Will Cutler live up to the hype?

[orange 4 life]

forgive me if this has been polled, but i dont recall seeing it, and im curious to see the response.
as for me, im not at all sold that he will, but im also not by any means convinced that he wont.
i guess im not ready to say one way or another yet, though thats the same way i viewed griese and plummer also.

i wasnt at all behind the move to play griese in '99, but he won me over with that win against oakland in '00 and i supported him until he was run out of town.

i wasnt at first in favor of bringing plummer in (though other than keeping griese it was apparent that it was the best/only option), but his play the last few years has impressed me more than i thought it would.

i guess thats what this comes down to.
what are our expectations?
i didnt expect plummer to carry us a la John Elway and therefore his play has been MORE than i hoped for. he's made alot of plays, been a good leader, and kept mistakes to a minimum which is of course tough with any playmaking qb.

do you REALLY think cutler is on the fast track to being a ring of famer....or even a HALL of famer?
do you think people will one day REASONABLY compare him to Elway?
do you really think we'll be more successful with him at the helm than we have been with plummer?

ive been thinking about this quite a bit lately (can you tell? :giggle: ), and though i sure HOPE so, i just dont know. we're all excited with the arm strength, but what about the rest? reading defenses, handling pressure, making good decisions, evading the rush, etc.?
what about that blank stare? is it poise or is it a blase attitude?

there's no plummer comparison here, so lets keep that out of it please. this is just about cutler and what everyone thinks his future holds. what everyone EXPECTS from him, and are those expectations realistic?

jake

[rovolution]

im happy hes getting the opportunity to sit and learn for a year. it sucks for Cards and Titans that the rookies are being thrown into the fray without the proper training and experience. Cutler gets to sit back, learn the NFL, and then get his chance probably next year ala Carson Palmer.

[ozomulsion]

Yes, I believe Cutler will do better in his first full year than Jake has ever done. I love the fact that Plummer is able to be our QB this season. I'm sure he'll end up having a very good year. Just not over a 3 game playoff run.

[Kaylore]

I expect a top 5 QB in the league. Could he bust? Yes. Do I think he will? No. If he does, that would suck but I trust to coaching staff and Shanahan to know the strengths and weaknesses of our players and put the right guys in. Cutler has no downside.

I used to think that no one would ever be able to compare favorably against John Elway to the Bronco faithful, but I've changed on that. There is a rising generation that never saw Elway play. His stats don't look "pretty" and people judge on stats a lot these days. I already hear some Colts fans saying that Manning is better than Unitas, so there will no doubt be a day when people try claim whoever the current Broncos Qb is is better than Elway. In fact people do that now with Plummer.

[Taco John]

If by "live up to the hype" you mean, "win a Superbowl in a Denver uniform," the answer is yes. Yes I believe Jay will win a Superbowl in a Denver uniform.

[Florida_Bronco]

I voted probably. You can never say anything is for certain, but he looks to have all the tools you need.

[Killericon]

What Hype? The hype of Being the Broncos' new QB?

No way. Broncos fans aren't going to shut up until we get someone better than Elway...and tha's not gonna happen.

Live up to his #11 pick?

Hell yea.

[ZONA]

Cutler has no down side.

If he does, we haven't seen it yet. From what we've seen so far, he has great power in his arm, as well as good touch. He seems very poised in the pocket and on the roll outs. He seems to keep his eyes downfield when the rush is on. He seems to be smart enough to grasp this offense.

There are some variables that we simply don't know yet because he's not been a starter during the regular season (how well can he play while he's hurt, will he rise to the occasion of a huge playoff game or be overwhelmed by it, how will he handle the pressure of being the #1 guy in Denver. Those are just to name a few.

But I like what Kaylore said. Right now, he doesn't have a down side. He's not compensating for anything at this point. He's got the arm, the touch, poise, good instincts, and with time, leadership. It's not like we're looking at a guy who has had big injuries in the past, off the field trouble, an average arm, those kinds of things.

[Circle Orange]

There's hype? I hadn't noticed. :bandwagon

[Play2win]

Cutler throws one of the nicest balls I have seen in a long time. He leads the receiver, can make all the throw with great touch and accuracy, and can really jam the ball in there on the quick slant. I look forward to the welcome return of the quick slant and the deep out.

