Is Jay Cutler one of the most overrated quarterbacks in the NFL? The stats say yes.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Back in 2011, not long after I took over as the editor of this site, I wrote a piece about the most overrated quarterbacks in the NFL and included on my list these names: Jay Cutler, Mark Sanchez, and Tony Romo.

Today, The Bleacher Report’s Zach Kruse wrote a piece about the five most overrated players in the NFL utilizing computer-generated statistics that have come into vogue the past few years in rating players and teams. Among the players highlighted was Jay Cutler.

Though I looked at the statistics available way back in the dark ages of 2011, I posted my list based mostly on past performances, how the players were being viewed in the eye of the media and what those particular players’ future outlook was at the time.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo throws the ball against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 28-18. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

It seems I hit the nail on the head as far as Cutler was concerned, and as far as Sanchez – he’s fallen so far off the radar that his presence isn’t even considered in 2013. So, was he overrated? Absolutely. Was Cutler? Without question.

For Romo, the statistics utilized by Kruse paint a pretty good picture for the Cowboys’ quarterback, but when you look at his won-loss record (which is reflective of the team – or lack thereof – around him), Wisconsin’s almost-famous son hasn’t done much. Though Jerry Jones is willing to pay through the nose for Romo’s services, in my opinion the quarterback is way overpaid and not much of a value to his team. The question in everyone’s mind is whether that perspective will change as the Cowboys improve as a team (they can’t get much worse, can they?). The jury is still out, but time is running out on Romo, who enters his tenth season in Dallas.

As for Cutler, injuries have hurt his production through the years, but even in a full season last year, his seventh in the league and his fourth with Chicago, he finished 27th among starting quarterbacks, according to Advanced NFL Stats, the stats utilized by Kruse.

Getting a fresh start under new coach Marc Trestman will most likely help Cutler. The question in my mind is whether it will be enough to lift Cutler out of the dregs of the past four years. Time will tell on that one.

Ditto for Romo.

As for Sanchez … well …

Just for kicks, I’ve tossed in the piece I wrote last year which recapped the 2011 piece. It might be dated, but I think much of what’s written at that time is still valid.

You be the judge …

Cutler, Sanchez And Romo – Still The Most Overrated QBs

By Raymond T. Rivard

Sometimes the more things change in the NFL, the more they stay the same – at least that’s the case with the quarterbacks I called the most overrated more than a year ago.

Jay Cutler, Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo were at the top of my list on July 23, 2011, as I considered their value to their teams while we all waited for the eventual settlement of the NFL players lockout.

When we look at those three QBs in 2012, not much has changed. Though the Bears have built their team up around Cutler and the Bears sit at 4-1, he’s still not an elite leader – nor are Sanchez and Romo who have both been inconsistent the past year-plus.

Let’s take a look at what each has accomplished this year.

Cutler is 90-156 passing for 1,209 yards through five games – completing 57.7 percent of his passes. He’s got seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

During Cutler’s four-year career in Chicago, he’s completed 869 passes in 1,457 attempts, a 59.6 percent completion rate. He’s thrown 70 touchdowns, but has had 56 interception. I wouldn’t say those are hall of fame statistics. If Aaron Rodgers had those types of numbers, Packers Nation would have run him out of town long ago.

Now on to Tony Romo – while he quarterbacks a team that sits at 2-2, he’s had a better go of it in 2012 than Cutler. He’s completed 66.9 percent of his passes, 101-151, for 1,148 yards. However, his five interceptions against Cutler’s Bears last week has inflated his interception total of eight this year. So far, he’s thrown just five touchdowns.

Now, let’s take a look at Sanchez, the darling of New York City Jets fans. We must ask right off – when will Rex Ryan finally get the message that Sanchez should be benched?

Sanchez’s team sits at 2-3. Sanchez has completed only 48.4 percent of his passes – 77-159, for 1,043 yards. He’s tossed six touchdowns and six interceptions.

Is it Tebow Time yet in New York. If Sanchez continues on this pace, Tebow will get his turn sooner than later.

So, my impressions of these three quarterbacks hasn’t changed much in 2012 from my original impressions in 2012.

Let’s take a look at what I posted last year. Check it out below:

So now that we must wait until at least Monday for any more news about whether we we are going to have an NFL season, I thought I’d take a few potshots of my own and focus on three of my “favorite” players.

So, here we go…

Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, Mark Sanchez …

Just what do they have in common?

Well, other than the fact that they play for NFL teams in the three biggest markets, to me they are three of the league’s most overrated players.

Romo, his only positive attribute being that he is a Wisconsin boy, plays for “America’s team,” but might as well be quarterbacking his Burlington High School squad. We’ll see what Jason Garrett can do with Romo this coming season, but to date (even when Garrett was handling the offense before becoming head coach) Romo hasn’t been able to pull together an offense over the course of a full season … nor has he been able to take his team to consecutive playoff wins.

He simply doesn’t have what it takes to be a winner, nor does he seem to be able to stay healthy long enough to do it. How do we know he doesn’t have it? Well, if you’re playing for a team that puts a defense on the field like the Cowboys and the team still can’t win the big games, then it’s pretty obvious that he doesn’t have what it takes.

His statistics are impressive. In five years in the league he has started 61 games and has a 39-22 record. He’s attempted 2,070 passes and completed 1,326 (64.1 percent) for 16,650 yards and 118 touchdowns. He also has a 95 quarterback rating … statistics that have earned him Pro Bowl appearances in 2006, 2007 and 2009. Injuries in 2010 kept him off the field and doomed the Cowboys.

He threw for more than 4,000 yards in 2007 and 2009, but in my mind he’s still overrated because he hasn’t won the big games and until he does that, he’s just a guy in this league.

He’s also a proven choker … consider the Seattle playoff game when he fumbled the snap.

Consider Sanchez in the same category. The Jets defense is among the top five or top 10 in the league. The team has a solid offensive line … heck, he even had LaDainian Thomlinson in the backfield last year, but when the ball was placed in his hands to win a game, he seemed to always come up short.

Though having played only two seasons in the league, maybe I’m jumping the gun on Sanchez, but he had better step into a bigger role this coming season. If he doesn’t, the Jets may just give up on the high 2009 draft pick … the player the team selected to replace Brett Favre.

Sanchez has been reliable, starting 31 games in his first two seasons and has a 19-12 record. However, he’s completed just 474 of 871 passes (54.4 percent) and 5,735 yards and 29 touchdowns.

His 33 interceptions in two seasons are also alarming for the Jets. That’s the type of statistic that isn’t going to win many fans or win many of the big games.

Sanchez’s performance in the AFC Championship game last season against Pittsburgh was pathetic in the first half. Though he brought the team back in the second half, because of a soft defense by the Steelers, it wasn’t enough to win the game. The Steelers allowed the Jets enough room to make a game of it, but when it needed to stiffen, the Steeler defense did so. A good quarterback – a Manning, Rivers or Rodgers – wouldn’t allow their teams to get into that situation in the first place and in the second place, they would have finished that game with a comeback win. Sanchez didn’t. Maybe it’s his youth, maybe it’s just that he’s overrated.

And of course we have to throw Jay Cutler into the mix.

Yes, we all know he’s tough. His teammates, including Brian Urlacher, say so. We have to believe them.

But if appearances are worthy of anything, all anyone has to do is see the pictures of Cutler on the sideline in last year’s NFC Championship game to understand that there’s something about Cutler that’s just not right.

It’s attitude.

For crying out loud, it was the NFC Championship AGAINST THE PACKERS! If Urlacher broke his leg, he would have been out there trying to kill Aaron Rodgers.

His stats are OK … in the past two years with Chicago, Cutler has completed 597 of  987 attempts for 6,940 yards (60.5 percent). He has 50 touchdowns with the Bears, but only an 80.9 quarterback rating.

His career statistics are very similar to Romo’s: 1,359 completions in 2,207 attempts for 15,964 yards (61.6 percent) and 104 touchdowns. But like Romo, Cutler hasn’t been able to lead his team to playoff wins. While he did lead the Bears to a division title last year, he couldn’t finish the job in two important games: The season finale in Green Bay and the championship game at home against the Packers.

