Cutler: City Savior
The Bears's Jay Cutler throws a touchdown pass against the the Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago on September 20 (Jonathan Daniel/Getty)
Seriously, how bad were the past couple months?
The Sox tanked. Ditto the Cubbies, who now face a possible Milton Bradley grievance from the Player’s Union.
Adam Burrish’s torn ACL represents the latest news out of Blackhawks camp.
The Illini opened 2009 with a 37-9 shellacking from Mizzou; Northwestern lost to Syracuse and this guy last week.
The Bulls? How about the utter demystification of their franchise face? Here’s a rundown of Derrick Rose’s summer: Leaked gang sign photo, high school academic fraud (at CPS’s own Simeon High!) and the SAT cheating fiasco. I repeat: The brains directing the Bulls attack couldn’t pass the SAT legally.
The Olympic bid continues its inexorable slide in local popularity. According to the Trib, nearly as many Chicago residents oppose Mayor Dick’s schemes than support them. Damn.
Hell, the city even lost one of its finest ambassadors with the passing of John Hughes in August.
Da Bears were heading in the same direction late Sunday afternoon. Already missing their most popular player, whose career Renaissance ended with a season-ending injury in the first quarter of the first game, Chicago was down seven points, in the 4th quarter, against the defending Super Bowl champs to boot.
Then Cutler worked his magic. A quick seven-yard TD strike to Johnny Knox, ironically the 5th round draft pick gifted from Denver in the Cutler deal, knotted the game at 14 points apiece. After a Pittsburgh missed FG, Cutler’s clutch two-minute drill set up Robbie Gould’s game-winner with 15 seconds left.
In roughly six minutes, Cutler salvaged his reputation, the Bears’ season, Chicago’s autumn, my personal well-being and, not to sound hyperbolic, Obama’s health-care plan.
Finally, something of excitement. Now, I wonder if he can play right field …
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I don’t know if Cutler can play right field, but watch Daley throw a TD in the final seconds of the next election.
After his week 1 performance, Cutler desperately needed a win. He played really well to lead his team over the reigning Superbowl champs. I’m wondering if this means that he’ll be inconsistent (alternating between week 1/week 2 performances) of if this is the sign of good things to come. We’ll see.
Good question, Ms. Carter. As much as I’d like to believe that last Sunday portends a glorious Cutler era, let’s keep in mind that this dude hasn’t won ANYTHING since high school. In college he paced a mediocre Vanderbilt squad, and he has yet to make the playoffs in the NFL. It’d be kinda like trusting someone as your VP running mate after only a so-so, relatively brief governorship of a remote, small state.
Oops.
Kevin, that’s a fair point. Dungy keeps saying that Cutler needs maturity; I think Dungy’s right. Cutler has the talent, but is he mentally ready to lead the team? It’s an open question right now.
In response to another comment. See in context »It’s the Return of the Mack! Although I just can’t force myself to say anything good about Cutler (you know, being a Broncos fan on the receiving end of his hissy fit in Denver and all) it’s good to read your writing again. And P.S., I totally support your call to bring back Grossman … but probably for more vindictive reasons than anything else.
[...] Jay Cutler hasn’t played the role of savior that some idiot suggested. Lovie Smith has done a worse job than Del Negro, which is saying something. And most [...]