Jay Cutler: Your thoughts.

[BlaK-Argentina]

I was wondering what you all think of his performance this year.
Now that our season is over, I'd like to know what the rest of the Mane's opinion is about him.

I gotta say I was impressed by the poise he showed, the ability to thread the needle and just the confidence he shows on the field. I could never have guessed that he was a rookie. (except for that INT for TD in the Seattle game, and maybe the one against the Niners) That drive with 6 minutes left where he and Bell led the offense to tie the score with under 2 minutes left on sunday was all I needed to see. Just before that drive I sent a text message to a friend saying: "This is where the legend of Jay Cutler begins". It would have been that way had we been able to score in OT. I still can't believe we lost that game.

I CAN'T WAIT to see what he does next year after a whole offseason to prepare and get in sync with the offense.

I give him a B+ for this season. He was thrown into a playoff race with a team that was going downhill in a hurry and he almost pulled it off. He fell just a few yards short.

It was really great seeing him play, and I'm looking forward to next season when he will definitely torch more than a few defenses. :thumbsup:

EDIT: I forgot, what do you expect of him next year? Throw some stats too! ;)

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Very happy with how he played. Made some great throws (Javon in AZ), had some great drives (99 vs. Cincy and the tying score against San Fran), and some stupid rookie mistakes (both pick 6s).

Gotta remember he's only played in 5 games, so if he throws for 3500 yds and has a 2/1 TD/Int ratio, I'll be incredibly pleased.

[bpc]

I thought he did pretty damn well and I can only imagine what a full offseason will do for him combined with some better blockers in front of him.

[atomicbloke]

he is a mediocre nfl qb.

just because we are used to plummer and greaseball, we have go "ooohhh" and "aahhh" when cutler completes a 20 yard pass. eli manning does that all the time and its all in a day's work for him.

i am not saying cutler is a bad qb. he is a huge improvement over jake. but he is just an above average qb. he is not petyon manning or tom brady or drew brees.

he will have a good season because he plays for the broncos. an above average qb on a good team looks like a great qb. 3200 yards, 21 TDs, 14 INTs.

[DeusExManning]

I was blown away. He played better than I expected.

[DeusExManning]

he is a mediocre nfl qb.

just because we are used to plummer and greaseball, we have go "ooohhh" and "aahhh" when cutler completes a 20 yard pass. eli manning does that all the time and its all in a day's work for him.

i am not saying cutler is a bad qb. he is a huge improvement over jake. but he is just an above average qb. he is not petyon manning or tom brady or drew brees.

he will have a good season because he plays for the broncos. an above average qb on a good team looks like a great qb. 3200 yards, 21 TDs, 14 INTs.

Cutler has already thrown passes that I have never seen ordinary NFL quarterbacks throw. From from mediocre.

[Kaylore]

Great idea for a thread.

Cutler is clearly going to be awesome and it will only be a matter of time. His accuracy is his best attribute considering the tight windows that he can fit the ball into.

The most impressive thing about Cutler is how he'll wait and make the throw under duress. The toughest throws to make are the ones when you know you are going to take a hit but you have to stare down the barrel of the gun and throw it - throw it with accuracy. He's already shown the ability to do that and I think that is huge especially for a rookie is prone to freak out in those situations.

What he needs to work on is recognizing blitzes faster and getting rid of the ball. He takes a few too many sacks. Part of that is poor play from our tackles but it is also rookie rawness.

He also still stared down his receivers too much. This is partly because he believes he can complete passes into double or even tripple coverage. He many times can, but he also needs to learn to check down, or take the scramble for positive yards when it's there (and it has been on a number of throws.)

Another thing that is somewhat related is that while Cutler enjoys and has found success working the middle of the field, his preference there has meant some lost opportunities down the sidelines. There were a number of reads where Jay had open receivers on the perimeter but he missed them because he was locked on the middle of the field and/or his primary receiver.

A lot of those things are related and will come with time as he sees different fronts and just progresses as a pro quarterback. Overall as a QB I'd give his performance a B and as a rookie I rate him an A.

[maven]

My thoughts?

Looks better than Plummer.

[Rascal]

I thought he played well, but I also think that if Plummer had been starting we would have made the playoffs.

