Matthew Emmons/US PresswireWith the right weapons around him, Jay Cutler might also hold a Lombardi Trophy some day.
While many are elevating Eli Manning into the ranks of the NFL's elite after his second Super Bowl victory on Sunday, Tony Dungy was comparing the New York Giants star with another quarterback who has battled critics throughout his career.
Dungy can see attributes in Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler that remind him of Manning. Like many Bears fans, Dungy can see Cutler achieve ultimate success if he's surrounded with the right weapons.
"You absolutely could ... and it doesn't have to be first round draft choices," Dungy said Monday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "Victor Cruz was undrafted. Mario Manningham was a good player but not a great player. Jake Ballard kind of replaced Kevin Boss and he wasn't a household word.
"So, these receivers, if you get playmakers and they can come from anywhere ... So I do, I think it's a very good parallel with Jay and Eli."
In fact, Dungy believes the Bears aren't that far off from returning to Super Bowl contention.
"I think they're really close, and you look at the Giants and at Green Bay and this is sort of the blueprint for the decade we're in with the rule changes," Dungy said. "If you have a quarterback that can make big plays and a passing game that can click and make big plays for you, and if you can rush the passer, you're a Super Bowl contender. (This is why I still think we draft a pass rusher #1)
"You don't have to be great in other areas. Now the Bears have a return game, they've got some other things that are good, they've got a great running back. If you look at it, these last two or three teams that have won, you get healthy and hot at the right now, you don't even have to have a great regular season record, but if you're healthy and you have a quarterback that can make plays, which the Bears do, and if you have pass rushers which the Bears do, if you're healthy you can win it. So I don't think they're that far away."
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap.
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
If the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants are the past two Super Bowl champions, how far away can the Bears actually be?
The Bears were NFC North champions ahead of the Packers in 2010 and only lost 21-14 in the NFC Championship Game even with third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie playing most of the second half.
As for the newly crowned Super Bowl champion Giants, they were below the Bears in every NFL power ranking with six games left in the regular season. The Bears were 7-3 after beating the Chargers, while the Giants were 6-4 after losing to the Eagles and Vince Young -- the same Eagles team the Bears beat in Philly with Michael Vick at quarterback.
Even two weeks after Cutler suffered his broken thumb against the Chargers, the Bears (7-5) on a two-game losing streak still were just one spot behind the Giants (6-6) in both the ESPN and Brian Billick (Fox) power rankings.
If Cutler had not suffered the injury, the Bears would have finished 11-5 or 10-6 and made the playoffs. The Giants needed to pull that annoying last-split-second time-out trick that wiped out a tying field goal by the Cowboys to win in Dallas, then had to beat the Cowboys in Week 17 just to make the playoffs.
The Giants won it all with a wide-receiver corps almost as modestly acquired as the Bears -- Victor Cruz was undrafted in 2010; Mario Manningham was a third-round pick (95th overall) in 2008; Hakeem Nicks was a first-round pick, but 29th overall, in 2009.
Manningham, who made a heroic catch to start the winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, was taken 25 picks after the Bears selected Earl Bennett. Manningham had 39 receptions for 523 yards and four touchdowns this season. Bennett had a similar season shortened by an injury -- 24 receptions for 381 yards -- except of course, for the touchdowns. Bennett had just one. In four seasons, Manningham has 18 touchdowns. Bennett has six.
That seems to be the difference between a team like the Giants and a team like the Bears. The Giants make big plays in the clutch and they score touchdowns. Bears wide receivers combined for nine whole touchdowns this season -- undrafted rookie Dane Sanzenbacher leading the way with three. Without a ''No. 1'' guy, the Giants' wide-receiver corps combined for 21 touchdowns.
Is Eli Manning that much better than Jay Cutler? Is Kevin Gilbride that much better than Mike Martz? Is Tom Coughlin that much better than Lovie Smith? bbI'm pretty sure most Bears fans would say, No. No. And Yes.
Lovie Smith sure seemed like a better coach than Tom Coughlin when Jay Cutler was healthy. But it seems like it was more than just bad luck that separated the two. Coughlin has a knack not only for keeping his quarterback healthy (Eli Manning has started 130 consecutive games since taking over for Kurt Warner in 2004), but for having his team primed to take advantage of every opportunity late in the season.
Of course, if Cutler stays healthy and Manning was injured, it would be non-issue. But Cutler didn't stay healthy. And Manning didn't get injured. After two unlikely Super Bowl titles, there must be something to it. It's hard not to be encouraged when a team of destiny wins the Super Bowl. But you can only take it so far. We've seen enough to know that the Bears might be further way than we think.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap.
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
In all fairness to Earl Bennett he's played 20 games less in his career than Manningham has and Hanie couldn't seem to find him and when he did over threw him. I'll give MM his due and his better stats but I would never take him over Bennett in spite of that. Earl has averaged about 2 catches per game more than MM so how much closer do they compare if Earl has played as many games? Even this year Bennett lost 5 games to injury and was on a roll when Cutler went down. Just projecting Bennett's 11 games of stats out over 16 games his numbers would be almost identical to MM except for scores.
I'd agree that MM has been far healthier during his career but I don't see him as the better receiver of the two. They are very different receivers used in different ways. Bennett and Cruz is a better comparision.
Earl Bennett #80 WR Chicago Bears | Official Team Site Height: 6-0 Weight: 206 Age: 24 Born: 3/23/1987 Birmingham , AL College: Vanderbilt Experience: 4th season High School: West End HS [Birmingham, AL]
I think the bottom line of what's being said here is that had it not been for the injuries to Cutler and Forte the Bears would have made the playoffs and once again had a shot at getting to the SB. Obviously one key to winning is staying healthy but this does show that we need more and better depth if we want to get back there again.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap.
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Matthew Emmons/US PresswireWith the right weapons around him, Jay Cutler might also hold a Lombardi Trophy some day.
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