Does Cutler need to be an elite QB?

I think part of the angst here is due to people expecting two things:

1. Jay Cutler to be an elite quarterback for us.

2. The Bears to be a Super Bowl level team this year & Cutler will put this team on his back and carry it to a SB win.

My own feeling is that we don't need Jay Cutler to be elite to still win a few Super Bowls during his tenure here. I've mentioned this before, that if he could just be an "Eli Manning level" quarterback, I'd be thrilled. I've never thought of Eli as elite. People flamed him a couple of years ago when he answered a reporter that he thought he was as good as the elite QB's in the NFL. Eli is a smart QB, on a rock-solid team. An extremely well-coached team too. Eli doesn't have to single-handedly carry the team anywhere, but rather he just needs to do his job. He's one heck of a solid QB that way. But elite? No. He is the beneficiary of being on a GREAT team with GREAT coaching.

At least that's my 2-cents worth. Eli may ultimately end up in the Hall of Fame, but I'd never envision him as being "one of the great ones" in the NFL. By the way, he plays behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, at least IMHO.

Regarding point #2 above, I think folks thought the Cutler/Marshall combo automatically meant Jay would have a pro bowl year and lead us to the promised land. This year.

What do you guys think? Is all lost if Jay Cutler is merely "good" and not "great"???

To me NO, he needs to stop trusting his arm (being a gunslinger), and rely on his feet and pocket roll out to help him. Cutler was 77% out of the pocket which is great but i think having martz and others trying to convert him has screwed him up a bit. I think he needs to stop forcing the ball and just let the WR's do their jobs a little more.

Do i think Jay can be a Superbowl QB? Anyone QB in the NFL can do it but yes i think he needs to have more confidence in himself, and i know im gonna get killed for htis but id like to see Cutler in McDaniels offense Kyle Orton ran and put up 4K in yards. Its the easiest offense to learn and does work still it seems (Erhardt-Perkins offensive system)

And, maybe my comparison to Eli is a bad one. Help me out here. Who would be a comparison QB who isn't elite, but is pretty darned solid?

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

And, maybe my comparison to Eli is a bad one. Help me out here. Who would be a comparison QB who isn't elite, but is pretty darned solid?

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Flacco
Rothlisburger
Cassell

I agree...as I said last week in another post, my frustration/disappointment (my angst) with Jay is largely the result of my high expectation of Jay being an Elite QB...this is what I was told; this is what I believed...I am not sure I believe it anymore...

It's like being promised a nice, thick juicy steak for dinner, only to be served and nice thick, juicy hamburger...hey, don't get me wrong, I love a good burger, but when you're promised something better, it's hard not be a bit disappointed....

And yes, I do believe we can win a SB with Jay as our QB...

You don't need an elite qb to win. I agree Eli is not elite. He's still really damn good, and is very smart w/the ball. And w/todays NFL you have to protect the ball b/c of how easy it is for O's to score.
What a team needs to win a SB in the NFL is the ability to score from multiple areas(a lot of different wr's, big, fast, shifty) a TE that can abuse the DB's but also get past LB's, and a RB that can do it all.

A team does need a qb that doesn't melt down under pressure. And that is where Cutler needs to improve. He has the elite arm and the accuracy, and the smarts, but he needs to keep his composure in the face of the pass rush. That's really the only thing seperating him from the Elite qb's.

This team didn't trade a player 2 firsts and a 3rd for a qb that's not elite. Maybe they overpayed, and I don't think anyone in HH thinks he cannot be elite.

I really can't think of a single QB who can win without a surrounding cast of at least average players to support him. Even in his prime, Peyton couldn't produce at a high level with a bad "O" line to give him time to make his reads. AND he called them out for that as well at the time ! It's a team game and that's the bottom line. Elite QB's can win with average players surrounding them but as we all know our "O" line isn't even average at this point in time.

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Originally Posted by Riczaj01

You don't need an elite qb to win. I agree Eli is not elite. He's still really damn good, and is very smart w/the ball. And w/todays NFL you have to protect the ball b/c of how easy it is for O's to score.
What a team needs to win a SB in the NFL is the ability to score from multiple areas(a lot of different wr's, big, fast, shifty) a TE that can abuse the DB's but also get past LB's, and a RB that can do it all.

A team does need a qb that doesn't melt down under pressure. And that is where Cutler needs to improve. He has the elite arm and the accuracy, and the smarts, but he needs to keep his composure in the face of the pass rush. That's really the only thing seperating him from the Elite qb's.

This team didn't trade a player 2 firsts and a 3rd for a qb that's not elite. Maybe they overpayed, and I don't think anyone in HH thinks he cannot be elite.

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They WANTED to believe Jay was elite. He isn't. I still think it was wise to acquire him. He is "good enough" to get us where we want to go, the Super Bowl. That won't happen until we get an NFL-quality offensive line. Not these wannabe's we have now.

But Ric, you make a GREAT point in that Eli is solid because he is smart w/the ball. And Cutler isn't, at least right now. Cutler MUST learn to be smart with the ball, and I think he can mature, and do that. He can be our "Eli" if he'll swallow his pride, and admit (at least to himself) that he is part of the problem now. Not all of the problem. Maybe not most of the problem. But yes, he needs to improve.

It's almost like a 12-step program approach. You first have to admit you HAVE a problem. Then you can deal with the problem and get better. :smile:

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Originally Posted by omc1969

I really can't think of a single QB who can win without a surrounding cast of at least average players to support him. Even in his prime, Peyton couldn't produce at a high level with a bad "O" line to give him time to make his reads. AND he called them out for that as well at the time ! It's a team game and that's the bottom line. Elite QB's can win with average players surrounding them but as we all know our "O" line isn't even average at this point in time.

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Tom Brady did 3 times

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Originally Posted by VJ18

Tom Brady did 3 times

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Good point. Very good point.

The problem is that Jay Cutler isn't future Hall of Famer, Tom Brady, and Lovie Smith isn't future Hall of Famer, Bill Belichik.

I think Bears fans (not you but many of us), want to believe Cutler is a Brady level QB. It's like wanting to believe in Santa or the Tooth Fairy. At some point we need to accept reality.

And "reality" here is still pretty darned good. The Bears can win a Super Bowl (maybe more than one) with Cutler. But don't expect him to be Brady or even Rodgers. And Lovie isn't Bill B. The good news is that Cutler doesn't have to be Brady, for us to win a Super Bowl.

But what it DOES mean is that we need to give this guy help - starting with a decent offensive line in front of him.
:bearbang[1]: