I do miss Kyle Orton though.

It pains me to agree with you on Jay Cutler. Very bittersweet.

I love agreeing with him on it. It's really the only common ground we have been able to find for the past six years.

There were throws that Jay completed that Micnoun couldn't have even attempted. I refer to the two short TD passes. There were throws that Jay had intercepted that Micnoun wouldn't have attempted.

My question,where was Josh McCown's rust when he came in his 1st game this season????

Judge the plays, not the man.

Those of us in the McCown camp echo this

It's not a 100% strawman. There are people who will hate Cutler no matter what.


But its applied to too many

It's not always the case, but in this situation there really does seem to be a clear divide. You either like him, or hate him (and his face, and his personality, and his wife, and his shoulder twitch and his radio show).

I disagree. There are some who do, but there are many others with valid opinions that don't care either way about him personally. I am one of those people, and that's why the stereotype is irritating.

Just my opinion of course, but I think you're in the clear minority.

Is it okay if I truly wasn't that impressed with the way Cutler played?

That's fine.

That doesn't make him bad or McCown good though ... to whomever would prefer to subscribe to that fiction.

That's fine.

That doesn't make him bad or McCown good though ... to whomever would prefer to subscribe to that fiction.

Leash and Vegan, you are both reasonable about this, I agree. Let me demonstrate my case by using what I think is the critical game in the argument - the Minnesota game. That's the game that I believe Cutler would have won. That's the game where, on this board and everywhere else, I was told "it wasn't McCown's fault!" and "Trestman lost that game!"

Here's a breakdown of the Bears drives in that game. Mind you, Minnesota has the 31st ranked defense.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playbyplay?gameId=331201016

3-and-out, punt
1 first-down, punt
INT, called back due to offsides. Perhaps McCown knew he had a free play. Don't know.
54-yard drive, FG

Punt
58-yard drive, FG
Punt

TD to Jeffery, 60 YAC
TD - pop-fly to Jeffery at the goal-line, very similar to the pass Cutler is being chided for

Punt
Fumble on Bears 19 - Turnover
Punt
Drive starts with :20, ball moves 2 yards, FG miss from 66

McCown fumble, recovered by Bears, punt
24-yard drive, missed FG

That's 7 punts. 7. 2 FGs. Two TD's largely due to Jeffery's abilities.
A turnover deep in Bears territory, and two others that were cancelled.
He was 2 for 10 on 3rd down.
The Bears were never in the red zone. All game. Not once.
McCown was sacked 4 times. I don't think Cutler has any 4 sack games this year. McCown is supposed to be better at evading pressure.

Again, all this against the 31st ranked defense.

How can you tell me "it wasn't McCown's fault!!", given that evidence??

How can you look at that performance, and say you want McCown to start on the road against Cleveland, who has a much better defense than Minnesota? How does this game show the offense moves the ball better with McCown?

McCown's throwing distance is limited. Not just down the field, but to the sidelines. When he has to throw to the sidelines, watch how long it takes for the ball to get there. Trestman has to limit the calls because of this. Other defenses, besides Dallas, can adjust to that.

Cutler had 2 regrettable turnovers yesterday, but still hung 31 points on a pretty decent defense despite them. The Cleveland defense held New England in check all day the week before, until a bad pass-interference call and an onside-kick recovery. And that was against Tom Brady.

I don't believe in momentum or hot hands or grooves. ]What happened against Dallas was not going to carry over to Cleveland. Cutler gave the Bears the best chance to win that game.

Where am I going wrong?