NFL players unhappy with Custom Jersey option on NFL.com

-PSon

The People vs. Jay Cutler

I'm going to preface this by saying I loved Jay Cutler. I've given him the benefit of the doubt every time he was questioned. In fact I have written many fawning posts on this blog, professing my undying support. That all ended the minute he locked himself in his room and refused to open the door. In addition, I have many friends who are Bears fans and I have not ceased to mock them over the years for the historic Rex Grossman/Kyle Orton QB tandem.


The championship seasons of 97 and 98 are long gone and the Broncos have struggled since then with just 1 playoff win. That win came during the Jake Plummer led (his last full season as starter) 2005 campaign where the Broncos amassed a stellar 13-3 regular season record. They upended New England in their first game and lost handily to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship game. Plummer was benched the following year during a somewhat disappointing season. The benching was controversial at the time given the fact that Jay Cutler was only a rookie and the Broncos were still in playoff contention. They were in the hunt for the playoffs all the way up to their last game against the pitiful San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos embarrassingly lost that game in OT when all they needed was a tie or win to secure a playoff spot. Of course Cutler was just a rookie so while Denver fans were upset, the future looked bright and Cutler's youth served to shield him from criticism.

Cutler's first full season as Denver's starter resulted in a 7-9 finish, the first time since 01-02 that the Broncos missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons and the first time since 99 (the year after Elway left) they finished the season with a sub .500 record. Last season was Cutler second as the full time starter. He put up great numbers with a slew of great wide receivers, a couple of good tight ends, and a dominant offensive line led by rookie Ryan Clady.

The injury troubles for the Broncos were widely reported. At one point in the season they started 8 rookies on O and D. They lost 7 running backs to season ending injuries which might lead you to believe that Cutler was forced to put up big numbers without any help from his running backs. Bronco running backs rushed for 1862 yards last year. In contrast, Chicago running backs gained 1673 yards on the ground. When you add receptions (by running backs), the total yards gained by running backs is nearly identical for both teams (2275 to 2276). Looks like Orton and Cutler received the same help from their backfield.

The Cutler situation has been a nightmare for Bronco fans ever since the day Mike Shanahan was fired. Cutler was very close with Shanahan and let it be known that he was not happy with not being consulted about the situation. He wanted the rest of the offensive coaching staff held intact. Then McDaniels was hired and he brought his own coaching staff with him, surrounding himself with people he thought he could work with and people he knew would excel at running his system. Cutler and McDaniels clashed right from the outset. Mike Shanahan was a great offensive coach who allowed Cutler to put up big numbers and surrounded him with weapons to do it. He's always been good at that. Unfortunately the same could not be said about the Broncos defense, evidenced by the coaching carousel of defensive coordinators over the past 10 years. The defensive problem was compounded by poor drafting as well as trades and acquisitions that netted washed up veterans; either guys who excelled in good situations with other teams or guys Shanahan thought he could turn into successful players. Perhaps the poor defense was Cutler's ultimate trump card. He was free to sling the ball around the field to receivers who could make plays; the losses were placed solely at the feet of the defense because who could argue with the numbers.

Ultimately it was Cutler's sense of entitlement that was his undoing in Denver. Cutler never reached the playoffs as starter for the Broncos, even when it was handed to him in 2007. Cutler finished his Broncos career with a losing record. Cutler has a reputation around the league for being a front-runner and whiner. He played poorly against the Broncos' biggest rivals, especially the San Diego Chargers who have treated Mile High Stadium as home-sweet-home the last few years. There were teams that were considered big players in the Cutler sweepstakes who had stars speak out AGAINST Cutler, that's how little respect he holds in some corners of the NFL. Orton may not be the most physically gifted QB but his Chicago teammates respected him and his attitude is reminiscent of Jake Plummer's (nevermind Plummer's faults). When Plummer was benched in favor of Cutler, instead of pouting he did what he could to help Cutler succeed. Orton played to his strengths in Chicago and we know that McDaniels has a history of succeeding with QBs who play within the system.

The dominance of Chicago's defense is well known, Cutler has that going for him. However his success rides on the shoulders of sub-par receivers, a sub-par offensive line, a good tight end, and a good young running back. A large chunk of the Bears' receiving yards went to their running backs last year as their offensive line didn't give Orton much time to look downfield. Maybe that's a good thing as his receivers were likely covered and overmatched. Will Cutler be ok with throwing screen passes and check downs all day or will he force the ball into bad matchups and covered receivers (a problem he had in Denver)? Orton was sacked 27 times last season. Denver's O line held opposing defenses to 11 sacks. If the Bears choose to change their offense to suit Cutler, will they provide enough protection to give him time to look downfield? In case he doesn't know, Lovie Smith is not an offensive mastermind. What will Cutler do after his first poor outing in Soldier's Field? If he thinks Denver is tough, wait until the boos are raining down during a cold game in Chicago.

Josh McDaniels has repeatedly said that the Broncos have a lot of issues they need to take care of. A lot of changes were needed to make Denver a Super Bowl contender. Nevermind being one win away from making the playoffs, had they made the playoffs last year they would have been embarrassed by Indianapolis. In Denver, it's not enough to just make the playoffs and it's certainly not enough to miss them. You can't win the Super Bowl every year but there is a difference between not winning it and not having a chance to win it. A good franchise puts themselves in the hunt every year. In order to do that, change is needed. Denver has signed many free agents this offseason, filling holes at cornerback, safety, defensive line, and running back. Players who haven't contributed have been released. New coaches were hired, there are no longer single points of failure. Mike Nolan was hired as the defensive coordinator and will bring in a new 3-4 defense, replacing the antiquated one of Shanahan's tenure. The Cutler trade has given the Broncos more room to work. They received a replacement QB as well as three first-day picks (including 2 first rounders). The Broncos now have 2 first round picks this year that they can use to fill holes on defense. In contrast, New England received only a second round pick for Matt Cassel earlier this year. Make no mistake, the Bears gave up a lot for Cutler. There is a lot of pressure for him to succeed and he has not dealt with that so well in the past.

Key points regarding the Cutler trade:

• The Broncos' offense, while prolific, was extremely inefficient last year. They were ranked 2nd in yards per game yet they were 16th in points per game (at 23.1).
• Chicago's offense was 26th in yards per game and 14th in points per game (at 23.4).
• Cutler finished the season with 4526 yards, 25 TDs, 18 INTs, 38.5 pass attempts per game, and a QB rating of 86.
• Orton finished with 2972 yards, 18 TDs, 12 INTs, 31 pass attempts per game, and a QB rating of 79.6.
• Cutler was sacked 11 times and fumbled 4 times.
• Orton was sacked 27 times and fumbled 3 times.
• Cutler's percentage of TDs per attempts was 4.1, Orton's was 3.9.
• Cutler's percentage of INTs per attempts was 2.9, Orton's was 2.6.
• Denver scored 80% of the times they were in the red zone (inside the 20 yard line). They scored TDs on 54.5% of their trips.
• Chicago scored 90% of the time and scored TDs on 56% of their trips to the red zone.
  

Cutler is and will always be a gunslinger. The future of the Bears rides on whether they can surround him with enough talent to make up for poor decision making. The numbers say that Orton has the tools to succeed in the right system. He won't put up the same passing numbers but by minimizing turnovers and managing the game, he won't have to. I will take an efficient offense over a prolific one any day. The Broncos picked up a capable quarterback and 3 good picks for a quarterback that did not want to be here. Sometimes you get what you ask for.

Here's to hoping Denver does not draft a QB in the 1st round. Draft DEFENSE.

-PSon

NFL happenings while I was getting my butt kicked in Florida

This past weekend was a blast and certainly deserves its own post so I'll hold off on talking about it too much. For now I give you the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the first weekend of free agent signings in the NFL. It should be noted that I am an unabashed homer.

I would first like to link to this story that came out this weekend about the 4 people (2 of them being NFL players) who went missing in the Gulf of Mexico when their boat capsized. One of the men was found clinging to the boat but the other 3 are still missing. My thoughts go out to all three men; the thought of being alone on open water is too scary to think about.

The Good

• After the Broncos hired Josh McDaniels, people in Denver knew change was imminent (not necessarily a bad thing); within two weeks, McDaniels had seemingly cut half the team so I was pretty anxious to see what the Broncos would do this weekend. On Saturday I arrived at our hotel after a brutal day in fairly intense heat and popped open my laptop to check out who the Broncos signed that day. Brian Dawkins was the first name I saw and that's really all I needed to read. The Broncos had gaping holes in the secondary and that was before they cut Dre Bly last month. They finished out the weekend with most of those holes filled (Dawkins, Renaldo Hill, Andre Goodman) and they signed LB Andra Davis and a couple of potential nose tackles as well. Former Brian Westbrook fill-in, Correll Buckhalter was also signed and should get a shot as the feature back or part of a platoon.
• Kansas City picked up Matt Cassel (and Mike Vrabel) in a trade which serves as a tell-tale sign that Tom Brady is looking like he will be ready for the 2009 season. Good for KC although it still remains to be seen whether Cassel is a great QB or just a product of the New England system.
• T.J. Houshmandzadeh to Seattle. Great pickup for Matt Hasselbeck who should experience a resurgence after an injury-filled 2008 campaign.
  

