Tag: Jay Cutler (Page 8 of 32)

      We’ll find out on Sunday if Mike Martz has evolved

      December 9, 2010 /
      CHICAGO - OCTOBER 24: Offensive coordinator Mike Martz of the Chicago Bears watches a play against the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field on October 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Redskins defeated the Bears 17-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      It’s been almost nine years since Bill Belichick got the best of Mike Martz in Super Bowl XXXVI. In that game, the Patriots held the explosive Rams in check on third downs (5-of-13) and despite St. Louis’ 427 total yards of offense, they scored just 17 points.

      But some forget that Martz’s Rams did beat Belichick’s Patriots 24-17 earlier that season in Foxboro. And while Belichick has beaten Martz when the latter was the offensive coordinator for the Lions and 49ers, it’s important to note that Martz didn’t have the personnel he now has in Chicago (not that his personnel is that great with the Bears, but it’s better than what he had in Detroit or San Fran).

      This Sunday will mark a rematch of Belichick v. Martz when the Patriots travel to Solider Field to take on the Bears. After New England wiped the floor with the Jets on Sunday, many people expect the Pats to bring the 9-3 Bears back to reality.

      And if Martz gets away from what has helped the Bears be so successful over the past month, then the Patriots will.

      Chicago’s success of late is part great defense, part great Devin Hester, part improved offensive line play and part a near-flawless Jay Cutler. But one of the reasons Cutler has been so good is because Martz isn’t trying to force the ball downfield every play. According to ESPN.com, Cutler has the NFL’s third-best passer rating (106.3) on passes that travel 10 or less yards in the air. On attempts that cover 11 or more yards, Cutler has completed just 41 percent of those passes (41 of 100), which includes six of his 10 interceptions.

      He may deny it, but Martz has an ego the size of Conan O’Brien’s head. He used to buy into the “mad scientist” moniker and he probably still does. But with the Bears’ playoff hopes hanging in the balance over these next four weeks, now isn’t the time to start taking shots downfield in hopes to get the best of Belichick. Because if there’s one thing Belichick does extremely well (besides video tape opponents’ practices…sorry, had to get that one in there since I brought up Super Bowl XXXVI in the intro), it’s patiently waiting for his opponent to show its weakness and then attacking that weakness.

      The Bears can beat the Patriots on Sunday. As previously noted, New England is coming off an emotional victory over a divisional opponent and now has to travel to a non-conference foe’s domain. Even though the Bears are 9-3, it would be human nature if the Patriots suffered a bit of a letdown and again, it’s not like Martz hasn’t beaten Belichick before.

      But Martz must stay within himself and do what’s best for Cutler, who has responded well to excellent playcalling. If Martz makes this game about getting the best of Belichick, he and the Bears may suffer.

      External Sports, NFL

      Broncos fire Josh McDaniels – too soon or not soon enough?

      December 6, 2010 /
      ENGLEWOOD, CO - SEPTEMBER 21: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniel addresses the media during a press conference to discuss the death of Bronco wide receiver Kenny McKinley at the Denver Broncos Headquarters at Dove Valley on September 21, 2010 in Englewood, Colorado. McKinley, 23, was found dead in his home on September 20, 2010 in Arapahoe County, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

      That was quick.

      It hasn’t even been two full years since the Denver Broncos hired Josh McDaniels and now he’s unemployed and they’re searching for a new head coach. Following the team’s 3-9 start, the Broncos fired McDaniels on Monday after he led them to losses in 17 of their last 22 games.

      Looking at his brief track record, it’s hard to argue with the decision. Immediately upon arriving to Denver, McDaniels started a feud with then-starter Jay Cutler, who was eventually traded to Chicago for a first round pick and parts (uh, Kyle Orton). Then McDaniels led the Broncos to a 6-0 start in 2009, only to collapse down the stretch to finish 2-8. In the offseason, he was part of the contingent that sent No. 1 receiver Brandon Marshall to Miami.

      He also had a hand in dealing Peyton Hillis to the Browns in exchange for Brady Quinn, who is now third on the Broncos’ depth chart behind Orton and rookie Tim Tebow. Hillis, meanwhile, hasn’t stopped bowling over defenders since he arrived in Cleveland and has established himself as a feature back.

