Damn You Bumpesses' !!!!

     I wasn't going to write about the Bears again for awhile, but I was at a wine tasting party Saturday night, (I know Mike Ditka would be disgusted, but it was actually 'pretty cool.') while the subject of Jay Cutler came up. My friend Allison, who has a much better handle on the Bears than I do, was still disgusted by what happened and wants no more of Cutler ever again, wishing we could exile him to a mosquito infested island somewhere they've never heard of football.(did we forget his performance against Seattle so quickly??)  I can certainly see her point; Cutler either shows up and plays great or he has a sub-par performance and makes perfect spirals between the letters of opposing linebackers that make Bears fans cringe. He can be just as frustrating as he can be exhilarating. Compare the games against Washington and Seattle, (regular season) to the games against the Eagles and the Jets as well as his playoff performance against Seattle. I understand my friend feels Cutler "quit" on us against Green Bay. I do remember saying early on during that game that something seemed 'off'' about Cutler's performance. Despite that, I still believe he wanted to win that game and would have stayed in if he could have. Cutler simply doesn't live in the same world as you and me. He wasn't up last night with his seven year old's sore tummy. He doesn't peel himself out of bed at 5 a.m. and walk to the train. And I'll bet my house he won't be shoveling snow tomorrow afternoon!! He may never understand  what "Da Bears" mean to fans such as my friend Allison and I. It borders on a religious experience for alot of us. He says he grew up a Bears fan but you don't get the feeling he bleeds orange and blue like we do.  As much as I've written about Cutler's aloof personality, or lack thereof, and his need to grow up, going forward, he still remains our best shot at making it to Indy next year. Comparing Cutler to Rex Grossman makes Cutler look like John Elway. During Grossman's best year with the Bears, the 2006 Superbowl run, his completion percentage was a pedestrian 54.6% His QB rating a meager 73.9. While he threw for just under 3,200 yards, he only rushed for a net of 2 yards! Hardly a nimble sack dodger. Cutler not only absorbed 57 sacks, primarily due to horrendous line protection for most of the year, but he rambled for 232 yards this year averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. We never had this added dimension with Grossman. Throw out Cutler's 2006 season when he assumed the starting role with 5 games left and he is averaging 202 yards rushing per year. He adds a spry foot to the position we have rarely seen in Chicago. Overall, Kyle Orton compares more favorably as his numbers have gotten much better in Denver, He is not as nimble as Cutler and never surpassed 80.0 in QB rating and or 3,000 yards passing while with the Bears. He just wasn't gonna be "the" guy for the Bears. It was a good trade for the Bears also netting Johnny Knox.(would we have gotten this far this year without Cutler and Knox??) On top of his "escapability" Cutler has also completed over 60% of his passes as a Bear and thrown for over 3,200 yards both years. True he is reviled by many Bears fans for his cold demeanor, but he seems to be largely liked by his teammates and coaches. He and Mike Martz cannot seem to get enough of each other. (I'm not dismissing Martz's flaws here, but warts and all, who would ever want Ron Turner and his tinpan scheme back??) Jay Cutler has a firm grip on the reins of the team which Grossman and Orton never did. He has proven to be a proven consistent talent over his 4 and a half years in the league. Imagine what he may be capable of with a decent offensive line (let alone a reciever over 6 feet tall!) and a year of Martrz's 'evil plans' under his belt. Outside of pulling off another trade, which the Bears will not do, or hoping the Bears draft a phenom, (Andrew Luck is staying in school) Having an established talented young quarterback who has a firm grasp on the offensive scheme is our best shot at winning a championship. (Caleb Hanie, though full of promise, just isn't ready yet) What we are really upset about as Bears fans is we lost, not only lost, but  to the Packers when the biggest game of all was on the line. The Bumpess' hounds stormed in and stole our turkey!! (the scent of it still hangs in the air...) We wanted our quarterback to hobble out there on one good leg and leave every last ounce of his blood on the sandy turf while leading  us to victory over our hated rivals. At least most of you didn't marry into a gaggle of Packer fan relatives!!  Come Sunday night, I'll be watching the Superbowl in a room full of screaming Packer fans. I get to relive the misery of the loss one more time. To sum it up, like it or not, Jay Cutler will be back next year, as our quarterback. Let's not judge his Bears legacy on one game let alone his two years here. Let's give his career in Chicago as well as his attitude time to grow and mature, not unlike a fine wine. Hopefully, Kristin Cavalieri has a settling effect on him as well.    Go Bears in 2011!!    Dave Kuhlman    bullsbearscubssoxhoxx   dave@onyerleft.com