Jay Cutler Playing Like He Knows He’s Leaving Chicago

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Jay Cutler

led the Chicago Bears to another embarrassing loss on Monday, showing no emotion and looking like a guy who has given up and knows he is on his way out of Chicago. He looked like he did not care what happened on the field, and like he just wanted to get the game over with.

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The Chicago Bears, led by quarterback Jay Cutler, again looked like a team void of leadership, and Cutler looked like anything but concerned about being one.

Cutler threw an interception on the Bears’ first drive, added another one on the last drive of the first half and a third one in the second half. The offense did not move until the game was well over.

Through it all, Cutler had the look of someone who just didn’t give a damn. He did not use pre-snap reads, and did not check down to other receivers when the primary target was covered.

A perfect example of this was on a drive in the first quarter. The Bears faced a third-and-1. The play called was a pass to Alshon Jeffery on the seam, about 15 yards downfield. As Cutler dropped back, a secondary receiver, Matt Forte, went down the middle about six yards, and was wide open. Jeffery was double-teamed (as he was for most of the night without Brandon Marshall being lost for the season), but instead of checking down to Forte and getting the first down, Cutler decided to throw it to Jeffery anyway, and the pass resulted in an incomplete pass.

Cutler has the look and the action of a person who just doesn’t have any fight left in him. Get upset all you want, he’s done and he will not be resurrected, at least not in Chicago.

“The thing that could come out of this for Jay Cutler is he knows he might be done with the Bears this year.” -Ian Rapoport

The first half that Cutler played frustrated even Jon Gruden, who called it “one of the most disappointing first halves I have seen in awhile” during the telecast.

To top it off, Cutler dressed and went up to the podium very quickly, and was met with three reporters. The PR people did not notify the reporters that Cutler was already finished in the locker room and ready to go. He answered one question from each, and decided not to wait for the rest of the reporters to get into the room. He got up and left.

Cutler’s performance drew a pointed criticism from ESPN analysts, who had a Cutler bashing session for about 10 minutes. Ray Lewis had the most pointed words for him.

Going into the game, there was a controversy when offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer admitted that he was the source a Ian Rapoport used when he wrote about coach’s frustrations and having buyer’s remorse on giving Cutler his big contract. He took the high road when he spoke to reporters earlier in the week, but reports were that Cutler was hurt.

Later, Rapoport wrote on the Kromer aftermath, saying that perhaps Cutler knows he is done in Chicago. “The thing that could come out of this for Jay Cutler is he knows he might be done with the Bears this year. He knows so much rides in him. He is in control of his own destiny.”

I agree with Rapoport. Cutler knows that at this point, he CANNOT come back. There is too much bad blood now between the fans and Cutler. Once you lose the fans, it is very difficult to bring them back to your side. Cutler is riding out the remaining games, and some way, some how, he will be in another uniform next year.

This entire team could be blown up, but I find it hard to believe that would happen with the McCaskey family. There will be a lot of changes, but some people you expect to be gone will be back.

Just don’t expect that to be Jay Cutler. Let the offseason begin!