[-Slap-]

forgive me my name is jake 4 life. this bye week has made me realize i haven't been able to react with indignation to backhanded slaps at jake plummer lately. i thought i would post this poll to facilitate such a scenario.

jake

edited for truth

[-Slap-]

Where's the Better than Unitas option?

[ludo21]

Cutler throws a good ball.

Survived 4 years at Vandy, smart, not a primadonna.

Cant wait for him to be th guy, but i will support Plummer for the year until he is gone.

Why start another thread on cut tho, this is B more week!!!

[Killericon]

Where's the Better than Unitas option?

I want a "Better than Elway, Young, Montana, Favre and Unitas combined" option.

[BroncoMatt]

I said yes but I am a complete homer

[TXBRONC]

I said probably but we're just not going to know until he's onto the field.

The one thing I would caution against is that even if Jay starts next season I would strongly suggest caution. He'll still make mistakes. Look at Carson Palmer who what mentioned earlier. If I'm not mistaken in his first season as a starter he still had a 1:1 ratio of tds to ints.

[Hulamau]

Cutler will almost certainly succeed in his career here, just like he will definitely have bad games from time to time, and will have to go through a learning curve whenever he starts as well.

If we have the luxury of letting him sit the whole year the more the merrier!

However I'm willing to bet Cutler surprises every one, particularly O4L who only recently allowed himself to utter his name ( just teasing O4L :-), with how quickly he develops into one of the premier QBs in the league. I suspect by end of his third year he'll be a top 5 or 6 QB in this league and may well be on the way to his first SB win, if he hasn't done it already.

Of course a lot of that depends on how the rest of the team shapes up, but he couldn't come into a much better situation.

Maybe we start building a bigger offensive line next year to better facilitate his skill at drop back passing from the pocket, but whatever we have will seem like Fort Knox compared to that pitiful excuse for protection he had at Vandy against the likes of Tennessee, Florida and Georgia.

O4L, you have to admit that compared to your presumptions about Cutler when you heard his name called during the draft that his performance in camp and the preseason far exceeded anything you were expecting!?

In fact, the kid hasn't made a boner step yet in the way he has handled coming into this fishbowl, working into the team chemistry while keeping humble and as low key as possible and suporting JAke all the way! The guy has shown remarkable maturity for his age and experience, and as Shanny said is picking up the system faster than anyone he's been around.

He also, undeniably has a truly world class arm with incredible accuracy which is a rare thing.

Jake is a good QB and can take us a long way as long everything is clicking, but the one area he is weakest at, making something happen when we are behind against good competition, will very likely be the very area where Cutler shines the most.

I get the impression that the subliminal inspiration for this poll is, perhaps, a not so subliminal hope he does flop as some kind of vindication for Jake. Is that true? Or are you just killing time in the bye week ?

And who here voted the one doubtful vote ? ... just so I'll know whose value judgement system to never take seriously again :-)

[watermock]

there's no plummer comparison here, so lets keep that out of it please.

That's absurd Jake..."Live up to the Hype?" That's very objective.

If "Hype" is the mantra now, then Shanahan is as guilty as anyone. Your the biggest hypester on the Mane regarding Jake Plummer. Anytime someone is critical of his next boneheaded play, you come to the rescue like someone insulted your sister. Do you think we will be easier on Cutler than any other player?

[watermock]

Where is the "Anyone but Hilllary option"?

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

It's the all important intangibles that are unknown. How will he hold up under pressure, can he command the respect of the vets, Can he run a complicated NFL offense, can he withstand the criticism of the Denver Press, will he fold when booed at Invesco, etc.

[Hulamau]

The only relevant question is who here will not give Cutler a chance to go through some growing pains before thowing him under the bus?

Who here will be booing the hell out of him and yelling "I told you so" after his first pick?

Lets get all that out of the way now, cause he WILL throw picks and make mistakes, but with a little measure of patience we'll all be rewarded handsomely.

I was 100% behind JAke when he came here and still root for him week in and week out in spite of realizing long ago his fundamental limiations with the forward pass. But Jake came here a seasoned starter and has had 4 extra years in our system with a team around him built to win NOW!

JAke gets a lot more grief and scrutiny now because of his experience in this system and overall, which is understandable. If he plays well the rest of the year and wins it all, or at least makes it back to the AFC Championship (assuming we stay heatlhy overall), he stamps his career as a winner from here on out regardless of whether he stays or goes.