Until he can shake the “soft” moniker and win some playoff games, Cutler is going to be viewed like Romo – just a guy who racks up statistics, but can’t win.

My guess is that these three “guys” will be just that for the remainder of their careers. They will win lots of games, but won’t win those that matter most.

And for that, they will continue to be overrated year after year.

Dec. 16, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Lions 38-10. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to quarterback play, the Green Bay Packers are fortunate. Not only have the Packers transitioned from one Hall of Fame quarterback to another, but they also possess the top passer in a division stocked with talented arms. The NFC North is one of only two divisions where every starting quarterback has led their team to the playoffs. In the modern NFL where passing and the ability to defend the pass are the strongest indicators of wins and losses, it’s important for Green Bay to keep tabs on the quarterbacks it sees most often.

With that in mind, let’s profile the resume and project the future for one of the NFC North’s other quarterbacks.

So without further adieu, the final NFC North quarterback under the microscope is…

Dec 30, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) drops back to pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Ford Field. Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Name: Matthew Stafford

Team: Detroit Lions

Age: 25

Experience: 45 games, 44 starts

Resume: Matthew Stafford is the NFC North’s most intriguing case study. Stafford’s first two seasons were defined by injury, but both included extremely promising moments.

In his first complete season as a starter, Stafford exploded for a jawdropping 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns. Yet Stafford’s more impressive statistic was 6.2 – the percentage of his passes that went for touchdowns. For context, the only passers that year who exceeded that figure were Tom Brady (6.4 percent), Drew Brees (7 percent), and Aaron Rodgers (9 percent).

Stafford’s touchdown percentage would have been top five in any of his four seasons in the NFL. Helping matters further, Stafford threw 2.56 touchdowns for every interception that year. It seemed as though his incredible physical gifts were finally coalescing with his mental preparation and that Stafford would soon be entering the pantheon of the NFL’s top quarterbacks.

And then came the 2012 season.

While Stafford narrowly missed another 5,000-yard season, virtually all of his other metrics regressed considerably. Stafford’s touchdown total was more than halved while his interceptions went up. He passed for his worst completion percentage since his rookie year, and averaged a Christian Ponder-like 6.8 yards per attempt.

Yet the most damning metric was Stafford’s touchdown percentage. It dropped from 2011’s impressive 6.2 percent to a paltry 2.8 percent, bad enough to finish bottom five in the league. The only players with worse figures were rookies and Matt Cassel. This comes at a time when the Detroit Lions are looking to extend Stafford’s rookie deal. How the Lions grade Stafford at this point in his career is anyone’s guess.

Dec 22, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) congratulates wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field. Falcons won 31-18. Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Projections: Despite his 2012 woes, Matthew Stafford projects very well. If there is one quarterback who can take Rodgers’ title as the best quarterback in the NFC North, unlikely as that may be, it’s Stafford.

He possesses the strongest arm in the division, and with Calvin Johnson just entering his prime, there is no reason to expect Stafford won’t be able to return to his high volume, high efficiency form. Detroit has no plans to bring in any competition, and probably couldn’t do so if they wanted to with their cap situation.

With the Minnesota Vikings in a war of words with Percy Harvin and the Chicago Bears entering the first year with a new head coach, there are games up for grabs. Frankly, even the Packers could take a step back this season with their losses on offense.

Stafford should perform much closer to his 2011 form, and if he does so the Lions are a real threat to challenge for a playoff spot and perhaps the division.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Lombardi Ave. He has previously written for Hail to the Orange, College Hoops Net, Mocking the Draft, LiveBall Sports, and the List Universe. He is currently a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, an indie-music webzine. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JBHirschhorn.

Dec 2, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field. The Seahawks won 23-17 in OT. Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to quarterback play, the Green Bay Packers are fortunate. Not only have the Packers transitioned from one Hall of Fame quarterback to another, but they also possess the top passer in a division stocked with talented arms. The NFC North is one of only two divisions where every starting quarterback has led their team to the playoffs. In the modern NFL where passing and the ability to defend the pass are the strongest indicators of wins and losses, it’s important for Green Bay to keep tabs on the quarterbacks it sees most often.

With that in mind, let’s profile the resume and project the future for one of the NFC North’s other quarterbacks.

So without further adieu, the next NFC North quarterback under the microscope is …

Dec. 23, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) throws during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Name: Jay Cutler

Team: Chicago Bears

Age: 29 (30 by week 1)

Experience: 93 games, all starts

Resume: In terms of regular reason starts, Jay Cutler is the most experienced quarterback in the NFC North. Cutler’s career is best viewed as the tale of two quarterbacks. In Denver, Cutler threw for more yards and touchdowns with each passing season, culminating in his 4,526 yards 25 touchdown year in 2008.

In Chicago, the reverse occurred, with Cutler sliding in each of those categories until last season.

Those numbers don’t tell the complete story, however.

Cutler’s improved throwing interceptions 4.3 percent of the time his first two seasons with the Bears to a more reasonable 2.8 percent. Unfortunately for Chicago, his touchdown percentage dropped from 5.1 percent to 4.3 percent over the same period. The latter figure is only marginally superior to Ponder’s 4 percent over the same period. Worse still, Cutler is the division’s least accurate passer the last two years, completing only 58.4 percent of his pass attempts during that time.

Jay Cutler will have to learn how to beat the Green Bay Packers to continue his career in Chicago.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

However, it’s only fair to point out that Cutler has been saddled with easily the worst offensive coaching in the division. It’s for that very reason that Lovie Smith’s staff was sent packing after 2012 with noted offensive guru Marc Trestman taking the reins. Cutler is more talented than his aggregated Chicago statistics suggest. It’s easy to forget that in 2010, Cutler threw for a career high 5.3 touchdown percentage and his best touchdown-to-interception ratio (counting only seasons with 12 or more starts). When the conditions are favorable, that’s closer to the quarterback he really is.

Projection: Like Minnesota’s Christian Ponder, 2013 will be crucial for identifying Cutler’s future. When Cutler had quality offensive coaches, he was a 4,500-yard-plus passer with reasonable accuracy.

That hasn’t been the case in Chicago, but with Trestman now in charge that figures to change. With Brandon Marshall and a now healthy Alshon Jeffery manning the starting receiver spots, Matt Forte still possessing great hands out of the backfield, and an offensive line that can only improve, Cutler should have the tools necessary to resurrect his career.

Dec 16, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) makes a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

The only thing standing in Cutler’s way is Bears GM Phil Emery. Emery was not part of the regime that traded for Cutler. With only one year left on Cutler’s contract and a new head coach in town, Emery may use this offseason to find his quarterback. If this happens, Cutler’s 2013 season will become an open audition.

That doesn’t mean Cutler can’t succeed. In 2004, second year Chargers GM A.J. Smith drafted Philip Rivers to be the long-term replacement for Drew Brees, the inconsistent incumbent drafted by the previous administration. The added pressure pushed Brees to produce the best season he’d ever have as a Charger. While Cutler is older than Brees was then, it’s reasonable to expect Cutler to perform well even in this scenario.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Lombardi Ave. He has previously written for Hail to the Orange, College Hoops Net, Mocking the Draft, LiveBall Sports, and the List Universe. He is currently a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, an indie-music webzine. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JBHirschhorn.

Dec 30, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (7) against the Green Bay Packers at the Metrodome. The Vikings defeated the Packers 37-34. Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to quarterback play, especially in the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers are fortunate. Not only have the Packers transitioned from one Hall of Fame quarterback to another, but they also possess the top passer in a division stocked with talented arms. The NFC North is one of only two divisions where every starting quarterback has led their team to the playoffs.

In the modern NFL where passing and the ability to defend the pass are the strongest indicators of wins and losses, it’s important for Green Bay to keep tabs on the quarterbacks it sees most often.

With that in mind, we here at lombardiave.com kick off this three-part series by profiling the resume and projecting the future for one of the NFC North’s other quarterbacks.