[Rascal]

he is a mediocre nfl qb.

just because we are used to plummer and greaseball, we have go "ooohhh" and "aahhh" when cutler completes a 20 yard pass. eli manning does that all the time and its all in a day's work for him.

i am not saying cutler is a bad qb. he is a huge improvement over jake. but he is just an above average qb. he is not petyon manning or tom brady or drew brees.

he will have a good season because he plays for the broncos. an above average qb on a good team looks like a great qb. 3200 yards, 21 TDs, 14 INTs.


Eli Manning is a POS. He almost single handidly cost them from even going to the playoffs. Their coaches think he is peyton and can win a game by himself, unless they suddenly wisen up and realize that Tiki is the key to their offense they won't be going anywhere this year.

[ludo21]

I thought he played well, but I also think that if Plummer had been starting we would have made the playoffs.

Same here. (Im a Plummer homer til death ;D)

Cutler looked awesome tho, i was pumped to see some throws that I havent seen a QB make here in a long while.

The gameplan for next year is for JC to throw a pick on first play every time, he just seems to play better that way. :)

Seriously, the poise he showed as a rook was very promising.

[BlaK-Argentina]

Great idea for a thread.

Cutler is clearly going to be awesome and it will only be a matter of time. His accuracy is his best attribute considering the tight windows that he can fit the ball into.

The most impressive thing about Cutler is how he'll wait and make the throw under duress. The toughest throws to make are the ones when you know you are going to take a hit but you have to stare down the barrel of the gun and throw it - throw it with accuracy. He's already shown the ability to do that and I think that is huge especially for a rookie is prone to freak out in those situations.

What he needs to work on is recognizing blitzes faster and getting rid of the ball. He takes a few too many sacks. Part of that is poor play from our tackles but it is also rookie rawness.

He also still stared down his receivers too much. This is partly because he believes he can complete passes into double or even tripple coverage. He many times can, but he also needs to learn to check down, or take the scramble for positive yards when it's there (and it has been on a number of throws.)

Another thing that is somewhat related is that while Cutler enjoys and has found success working the middle of the field, his preference there has meant some lost opportunities down the sidelines. There were a number of reads where Jay had open receivers on the perimeter but he missed them because he was locked on the middle of the field and/or his primary receiver.

A lot of those things are related and will come with time as he sees different fronts and just progresses as a pro quarterback. Overall as a QB I'd give his performance a B and as a rookie I rate him an A.


Great post as usual! I definitely rate him an A as a rookie too.
I'm no expert, but I thought he held the ball too long in some situations, like in the first throw of the Bengals game. He stares too long and that gives defenders time to react. I have no doubt that he will have that worked out by next season though! I'd like to know what you expect from him (stats) for next year, Khan!

[BlaK-Argentina]

I thought he played well, but I also think that if Plummer had been starting we would have made the playoffs.

Let's not turn this into a Jake vs Jay thread, please! This should be about Jay's performance and his future as the Denver QB. :thumbsup:

[shakenbake]

I really like his game and I think a full offseason with Shanny, and going into camp as the starter will really help. I just hope he can build on this season. The only thing I didn't understand about his game was his inability to handle the freakin snap. It says he had 8 fumbles, im not sure how many were on the snap but that killed us in some situations.

[gunns]

I am very excited to see how he does next year. I was pleased to see he had as much success as he did behind that OL. I know I shouldn't say it, and I'm not saying what some will think, but there was the preseason game in AZ where he rolled out, stopped and threw a bomb.....it reminded me so much of Elway. It was a nice feeling to have.

[Popps]

He's going to be a great one. Given his talent level, yet rookie status... his up and down performance didn't surprise me, and I'm not worried about it. All in all, he showed MUCH more good than bad. His capabilities in this offense are immediately obvious.

He's clearly got some things to work on, but he's also clearly got insane upside. I'm not worried at all about the QB position... but, I haven't been worried about it much over the last few years. We've got bigger fish to fry, like putting together a respectable NFL defense.

[BurgundyNGold]

I think you guys have a gem there. He's got a big arm and is smart. Plus, he has great poise for a young kid. I disagreed with Shanny pulling Jake to start Cutler when you were still in the hunt of the playoff race, but it wil probably be the best decision in hindsight in 2007 and beyond.