But regardless of when Cutler starts he gets some grace period of at least a couple years to prove he can play at this level or not. And any Bronco fan worth their salt will realize that too and get behind him 100% when he does take over.

[watermock]

Remember...even if Jay is running the second team, every day he gets more and more acclimated. Yes, nothing can take the place of actual game experience, but each day he's likely getting more and more ready, getting more familiar with players like Scheff, Marshall, Kircus and the rest of the young guns.

It's all good. Jake will keep starting as long as we are in playoff contention and healthy.

[Cito Pelon]

. . . ..though thats the same way i viewed griese and plummer also.. . . . ..i wasnt at first in favor of bringing plummer in . . . . . .i didnt expect plummer to carry us . . . . ... .there's no plummer comparison here, so lets keep that out of it please.. . . . . . .
jake

That was dang poor planning there, dude.

[Hulamau]

It's the all important intangibles that are unknown. How will he hold up under pressure, can he command the respect of the vets, Can he run a complicated NFL offense, can he withstand the criticism of the Denver Press, will he fold when booed at Invesco, etc.

Its those very intangibles that he has handled so well .. so far. That remarkable poise didnt develop in a vacuum. I think anyone asking those questions O4L did at the end of his post at the top of this thread will feel A LOT more self assured about Cutlers ability to hold up to the pressure, make quick decisions, play with fire and play hurt (like when he snapped a couple of dislocated fingers on his passing hand back in himself during a game and kept firing passes), if they took the time to go watch 4 or 5 of his games at Vandy last year.

[Crushaholic]

I think he'll be better than Tommy Maddox. Can he live up to that challenge? We'll see...:wiggle:

[BroncoMan4ever]

I want a "Better than Elway, Young, Montana, Favre and Unitas combined" option.

I think Cutler has the potential to be a great QB in this league, but to be realistic, Cutler has a snowball's chance in hell of being better than Elway. He will be better than Montana, simply because Montana is one of the most overrated players of all time. But there is no possibility of him being better than the greatest, John Elway.

[freak6]

Cutler will make us forget what's his name...

Name started with a J, played QB, helped us get that SB monkey off our back, I think he he had a single digit jersy #.





hmmm....

Oh yeah.





Jeff Lewis.

For real, Cutler with Shanny as his Head Coach will be the best QB in the NFL imo.

[Paladin]

He can not and will not live up to any hype. there is no hype except from some diehards who simply cnnot get it into their heads that the kid is not going to play this year. Thus, he will not live up to the "hype".

In some fashion, some people must cling - however tenuously - to reality. I hope you cling well. Lots of people are cling ons.

[Blueflame]

Where's the Better than Unitas option?

If there was a "Better (more SB wins) than Paid-a-ton Manning" option, I would have clicked it... :P ;D

[fontaine]

I have the same expectations from Cutler that I do with any of our first round picks: No busts please.

Anything extra after that is a bonus.

[Orange_Beard]

Kid looks good, only time will tell.

[Archie]

The "right" answer is "probably". But - $%^7 that. I'm going with Yes, absolutely. I think this kid has an incredible future in Denver.... Maybe he and Shanny will retire together in 17 years with a couple of more Championships and shanny goes down as the best coach ever.

[TXBRONC]

It's the all important intangibles that are unknown. How will he hold up under pressure, can he command the respect of the vets, Can he run a complicated NFL offense, can he withstand the criticism of the Denver Press, will he fold when booed at Invesco, etc.


Commanding the respect of his teammates will be an ongoing process. Right now he's done quite well in that area from what I remember reading.

[TXBRONC]

He can not and will not live up to any hype. there is no hype except from some diehards who simply cnnot get it into their heads that the kid is not going to play this year. Thus, he will not live up to the "hype".

In some fashion, some people must cling - however tenuously - to reality. I hope you cling well. Lots of people are cling ons.

Unless you can see what the future holds how do you know he wont live up to the hype? He just might be as good as alot people think he will be.

I heard several times in various place (ie this message boarad and others) that some fans can't get it through their heads that Cutler wont play this year. However, I can't say that I've see anything that would support such a statement.

Besides that, there are scenarios where yes Jay could step in this year. First, Jay is the only back up on the roster right now and if Jake did get hurt yes he would most definitely step in as the starter. I am not saying I want that to happen brt the reality is yes he literally one play of way from being the stater. Second, if (and hopefully this wont come to pass) we should end up out of playoff contention I think there is a possiblity that he could step in as the starter at the end of the year. I'm not saying it would happen put the possilbility is there.

