Jay Cutler ranked in the top ten by Pro Football Focus

Pro Football Focus ranked Jay Cutler as a top-ten quarterback. After the jokes and the hate and the frustrations, is he finally having a breakthrough?

When the Chicago Bears traded for Jay Cutler, he was thought of as a savior for the offense. He was going to take it to new heights. His time in Chicago has been up and down to say the least.

Cutler is breaking franchise quarterback records with each throw it seems. He also led the league in interceptions twice, threw 98 interceptions (many of them at the worst time) and compiled a not-so-impressive 48-42 record as a starter.

He has also been a lightning rod for controversy. Never have I seen someone so scrutinized for his body language. At times he gives off an “I don’t give a damn” feeling, and looks like he just quits, which infuriates fans.

This season has been different, however. His interceptions are down, his positivity is up. He looks like he is in control, and is making a lot better decisions. He is no longer depending on his cannon arm to make nearly impossible plays. If his receiver is double-covered he will scan for another one, and throw the ball away if there is no one open.

Now people are noticing Cutler’s season. Even Stephen A. Smith, a noted Cutler hater, had to admit that the Bears’ signal-caller is having a very good season. There is even talk about him going to the Pro Bowl.

How good a season is Cutler having?

Pro Football Focus has a weekly top ten ranking of the quarterbacks, and for the first time, you can find Jay Cutler’s name on it. After his performance in St. Louis, he is now tied with Tyrod Taylor for tenth.

Here is what they had to say about Cutler:

"New to the list and quietly moving up the ranks in recent weeks, Cutler has posted the eighth-highest grade since Week 5. His Monday night game against the Chargers was a gem two weeks ago, and while the stats were excellent against the St. Louis Rams last weekend, he had a number of easy throws that turned into huge gains, as 209 of his 258 yards came after the catch. Cutler has done a nice job of handling pressure this season, grading at +4.7 to go with five touchdowns and only one interception on 97 attempts."

The last part of that quote is what is most impressive about Cutler. When pressured, he has just one interception. I believe that was against the Arizona Cardinals when he was flushed out of the pocket and harassed into a pick-six. It was also the play in which he injured his hamstring and missed the second half of that game and the game against the Seattle Seahawks.

More from Da Windy City

We will see if Cutler can continue his good play. He has to go against the Denver Broncos, who have the NFL’s best defense. He then has a short week before he has to try to vanquish his demons against the Green Bay Packers.

If he can survive the next two games relatively unscathed, he may be able to really take off. After a rough schedule early on, it gets pretty easy down the stretch. They have San Francisco, Washington, Tampa Bay and Detroit, not exactly the toughest of defenses to face. There is also a game against the division-leading Minnesota Vikings, but Cutler played well enough to beat them the first time they played.

Next: Kevin White Decision Looming For Chicago Bears

Cutler is having a very good season. He has quieted his critics, and is showing the leadership skills people expected from him for years. By the way, he is also having some fun on the field. We have not seen that Cutler. It is good to see.

Home/Chicago Bears