Taco John
12-22-2006, 04:08 AM
Broncos' Cutler a work in progress
Rookie is 1-2 as starting quarterback
BY KEVIN KELLY | KKELLY@ENQUIRER.COM
As a senior at Heritage Hills High in southern Indiana, Jay Cutler passed for 2,252 yards and 31 touchdowns in leading the Patriots to a 15-0 record and the school's first state football title.
Recruiters knew this, but most believed Cutler would make a better college free safety than quarterback.
"No one was really going to give me a scholarship to play quarterback," he said. "Vandy stepped in there late and I went with it."
Had he not held firm, gone ahead and accepted a scholarship offer to play defense, Cutler can't say for sure he would have been a good college free safety.
"I don't know. Maybe. You never know," he said Wednesday. "I wouldn't be as heavy as I am now. I know that."
Or as happy.
Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan benched starting quarterback Jake Plummer in favor of Cutler after 11 games this season.
Denver is 1-2 since the change and enters Sunday's pivotal game against the Bengals at INVESCO Field at Mile High with an 8-6 record overall this season.
"I think the game plan was for Jake to finish this season, see where they went in the playoffs and then for me to get a chance next year," Cutler said. "But I knew there was going to be a chance and I was ready from week to week."
Denver so valued Cutler that to get him it swapped two draft picks to move up four spots in the first round of the April draft.
Not since Tommy Maddox in 1992 had the Broncos used a first-round pick on a quarterback.
"I think he's got all the tools it takes to be an elite quarterback," Shanahan said. "Very similar to Carson Palmer. You take a look at Carson and say, 'Here's this big kid that's smart, that has great awareness of the game, that has played well at the collegiate level, that just needs time to feel comfortable with an offense and get some experience.' I'm hoping Jay can do that.
"Each game he seems to grow a little bit. Like most quarterbacks there are going to be some growing pains, but I like what I see."
Shanahan announced Cutler as the new starter the Monday after a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Chiefs.
The Broncos had scored 17 points or less in eight of their 11 games, the running game was sputtering and so was Plummer, who began this season with the third-best winning percentage (74.4) among NFL quarterbacks since he signed with Denver before the 2003 season.
"When you make decisions at any position, you do it over a period of time," Shanahan said. "When you feel the time is right, or when you feel like the person gives you the best chance to win then you make that decision."
Voted the Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year in 2005, Cutler set several school passing records during his career at Vanderbilt. The Commodores won 11 games over his four seasons.
"In college we feared his feet more than his arm," said Bengals cornerback Keiwan Ratliff, who played at Florida. "He was getting out of the pocket and running and beating you more with his legs than his arm. A lot of that may have had to do with the wide receivers and offensive line they had.
"He can still beat you with his legs, but he's not the same quarterback. I've seen him make some throws that I didn't even know he could do. He's throwing passes most young quarterbacks won't even try to attempt, and he's completing them."
Cutler looked his strong-armed best in a win against the Cardinals on Sunday.
His passer rating has gone from 62.3 in his first start, against the Seahawks on Dec. 3, to 97.6 against the Chargers on Dec. 10 and 101.7 against Arizona. But he's also fumbled the ball six times.
"We would be on this phone for another hour if we went through everything I've learned," said Cutler, who has completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 592 yards and thrown three more touchdowns than interceptions. "Just going out there and playing and getting that game experience, there's nothing that can replace that."
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/SPT02/612210372/1066/SPT
Rookie is 1-2 as starting quarterback
BY KEVIN KELLY | KKELLY@ENQUIRER.COM
As a senior at Heritage Hills High in southern Indiana, Jay Cutler passed for 2,252 yards and 31 touchdowns in leading the Patriots to a 15-0 record and the school's first state football title.
Recruiters knew this, but most believed Cutler would make a better college free safety than quarterback.
"No one was really going to give me a scholarship to play quarterback," he said. "Vandy stepped in there late and I went with it."
Had he not held firm, gone ahead and accepted a scholarship offer to play defense, Cutler can't say for sure he would have been a good college free safety.
"I don't know. Maybe. You never know," he said Wednesday. "I wouldn't be as heavy as I am now. I know that."
Or as happy.
Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan benched starting quarterback Jake Plummer in favor of Cutler after 11 games this season.
Denver is 1-2 since the change and enters Sunday's pivotal game against the Bengals at INVESCO Field at Mile High with an 8-6 record overall this season.
"I think the game plan was for Jake to finish this season, see where they went in the playoffs and then for me to get a chance next year," Cutler said. "But I knew there was going to be a chance and I was ready from week to week."
Denver so valued Cutler that to get him it swapped two draft picks to move up four spots in the first round of the April draft.
Not since Tommy Maddox in 1992 had the Broncos used a first-round pick on a quarterback.
"I think he's got all the tools it takes to be an elite quarterback," Shanahan said. "Very similar to Carson Palmer. You take a look at Carson and say, 'Here's this big kid that's smart, that has great awareness of the game, that has played well at the collegiate level, that just needs time to feel comfortable with an offense and get some experience.' I'm hoping Jay can do that.
"Each game he seems to grow a little bit. Like most quarterbacks there are going to be some growing pains, but I like what I see."
Shanahan announced Cutler as the new starter the Monday after a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Chiefs.
The Broncos had scored 17 points or less in eight of their 11 games, the running game was sputtering and so was Plummer, who began this season with the third-best winning percentage (74.4) among NFL quarterbacks since he signed with Denver before the 2003 season.
"When you make decisions at any position, you do it over a period of time," Shanahan said. "When you feel the time is right, or when you feel like the person gives you the best chance to win then you make that decision."
Voted the Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year in 2005, Cutler set several school passing records during his career at Vanderbilt. The Commodores won 11 games over his four seasons.
"In college we feared his feet more than his arm," said Bengals cornerback Keiwan Ratliff, who played at Florida. "He was getting out of the pocket and running and beating you more with his legs than his arm. A lot of that may have had to do with the wide receivers and offensive line they had.
"He can still beat you with his legs, but he's not the same quarterback. I've seen him make some throws that I didn't even know he could do. He's throwing passes most young quarterbacks won't even try to attempt, and he's completing them."
Cutler looked his strong-armed best in a win against the Cardinals on Sunday.
His passer rating has gone from 62.3 in his first start, against the Seahawks on Dec. 3, to 97.6 against the Chargers on Dec. 10 and 101.7 against Arizona. But he's also fumbled the ball six times.
"We would be on this phone for another hour if we went through everything I've learned," said Cutler, who has completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 592 yards and thrown three more touchdowns than interceptions. "Just going out there and playing and getting that game experience, there's nothing that can replace that."
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/SPT02/612210372/1066/SPT