[orange 4 life]

What Hype? The hype of Being the Broncos' new QB?

No way. Broncos fans aren't going to shut up until we get someone better than Elway...and tha's not gonna happen.

Live up to his #11 pick?

Hell yea.

thats kinda how i feel.

will the kid be good? even VERY good? yeah, i think he probably will, but good enough for these fans?
im not so sure.

if we dont win a superbowl (and we're not gonna do that no matter who the qb is until we play championship caliber DEFENSE in the playoffs) then cutler will face the same criticism as griese and plummer. heck, it may be worse since expectations are even higher, which is a scary thing.
i just hope he knows what he's in for being the qb in this town.

[orange 4 life]

That's absurd Jake..."Live up to the Hype?" That's very objective.

If "Hype" is the mantra now, then Shanahan is as guilty as anyone. Your the biggest hypester on the Mane regarding Jake Plummer. Anytime someone is critical of his next boneheaded play, you come to the rescue like someone insulted your sister. Do you think we will be easier on Cutler than any other player?

no mock, i think you guys will be HARDER on cutler than any other player, just like everyone is harder than plummer.

look at the poll results pal.
over 1/3 of the people here actually voted "yes, he's the next ring/hall of fame bronco qb" because of what they saw in PREseason against scrubs on bad teams.
i'd call that high expectations. OBSCENELY high expectations.

as for jake and my "coming to the rescue", you can make all the lame cracks you want. its what you do.
i just call it like i see it, and i see a town divided and a stadium that isnt 100% behind the guy under center, and that quite simply just isnt a good thing.

i defend plummer because he's done exactly whats been asked of him and he's led us to the playoffs three straight years when we went 1 for 4 before he got here. he's earned some respect. it sure as sh!t aint his fault we cant play solid (or even DECENT) defense come playoff time.
the one time we did play good defense, we won. what a shocker.

[orange 4 life]

i took this opportunity to take a perfectly reasonable post that had very little or nothing to do with plummer and make every effort i could to insult someone because thats what i do best.

i edited this for truth

[orange 4 life]

Cutler throws a good ball.

Survived 4 years at Vandy, smart, not a primadonna.

Cant wait for him to be th guy, but i will support Plummer for the year until he is gone.

Why start another thread on cut tho, this is B more week!!!

thats a valid question, but we're early in the week and since we hadnt got full tilt into looking at the ratbirds game i thought it was as good a time as any to get a feel for what everyone expects from cutler.
heck, im the last guy that wants to see another plummer bashing thread, but thats not the point here, and most people (other than of course slap who loves to insult at every opportunity) can see that.

we've all talked about cutler plenty, but while he is sitting on the sideline why not gauge what people expect out of him in the future?
yeah, i want to focus on THIS season, but since it was early in the week i didnt see the harm in seeing how the board felt about the kids future. you just cant win with some people.

[orange 4 life]

Cutler will almost certainly succeed in his career here, just like he will definitely have bad games from time to time, and will have to go through a learning curve whenever he starts as well.

If we have the luxury of letting him sit the whole year the more the merrier!

However I'm willing to bet Cutler surprises every one, particularly O4L who only recently allowed himself to utter his name ( just teasing O4L :-), with how quickly he develops into one of the premier QBs in the league. I suspect by end of his third year he'll be a top 5 or 6 QB in this league and may well be on the way to his first SB win, if he hasn't done it already.

Of course a lot of that depends on how the rest of the team shapes up, but he couldn't come into a much better situation.

Maybe we start building a bigger offensive line next year to better facilitate his skill at drop back passing from the pocket, but whatever we have will seem like Fort Knox compared to that pitiful excuse for protection he had at Vandy against the likes of Tennessee, Florida and Georgia.

O4L, you have to admit that compared to your presumptions about Cutler when you heard his name called during the draft that his performance in camp and the preseason far exceeded anything you were expecting!?

In fact, the kid hasn't made a boner step yet in the way he has handled coming into this fishbowl, working into the team chemistry while keeping humble and as low key as possible and suporting JAke all the way! The guy has shown remarkable maturity for his age and experience, and as Shanny said is picking up the system faster than anyone he's been around.

He also, undeniably has a truly world class arm with incredible accuracy which is a rare thing.