So without further adieu, the first NFC North quarterback under the microscope is…

Dec 30, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (7) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at the Metrodome. Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Name: Christian Ponder

Team: Minnesota Vikings

Age: 25

Experience: 27 games, 26 starts

Resume: Having just turned 25, Christian Ponder is the youngest and least experienced starting quarterback in the NFC North. However, Ponder started at Florida State University for three seasons, which may give us a clearer idea of the type of player he is. What’s immediately apparent when examining Ponder’s college career is just how conservative he plays. Not once in his three years starting at Florida State did Ponder throw more interceptions than touchdowns. Also, with 2009 being the lone exception, Ponder never averaged more than 6.8 yards per attempt.

Ponder’s professional career has largely reflected this. In two years in Minnesota, Ponder has averaged 6.2 yards per pass attempt. That figure falls about one yard per pass behind Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler, and nearly two yards behind division leader Aaron Rodgers. More troubling for Ponder is the scarcity of scoring. Ponder’s throws only end in a touchdown 4 percent of the time, a division worst. Over that same period, Rodgers’ passes produced touchdowns at an 8 percent clip. While each quarterback is at wildly different stages of the development process, they’re competing for the same goals in the same division at the same time, thus necessitating the comparison. Needless to say, Ponder has a lot of ground to cover.

Projection: After analyzing Ponder’s conservative Florida State career as well as his first two campaigns in Minnesota, one has to wonder: Will Ponder ever become more of a risk taker, and does he need to for the Vikings to contend for a championship? It seems pretty safe to say that the answer to the first question is doubtful. While he will surely cut down on mistakes and take advantage of defensive errors more often as he matures, Ponder has never at any point displayed the temperament necessary to become a truly elite passer. Even if the Vikings improve at the wide receiver position, Ponder will still default to the short game more often than not. Big passing plays will have to come after the catch, which means the Vikings would be well advised to meet Percy Harvin’s contract demands.

Dec 2, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Ryan Pickett (79) tackles Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (7) during the game at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Vikings 23-14. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The answer to the second part of the question is more difficult. Minnesota has constructed its offense around Adrian Peterson and the running game. While Peterson performs at his current historic levels, it’s not necessary for Ponder to become an air raid quarterback. He does need to increase his touchdown efficiency, but probably not by all that much.

Where the Vikings will run into trouble is when Peterson’s production falls off. Only two years away from 30, and with 1,754 carries and a torn ACL already endured, Peterson won’t be the NFL’s pre-eminent running back for that much longer.

When the time comes, Ponder doesn’t project to cover enough of the difference to keep Minnesota’s offense at a Super Bowl contending level. For that forecast to change, Ponder has to make vast improvements this season. Few quarterbacks dramatically change their production after their third year starting.

If it doesn’t happen this year for Ponder, it’s pretty safe to write him off as anything more than a caretaker.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Lombardi Ave. He has previously written for Hail to the Orange, College Hoops Net, Mocking the Draft, LiveBall Sports, and the List Universe. He is currently a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, an indie-music webzine. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JBHirschhorn.

The Green Bay Packers, with three touchdown catches by James Jones and a smothering defense, defeated the Chicago Bears 21-13 today to win their second straight NFC North Division title and continue to move toward a possible second seed in the playoffs.

Brandon Marshallbreaks a tackle by Green Bay Packers cornerback Casey Hayward (29) and inside linebacker Brad Jones (59) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers was efficient today, making huge plays with his feet and bis arm along the way. He was 26 of 36 for 291 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while his counterpart, Jay Cutler, was a shadow of himself, completing 12 of 21 for 135 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. The Packers defense held the Bears to a total of 218 yards of offense on the day, smothering the trash-talkin’ Brandon Marshall, who collected 6 receptions for 56 yards. Matt Forte out-gained Marshall in passing yardage, catching five passes for 64 yards

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were on the call for FOX Sports today and here’s a couple of things they said at the top of the program: 

Aikman: “The Bears have a formula – taking the ball away. They need to run the football … could run it 40 times. Jay Cutler has to play better today.”

Here’s what Buck said: “It’s up to reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers.”

Rodgers was just good enough … he missed some passes that could have been big plays, but he made some nice throws, especially to Jones for his three touchdowns.

The Packers also had a decent day running the ball by committee. Green ran for 35 yards on 13 attempts, Grant ran 8 times for 32 yards, DuJuan Harris ran five times for 27 yards, Rodgers was 4 for 14 and John Kuhn ran twice for five yards – a team total of 113 yards.

With so much on the line, it’s appropriate that it’s these two storied franchises were banging heads today. Beats the heck out of watching the Rams and Vikings, eh?

The quiet time recognizing those who died at the elementary school in Connecticut is moving, though very short – so it seems. You can hear a pin drop. Tears are shed, Aaron Rodgers looks pumped.

First half action

Packers kick off  - Crosby kicks it to the back of the end zone

Dec 16, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews (52) reacts after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Bears first possession: 28th ranked offense; Bears go to the run right away.

Second play of the possession draw play for first down

Four straight runs by Forte – gets 2 first downs

Armando Allen gets three on sixth play of drive

on second and 7 from Packers 49; Cutler under pressure completes 10 yards to Brandon Marshall for first down

First and 10 from the 40, Forte picks up 9 off right side

Second and 1, Forte stopped for no gain as Packers defense penetrates

Third and 1, ball at the 30, false start on Bears

Third and 6, Cutler in the gun. Sam Shields knocks the ball away from Alshon Jeffery

Bears punt, Bears down it at the 2

Dec 16, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Packers first possession

First and 10 from the 2, false start on Don Barclay – ball moved back to the 1

First and 11, Quick pass to James Jones out to the 7,

Second and 6, handoff to Kuhn for 3

Third and 2, ball at 11, Rodgers bootleg right, can’t find anyone open and runs for 6 and a first down

First and 10, ball at 17, Rodgers under center, handoff to Alex Green, spins, runs hard and picks up six

Second and four, Packers in hurry up, quick pass to Randall Cobb, behind him, tips in the air but falls incomplete

Third and 4, Rodgers in gun, pass to the sideline low and incomplete to Jennings

Masthay punt to Devin Hester – However huge penalty on Bears – 12 men on the field gives Packers first down at the Packers 28

First and 10, Rodgers pressured, tries to run, but is sacked for 4-yard loss

Second and 14, pass incomplete to Finley

Third and 14, Rodgers in the gun, Rodgers under pressure from Lance Briggs throws it away

Fourth and 14 punt to Hester – Hester with nice return of 24 yards

Bears second possession

First and 10 from the Bears 48, run no gain

Second and 10, loss of 4 with stop by BJ Raji

Third and 14, Cutler runs, but short of first down

Fourth down punt – fair catch by Randall Cobb at the 14

Alex Green
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Packers third possession

First and 10 from the Packers 14, Alex Green for 7

Second and 3, Green runs hard to the left for 5 and a first down

Packers is hurry up, first and 10, ball at 28, Delayed handoff to Green for 3

Second and 7, Quick pass to Green loses 1 yard

Third and 7, Rodgers in the gun, Rodgers steps up and sacked for the second time

Fourth down punt, to Hester, ball rolls out of bounds at the Bears 33

Bears third possession

First and 10 from the Bears, long pass attempt down right sideline to Forte incomplete

Second and 10, handoff to Forte for 7, but holding on Bears

Second and 20, ball at the 19, Cutler throws screen to Allen for 16

End of the first quarter

Packers

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2012/12/16/5102/index.html#ixzz2FF218WXL

Bears

Clay Matthews
Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Third and 4, Ball at Bears 34, Cutler sacked by Clay Matthews

Punt to Cobb, seven yard return, but holding on Packers

Packers fourth possession

First down and 10 from the Packers, 30-yard laser to Randall Cobb over the middle

First and 10, handoff to Green who changes direction back to the right for 2

Second and 8, pass to Finley for seven

Third and 1, Rodgers hurry up and Packers called for 12 men on the field

Fourth and 2, Packers go for it, Rodgers in gun, pass over the middle to Finley for first down

First and 10, ball at Bears 29, handoff to Green off right tackle picks up 4

Second and 6, swing pass toward Green is batted down

Third and 6, pass to Cobb wide open off his fingertips incomplete – This would have been a touchdown had Rodgers not led Cobb by a few inches

Crosby FG attempt NO GOOD – and it wasn’t even no good … it missed very badly to the right – may have been tipped.

