Merrill Hoge on Cutler

[Derger_Louis]

I was looking through a chat and came across a question about Hoge on Cutler - anyone know what he said? Hoge is a f*cking Idiot, I can only imagine.

J.J. (Johnstown): Why did Merrill Hodge kill Cutler last night after the game. He had 143 yards 2 and 2. Vince Young had 163 2 and 2 and people are basically casting his mold for the HOF. Why? This was cutlers first game mind you.

Rodd Newhouse: I know. Just gives people somehting to talk about. I do not blame Cutler for anything last night. his performance was actually very well for a rookie thrown in under those circumstances. I think he made some rookie mistakes that he will learn from. I just do not agree with Shanahan pulling the plug on jake at this juncture of the season.

Here are some more Denver/Culter related questions:

Ben (NJ): Alright, people may question Shanny on the Cutler move, but it was the perfect decision. It was evident that the Broncos weren't winning the Superbowl this year, and that makes it the perfect time for the promising rookie to get some experiance. This will pay off very well in the future for the Broncos, maybe even as soon as next year.

Rodd Newhouse: Yeah, but you are still in the hunt at 7-4. Why make the move NOW? Now youare 7-5 and could very well be 7-6 by next weekend. There are no guarantees in football.I commend Shanny for having the guts to make the move, becasue he knows better than all of us. BUT I do know that one month after signing Jake 3 years ago, Shanny was ready to make a move from Jake. I just think it could have waited.

Jobiashi (beachwood, Ohio) : Yes or no........ will Denver make the playoffs?

Rodd Newhouse: yes.

Lou (Roselle Park, NJ): At 7-5, both the Broncos and the Chiefs are looking to miss the play-offs with the Jets suprise surge. True or False?

Rodd Newhouse: I see the Broncos prevailing over these two teams. The Broncos will have to rely on their defense to pull them over the hump becasue of the QB change. I do not see enough staying power in the other 2 to make a final run. It will be close though.

Brian (NYC): Who are your two AFC wildcards?

Rodd Newhouse: Cincy and Denver

Jayson (Greensburg, KS): Will Denver be able to even keep it respectable in San Diego next weekend?

Rodd Newhouse: Oddly enough, I think so. The Broncos defense will step up, and there will be more emphasis on the rushing attack to take the pressure off of Cutler, becasue the 3-4 defense is killer to know where all the protection is coming from for a rookie QB. It gives P. Manning fits, so I do not see Cutler being asked to stand in the pocket a lot.

Mike (PA): Cutler is just starting out, and do you expect him to have some success like Vince Young has been having?

Rodd Newhouse: After scouting V. Young, J. Cutler, and #7 in Arizona, I came away withthe assesment that Culter would be the better long term QB as a pure passer. The jury is obvioulsy still out because Cutler has only played one game. #7 has only 2 wins, and V. Young has 5. So if we go off of records, I guess the nod goes to V. Young. But Culter will be the better long term QB.

[Spider]

i dont even pay attention to Hodge . i dont have a clue as to what that peckerhead said

[GonzoLays]

I just do not agree with Shanahan pulling the plug on jake at this juncture of the season.

Yeah, but you are still in the hunt at 7-4. Why make the move NOW? Now youare 7-5 and could very well be 7-6 by next weekend. There are no guarantees in football.I commend Shanny for having the guts to make the move, becasue he knows better than all of us. BUT I do know that one month after signing Jake 3 years ago, Shanny was ready to make a move from Jake. I just think it could have waited.

Thank you. Every moron here thinks if you didn't want Cutler starting this season that you were head over heals for Plummer. That is simply not the case. Only a buffoon would think a rookie QB could come in so late in the season and perform better than Plummer. That is what I was against the move. I have no idea how Cutler is going to turn out, I wish for the best but I just don't know. Was now the time to find out? Hell ****ing no it wasn't. Shanahan just ripped this team of its confidence by putting put this kid in a akward position. There are a bunch of guys that support Plummer on that team and he might have even seperated that lockerroom.

I still don't get it. Shanahan knew our pass line is one of the worst in pass protection yet he still made the switch. God damn it.

[Derger_Louis]

anyone???

[Kaylore]

On NFL Live a few weeks ago, Hodge said that Cutler was the best QB in the draft and would have the most success. Maybe he was upset with his performance.

[CoMoChief]

Hodge is the biggest dumbass among NFL analysts. Well Michael Irvin acutally is, but Hodge is a close 2nd.

[theAPAOps5]

Hodge is the biggest dumbass among NFL analysts. Well Michael Irvin acutally is, but Hodge is a close 2nd.

Next to Gonzo......

I am kidding!!!!

[watermock]

Can you imagine Gonzo on TV? *shudders*

I'm not sure this Roddy guy burns with a very bright light. Denver loses all the tiebreakers at this point of the 7-5 5 way logjam. Not sure why, because two of the losses are against NFC teams, but that's what they said. A likely loss Sunday will make it worse.

I would say our playoff chances for a wildcard are about 40/60 because of the overall strength of the AFC.

[Hogan11]

The Jets do have the easiest sched. out of the bunch....barring a major misstep, I see them grabbing one of the spots.

I'm not too optimistic about Denver's chances to be honest about it. The thought of Sincy getting into the playoffs makes me physically ill.