Jake is a good QB and can take us a long way as long everything is clicking, but the one area he is weakest at, making something happen when we are behind against good competition, will very likely be the very area where Cutler shines the most.

I get the impression that the subliminal inspiration for this poll is, perhaps, a not so subliminal hope he does flop as some kind of vindication for Jake. Is that true? Or are you just killing time in the bye week ?

And who here voted the one doubtful vote ? ... just so I'll know whose value judgement system to never take seriously again :-)

no, i wasnt the one doubtful vote, and yes, i was just killing time in the middle of the bye.

as for wanting cutler to fail, youve got to be kidding right?
you actually think i would want out starter to fail to vindicate a player who's no longer here?
wow. not the case.

when the kid (;) ) does take over, he's our starter, and as soon as he shows the ability to play at a playoff level ill be behind him just like i have been plummer.
actually, im worried that ill be defending cutler while everyone else is jumping ship like they did with griese and plummer.
cutler WILL make some mistakes, and considering 1/3 of the people here voted "he's the next hall of fame bronco qb" i dont know how theyll react to those.
theyll probably go easy on him for a year, but the second year? i dont know if people have that much patience anymore.

God, im still surprised you actually think i would want our starting qb to fail.
watch my friend. a few years from now ill be called a "cutler homer".

[orange 4 life]

as for the vote, i think he "probably" will live up to my expectations and/or the expectations of a non biased football fan.

i think its "doubtful" that he'll live up to bronco fans expectations.
when the expectations are "the next hall of fame bronco qb", the odds are stacked against him big time. its not fair to cutler to expect that much from him.

[watermock]

Hou act like Drew Rosenhouse for T.O. except evn he has bailed.

[JCMElway]

Let me guess, ......the three doubtful votes were the three biggest pessimists on the board:

Orange 4 Life, yavoon and Telluride.

Any other guesses?

Edit -- Just read O4L's posts. Nice posts.

[orange 4 life]

That was dang poor planning there, dude.

yeah i though that myself when i went home last night.
i guess what i meant was that my intention wasnt and isnt to start another waste of space "plummer vs. cutler" thread.
obviously where we came from plays a role in where we're going and what we expect which is why i mentioned plummer and griese, but the point of this thread was simply to discuss what we all expected from cutler in the future.

[JCMElway]

As for people bailing on Plummer, I think very few have actually jumped ship. I think the majority feels that he is a solid QB who can make some plays, but has the tendency to make bad decisions in high pressure situations. He has been a fantastic free agent fill in, he's just not the guy to win 2 to 4 super bowls.

Cutler has the talent and potential to be that guy. If he stays healthy and has a very good team around him during his career, he should be able to get get a ring or four.

[orange 4 life]

The "right" answer is "probably". But - $%^7 that. I'm going with Yes, absolutely. I think this kid has an incredible future in Denver.... Maybe he and Shanny will retire together in 17 years with 3 or 4 more Championships and shanny goes down as the best coach ever.

damn that would be a beautiful thing wouldnt it?

ps- notice the part i changed ;D

[Taco John]

As for people bailing on Plummer, I think very few have actually jumped ship. I think the majority feels that he is a solid QB who can make some plays, but has the tendency to make bad decisions in high pressure situations. He has been a fantastic free agent fill in, he's just not the guy to win 2 to 4 super bowls.




I agree with everything you said there except for that last part, where I would substitute 2 to 4 super bowls with just the word "superbowls."

[orange 4 life]

Let me guess, ......the three doubtful votes were the three biggest pessimists on the board:

Orange 4 Life, yavoon and Telluride.

Any other guesses?

Edit -- Just read O4L's posts. Nice posts.

thanks for the edit, but you misunderstand me BIG TIME if you think im a pessimist.
look at my history on this board. i try to be a realist, but at heart im the eternal optimist.
to compare me to yavs or telluride is just awful man. awful.

i hope and pray for the best for this team every season. this season, that is jake plummer (and the orange crush II) leading us to a superbowl.
next season.....i dont know?

when its jay cutler and the offense, ill be called a "jay cutler homer" because once he shows that he's capable of leading us to the playoffs (and i hope he will relatively quickly) ill support him every bit as much as i do plummer now. whatever is best for the team my man. whatever is best for the team.

[Rohirrim]

All I can say is, from what I've seen so far, I feel very confident that the Broncos have found their QB of the future.