Air and Space; Cutler's Turn With Martz

**soulman** · 10-20-2011, 04:35 PM

NFC North Blog

Air and Space: Jay Cutler's turn with Martz

October, 18, 2011Oct 18
2:15
PM ET

By Kevin Seifert

Andrew Weber/US PresswireBears quarterback Jay Cutler is coming off his two best weeks of the season.
Aaron Rodgers is chasing history, Matthew Stafford is establishing credibility and Christian Ponder is awaiting his opportunity. With so many quarterback developments here in the NFC North, it has been easy to overlook perhaps the most fascinating figure of them all.

Jay Cutler has put together his two best games of the season in consecutive weeks for the Chicago Bears, in the process arriving at nothing less than a career crossroads. In revealing he has at least as good, if not better, sense of the Bears' capabilities than offensive coordinator Mike Martz, Cutler has exposed himself to at least the possibility of a fourth new offensive coordinator in the past five years.

NFL QBs by Passer Rating: Weeks 5-6

Aaron Rodgers	64.2	672	5	1	116.0
Ben Roethlisberger	63.2	409	6	1	112.4
Jay Cutler	71	495	3		105.6
Source: ESPN Stats & Information

Yes, suggestions are mounting that Martz might not return to Chicago when his contract expires after this season. I know the next coach is always the best option in the minds of many, but I'm far from convinced that Martz needs to move on. In fact, Cutler's career might be best served by finding a way to make it work with him.

Martz has certainly had his share of stumbles since joining the Bears, and for many of you it's gone on too long already. ESPNChicago.com's Melissa Isaacson gave voice to that sentiment, advising the Bears to make Martz a lowball offer and promote offensive line coach Mike Tice in 2012. And without naming Martz, ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer

wrote that Cutler "needs to be around a coach, someone he trusts, someone who can tap into whatever passion is there and bring it out."

Much has been made of the obscenity that NBC's microphones caught Cutler directing at the Bears' sideline during Sunday night's 39-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Cutler asked someone to "tell him I said [expletive] you." Martz sits in the coaches booth during games, leading to speculation that he was the target of Cutler's ire.

Afterward, Cutler reminded reporters about his public plea to scale back the Bears offense last week and notably spread credit for Sunday night's success.

"There's a lot of people involved in this," Cutler said. "Mike Tice, me, [quarterbacks coach] Shane Day, [tight end coach Mike DeBord]. Everyone has kind of a say in this and we are all trying to do the right thing and we are all trying to manage what we can and can't do on the football field. When we are smart about it and do the things we did tonight, we are more than likely going to be successful."

Yes, Cutler correctly assessed the Bears' offensive capabilities and shortcomings. That he went public with his ideas suggested he was at least concerned Martz might not oblige. Perhaps it was an end-around. More likely, it was an aggressive nudge. Regardless, you can't argue with the results.

According to film analysis by Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears used at least six players in pass protection on 23 of their 31 passes. On both of Cutler's touchdown passes, they kept seven blockers in.

Those touchdowns also came on play-action, which the Bears used to near-perfection Sunday night. As the second chart shows, via ESPN Stats & Information, Cutler completed 8 of 9 play-action passes and had a perfect quarterback rating on them. With seven blockers in place, and Matt Forte in the backfield, it's not surprising the Vikings fell for run-fakes on those scores.

Jay Cutler Play-action Passing, 2011

1-5	17	29	58.6	251	3	1	107.1
6	8	9	88.9	116	2		158.3
Source: ESPN Stats & Information

Martz also obliged Cutler on quicker passes, calling for five-step drops or shorter on 26 of his 31 passes, according to Pompei.

"We managed them," Cutler said. "A lot of five-steps and play-action, left some extra guys in, shift a little bit. Whenever we help them [the offensive line] out and get the ball out of my hands, it's going to be easy on me. It's not that difficult. Our game plan was really solid this week and we need to be very judicious going forward with what we can do and can't do."

You could interpret those quotes as Cutler propagating his personal preference over Martz's long-held theories. I see it as evidence of a compromise, uncomfortable or otherwise, that if managed correctly will put Cutler in position to maximize his success over the coming years.

One of the key ingredients in the success of NFL quarterbacks is consistency of scheme. It's no accident that the NFL's five highest-rated passers -- Rodgers, Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Stafford and Drew Brees -- are in at least their third consecutive year in the same offensive system. Obviously the scheme must be sound, but talented and smart quarterbacks like Cutler can usually find a productive comfort zone over time.

That's what I see Cutler approaching at this point. What the Bears did Sunday night looked pretty sound to me, even considering it came against a Vikings defense that seemed slow and undermanned.

I don't know whether Cutler likes Martz personally or even if he respects him professionally. But if Cutler can nudge the scheme to his team's benefit, working or tugging with Martz along the way, the Bears would still be better off than if they started Cutler over with a new coordinator next year. Even if that new coach mirrored what the Bears are doing now, there would inevitably be a transition period that would set back Cutler's career.