Brandon Marshall
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Bears possession

First and 10, forte no gain

Second and 10 to Marshall over the middle for first down

First and 10, Forte for 3

Second and 7, ball at Bears 46, Forte rips off  22 yard run and Packers called for personal foul

First and 10 at Packers 17, handoff to Allen for 2

Second and 8, Bears have 14 runs and 8 passes – Pass to Brandon Marshall who breaks tackle and runs into the end zone for a touchdown

Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards in 3:19

Bears 7 Packers 0

Packers possession

Bears kickoff to Packers – Randall Cobb returns it 10 yards and can’t evade Bears tackler

First and 10 from the 10, pass to outside to Greg Jennings for 18

First and 10 from the 30, Rodgers under center hands off to Ryan Grant off left tackle for 2

Second and 8, Grant again for 3

Third and 5, Rodgers under pressure rushes right and throws a strike to Cobb for first down 31 yard gain

First and 10, Grant for no gain

Second and 10, ball at Bears 35, pass to Finley for 6

James Jones (
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Third and 4 from Packers 31, Pass down right sideline to James Jones for 29-yard touchdown – his 10th touchdown of the year

4:19 Drive: 7 plays, 89 yards in 3:44

Packers 7 Bears 7

Bears possession

Packers kickoff to Bears – Hester with 30 yard return

First and 10 from the Bears 31, Cutler under center, hands off to Forte, hit by Matthews, but Forte gets back to line of scrimmage

Second and 10 Cutler under center, handoff to Forte, hit in backfield again by Matthews for loss of 2

Third and 12, quick screen to Marshall who is hit immediately by Erik Walden, Marshall fumbles, but Bears recover

Bears punt to Cobb who calls for fair catch at Packers 26

Packers possession

First and 10 from the 26, Rodgers in gun, fake handoff to Green, then Rodgers rolls right and passes to Green for 6

Two-minute warning

Second and 4,Rodgers rolls right and throws it away

Third and 4, Rodgers in the gun, Peppers sacks Rodgers

Bears timeout

Fourth down punt by Masthay, Hester dives to make the catch

Bears possession

First and 10 from the Bears 38, Casey Hayward interception and returns it to the 26

Packers possession

First and 10 at the 26, Rodgers in the gun, Quick pass to the right side to Cobb for 3

Second and 7, Rodgers passes toward Green incomplete

Third and 7, pass over the middle to Cobb for 13 yards and a first down to the 10

First and goal, Green for 3

Packers timeout – first

James Jones corrals the ball for his second touchdown of the day. Raymond T. Rivard photograph courtesy of FOX Sports

Second and goal, ball at the Bears 7, Rodgers in the gun, passes over the middle to James Jones touchdown for the touchdown – Rodgers’ 31st TD on the season, second TD on the day for Jones (11 on the year)

Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards in 0:57

Packers 14 Bears 7

Packers kickoff to Bears – touchback

Bears possession: 28 seconds left, Cutler in the gun, pass over the middle to Forte

Bears let the clock run out

Halftime

Packers 14 Bears 7

First half statistics courtesy of si.com

Packers

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2012/12/16/5102/index.html#ixzz2FFEDaNHQ

First and 10 from the Bears’ 41, handoff to Harris for 2

Second and 8, ball at Bears 39, Rodger pitches over the middle to Jennings for 11 and a first down

Packers in hurry up, first and 10, handoff to Harris for 4,

Second and 6, overthrows Jones while scrambling to the right side toward Jones

Third and 6, handoff to Kuhn for 1

Randall Cobb
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Fourth and 5, Packers go for it – Crosby frustrated on sideline, Rodgers in Gun, completes it over the middle to Cobb for 15

First and 10 at the Bears 14, handoff to Green who loses 2,

Second and 12, quick pass to Jones and the ball goes right through his hands – he had the block from Jennings that could have been a big play

Packers timeout – first

Third and 12, pass to Finley incomplete, but the Bears called for pass interference in the end zone. Ball placed at 1 yard line

First and goal, Rodgers in gun, Packers called for delay of game

First and goal, ball at the 6, Grant in backfield. Rodgers drops back and throws a back shoulder throw to Jones for Touchdown – Jones’s third of the day, Rodgers’ 32nd of the season

Huge Packers drive of 8:08

Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards in 6:52

Having the Packers hold the ball for nearly half of the third quarter is huge

Packers 21 Bears 7

Bears first possession of second half

Packers kick off to Hester who returns it 22 yards

First and 10, Forte for 4

Second and 6, pass to Forte for 10 and a first down

First and 10, ball at 40, handoff to Forte blown up by Ryan Pickett – loss of 1

Second and 11, Cutler throws long over the middle incomplete

Third and 11, ball at Bears 40, Cutler in gun, Cutler sacked by Mike Neal

Fourth down punt by the Bears, Cobb catches and hit immediately

Packers second possession

First and 10, Green for no gain

Second and 10, Rodgers in the gun, pass to Jennings tipped and falls incomplete – Whew

James Jones  Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

 

PLAY OF THE GAME - Third and 10, Rodgers scrambles in the pocket, evades Julius Peppers and then hits Cobb over the middle for 20

Rodgers calls second timeout

First and 10, Harris for 1

Second and 9, ball at the Packers 49, Rodgers under center, hands off to Ryan Grant who picks up first down, but fumbles

Bears possession

First and 10, long pass to Jeffery falls incomplete – Shields called for holding

First and 10, long pass to Jeffery goes incomplete, but Morgan Burnett called for 53 yard pass interference

Cutler calls Bears first timeout

First and goal, Forte for 3 down to the 2

Second and goal, Forte no gain

Third and goal, Forte no gain

Fourth and goal, Cutler in the gun, throws to Jeffery for the TD, but he’s called for pass interference

Big stop by the Packers 

Field Goal by Olindo Mare, Good

Packers 21 Bears 10

Packers third possession

Bears kickoff to Packers – touchback

First and 10 at the 20, Green for 1

End of the third quarter

Fourth Quarter

Second and 9, Rodgers under center, Rodgers steps up, but is tripped after gain of 2

Third and 8, Rodgers in the gun, Rodgers all day finds Jones over the mildly for 15 and a first down

First and 10 , ball at 33, Green up the middle for 3,

Second and 7, Rodgers under center, hits Finley over the middle, gets hit after the catch and picks up a total of 33

First and 10, ball at Bears 33, Sitton called for holding

First and 20, ball at Bears 43, Rodgers passes off back foot too low to Green

Second and 20, pass over the middle to Jennings for 14

Third and 6, ball at Bears 29, Rodgers in gun, Rodgers scrambles, but is one yard short

Mason Crosby missed two field goal attempts against the Bears. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Crosby hits upright – NO GOOD – second miss of the day

Score stays at Packers 21 Bears 10

Bears possession

First and 10 pass to Jeffery, but he’s called for pass interference

Second and 20,

Third and 17, Cutler sacked by Clay Matthews – second pf the day

Third and 24, pass to Forte well short of first down

Fourth down punt to Cobb, Cobb tries backward pass and the ball is fumbled -THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST STUPID CALL I HAVE EVER SEEN BY THE PACKERS IN MORE THAN 45 YEARS OF WATCHING THE TEAM!!!! Why? Mike McCarthy, Why?

Bears possession

First and 10 at the Packers 14, pass into the end zone nearly intercepted by Shields

Second and 10, pitch to Forte who is hit at the line of scrimmage by Brad Jones

Bears timeout

Third and 9, Cutler passes incomplete to Forte

Defense comes up with a huge defensive stop

Field goal by Mare, GOOD

Packers 21 Bears 13

Packers possession

Julius Peppers
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Bears kickoff to Packers – touchback

First and 10, ball at 20, Rodgers under center, Green for 3

Second and 7, Green for no gain

Third and 7, Rodgers incomplete, but Peppers called for roughing the passer. Peppers injured on the play.