      McDaniels also had a hand in trading away multiple draft picks in order to select Tebow in the first round of April’s draft despite the warning signs that he was a massive project as a passer. Not lost on anybody was his inability to retain Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator following the ’09 season or how he was recently fined because a member of his video department was caught taping one of the 49ers’ walk-through practices in London earlier this year. Spygate 2, anyone?

      But even considering all of that, was it enough to fire McDaniels right now? You can’t even properly grade his first draft class yet and nobody has the faintest idea what will become of Tebow. The Broncos didn’t have to commit to him through 2011 but what about through the rest of 2010? And who are you going to replace him with right now? “Wink” Martindale?

      McDaniels’ short tenure in Denver was obviously filled with way more misses than hits, but it’s not like the Broncos improved their situation by firing him now. If anything it was a lateral move but then again, sometimes what’s best is to cut your losses and start anew.

      External Sports, NFL

      Suh only has self to blame for penalty against Cutler, Bears

      December 5, 2010 /
      DETROIT - AUGUST 28: Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions looks on prior to playing the Cleveland Browns in a preseason game on August 28, 2010 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

      Some Lions fans are missing the point regarding Ndamukong Suh’s unnecessary roughness penalty in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 24-20 win over the Lions on Sunday.

      Regardless of whether or not he hit Jay Cutler in the head or did something to deserve the penalty doesn’t really matter. What matters is that there were other ways to bring Cutler down besides breaking out a forearm shiver and Suh decided to go MMA anyway.

      For those that missed the play, the Bears were down 20-17 midway through the fourth quarter and driving inside the red zone. Cutler scrambled for an 8-yard gain and as he was falling to the ground, Suh drove his forearm into Cutler’s back and may have grazed his head. (I say “may have” because it depends on who you root for. It’s either clear that Suh hit Cutler in the head or it’s clear that he just hit Cutler’s upper back. Ah, fans.)

      Suh was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness on the play, which gave the Bears a first-and-goal at Detroit’s 7-yard line. They scored on the next play and eventually went on to win, 24-20.

      Following the game, Suh said: “I was just going out there to make a play, get the ball out. We were in a tight situation in the red zone. We have to stop them some way from getting a touchdown. Obviously he broke a tackle. I had a great angle to make a play and get the ball out, and that’s what I went after.”

      Okay, but there are other ways to try and knock the ball out – ways that won’t draw a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. He could have grabbed Cutler with one arm and tried to strip the ball with his free hand. He could have given Cutler a bear hug (no pun intended) and tried to punch the ball out that way. He could have read Cutler his favorite bedtime story and hoped that the quarterback let go of the ball while falling asleep.

      All good options (well, that last one is debatable), none of which involves throwing a forearm to, or around the back of Cutler’s head.

      Lion fans feel they have a gripe and maybe they do. But the bottom line is that the play was completely avoidable on Suh’s part.

      External Sports, NFL

      2010 NFL Week 13 Power Rankings

      November 30, 2010 /
      CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 28: Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears rolls out to look for a receiver against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on November 28, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Eagles 31-26. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      Another week, another top team in one of the conferences goes down.

      Check out Week 12’s Rankings

      1. New England Patriots
      Previous Week: 1
      The game was close at halftime but Tom Brady took over in the second half as the Pats destroyed the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. The win was significant because it showed that New England didn’t overlook a bad team with the Jets on deck.

      2. Atlanta Falcons
      Previous Week: 5
      The 2009 Saints are the reason why people are still reluctant to call the Falcons the best team in the NFC. New Orleans steamrolled over everyone last year, but Atlanta wears teams down until they can win it in the fourth quarter (sometimes late in the fourth quarter). They’re not the most talented team (at least defensively), but they’re consistent and with their win over the Packers last Sunday, the Falcons have now beaten four straight playoff contenders (Bucs, Ravens, Rams and Packers). Argue with that.

      3. Pittsburgh Steelers
      Previous Week: 2
      The Steelers beat the Falcons without Big Ben in Week 1, but the only reason they’re still ranked this high is because Steve Johnson dropped that touchdown pass in overtime. Every team is allowed a mulligan or two throughout the year and that was the Steelers’ last week. They got caught looking ahead to Baltimore a week early.

      4. New York Jets
      Previous Week: 4
      If the Jets want the No. 1 spot in these rankings, I’ll give it to them if they can beat the Patriots on Monday night next week. They’ve already beaten the Pats once this year but to do it in Foxboro is another story.

      5. New Orleans Saints
      Previous Week: 8
      What should scare every team in the NFC is that nobody is talking about the Saints right now. Sure, they could have easily lost to the Cowboys had Malcolm Jenkins not run down Roy Williams in the final minutes on Thanksgiving. But let’s not overlook the fact that the Saints are getting healthy and could head into the playoffs with a full head of steam. Who would want to play this team in January?

      6. Baltimore Ravens
      Previous Week: 9
      Their win over the Bucs last Sunday was highly unimpressive from an offensive standpoint. But with the Steelers coming up this week, it was good to that Baltimore wasn’t caught looking ahead.

      7. Chicago Bears
      Previous Week: 13
      This isn’t the same team that took the field in the first six or so weeks of the season. The offensive line has greatly improved over the last three weeks and Jay Cutler is starting to put some quality games together. If Mike Martz can stop taking unnecessary chances and rely more on his running game, then the Bears are going to be tough to beat down the stretch. That said, they have a tough schedule coming up, which includes a date with the Packers in Green Bay.

      8. Philadelphia Eagles
      Previous Week: 3
      I think the Eagles started to read their own press clippings after beating the Giants. That was when everyone started to talk about how this team was the best in the NFC and then smack! They met a determined Bears team in Chicago. This may not be the team to beat in the NFC, but they’re still the team to beat in the NFC East.

      9. Green Bay Packers
      Previous Week: 6
      It would be a shame if a 7-9 or 8-8 team in the NFC West makes the playoffs and the Packers (who know doubt will have a better record) don’t. This is a good team led by an elite quarterback. Now they just have to figure out ways to win close games so they’re not nipped come playoff time.

      10. San Diego Chargers
      Previous Week: 11
      I wonder if the Raider fan who left a comment on my rankings two weeks ago that Oakland should be ahead of San Diego will come back to eat crow. Doubtful.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      There’s no denying it now: The Bears are for real

      November 28, 2010 /
      CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 28: Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles fumbles the ball as he is sacked by Julius Peppers of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on November 28, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      Call them lucky, I know I have.

      Call them flukes – I’ve done that, too.

      But there’s really no disputing it now: The Bears are for real.

      All eyes were on the Eagles heading into Sunday. They were one of the hottest teams in the league with one of the hottest quarterbacks, and many people believed that they were the best team in the NFC. But while all eyes were on Michael Vick, Jay Cutler stole the show in the Bears’ 31-26 victory.

      Cutler completed 14-of-21 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns, but more importantly he didn’t throw an interception. His offensive line, which has improved over the past three weeks or so, gave him plenty of time to find open receivers and he shredded a depleted Philadelphia secondary. He displayed tremendous poise and confidence, and he never forced the ball (something that has become a habit of his) into coverage. He now has nine touchdowns to just three picks in his last four games for a Chicago team that is now one full game ahead of Green Bay (which lost to Atlanta on Sunday) in the NFC Central.

      Vick, on the other hand, spent most of the game trying to avoid a Bears’ front four that dominated the trenches. He did complete 29-of-44 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns, but he was picked off for the first time all year (in the red zone, of all places) and he gained most of his yards through the air in the fourth quarter when Chicago was playing prevent. He was good, but Julius Peppers (who has been worth his huge contract, even if he isn’t racking up sacks) and the Bears were better.

      At 8-2, the Bears are now in great position to make the postseason but they still have a tough row to hoe. They’re at Detroit next week, but then play the Patriots at home, the (rejuvenated?) Vikings in Week 15, the Jets in Week 16 and the Packers in Week 17. The season could still wind up in the gutter, but if they play like they did on Sunday against Philadelphia, then Da Bears will be playoff bound.

      External Sports, NFL

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