[Malcontent]

Easy question to answer!! A bona-fide stud QB..With only the sky as his limit.

[Garcia Bronco]

I give him a J-plus

[listopencil]

I'd give him an A+. Much better than I expected. I think if he hadn't been knocked out of that game we would have won.

[listopencil]

he is a mediocre nfl qb.

just because we are used to plummer and greaseball, we have go "ooohhh" and "aahhh" when cutler completes a 20 yard pass. eli manning does that all the time and its all in a day's work for him.




Nah. I "ooohed" and "aahhhhed" when he completed a 70 yard pass. Right on the money. On a bootleg. With a defender in his face. After only briefing planting his back heel. I also did it when he picked up third downs under adverse conditions. Cutler is the real deal.

[atomicbloke]

I also did it when he picked up third downs under adverse conditions. Cutler is the real deal.

Lots of QBs in this league convert 3rd downs under adversity. Just because we are used to bonehead Jake, we think that's something earth-shattering.

Are you telling me Matt Hasselback, Trent Green, Carson Palmer and the like cannot convert 3rd downs under adversity?

Cutler will be a good qb who will make us a very strong playoff contender for many years.

But those folks who think he will be as good or better than Elway or even Brady are on crack.

[BlaK-Argentina]

But those folks who think he will be as good or better than Elway or even Brady are on crack.

I don't know about Elway, but why not better than Brady? He certainly has the physical tools to be better than him.

[Vegas_Bronco]

Once he gets his timing down with ALL receivers and gets rid of the ball (faster) in NFL timing - HE'LL BE ALL PRO.

[azbroncfan]

He played great and was thrown into a playoff race not mop up duty such as Young and Leinart who didn't have as much pressure. All 3 rooks played well. One thing to note cutlers INT's tend to go for 6 almost every time. 3 pick 6's counting preseason and the one against Cincy almost was. I think it is just the way the ball bounced vs any concern yet.

[SureShot]

His play this year was simply amazing! The way he came off the bench and flashed his assortment of superhuman powers, really surprised me. He made his share of mistakes, but what NFL QB doesn't.

Next year....Pro Bowl!

[Blueflame]

Lots of QBs in this league convert 3rd downs under adversity. Just because we are used to bonehead Jake, we think that's something earth-shattering.

Are you telling me Matt Hasselback, Trent Green, Carson Palmer and the like cannot convert 3rd downs under adversity?

Cutler will be a good qb who will make us a very strong playoff contender for many years.

But those folks who think he will be as good or better than Elway or even Brady are on crack.

I don't think any of us know for sure precisely how good he's gonna be. A lot depends on his preparation (how he's taught and coached) and his ability to assimilate the playbook. And like most QBs, a lot will depend on the pass protection he gets from the O-line. The fact that he did as well as he did this season with a highly-suspect O-line suggests that with a bit more experience and a healthy O-line, he might, in fact, be among the league's best. He certainly has the arm strength to make the huge play.

In short, he's good now and will only get better as time goes on, imho.

[sgbfan]

I think he needs an O-line, then he will be unstoppable. He made a few bad decisions that will go away with experience. Since he's started, two of the top 3 receivers are rookies and the other is about 27? They will be together for a while, and the Broncos will have a top of the line offense for a long time as long as the young O-lineman continue to improve and are healthy.

[Florida_Bronco]

Lots of QBs in this league convert 3rd downs under adversity. Just because we are used to bonehead Jake, we think that's something earth-shattering.

Are you telling me Matt Hasselback, Trent Green, Carson Palmer and the like cannot convert 3rd downs under adversity?

Cutler will be a good qb who will make us a very strong playoff contender for many years.

But those folks who think he will be as good or better than Elway or even Brady are on crack.

Why don't you think he will be an elite quarterback? He has one of the strongest and accurate arms in the league, big strong and mobile and seems to be a student of the game.

Cutler has the tools to be the best QB in the league.

[Killericon]

Everything I could dare not have dreamt.

He'll be good.

[listopencil]

Lots of QBs in this league convert 3rd downs under adversity. Just because we are used to bonehead Jake, we think that's something earth-shattering.

Are you telling me Matt Hasselback, Trent Green, Carson Palmer and the like cannot convert 3rd downs under adversity?

