be a good evaluator of talent, or a great football mind to do what Dilfer does. It's Dilfer's job to entertain... To manufacture dialogue and get people to listen.. And he's not even good at that.

Being a front man at ESPN doesn't mean you're credible.. There are people here at this site and on this message board I'd listen to before listening to half the analysts at ESPN..

And on another note, I was pretty impressed with Cutler's play and demeanor the other night. And Was very surprised by his maturity during the post game interview. Maybe he has turned the corner..

 

[Lehigh98]

ETA: The SI guy WAS Rick Reilly!

I wouldn't give Rick Reilly the time of day either, that guy is terrible.

 

[tdmills]

No one cares what Dilfer has to say. Even the guys around him look at him like he's a moron sometimes. His opinion is meaningless.

Hmm. Guy on a message boardvsSuper Bowl winning, high first round pick, NFL analyst, someone paid for their football knowledgeThis one is tough

K. I will cease criticizing anyone on tv, because of the simple fact they are on tv and have played in the NFL. They have to be right, right?

You simply downgrading them to meaningless without any credentials makes you ignorant.

Welcome to FBGs....that's kinda what it's here for. BTW, what's a Dilfer?

Sounds like a bad place and a waste of time.

 

[Steed]

For the Dilfer backers:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...r-in-the-draft/

“In my opinion, he’s not even close to the best player in this draft.”

He really nailed the ROY!

 

[daveR]

Not surprised at all the article. You can see that in just about every interview.I don't think he's a bad guy at all. I think he just absolutely doesn't care what you think of him.And I think as long as he wins, it won't matter.J

On the nose.The media gives people crap. That's their job. Regardless of your accomplishments, it's the mistakes that make headlines, and NFL play is up & down.Honestly, no matter the stance he takes, he loses.

 

[flapgreen]

For the Dilfer backers:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...r-in-the-draft/

“In my opinion, he’s not even close to the best player in this draft.”

He really nailed the ROY!

I thought he knew his stuff? You know he played football and is on TV, right?

 

[Instinctive]

Why do we care how anyone treats the media? Or even if he's likable by teammates at all? As long as he isn't a disruption, the only thing that matters is: Do you win?

 

[Sonny Lubick Blowup Doll]

I bet we all like him even more now, that rebel!