[Dedhed]

Thank you. Every moron here thinks if you didn't want Cutler starting this season that you were head over heals for Plummer. That is simply not the case. Only a buffoon would think a rookie QB could come in so late in the season and perform better than Plummer. That is what I was against the move. I have no idea how Cutler is going to turn out, I wish for the best but I just don't know. Was now the time to find out? Hell ****ing no it wasn't. Shanahan just ripped this team of its confidence by putting put this kid in a akward position. There are a bunch of guys that support Plummer on that team and he might have even seperated that lockerroom.

I still don't get it. Shanahan knew our pass line is one of the worst in pass protection yet he still made the switch. God damn it.Weren't we averaging 17 points per game with Plummer? Cutler outperformed that average. How many games did Plummer win in his last 2 starts?

Only a buffoon would still think, after watching pitiful perfomance after pitiful performance, that Plummer was taking this team anywhere but down a dead end street.

Shanahan didn't rip this team from anything but a sinking ship with no future.

[Atlas]

Hodge is the biggest dumbass among NFL analysts. Well Michael Irvin acutally is, but Hodge is a close 2nd.

Deion Sanders

[theAPAOps5]

Deion Sanders

Hmmm I actually think Boomer is the biggest dunce of them all. I love watching Shannon Sharpe clown him.

[Dagmar]

Hmmm I actually think Boomer is the biggest dunce of them all. I love watching Shannon Sharpe clown him.

No one is as bad as Irvine.

[theAPAOps5]

No one is as bad as Irvine.

True, he is annoying and assinine.

[-Slap-]

Hoge sure lost a ton of muscle mass when he retired.

[Taco John]

Of course, he did just beat cancer...

[Traveler]

No one is as bad as Irvine.

except Salisbury!

[55CrushEm]

Only a buffoon would think a rookie QB could come in so late in the season and perform better than Plummer.

So you're calling Shanahan a buffoon? That's rich.....

[baja]

Thiesman

[elletrain]

Weren't we averaging 17 points per game with Plummer? Cutler outperformed that average. How many games did Plummer win in his last 2 starts?

Only a buffoon would still think, after watching pitiful perfomance after pitiful performance, that Plummer was taking this team anywhere but down a dead end street.

Shanahan didn't rip this team from anything but a sinking ship with no future.

Ahhhh, the voice of reason. Plummer was, what, 29th or 26th or something like that in passer rating? I like Plummer, but anyone can go out and throw for a buck forty and 2 or 3 INTs. I think it was a good time and a good decision.
Let me ask this....would Shanahan have pulled the plug on Plummer if Romo wasn't having the success that he's having in Dallas? That team has been rejuvenated and energized by that kid. They've rallied around him. I think the Broncos will do the same. They have character.

[Mile High Shack]

Hodge is just mad b/c Denver didn't draft a "factor back"

[watermock]

We have to give Jay a few more games than Romo...he was there for 3 years.

[elletrain]

We have to give Jay a few more games than Romo...he was there for 3 years.
I understand that. Obviously Romo had more experience in his system than Cutler. I was referring to the impact he has on the rest of the team.
Nobody expects Cutler to go out and lead the league in QB rating....

[bloodsunday]

This isn't Hodge. It's Rod Newhouse.

[rovolution]

right after the game on Sunday on ESPN (after each Sunday night game, they do a little review where they ask Salisbury or Hodge what they though about the game), Hodge basically said Cutler was terrible and then proceeded to say that the change failed (even though it was just Cutler's first game)

[bloodsunday]

right after the game on Sunday on ESPN (after each Sunday night game, they do a little review where they ask Salisbury or Hodge what they though about the game), Hodge basically said Cutler was terrible and then proceeded to say that the change failed (even though it was just Cutler's first game)

Based on one game its hard to argue with that conclusion. However, I am surprised at how many are so sure Jake would have fared better. I mean, didn't he throw 3 picks against Oakland? The funny part is the "experts" have been pointing out Jake's faults for many months, and several of them suggesting he was dog crap. Now all of a sudden its a mistake to switch?

[RunSilentRunDeep]

Weren't we averaging 17 points per game with Plummer? Cutler outperformed that average. How many games did Plummer win in his last 2 starts?

Only a buffoon would still think, after watching pitiful perfomance after pitiful performance, that Plummer was taking this team anywhere but down a dead end street.

Shanahan didn't rip this team from anything but a sinking ship with no future.

Cutler outperformed performed the average. Okay, that says it all cause you know the QB is the only thing that matters on offense. Everything else is a perfect constant, the other 10 players on the field, the opponent, the refs, field position, etc. Give me a break, everyone should be hopeful for Cutler long term but to suggest Plummer would have been just as bad or worse is ridiculous. Seattle was begging to lose that game. Too bad Jake wasn't around to enjoy a solid running game with T. Bell finally healthy and the defense not totally collapsing in the second half.

The problem with every joker that declares a team dead is they don’t understand it can take only one game or even play to turn a season around. Last Sunday offered a chance for that to happen but it was pissed away because Shanahan couldn’t wait to play with his new toy (granted, it’s a really cool toy but it ain’t ready).

Players are not mechanical parts that you can just switch out and expect the same results. Guys like Ashley Lelie, Jeb Putzier and Mike Anderson are nothing more than average NFL players, but the familiarity and trust Plummer had in them was a HUGE asset.

Plummer sucked this year cause the whole offense was in disarray. But just maybe it would have started to click it they had stuck with it. Now the last four months of incorporating all the new faces just got flushed down the toilet.