Cutler will be a good qb who will make us a very strong playoff contender for many years.

But those folks who think he will be as good or better than Elway or even Brady are on crack.



Do lots of QB's complete that pass I was referring to? The one that you edited out of my post?. And yes, for a rookie to complete those third down passes under adversity is a big deal. And no, it's not a sign of drug use to believe that Cutler will eventually be as good as Brady. He has shown that he has tremendous potential. I find it hilarious that you are already comparing him to Trent Green, Matt Hasselback and Carson Palmer five games into his career and somehow that is supposed to be a downgrade of the kid. Sounds like you need to put down the crackpipe.

[fontaine]

The Good:
- Arm Strength, toughness in the pocket, and his ability to lead a wide open offense with spread formations. He converted a lot of 3rd and long plays without much help from the running game and at no point in time did I think he looked rattled or lost like a lot of rookies do.

- The best thing? He seems to have the ability to make players look better around him. Guys like Marshall/Scheff started looking better and better once Cutler took the field.

The Bad:
- Needs to learn to work on his timing rather than hanging in the pocket until the last second to make a play. It's admirable that Cutler has the toughness to hang in there and try to make a play (like he had to in Vandy) but he needs to learn to throw the ball away at times instead of getting hit.

- Needs to work on pass rush recognition. Can't just use the shot gun a lot.

The Ugly:
- George Foster getting Cutler concussed!

[OrangeShadow]

I was very impressed with his physical tools, the arm strength the accurate throws. The ability to stand in the pocket and deliver a perfect pass knowing he is going to get hit.
His poise as a rookie is un heard of. Even after he throws a pick hes already forgot about it by the time hes to the sideline. For him to play that well while being thrown into the heat of a playoff race was a nice window into the future. The kid will be better than brady if hes given the chance.

[errand]

he is a mediocre nfl qb.

just because we are used to plummer and greaseball, we have go "ooohhh" and "aahhh" when cutler completes a 20 yard pass. eli manning does that all the time and its all in a day's work for him.

i am not saying cutler is a bad qb. he is a huge improvement over jake. but he is just an above average qb. he is not petyon manning or tom brady or drew brees.

he will have a good season because he plays for the broncos. an above average qb on a good team looks like a great qb. 3200 yards, 21 TDs, 14 INTs.

I think you're wrong...big time.

This kid definitely has a future in the NFL and is a potential franchise-type QB. He has the size 6'3" 225lbs. and has displayed all the tools and poise. He also is mobile enough to run this offense. He also has a bit of a mean streak in him. And a huge desire to win. His only minus is an understandable lack of experience, which Mike has jump started by letting him play these past 5 weeks.

Not sure if anyone noticed but there was a play where one opposing player was dancing around like he had won the Super Bowl, and Jay grab the guy by the jersey around the neck and basically shoved the guy out of the way. That kind of attitude is what I like to see in a QB. That tells me he'll be a leader...not just some cog in the machine.

Jay will be a Pro Bowler in his 3rd season. And barring injury or a regression of his skills, we're set at the QB position for the next decade and then some.

I think he'll hit about 60% of his passes for 3,300 yards and 20 TD's. He might throw 10-12 picks next year. Year three will be his breakout year. Then again if he progresses as fast next year as he did this year, who knows, he might be MVP.

[Old Dude]

He has all the potential in the world. He'll get even better as he adjusts to the NFL game speed. But we need to improve the pass blocking or his career will be a short one.

[broncogary]

Clearly the best QB come into the league since Palmer, and maybe since P. Manning, even though Vince Young won the Offensive ROY.

[Play2win]

I think what is going to make JAY (into a probowler) is his ability to fire the quick-slant across the middle and deliver the ball with accuracy and velocity to the TE down the seam. Those two things will open up the rest of his game, but those two thing are going to be what make him a top-notch QB in this league.

[-Slap-]

Anybody with any historical perspective on the League whatsoever would give Cutler an A+ for his performance this season. Only a handful of quarterbacks have ever stepped right in and played as effectively as Jay did this year. He was thrown into a pennant race for a injury depleted team and caught bad weather games for the majority of his starts. Despite that, he took a grand total of six quarters to get up to speed for the Broncos rabid, but often clueless fan base.