First and 10 from the 36, handoff to Ryan Grant who hangs onto the ball for 5

Second and 5, Grant for 2

Third and 3, Rodgers under center, passes long toward Jennings incomplete

4 minutes remain

Packers fourth down punt, Hester returns 17 to the Bears 32

Bears possession

First down and 10, 3:47 left in the game, Cutler under center, pass to Marshall for 10-after Cutler runs out of the pocket

First and 10, Cutler under pressure throws incomplete

Second and 10, ball at Bears 44, pass knocked down by Clay Matthews

Packers cornerback Sam Shields (37) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Third and 10, 2:58 left, Cutler in gun, long pass Alshon Jeffery, but Jeffery called for pass interference

Third and 20, pass for 11 to Marshall

Fourth and 9, Cutler in gun, passes toward Jeffery knocked down by Shields

Packers take over on downs

First and 10, Grant for 3

Two Minute Warning

Second and 7,

Third and 6, Rodgers under center, hands off to Grant who is one yard short of a first down

Packers called for delay of game 1:02 remains

Fourth and 1, Packers punt to Hester, Masthay punts down to the 2-yard line

Bears final possession

First and 10 from the 2, 56 seconds remain, Cutler passes to Forte for 10

First and 10, Cutler sacked at the 4

Final play, Forte pass over the middle and tackled as the clock runs out

Packers 21 Bears 13

Game’s final stats courtesy of si.com

Packers

Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
Rodgers	23/36	291	3	0

Rushing	ATT	YDS	TD	LG
Green	13	35	0	8
Grant	8	32	0	14
Harris	5	27	0	21
Rodgers	4	14	0	6
Kuhn	2	5	0	4

Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
Cobb	6	115	0	31
Finley	5	61	0	31
Jones	5	60	3	29
Jennings	4	50	0	19
Green	2	6	0	7
Rodgers	1	-1	0	-1

Fumbles	FUM	LOST	REC-O
Cobb	1	1	0
Grant	1	1	0

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2012/12/16/5102/index.html#ixzz2FFcqHYaU

Bears

Passing	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
Cutler	12/21	135	1	1

Rushing	ATT	YDS	TD	LG
Forte	20	69	0	22
Cutler	1	9	0	9
Allen	2	5	0	3

Receiving	REC	YDS	TD	LG
Marshall	6	56	1	15
Forte	5	64	0	18
Allen	1	15	0	15

Fumbles	FUM	LOST	REC-O
Marshall	1	0	0
Scott	0	0	1

Jay Cutler
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Here is a cute little video making light of Jay Cutler’s strange twitch of throwing his shoulder forward …

Take a look. He’ll most likely will be twitching enough tomorrow when he sees the Packers defense coming after him.

Could Lovie Smith and Jay Cutler be headed in opposite directions at the end of this season? Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Remember when former Green Bay Packers Head coach Mike Holmgren went all in with his quarterback at the time, Brett Favre? I remember him saying something to the effect that when he committed to the gunslinger, the two would be joined at the hip. If one went down, so would the other.

Well, let’s jump to 2012 and consider the tandem of the Chicago Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith and his quarterback, Jay Cutler. They, too, are joined at the hip, but the results of their past three years together has been far from successful, especially against their arch rivals, the Packers. Way before Cutler arrived in Chicago three years ago, Smith took the head coaching job in the Windy City. We all remembers his opening statement including his famous “beat Green Bay” mantra.

Well, that hasn’t worked out so well for Smith. Though he had some initial success against Green Bay in his early years, the tide has turned, especially since Cutler arrived. Over the past four years, Mike McCarthy is 7-1 against Lovie Smith. Even more telling, in his past seven starts against Green Bay, Cutler has a QB rating of 53.1.

Dec 9, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith looks to the video board during the game with the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Vikings win 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Compare that to Aaron Rodgers’ performances against the Monsters of the Midway. In his past 10 games against the Bears, Rodgers sports an 8-2 record, and in day games, Rodgers is 5-0. The only two losses came in Monday Night affairs. During that same stretch, Rodgers has completed an impressive 71.9 percent of his passes (71-99) with 9 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. His passer rating over that stretch has been 117.4.

Those statistics come against one of the most consistent and vaunted defenses the NFL has seen in recent years.

Given that Lovie Smith’s goal over the years has been to beat the Packers and to emulate their success, he has fallen woefully short, especially since Cutler arrived. Joined at the hip, this may be Smith and Cutler’s swan song. They lose this game, their chances at a playoff spot diminish greatly and Smith’s goal of beating the Packers will once again be snuffed out. Though the Bears wouldn’t be mathematically eliminated, their play of late has been abysmal. Throw in the fact that they will be playing without Brian Urlacher, Tim Jennings, Robbie Gould or Earl Bennett, the Bears’ chances diminish even more. Sure, the Packers have their share of injuries. They will once again be hitting the field without Jordy Nelson or Charles Woodson, but this team has shown it can win even without some of their biggest stars.

So, it might be time to start the goodbye to these two. Already, the Chicago faithful are calling for the head coach’s head … and if that’s the case, you will see Cutler’s rolling right behind him.

Statistics aside, this is the Bears vs. the Packers. It’s going to be a a bloodbath on the poor December turf at Soldier Field. No prisoners will be taken and it might come down to defense, special teams and the kicking game. My best projection is the Packers find a way to make a couple more big plays than the Bears and put one more nail in the coffins of Cutler and Smith.

Will Jay Cutler be able to avoid the rush of Clay Matthews this weekend?
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

This morning Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported that Chicago Bears quarterback and whiner extraordinaire Jay Cutler suffered yet one more injury to add to his litany of excuses for his inability to win the big games – this time it’s a sprained MCL suffered against the Vikings last weekend.

Maybe we can add that to the sprained brain that he’s had for oh, 20-plus years.

Of course, I’m kidding. We all know that Jay Cutler, when he’s on, can be very effective; and now that he’s got some targets on the outside in the form of one Brandon (I like to talk) Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Devin Hester, the Bears are a threat to score from anywhere on the field at any given moment.

That is if Cutler is healthy, has his wits about him, gets the protection and can figure out from which angle Clay Matthews will arrive. Now that it’s been revealed that he has this knee problem, it’s unclear whether Cutler will even last the entire game, especially if the Packers come after him with the aggression they did back in September.

Already this season Cutler has been hampered by concussions, a sore neck last week and now the knee. Chicago head coach Lovie Smith said the sprained MCL isn’t nearly as serious as the knee sprain Cutler suffered against the Packers back in the 2010 NFC Championship and that his quarterback will definitely play Sunday.

That’s a good thing. The Packers don’t want to play the Bears’ B-team. They want the first string on the field so their bragging rights will be legitimate. All Packers fans feel the same, though a good beatdown of Cutler would be music to everyone’s ears.

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Tony Romo is known more for his off-field exploits than for his on-field successes.

Sometimes the more things change in the NFL, the more they stay the same – at least that’s the case with the quarterbacks I called the most overrated more than a year ago.

Jay Cutler, Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo were at the top of my list on July 23, 2011, as I considered their value to their teams while we all waited for the eventual settlement of the NFL players lockout.

When we look at those three QBs in 2012, not much has changed. Though the Bears have built their team up around Cutler and the Bears sit at 4-1, he’s still not an elite leader – nor are Sanchez and Romo who have both been inconsistent the past year-plus.

Let’s take a look at what each has accomplished this year.

Cutler is 90-156 passing for 1,209 yards through five games – completing 57.7 percent of his passes. He’s got seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

During Cutler’s four-year career in Chicago, he’s completed 869 passes in 1,457 attempts, a 59.6 percent completion rate. He’s thrown 70 touchdowns, but has had 56 interception. I wouldn’t say those are hall of fame statistics. If Aaron Rodgers had those types of numbers, Packers Nation would have run him out of town long ago.

Now on to Tony Romo – while he quarterbacks a team that sits at 2-2, he’s had a better go of it in 2012 than Cutler. He’s completed 66.9 percent of his passes, 101-151, for 1,148 yards. However, his five interceptions against Cutler’s Bears last week has inflated his interception total of eight this year. So far, he’s thrown just five touchdowns.

Mark Sanchez’s first few years in New York have been less than stellar

Now, let’s take a look at Sanchez, the darling of New York City Jets fans. We must ask right off – when will Rex Ryan finally get the message that Sanchez should be benched?

Sanchez’s team sits at 2-3. Sanchez has completed only 48.4 percent of his passes – 77-159, for 1,043 yards. He’s tossed six touchdowns and six interceptions.

Is it Tebow Time yet in New York. If Sanchez continues on this pace, Tebow will get his turn sooner than later.

So, my impressions of these three quarterbacks hasn’t changed much in 2012 from my original impressions in 2012.

Let’s take a look at what I posted last year. Check it out below:

So now that we must wait until at least Monday for any more news about whether we we are going to have an NFL season, I thought I’d take a few potshots of my own and focus on three of my “favorite” players.

So, here we go…

Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, Mark Sanchez …

Just what do they have in common?

Well, other than the fact that they play for NFL teams in the three biggest markets, to me they are three of the league’s most overrated players.

Romo, his only positive attribute being that he is a Wisconsin boy, plays for “America’s team,” but might as well be quarterbacking his Burlington High School squad. We’ll see what Jason Garrett can do with Romo this coming season, but to date (even when Garrett was handling the offense before becoming head coach) Romo hasn’t been able to pull together an offense over the course of a full season … nor has he been able to take his team to consecutive playoff wins.

He simply doesn’t have what it takes to be a winner, nor does he seem to be able to stay healthy long enough to do it. How do we know he doesn’t have it? Well, if you’re playing for a team that puts a defense on the field like the Cowboys and the team still can’t win the big games, then it’s pretty obvious that he doesn’t have what it takes.

His statistics are impressive. In five years in the league he has started 61 games and has a 39-22 record. He’s attempted 2,070 passes and completed 1,326 (64.1 percent) for 16,650 yards and 118 touchdowns. He also has a 95 quarterback rating … statistics that have earned him Pro Bowl appearances in 2006, 2007 and 2009. Injuries in 2010 kept him off the field and doomed the Cowboys.

He threw for more than 4,000 yards in 2007 and 2009, but in my mind he’s still overrated because he hasn’t won the big games and until he does that, he’s just a guy in this league.

He’s also a proven choker … consider the Seattle playoff game when he fumbled the snap.

Consider Sanchez in the same category. The Jets defense is among the top five or top 10 in the league. The team has a solid offensive line … heck, he even had LaDainian Thomlinson in the backfield last year, but when the ball was placed in his hands to win a game, he seemed to always come up short.

Though having played only two seasons in the league, maybe I’m jumping the gun on Sanchez, but he had better step into a bigger role this coming season. If he doesn’t, the Jets may just give up on the high 2009 draft pick … the player the team selected to replace Brett Favre.

Sanchez has been reliable, starting 31 games in his first two seasons and has a 19-12 record. However, he’s completed just 474 of 871 passes (54.4 percent) and 5,735 yards and 29 touchdowns.

His 33 interceptions in two seasons are also alarming for the Jets. That’s the type of statistic that isn’t going to win many fans or win many of the big games.

Sanchez’s performance in the AFC Championship game last season against Pittsburgh was pathetic in the first half. Though he brought the team back in the second half, because of a soft defense by the Steelers, it wasn’t enough to win the game. The Steelers allowed the Jets enough room to make a game of it, but when it needed to stiffen, the Steeler defense did so. A good quarterback – a Manning, Rivers or Rodgers – wouldn’t allow their teams to get into that situation in the first place and in the second place, they would have finished that game with a comeback win. Sanchez didn’t. Maybe it’s his youth, maybe it’s just that he’s overrated.

And of course we have to throw Jay Cutler into the mix.

Yes, we all know he’s tough. His teammates, including Brian Urlacher, say so. We have to believe them.

But if appearances are worthy of anything, all anyone has to do is see the pictures of Cutler on the sideline in last year’s NFC Championship game to understand that there’s something about Cutler that’s just not right.

It’s attitude.

For crying out loud, it was the NFC Championship AGAINST THE PACKERS! If Urlacher broke his leg, he would have been out there trying to kill Aaron Rodgers.

His stats are OK … in the past two years with Chicago, Cutler has completed 597 of  987 attempts for 6,940 yards (60.5 percent). He has 50 touchdowns with the Bears, but only an 80.9 quarterback rating.

His career statistics are very similar to Romo’s: 1,359 completions in 2,207 attempts for 15,964 yards (61.6 percent) and 104 touchdowns. But like Romo, Cutler hasn’t been able to lead his team to playoff wins. While he did lead the Bears to a division title last year, he couldn’t finish the job in two important games: The season finale in Green Bay and the championship game at home against the Packers.

Until he can shake the “soft” moniker and win some playoff games, Cutler is going to be viewed like Romo – just a guy who racks up statistics, but can’t win.

My guess is that these three “guys” will be just that for the remainder of their careers. They will win lots of games, but won’t win those that matter most.

And for that, they will continue to be overrated year after year.

Sep 13, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) reacts following a play during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Bears 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The Green Bay Packers 23-10 win over the Chicago Bears Thursday night may not have come as a surprise to most Packers fans, but those Bears fans and followers who had ultimate faith in their quarterback, Jay Cutler, heading into Thursday night’s game were jumping ship by the droves afterward.

Seven sacks and four interceptions later, the media and the fans were blasting away at the S.S. Cutler and the shooting probably won’t end until Cutler turns his game around or at least until the Bears play another “Sisters of the Blind” opponent. Putting a 40-burger on the Indianapolis Colts just wasn’t convincing. The Bears will have to beat a quality opponent before anyone’s going to let up on Cutler, Lovie Smith and the Bears’ offensive line.

As reported on Pro Football Talk yesterday, Charles Woodson and the Packers were some of the first to shoot volleys across the S.S. Cutler:

Asked about Cutler’s “good luck” comment, Woodson told Jim Rome:

“We got a laugh out of it, really. It was funny. They do have some big receivers over there but they’re not fast receivers. There’s no Calvin Johnson on that team, that’s going to stretch a defense. Yeah, there are some big guys, physical guys, and they like to push and pull and grab and get behind guys, but we weren’t going to let that happen, so it worked in our favor.

“If you get pressure on Jay, he’ll let the ball loose,” Woodson said. “That happened for us numerous times last night.”

But that was just the beginning and probably the most mild comments shot at Cutler.

Take, for instance, the comments made by Terry Bradshaw – yes, the same Bradshaw who won a bunch of Super Bowls and is one of the most recognizable faces in any NFL media roundup.

Here’s some of his comments that were published in the Chicago Tribune (I would really like to hear what he said under his breath, but we can’t do that):

“I like him, I think he’s a great talent,” Bradshaw said on WSCR-AM 670′s “McNeil and Spiegel Show.”  “I do not like, I’m telling you I’ll go right on the record – I do not like calling out my linemen and bumping them and screaming and hollering because you’ve got all these cameras watching.

“Tell everyone, say I stunk, I stunk the joint up and it wasn’t my night.  You know, apologize to the Bears fans and that quells it a little bit but don’t have to apologize during the week for the media who is going to be all over this when you could have snipped it, you could have cut it right there and now it’s going to just snowball and you don’t need that as a player and you sure don’t need that as a team.

“This is a guy I’ve never met and I’ve heard so many things negatively about Jay.  His body language for a person that’s never met him suggests he’s not a person I really want to meet, but that’s kind of a silly thing.  I’d really like to sit down with him and I’d have a better understanding of what makes him tick.  I think just by talking to him but … I just sometimes, I don’t understand.”

Here’s what Doug Farrar of Shutdown Corner had to say:

All of his worst tendencies came out in this game. He threw passes he should not have with terrible mechanics and nightmarish footwork. He embarrassed his teammates by yelling at them in plain sight, even as he was making those abysmal throws. He pouted on the sideline, started fights, and in no way resembled the kind of leader every great quarterback must be. At one point, Cutler pushed left tackle J’Marcus Webb aside as the Bears were coming off the field. At another, he slammed the ball to the ground and started barking at everyone when the Bears drew a delay of game infraction.

