Cutler's fundamentals `horrendous,' must change: Esiason

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Originally Posted by Henry Burris

Going back to why Cutler regressed last year, which I believe to be relevant to this topic : Matt Forte is almost given a pass on underperforming this year even though it wasn't always the offensive line's fault. There were multiple times Bush or Allen found the open hole in games Forte couldn't. It would seem that seeing nothing working game in, game out, may be throwing him off, which is what I believe Cutler's biggest problem is. Looking at how Campbell also played worse than normal, it seems like fundamental stuff was just not there. Get a HC that is as meticulous as Emery, and we will likely see improvements next year.

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The Bears rushing O really disappointed me this year. We did run the ball better last year and I thought with Bush added we were going to have a top-tier 1-2 rushing dynamo attack. Never happened. It wasn't bad, just not dominant like it could have been, especially when you consider that both of them are good receiving backs and should have racked up more combined yards (Emery cited this in his presser too). Some of it was Tice's dumbshit playcalling, some of it was on horrid OL play (which definitely declined in run blocking), and some of it was on the fact that Forte hurt his ankle three times starting way back in week 2. Bush was banged up too.

Another offensive disappointment--there's no excuse for us not being a better O, rush and pass, next season. I.E., FIX THE DAMN OL AND FIX THE DAMN O COACHING STAFF.

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

Good points, and Ric's points are good too.

I'm hoping we bring in a great coach who can begin taking the team to the next level. I'm excited about Emery adding key player pieces to the team this off season. It should be fun to watch. Then I'm hoping Forte, Cutler and the rest of the offense just blows the doors off the rest of the NFC-N and we are the division champs again. It was bad enough to have the Packers pass us in recent years, but to have Detroit last year, and the Vikings this year pass us - that was pretty painful.

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Look, we are all disappointed as hell in the second half meltdown and continued woes on O. We all know the various factors involved and debate them endlessly. Call me a homer, but I do not believe that we have been "passed" by either Detroit or Minnesota and relegated to the bottom half of the division. We are a better team than both of those by a substantial margin. A better team that will get better (thanks to Emery's about-to-start moves both on the field and on the sidelines). A better team with a more balanced and complete roster (soon to improve with an upgraded OL) that was held back this year by a few key "wrenches in the gears".

Detroit is a mess. Their D sucks big time despite seemingly having a DL chock full of stars. Their running game is a disaster. Their O is turnover prone and doesn't scare anyone once you get past CJ. It racks up lots of garbage yards but few key scores. Their coach is a head case and it shows up in penalties and a bad rep around the league.

Minny had a surprising and unlikely-to-be-repeated turnaround largely thanks to AP having an amazing season. Their D has definitely improved and their OL is solid but Ponder looks like nothing more than an Orton-type game manager QB who can't push the ball downfield. Past Harvin, they've got nothing in the WR corps. I give Leslie Frazier a lot of credit for "doing more with less" (while Lovie & Co. clearly did "less with more") but this is a team we should/would have easily beat twice with a modicum of decent offense.

If Emery does what I know he is capable of this offseason, we will be #2 in the division and hot on Green Bay's heels this fall. Yep, I'm very optimistic about "de-wrenching the gears".

i dont think its any secret that cutler needs to also get better... that doesnt mean he isnt a good player.. I also think cutler has pretty good pocket awareness and movement myself, however he does hold the ball low when moving around.

His biggest improvement needs to come from reading the defenses and finding the open WR, and not always going to Marshall. Getting a seem stretching TE would go a long way in helping here

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Originally Posted by Da_Burz

i dont think its any secret that cutler needs to also get better... that doesnt mean he isnt a good player.. I also think cutler has pretty good pocket awareness and movement myself, however he does hold the ball low when moving around.

His biggest improvement needs to come from reading the defenses and finding the open WR, and not always going to Marshall. Getting a seem stretching TE would go a long way in helping here

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Yes, it would be huge. Cutler does need to step up his play no doubt, but adding a real 4th receiving TE option to an improved OL and improved coaching staff should do wonders for this offense both passing and rushing.

agreed^

OL needs to be fixed first... TE should be easy to find there are some interesting names in FA this year that could come at a discounted price such as keller who is much better than NY allows him to be, and jared cook as well. Plus you always have the draft.

Cutler's main area of improvement must be pre snap reads to know who is going to be single covered or who is going to be open in the zone and force it to marshall a tad bit less

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Originally Posted by Da_Burz

agreed^

OL needs to be fixed first... TE should be easy to find there are some interesting names in FA this year that could come at a discounted price such as keller who is much better than NY allows him to be, and jared cook as well. Plus you always have the draft.

Cutler's main area of improvement must be pre snap reads to know who is going to be single covered or who is going to be open in the zone and force it to marshall a tad bit less

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I see FA as the best way to go to get us a real TE (boy, how long has it been?). Keller definitely wants out of the Jets circus, don't know about Cook. TEs don't tend to be as expensive in FA as other positions so the added "cost" compared to drafting and developing a guy is less. We are already wasting $3.5m/yr on Kellen Davis that would be way better spent on one of these two guys.