The Bad

• Dan Snyder once again shows that he is filthy rich and will throw money at anything with football skills. The Redskins kicked-off free agent season with a 7-year, $100 million offer to Haynesworth. Yes this is the same guy who stomped on CU grad Andre Gurode's head. He's a game-changing player when he's healthy and playing within his head but with a giant contract and a coach who has already been having problems with superstar players, this could spell disaster in D.C.
• Brandon Marshall was arrested again, this time in Atlanta. No word yet on why but this doesn't look good as he has already been suspended by the league for off the field behavior.
• Vonnie Holliday after being cut, "There's no loyalty in this league." True. The NFL is notoriously bad about chewing players up and spitting them out. Contracts are not guaranteed so NFL teams can cut healthy players at any time without paying out the remainder of their deal. It is truly a business, at least more so than the other 3 major U.S. sports organizations (NBA, MLB, NHL). Sadly, nothing will change though as the NFL is currently in the best shape out of the 4 partly because teams aren't ever truly locked into weighty contracts and guys are forced to play hard or they will be unceremoniously released.

The Ugly

The Jay Cutler situation in Denver. In one corner we have Jay Cutler, the Broncos' rocket-armed quarterback; centerpiece of Denver's high-octane offense. The man in the other corner is Josh McDaniels, the recently hired head coach of the Denver Broncos and former disciple of Bill Belichick. It is being alleged that McDaniels has been shopping Cutler in the past couple of weeks in an effort to attain Matt Cassel, the quarterback he tutored last year in New England. It is no secret that Cutler has been less than thrilled with the Broncos' direction this off-season. Cutler was close with fired coach Mike Shanahan as well as departed offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and it is being reported that he asked to be traded after Bates' departure. Scary times. I love Cutler but I think he needs to grow some thicker skin. He's not the quarterback he thinks he is but with McDaniels' help he could be the best.

I leave you with a message from Brian Dawkins:



-PSon

Re-Charged

The Broncos achieved a thrilling victory yesterday against their bitter rivals, the San Diego Chargers. In probably the most controversial finish since "The Tuck Rule" game, the Broncos did their best to choke a 31-17 half time lead.

It was truly a tale of two halves. Cutler threw most of his 350 yards and notched 3 TDs in the first half but Denver's offense went cold in the second. Up by one point late in the 4th, Cutler threw an ill-advised 3rd down pass on the goal line for his only INT. It set up a long receiving TD by Darren Sproles who continues to destroy the Broncos every time they play.

Down by 7, Cutler led the Broncos the length of the field. This is when the controversy began. After rolling out on a bootlegged play, Cutler attempted to fire the ball into the end zone. The ball slipped out of his hand before his hand started its forward motion. The nearest referee blew his whistle and signalled an incomplete pass while a Chargers defender recovered the loose ball. Replays indicated it was a fumble but because the ref blew his whistle, it was a dead ball the second it hit the ground. Bronco ball. 3rd down. Draw play to the 2. Cutler fires to Royal on 4th down. Touchdown. Shanny signals for the gutsy 2-point conversion, Cutler again threads one to Royal for the 1 point lead. Heartbreak for the Chargers.

My take on the play and the game in general? The Broncos win and take a gigantic 2 game lead in the division. Should they have won? Probably not. Cutler said it himself in the post game press conference, "Fumble I think...". What can you do, the official got the play wrong on the field but Ed Hochuli (in all his beefy glory) made the correct interpretation. The Broncos got lucky twice (earlier in the game they won a replay because of equipment malfunction) and won the game. It happens. Luckily it was in the Broncos favor this time.

Cutler had a monster game once again and he acknowledged that his two blemishes almost cost the Broncos a game. He learned a valuable lesson without having to lose the game. Brandon Marshall came back from his one game "personal conduct" suspension and caught 18 balls for 166 yards against one of the best corners in the league. Cutler threw 50 balls. Marshall and Royal had a touchdown apiece. Scheffler had 2. The high octane Broncos are back. Terrible defense, terribly exciting offense. Can't wait for the next one.

-PSon

The Ascension of Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler is a man. He has answered the question as to who is the best quarterback from the 2006 NFL draft. Matt Leinart (drunk) and Vince Young (crazy) were both drafted ahead of Cutler but he seems to be the only one of the three who both cares about football enough to work to make himself better and has the mental fortitude to stand in the face of detractors and ball like he should.

Cutler put on a clinic Monday while playing without his best receiver. He hit guys in stride on tough routes and systematically picked apart the much lauded tandem of Nnamdi Asomugha and DeAngelo Hall. Yeah I know it was the Raiders but his real test comes this weekend against the San Diego Chargers and resident toolbox, Philip Rivers. You might remember the shit-talking clinic Rivers tried to put on Cutler as the seconds were waning in the Chargers drubbing of the Broncos. Hey Phil, Cutler is back and his swagger is more pronounced than ever.

The reason for Cutler's rise can be attributed to shedding his horribly debilitating meth addiction. The unkempt hair and mammoth bags under his eyes are clear signs of a meth-head and much like my hero Hammie, Jay has risen from the depths to take his rightful place next to John Elway in Bronco lore. An heir to the throne has surfaced.

Note: While looking for pictures of Cutler, I could only find pictures of this guy. This is the picture that made we want to vomit the least.