Here’s some of what Lynn Zinser of the New York Times had to say:

And yes, the fact that Cutler, who rarely seems to be residing in the same universe as the people around him, is the Bears’ quarterback was probably already enough to have them on a Maalox drip. But then he went and interpreted a Game 1 victory over the hapless Colts as reason to taunt the Packers, saying good luck to the defensive backs trying to match wits with him, and well, you could have almost envisioned the outcome right there: four interceptions, seven sacks and a 23-10 Packers victory. The teachers’ strike might now be more popular in Chicago than he is.

As Rick Morrissey writes in The Chicago Sun-Times, the Bears tried to oversell themselves after one win and got called on it. Yes, they made all of those nifty off-season moves and seemed to improve themselves, and yes, the Packers looked dreadful in their Week 1 loss to San Francisco. But their quarterback is still Jay Cutler, and if he were a stock, he’d be Facebook. So much potential, so much hubris, so much disappointment. Clearly the offensive line that Cutler spent his night screaming at shares a big part of the blame, but you still have to start with Cutler, writes Michael Wilbon on ESPN.com. And Chris Burke of SI.com believes it is valid to start questioning everything about the Bears’ purported strength.

Adewale Ogunleye, a defensive end on the Bears during Cutler’s first season with the team, had this to say:

“If you are not doing your job, yeah, someone should be allowed to get in your face,” Ogunleye said during an interview on the ‘Mully & Hanley Show’ Friday morning on WSCR-AM 670. “But if you live in a glass house, you can’t throw any stones. So the way I am looking at the game, no one is yelling at Jay when he is throwing the ball three (four) times to their defenders. And you’ve got to have some sense of accountability. At the end of the day, you start losing the respect of your teammates, you start losing the respect of that offensive line when publicly you’re bumping people and yelling at them in their face. I don’t think it is the right thing to do.

“To go and bump another player, you know the only reason Jay Cutler can bump on offensive lineman and not get his butt beat is because he is the star quarterback of the Chicago Bears. If this is in the street, and you bump a man that is 300 pounds, Jay is in serious trouble.

“The team is going to have to police itself. Maybe Brian (Urlacher) will have to say something. The more you yell at them, the more pressure you are putting on your own teammate.”

And if that’s not enough, here’s what The Chicago Bear Jew had to say on rantsports.com:

I’ll be the first to admit that I called Cutler the best quarterback in football in the past, but last night he took huge steps backwards and my opinion of him has changed. I don’t question his talent, but I am starting to question his ability to be a franchise-type quarterback. Sooner or later, this guy has to start acting like a leader and not a spoiled brat. If you think I’m being harsh, look at the personnel and coaching changes that have been made to appease Cutler. It borders on ridiculous.

All you have to do is Google Jay Cutler and I’m sure you can find more – If you want. It’s just nice to know the Packers are better than they showed in their home opener against the San Francisco 49ers and back to respectability among those who doubted them.

And getting back to that respectability couldn’t have come against a more worthy opponent than Jay Cutler.

Oh, by the way, Jay: Good luck.

May 23, 2012; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) throws a pass during organized team activities at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

FantasyCPR, our fansided.com brethren, is hosting a series of team previews that should interest all National Football League fans.

They began the series with a Q&A with Keith Myers of 12th Man Rising, another fine site under the fansided.com umbrella.

Fantasy fans and fans in general will be interested in following this series diligently put together by FantasyCPR’s Zach Thompson.

This particular posting will be of interest to Green Bay Packers fans because it focuses on the Chicago Bears.

Anyway, you can go directly to the site here or you may just continue reading the posting below.

Chicago Bears – Fantasy Football 2012 Preview

The MLB All-Star break is always a good time to start your fantasy football preparations. We’ll have plenty of coverage  here at FantasyCPR leading up to preseason and  the highly-anticipated kickoff to the regular season.

Today we’re joined by Boomer from Bear Goggles On who helps us preview what we can expect from “da Bears” as they head into a tough season in the ultra-competetive NFC North.

Zach Thompson, FantasyCPR: Thanks again, Mike, for helping us with our season previews. We’ll start with the obvious one… The Bears looked good last year and appeared to be on their way to the playoffs before injuries completely derailed their season. Should we expect any lingering effects of either Matt Forte or Jay Cutler’s injury? And will the Bears O-line be able to keep Cutler upright

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: I don’t expect any lingering effects from the injuries to Forte and Cutler.  By all accounts, Jay has been zipping the ball around during OTA’s, showing no signs of damage from the broken thumb that ended his 2011 campaign.  Even though Forte has not been in camp with his contract status up in the air, he is always in top shape and I expect this season to be no different.

The offensive line question is another story.  The Bears didn’t make any significant moves this offseason, either in free agency or through the draft, to address one of their most glaring weaknesses.  This one still scares me a bit.

Z: Will Jay Cutler be a top 10 QB statistically this year?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On:  There’s no reason to believe Cutler can’t get to that upper echelon of quarterbacks now that the Bears finally put some weapons around him and scrapped Mike Martz’s offensive playbook filled with 7-step drops that the Bears offensive line couldn’t block.

Z: I’ve been surprised at the lack of love given to the newly-acquired Brandon Marshall. Do you think he’ll be a top-10 receiver this year?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: No question.  Marshall and Cutler were an elite duo in Denver and I expect them to pick up where they left off.  The Bears added Jeremy Bates and quarterbacks coach and de facto passing coordinator, so hopes are high for Marshall in the Bears offense.  He’ll get a ton of targets and should catch 90+ balls if things go according to plan.

Z: Would you rather have Brandon Marshall on your fantasy team or Hakeem Nicks?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: I’d take Marshall since I think he’s a better receiver and since there are fewer weapons around Marshall compared to Nicks, who has to compete with Victor Cruz for touches.

Z: Brandon Marshall or Jordy Nelson?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Marshall.  Nelson is 2^nd or 3^rd option in Green Bay.

Z: Brandon Marshall or Steve Smith

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Marshall. I think the Panthers and Cam Newton come back down to earth this season.

Z: Just one more, Brandon Marshall or A.J. Green.

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Marshall since he’s got a stronger track record than Green, who might suffer a sophomore slump in 2012.

Z: I agree with you on all of those. I might consider Smith over him, but I want to see what the Panthers are doing during camp, but other than that I’m liking Marshall over all those guys. Who do you think will be the #2 wide receiver in Chicago?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On:  That’s a great question.  Everyone in Bears camp has been pumping up Devin Hester now that he’ll be moved into the slot.  I think that Earl Bennett will emerge as the #2 in terms of targets.  Look for Alshon Jeffery to be a red zone threat as the season progresses.

Z: Will the Bears use the TE much as a receiver and if so who do you think will emerge as Cutler’s favorite target in that role?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Kellen Davis has been getting some preseason hype as a super sleeper TE for the Bears.  He’s 6’7”, so he should be able to get some red zone TD’s.

Z: Matt Forte seemed to wear down a little at the end of the year even before the injury. Who will serve as the Bears backup RB and will they use him in any kind of a rotation?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: I expect Forte and Bush to be sort of a lightening and thunder attack.  For all his success that Forte has had, he hasn’t been good in short yardage and red zone.  That’s where Bush will excel.

Z: The Bears D/ST is always one of the top units in all of fantasy football. Do you think they’ll take a step forward or backward this year?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Their defense is definitely on the decline with their top stars on the wrong side of 30, but with a Lovie Smith defense, it’s always about takeaways.  The Bears will continue to be opportunistic and should still be a top fantasy producer.  When you add Devin Hester and special teams to the mix, I think they’ll still be a top fantasy option.

Z: Last one, give me your realistic expectation for the Bears this season, and then your perfect scenario. How far can Lovie Smith and Da Bears go?

Mike Burzawa, Bear Goggles On: Realistically, I have the Bears at 10 or 11 wins this season and making a strong run in the playoffs. In a perfect scenario, Cutler stays healthy and he and Marshall live up to the hype while the defense gets another year out of Urlacher, Briggs, Peppers and Tillman and the Bears return to Super Bowl glory.

What impact will Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall have on the Bears? Andrew Mills/THE STAR-LEDGER via US PRESSWIRE

It has been nine seasons since the Chicago Bears have had a 1,000 yard receiver. Could it be that they have not had any good receivers or maybe they just have not had any quarterbacks? Probably both, but that’s not the point. The point is, they are getting a receiver in his prime who has posted a 1,000 yard season in each of his last five seasons. Not only that, but Marshall and quarterback Jay Cutler were teammates for many of those years in Denver.

In return for the trade, Miami receives the Bears’ third round draft pick this year and next. That’s it. Pretty good bargain for the Bears if I do say so myself. It has been rumored that Miami made this move in order to try and sway Peyton Manning toward them. You would think Manning would actually prefer to work with Marshall but actually this may not be the case. Manning has been rumored to be a little turned away from Miami due to Marshall and his childish attitude he seems to always have.

This move cannot be looked at by any Packers fan as being a good thing at all. Though the Bears have brought in receivers in hoping of dramatic improvements, it always seemed to end up in failure. It seems as if their offense is just not designed to incorporate the wide receivers to become a major threat in any game.

Anyway, do you think this move makes the Chicago Bears’ offense better than last year? Even better then the Pack?

Whoa, sorry … getting a little carried away right there. Take the poll and see how others think.

Boomer, from over at Fansided’s Beargoggleson.com, was angered by the Packers loss to the New York Giants. He wasn’t upset because the Bears’ arch rival to the north was finally beaten in a playoff game, but because he believes it should have been the Bears that was providing the beat down on the Packers. He curses Jay Cutler for chasing down a San Diego Charger after an interception and injuring his hand, and he blames wide receiver Johnny Knox for the demise of the Bears’ season by also getting injured.

For some reason, I’m not too sympathetic.

However, I do feel the pain of  Gene Higginbotham, the author of the piece from over at Who Dat Dish, the New Orleans Saints Fansided.com’s blog site. While the Packers were thrown completely off their game against the Giants, the Saints were within 90 seconds or so of the NFC Championship Game, but shockingly lost in the final moments to the heroic comeback by the San Francisco 49ers.

While the media has dubbed last Saturday’s catch by Vernon Davis the “Catch III,” all Packers fans remember the Catch II – the Steve Young to Terrell Owens pitch and catch on the playoff game’s final play back in the late 1990s. Terrell Owens came off the field in tears, as did Davis after he made the catch last week.

A bit overdramatic to me … so I can understand why the Saints are feeling as blue as the Packers fans today.

Check out both posts. I think you will enjoy them.

See the Bears blog here … and the Saints blog here.

And if you like what you see here, Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

If the Packers are to win Sunday against the Bears, they must not turn the ball over.

Mike Burzawa, the blogger over at beargoggleson.com, threw some questions to us here at lombardiave.com about today’s Packer vs. Bears, which we were more than glad to answer.

In what, in my opinion, could be a much closer game than many expect, We talk about injuries, quarterbacks, defense and the Packers vs. Bears longtime rivalry.

No doubt, this will be just another great game between the Midwest rivals.

As you prepare to watch, check out the Q&A we’ve put together here … and don’t forget to Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Q. The Packers finally lost a game.  Does that help take some of the pressure off?  How does that affect their preparations for the Bears on Sunday night?

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The Packers and Bears rivarly is the longest in the NFL

Mike Burzawa of Beargoggleson.com, the Fansided.com‘s Chicago Bears site, sat down with lombardiave.com to answer a few of the questions we thew at him about this weekend’s game between the Green Bay Packers and the Bears.

Though he’s not too hopeful for his team against the Packers, everyone in Packers Nation is walking on pins and needles for this one … it’s the Bears and if anything’s loss against the Kansas City Chiefs taught us anything, it’s to watch for the trap games. This is shaping up to be just that … wounded team with their major offensive threats hurt, four-game losing streak, fighting for their playoff lives.

Though it looks to be a cakewalk for the Packers, there are many more factors playing into this one.

So give a read after the jump, Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook, follow us on Twitter … and enjoy the game.

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Questions about the proper enforcement of the roughing the passer came to light Sunday and involved Jay Cutler. The Packers travel to Chicago this week to renew the teams' long-running rivalry. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Ok, so it’s time to rail on the officials again today … I just can’t let this one go … that is the inconsistency of the roughing the passer call we saw this past Sunday. Yesterday’s calls, two of them that I will mention here, were out of bounds, at least as I saw it from my easy chair.

The first call came in New Orleans when Roman Harper of the Saints took Jay Cutler to the ground. I can’t find anyone, even the Bears’ beat writers, who actually thought this was roughing the passer. It looked like a simple tackle to me. Nothing rough about it.

When pressed for an explanation, the official’s official response was that Harper had “continued contact” with Cutler. Puhhhlease!

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Jay Cutler, Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo are three of the league's most overrated quarterbacks. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

So now that we must wait until at least Monday for any more news about whether we we are going to have an NFL season, I thought I’d take a few potshots of my own and focus on three of my “favorite” players.

So, here we go…

Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, Mark Sanchez …

Just what do they have in common?

Well, other than the fact that they play for NFL teams in the three biggest markets, to me they are three of the league’s most overrated players. (more…)

He’s never been known as the sharpest crayon in the box, but he is a pretty good football player … Let’s just plan to get him off the the podcast and broadcast circuit as soon as possible.
Our own Nick Collins was a guest earlier this week on Colin Cowherd’s radio show where he was asked about the toughest quarterback in the NFL. (more…)

Jay Cutler has been under pressure since coming to Chicago because of a poor offensive line. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Pain and the ability to withstand it is different from person to person … And nothing underscores that more than a recent report that came out about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
It was reported most recently by Brandon over at Acme Packing Company that Big Ben played with a broken foot during the last part of the 2010 season, including the Super Bowl where the Packers defeated the Steelers.
Now flash back with me to the NFC Championship game where we all saw Jay Cutler limp off the field and then stand dejected on the sideline wrapped in his cape while his team lost to the Packers.  (more…)

Aaron Rodgers is being labeled by everyone but the ghost of George Halas as the “hottest quarterback in the NFL” right now. Nevertheless, Sunday’s NFC Championship game likely will come down to defense.

Look at the two previous Packers-Bears slugfests this season: a penalty-riddled 20-17 Green Bay loss at Soldier Field in Week 3, followed by a gritty Packers’ 10-3 home victory in Week 17.

In that first game, Rodgers went over 300 yards passing but had a long of just 28 yards; meanwhile, the running game mustered just 63 positive yards. In the second, Rodgers went for 229 while the running game mustered just 60 yards.

James Starks or no James Starks, it’s clear the Packers can’t count on running the ball this coming Sunday in Chicago. And while the passing game went for more big plays in the second matchup, including a nice 46-yarder to Greg Jennings, one has to believe we’ll be looking at more of a controlled, dink-and-dunk affair with the Bears’ nasty front four and linebacking crew getting after Rodgers all afternoon.

More scenes like this one would be a welcome sight in Sunday's NFC Championship game at Soldier.

The good news for Packers fans is that as hot as Rodgers has been, the Green Bay defense has been just as hot, smothering Jay Cutler for six sacks and two picks in Week 17, and wreaking havoc against Philadelphia and Atlanta in the playoffs.

Tramon Williams, of course, has been the hero, with three picks, two of them happening in the end zone to save potential scores and one being turned into a pick-six that got the Atlanta rout started last weekend. Clay Matthews and the pass rush have been effective, too, with eight total sacks in the playoffs – and one would hope they will be able to force the erratic Cutler (who often looks like the late 2000s version of Brett Favre) into some bone-headed pass attempts.

Prediction: If the Chicago Bears score fewer than 20 points this weekend, the Packers will go to the Super Bowl. But we shouldn’t expect another 48-point outburst; this game will be decided by the defenses.