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Originally Posted by MPBears68

Look, we are all disappointed as hell in the second half meltdown and continued woes on O. We all know the various factors involved and debate them endlessly. Call me a homer, but I do not believe that we have been "passed" by either Detroit or Minnesota and relegated to the bottom half of the division. We are a better team than both of those by a substantial margin. A better team that will get better (thanks to Emery's about-to-start moves both on the field and on the sidelines). A better team with a more balanced and complete roster (soon to improve with an upgraded OL) that was held back this year by a few key "wrenches in the gears".

Detroit is a mess. Their D sucks big time despite seemingly having a DL chock full of stars. Their running game is a disaster. Their O is turnover prone and doesn't scare anyone once you get past CJ. It racks up lots of garbage yards but few key scores. Their coach is a head case and it shows up in penalties and a bad rep around the league.

Minny had a surprising and unlikely-to-be-repeated turnaround largely thanks to AP having an amazing season. Their D has definitely improved and their OL is solid but Ponder looks like nothing more than an Orton-type game manager QB who can't push the ball downfield. Past Harvin, they've got nothing in the WR corps. I give Leslie Frazier a lot of credit for "doing more with less" (while Lovie & Co. clearly did "less with more") but this is a team we should/would have easily beat twice with a modicum of decent offense.

If Emery does what I know he is capable of this offseason, we will be #2 in the division and hot on Green Bay's heels this fall. Yep, I'm very optimistic about "de-wrenching the gears".

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The Vikings have made strides and as you say have AP. They are a QB away from serious contention in the division. The Lions have some real talent and are a HC away from serious contention. It's a tough division. I don't think we are all that much better than either team, but where the big difference in my mind is that while we all have good talent, I think we now have the management in place to take advantage of out talent and grow it. I hope that my faith is not misplaced.

Well, the reason why i brought all that up was that there's a good reason to believe Jay not having as good a year as he could have because, outside Marshall, no one played nearly as well as they should have. Cutler's got bad tendencies, just like every other football player, and with the right coach, he's going to be able to cover those with sportcenter games (game that gets talked about the most on espn) and become as efficient as the defense is, as long as they add the right combo of vet and rookie o-linemen while having a run based offense that can move the ball (49ers are the perfect example) when they pass.

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Originally Posted by bearsinhouston

The Vikings have made strides and as you say have AP. They are a QB away from serious contention in the division. The Lions have some real talent and are a HC away from serious contention. It's a tough division. I don't think we are all that much better than either team, but where the big difference in my mind is that while we all have good talent, I think we now have the management in place to take advantage of out talent and grow it. I hope that my faith is not misplaced.

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Thats a fair assessment, Houston, and I agree that it is a tough division. I think we were the only division to have 3 10+ win teams. There's certainly more balance in it now with GB coming back to earth a bit and Minny bouncing back from a 3 win season. Our D is the best in the NFCN hands down, our STs are at or tied for the top, and our running game is 2nd only to Minny with AP in beast mode. Where we crapped the bed comparatively was A) on the OL, B) being totally out-coached offensively, and C) not having or utilizing properly any receiving weapons beyond BMarsh.

"A" we have talked about endlessly. Emery can and will attend to this like a beehive this offseason or his tenure as GM won't be very long. Everyone knows it's player priority #1 and will be scrutinized intensely.

"B" is already in the process of being rectified. We are in the strongest position to get the cream of the crop candidate that fits our needs. Yeah, I do strongly believe this was a key "wrench in the gears" offensively that's now being extracted.

"C" is definitely inter-related with both of the above but also to multi-game injuries to both Bennett & Jeffery (who should be improved in his 2nd year) and a mindlessly stupid and stubborn mis-reliance on Davis and Hester that is OVER. Get a competent vet FA TE and develop a decent 4th WR out of the late draft (or Joe Anderson). It really isn't complicated or even all that difficult.

Detroit isn't going to be seriously competitive IMO until they get some on-field/off-field discipline, find a running game, rebuild a shitty secondary, and replace their crazy ass HC (who somehow kept his job!?!?).

Minnesota seems a lot closer to me but relying on AP, as awesome as he is, to run for 180 yards every game isn't a viable longer term plan. They still need to upgrade their WR corps and find a QB who doesn't throw wimpy quacking-ducks half of the time he is asked to pass more than 12 yards.

Thats how I view it. Maybe I'm being too optimistic in favor of the Bears but I do foresee us being a considerably better team than Detroit or Minnesota come this September. We could have and should have won 5 divisional games this past year.

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Originally Posted by MPBears68

1) Minnesota seems a lot closer to me but relying on AP, as awesome as he is, to run for 180 yards every game isn't a viable longer term plan. They still need to upgrade their WR corps and find a QB who doesn't throw wimpy quacking-ducks half of the time he is asked to pass more than 12 yards.

2) Maybe I'm being too optimistic in favor of the Bears but I do foresee us being a considerably better team than Detroit or Minnesota come this September.

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1) I agree. He is awesome, but even awesome gets hurt and sometimes hurt doesn't heal so fast a second time

2) I agree here also, but not so much on where we lie today so much as where I hope Emery has us for next season.