“I don’t want to be in a battle. But waiting on the edge of one I can’t escape is even worse.”
I heard these words on Sunday morning, spoken by Pippin in the classic movie Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. As soon as he spoke it I thought to myself, “I hope that’s not how Jay Cutler feels right now.”
Cutler was a mere hour away from starting his second career NFL playoff game, this one for the right to take his Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl. He had been labeled a “loser” for much of his college and professional career to that point, going an underwhelming 11-35 during his tenure at Vanderbilt University and never eclipsing the .500 mark with the Denver Broncos. He always had great talent and unquestioned athleticism, but never the leadership and team success that makes a quarterback truly great. Now he had an opportunity to change that. That is, if he didn’t waste it.
As it turns out, that was a big “if”. Saying that Cutler seemed uncomfortable against Green Bay on Sunday would be a gross understatement. Sure, he showed up on time and was dressed in the correct uniform, but it was obvious that Jay just wasn’t mentally prepared to succeed on the big stage. Like Pippin, he seemed to be stranded in a battle he wanted no part of.
Cutler managed to complete a measly 6 of 14 passes for 80 yards in the first half, and included a late interception just for good measure. After one more failed drive to begin the 2nd half Cutler finally managed to “escape” the battle, leaving the game with a knee injury that was suffered sometime earlier. Now, let me first say that I’m not normally one to question injuries. But when a player has no idea on what play the injury actually occurred or how it happened, suspicions begin to be raised. Maybe he was really hurt and couldn’t continue, but it looked an awful lot to me like he was fed up with the way things were going and simply bowed out. He reminded me of a kid in tee-ball who strikes out, throws a fit, and then sits on the bench crying for the remainder of the game. I guess I just thought I’d stop seeing that kind of behavior after I turned ten.
I know; I seem bitter. But I think I have reason to be. For two years now, I’ve been hearing that Cutler has a bad attitude and can’t lead a team. Broncos fans warned us when he left Denver in a hissy fit, burning bridges as he went. And through all of that, I defended him.
I, like many scouts and GMs who deemed him a first round talent, fell in love with his arm strength and mobility. Cutler’s throws have more zip than Henry Rowengartner’s in Rookie of the Year. I was sick and tired of riding the Chicago Bear quarterback carousel, and Jay had the natural ability that Rex Grossman, Craig Krenzel, and Jonathan Quinn (the list goes on) failed to possess. So I bought in.
As Bears fans, we were like a guy that had been dating nothing but unattractive girls for years and years. So, when someone even remotely good-looking came along, we decided to look past the flaws and call her Megan Fox. For me, Sunday’s game exposed Jay Cutler for what he really is- a pretty good quarterback that doesn’t have the tenacity to finish big games. In retrospect, I feel foolish.
Cutler will be the starter again next season, but I’m not sure Chicago will ever really embrace him. The one attribute Chicago most appreciates, toughness, is the thing Cutler lacks the most. In “the city of broad shoulders”, Jay Cutler’s are always sulking.