Being a serial divorcee might work in Hollywood, but in football it stalls progress. As we've said from the beginning of this marriage, both men need each other to advance their careers

**soulman** · 10-20-2011, 04:54 PM

I think Kevin Seifert makes some valid points for the retention of Martz as the Bears OC provided he doesn't fall back into his old ways.

If you look at Cutler's stats over the past two games compared with last years two Super Bowl QB's it's hard not to appreciate the fact that he can compare with the best of them when allowed to play his game. This has been obvious to most of us for quite sometime and to me right from the start. I got to see a lot of him here in Denver pre-trade and believe me for the past two and a half years he's been a much different passer in Chicago than he was in Denver.

Jay Cutler is not a Kurt Warner style drop back passer and he shouldn't be made to play like one. What the Broncos saw in Jay Cutler was the potential second coming of John Elway and McDaniels was a complete fool to ever trade him and they realize it now. That never would have happened if John Elway would have been involved with the team then and by now Jay Cutler would probably have been much closer to a John Elway than he is now. He's still young and he still has that opportunity if Mike Martz doesn't interfere and take it away from him.

Look at Cutler's QB rating after he began to play his way compared to what it was before that. He also hasn't thrown a pick in two games because he's getting time to throw and his receivers are getting time to get open. All it takes is that extra second or two that he wasn't getting before. Give Cutler time and he'll pick a secondary apart just as well as the best of them. Look at his stats on play action now that Martz has allowed Matt Forte to run the ball more often. Play action isn't effective without a running game and you can't establish a running game when you only call 12 running plays in a game!

I'm all for maintaining consistency in the offensive system and if Mike Martz will change his ways, listen to what his QB is telling him and allow him to play to his strengths rather than demand he play to his weaknesses there would be no sense in replacing him. I agree. Do I trust him to do that? No, but for the next 11 games he's certainly going to be given the chance.

**soulman** · 10-20-2011, 11:26 PM

I bumped this back up since the article supports retaining Martz. His point about the NFL's top passers being in at leats their 3rd year or more in the same system does make sense. I could learn to live with the Mike Martz who game planned and called the game last Sunday night. But the real question that needs answering is whether or not Jay Cutler can.

**motownbear** · 10-21-2011, 10:48 AM

And multiple qbs here including cutler had spats with ron turner. So that's proof every oc coming here doesn't know shit? They listed the top qbs in that article but fail to bring up the talent on those teams. You see no matter what the excuse is it all comes full circle talent on offense stinks and that is one mans department

**soulman** · 10-21-2011, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by motownbear

And multiple qbs here including cutler had spats with ron turner. So that's proof every oc coming here doesn't know shit? They listed the top qbs in that article but fail to bring up the talent on those teams. You see no matter what the excuse is it all comes full circle talent on offense stinks and that is one mans department

His key point in that is that familiarity breeds better QB play. My guess is the surrounding talent is better because they're more used to the system they play in too. But that's not to say that we aren't lacking in offensive talent. It's pretty obvious that we are.

I'll never be a huge Mike Martz fan but if he starts listening to Jay Cutler and uses a more common sense approach to running the offense he is somebody we can win with. The big if is will he change his ways?

**Blue Horse-shoe** · 10-22-2011, 01:06 AM

There's still a long way to go with this season and the next 5 games will determine how it's going to turn out. Some seem to think that the Bears are coming into the easy part of their schedule. The next 5 games don't sound easy to me.

This topic is pre-mature. There could be a house cleaning at the end of this season ( if it turns to shit ) and Cutler might wind up with a new HC and OC, and if that's the case then oh well.

Stability is huge , but he's still young enough to learn a new system if it comes to that. It's better than sputtering along with Fartz for a few more years. And the Bucs won the SB in Gruden's first year so it can be done ( although it's rare ).

I just think some things can be a waste of time, and that's something you can't get back . 7-9 seasons are worse than a progression from say 4-12 to 8-8 to a SB championship.

**Dagan81** · 10-22-2011, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by soulman

His key point in that is that familiarity breeds better QB play. My guess is the surrounding talent is better because they're more used to the system they play in too. But that's not to say that we aren't lacking in offensive talent. It's pretty obvious that we are.

I'll never be a huge Mike Martz fan but if he starts listening to Jay Cutler and uses a more common sense approach to running the offense he is somebody we can win with. The big if is will he change his ways?

The answer to your query lies within the noggin of one Lovie Smith. Only he can rein in Mike Martz, but he seems to be too intimidated by his former boss to stand up to him.

**Henry Burris** · 10-22-2011, 01:34 AM

Originally Posted by Dagan81

The answer to your query lies within the noggin of one Lovie Smith. Only he can rein in Mike Martz, but he seems to be too intimidated by his former boss to stand up to him.

I'd say after getting unfairly burned by the media, and especially with many having egg on their face afterwards, Cutler is using both the media and his weight in the locker room more than any of the coaches to rein Martz in. That may just be my opinion, but does anyone remember Griese's 99 yd drive in which he openly stated his headset wasn't working, so he called his own plays, only to be forced to apologize later? Our 2 1st round pick QB admitted what he said and didn't back down, because I don't think the coaches really can force him to say what they want, the way they could a FA pickup...

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