In Chicago Bear lore, the elders often spoke of a great quarterback who would come when our need was greatest, and lead our team to victory with an average QB ratings of 110.5, erasing jokes about Syd Luckman and Erik Kramer holding franchise records. So it was written, and so we believed, and when word reached Bear Nation of the trade with Denver for Jay Cutler, many believed that the prophecies had come to fruition. If you’ll remember, 2008 was the year of Orton, and his totals for the season were a measly 18 TD’s and 12 INT’s. People thought that once Cutler took over, numbers like that had gone the way of Grossman, never to be seen again, that we’d overcome problems like an aging O-line, a defense decimated by injuries, and play calling that seemed, even to the most amateur viewer, cliche and hackneyed. When the interceptions began, we said he was still getting used to the new offense, but soon the boo birds descended upon soldier field, and the words bust and mistake were often used in conjunction with Cutler’s once holy name. As we look back upon the year, Jay finished with 27 TD’s and 26 INT’s,(that’s +1 by my calculations) 3,666 yards, and set the Bear’s franchise record for single season completions by a QB. Listen, Jay Cutler is not Peyton Manning or Drew Brees (who I think is better than Manning. Disagree? Leave a comment and say something beside “intangibles”) and he isn’t going to win us games with his golden arm alone. We still have to strive to be a complete football team, with a strong system and balanced talent, in order to make a realistic playoff run. However, if said team can be assembled, I, for one, see no problem in having Jay Cutler with the reins.

I know it’s hard to accept, but even after the acquisition of pro-bowl, 4,500+ yard quarterback Jay Cutler, the Bears still have no shot at a playoff run this year. The addition of wide receivers Earl Bennett, and Johnny Knox, (who I think has the potential to be superb) as well as the emergence of Devin Hester as a legitimate threat, made the Bears pass offense appear impressive in the first few games of the season. However, with recent losses to the Bengals, the Falcons, the Cardinals and the Forty-Niners, Chicago looks unable to compete when faced with a higher level of competition. The most obvious problem is the offensive line. No offense to Chris Williams, our first round draft pick from 2007, but I think a 300 pound bag of sand would be just as effective, and cost millions less. Orlando Pace, our “aged veteran” and someone who I thought would really add depth to our depleted front, turned out to be entering the final stage of any football star’s life cycle, it’s demise. Beekman’s a chump, Garza’s a fool, and Kreutz, who I still love with all my heart, is old. Our line fails in every regard, from run and pass blocking, to penalty avoidance. A laundry list of other concerns for the team include: Defensive Line (especially ends). Linebackers not named Lance Briggs, and Defensive Backs not named Charles Tillman. On the plus side, the Bears are stacked at tight end, with the emergence of Kellen Davis giving the Bears three viable receiving options at that position.