Jay Cutler’s Comfort Zone In Bears’ Offense Will Make Or Break Next Season
Jay Cutler is the key to any success that the Chicago Bears will have next season. Without Cutler, the Bears have no shot. The second year of John Fox’s tenure as the Bears’ head coach is the all important one for him. He wants to cement the team’s identity in year two, and Fox needs Jay Cutler in order to get it done.
That sounds like a repeat of last season, as well as the years prior. It is the same thing every season. As quarterback Jay Cutler goes, the Chicago Bears go. And for the Bears to have any playoff hopes, Jay Cutler has to perform well. But it is not all completely on Cutler.
All of the offseason moves that improved the front seven of the Bears’ defense should be good enough to keep them in games or win them outright. Adding Danny Trevathan from the Super Bowl winning Denver Broncos is invaluable. Jerrel Freeman and Akiem Hicks are playoff-tested veterans who will help make things easier. The acquisitions prompted CSN Chicago’s John Mullin to suggest that the Bears had the look of a different team during last week’s minicamp.
Even Jay Cutler Can’t Fathom How Defense Got So Good That Fast https://t.co/PuwnfIB5np pic.twitter.com/4CT3Xfp9pu
— ? Sports Mockery ? (@sportsmockery) June 15, 2016
The Chicago Bears were a different team in terms of preparedness and attitude. Coach John Fox went as far as canceling the last day of Bears’ minicamp, according to the Northwest Herald. It was a testimony to how well things went. Attitude will carry the Bears far, but Jay Cutler will have to add the finishing touches to a successful season. If the Bears’ attitude is as strong as advertised, Cutler will be better for it, and the Bears will be better for it.
During Bears’ minicamp, it was noted that the defense harassed Jay Cutler every chance they got. The defense intercepted Cutler, forced him to make bad throws, and made him earn his minicamp stipend. All of which will make him and the Bears better.
If two things are accomplished during Chicago Bears’ training camp, which starts about five weeks from now, everything will be fine.
OC Dowell Loggains offers Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears some stability after a season with now Miami Dolphins’ coach Adam Gase running the show. Continuity is important, and as Coach John Fox pointed out to Emily Kaplan of Monday Morning Quarterback, “it was critical to keep Jay [Cutler] comfortable.”
Jay Cutler’s comfort zone in the Bears’ offense is the first big step. Having a second year to get familiar with the Chicago Bears’ playbook will help him have a better season while getting his teammates over the hump.
Happy Monday! I was in charge of MMQB today, so I wrote about Jay Cutler, the HGH investigation & @SurvivinAmerica: https://t.co/qaL3rdPn9v
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) June 20, 2016
Bears’ coach John Fox told Kaplan how he felt about the performances from last season. This included Jay Cutler.
“I thought Jay had an outstanding year. It wasn’t ideal. Alshon [Jeffery] wasn’t healthy the whole season. Kevin White did not play. I’m not knocking any of the guys that did play, but a lot is always made of the quarterback, and his supporting cast is critical. I don’t care what it is—defense, offense, wideouts, ability to run the ball … there’s a lot that goes into it besides one guy, although that guy gets a lot of the magnified glass. So if you saw what Jay did last year, I’m expecting good things again.”
Here is something that very few Bears’ fans want to hear; Jay Cutler had a good year last season, and is poised to have a true breakout year. While a breakout year would be an improvement, last season the Bears posted a dismal 6- 10 record, and this came after a 5- 11 2014.
This is only the second time in Cutler’s career that he will be playing under the same offensive scheme in consecutive years. The voice of the play-caller will be different with Loggains calling the shots, but that should not deter Cutler or the Bears one bit.
Having a healthy core of receivers in Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White, and Eddie Royal will help. A revamped Bears offensive line has a few questions that beg for answers, but they should be better with Kyle Long reinstalled as the starting right guard. All of which will help Jay Cutler be a better player.
There will be a few doubters along the way for the 33-year-old QB. The thought is that Jay Cutler is past the point of improvement. Former Oakland Raiders’ quarterback Rich Gannon should immediately come to mind when thinking about Cutler.
Like the Chicago Bears starter, Gannon had the tools; it just took him awhile to put everything together. Continuity and a strong coaching staff helped Rich Gannon put up career-defining numbers. With the Chicago Bears under John Fox, Jay Cutler has a similar setting. It is now year two of duo’s time together. If Fox and Cutler continue to hone in on an overall comfort zone, the Chicago Bears will meet and exceed their goals.
[Photo by Cliff McBride/Getty Images]
