Andy Dalton Offers Chicago Bears A Reason To Keep Cutler
By Erik Lambert
Aug 29, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) prepares for the snap in the first half against the Chicago Bears in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
For those fans out there who remain big believers in Jay Cutler, rest assured the consensus is growing that unless the 32-year old completely collapses over the final nine games of the season, he should be the Chicago Bears starting quarterback in 2016. The problem is nobody knows what GM Ryan Pace has planned and also questions linger about what keeping Cutler really does for the team.
Yes, he’s better than a number of quarterbacks starting around the league but the numbers continue to indicate that he’s simply effective. Not good or great. Just decent with periods dips of bad and blips of really good. Mark Potash of the Chicago Suntimes explains the situation.
"“Despite his resurgence, Jay Cutler still is pretty much the same quarterback he always has been. In the four games that appear to have solidified him as a candidate for 2016, his passer rating is 90.0 — 15th best in the NFL in that span and not much of a spike from his career rating of 85.2.Cutler’s upside isn’t quite as great. When he had virtually everything going his way in 2013 — coaches he worked well with in Marc Trestman, Aaron Kromer and Matt Cavanaugh; big targets in Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett; and an offensive line that started the same five players in every game — his passer rating was 89.2. In more challenging circumstances in 2010 — when he was sacked 52 times behind a tattered offensive line and his top targets were Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, Greg Olsen and Devin Hester — his passer rating was 86.3. Not much of a difference.”"
The knock on Cutler has always been an inability to achieve his full potential. He’s a streaky quarterback who looks brilliant one week and lost the next. How can the Bears ever hope to win a championship with so much inconsistency under center?
The answer to that question, intentionally or not was also provided by Potash.
"“The Bengals’ Andy Dalton had the same 85.2 career passer rating as Cutler heading into this season — and the same reputation as a quarterback who can’t win the big one — but is second in the NFL this season at 111.0.”"
Like Jay, Dalton has endured constant jibes about his inability to elevate his game against good teams. However, the Cincinnati Bengals have still made the playoffs four-straight years and are 8-0 thus far this season. How have they done it? The same way the Bears won championships with guys like Bill Wade and Jim McMahon at the helm: by building a very talented roster around him.
Offensively, the Bengals offensive line has allowed just 11 sacks on the season and paved the way for the 13th best rushing attack. A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert have become a formidable trio in the passing game. As for the defense, it is 4th in the NFL in points allowed with eight interceptions and eight recovered fumbles. Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap have combined for 14.5 sacks alone.
Teams that have a strong talent base can get away with having non-elite quarterbacks.
Cutler has already proven that once before when he led the Bears to a 27-13 record between 2010 and 2012, during the final stages of the Lovie Smith-Brian Urlacher defenses. It is that history that supporters continue to draw on. If Chicago rebuilds the defense and gives him an adequate offensive line, this team can contend.