Too bad he wasn't octuplets. Maybe he could have been inserted at several other positions of need simultaneously, so the Rain Man like retards on this board could stop repeating the same stupid monotonous **** ad nauseum.

[-Slap-]

Let's not turn this into a Jake vs Jay thread, please! This should be about Jay's performance and his future as the Denver QB. :thumbsup:

Indeed. Mentioning that choking dog's name on this thread is counter productive.

Jake can flip off and curse out the Bronco fans one last time and fade into the sunset.

[defenseman]

Cutler, has all the tools. ALL the tools. I'm hoping Shanahan and the bronco staff train him the right way. I'm also hoping Cutler maintains his present persona and steep learning curve. If handled correctly, and supported properly, they'll be in the hunt for a super bowl ring on an annual basis. Each year, every year...dman

*Him personally? He's going to go as far he allows himself. Definite diamond in the rough. The polishing has already begun.

[epa86b@netzero]

I was very pleased with Jay's performance. As many, I expected some rookie mistakes. I say he excelled. Once the coaching staff fully understands what plays Jay is comfortable running and call the game accordingly, we (the fans) will be in for a real treat weekly.

Before Jay took to the field if he did excell, I expected his number to be close to Ben Roethlisberger first 5 games. What does any one think about the comparison? i know it is not a complete apples to apples comparision because of playcalling style, defensive stye, special teams, and other things.

[Play2win]

Anybody with any historical perspective on the League whatsoever would give Cutler an A+ for his performance this season. Only a handful of quarterbacks have ever stepped right in and played as effectively as Jay did this year. He was thrown into a pennant race for a injury depleted team and caught bad weather games for the majority of his starts. Despite that, he took a grand total of six quarters to get up to speed for the Broncos rabid, but often clueless fan base.


Shanahan knows the importance of a strong supporting cast even for the Über-Talented. Thats what got the Duke his Superbowls, and I am confident he will do the same for JAY. Just wait until JAY gets one full offseason with this team, then LOOK OUT... NOW, I've got to go buy some new SHADES... 8')

[toad]

Overall I was certainly pleased with his performance as a rookie.

I do worry that an aging and underperforming offensive line may slow the progress of Jay and the young skill position players (Walker, Marshall, Scheffler).

[Xenos]

If he doesn't become a freaking whiny bitch after a tough loss then he'll be a better person than Tom Brady that's for sure.

[The Moops]

I still think Denver makes the playoffs with Plummer finishing the year. No way would they have gone 2-3 after already going 0-3 in the middle of the season. But the defense would have been exposed in the playoffs rather quickly. That said, I think Shanahan made the right move to set up next year. It's almost the same scenario that happened with the Giants in Eli Manning's first year. They benched Kurt Warner when the Giants had a winning record and were very much in the playoff hunt. Manning lost four of the final five games. But the next year they won the NFC East.

There's a lot of work to do for next season. They have to retool the offense to be a more down-the-field passing game. They've needed a young safety and good pass rush since forever. I don't think the running back by committee is really working. The line needs help. And on top of everything, we've all got heavy hearts. Next season will not be easy.

[OrangeShadow]

If he doesn't become a freaking whiny b**** after a tough loss then he'll be a better person than Tom Brady that's for sure.

LOL ^5

[Dedhed]

Lots of QBs in this league convert 3rd downs under adversity. Just because we are used to bonehead Jake, we think that's something earth-shattering.

Are you telling me Matt Hasselback, Trent Green, Carson Palmer and the like cannot convert 3rd downs under adversity?

Cutler will be a good qb who will make us a very strong playoff contender for many years.

But those folks who think he will be as good or better than Elway or even Brady are on crack.

Name 2 other NFL QBs that can throw that ball to Javon. This kid can make every throw on the field (something maybe 1/3 of NFL QBs can do), and shows the poise of Johnny U and you have the gall to compare him to Eli Manning? Get real.

There is no limit to what this kid can do in Denver, and better, there is no limit to what Shanahan can do with the the game plan with this kid taking snaps. That's why this offense was so dynamic when Elway was around; Shanahan could draw up any play knowing that he had a QB that could make the throw, no matter where the ball needed to get to.

[Meck77]

Time will tell. I believe I gave him a few years before I'd judge how "great" or how "Bad" he will be. The week to week roller coaster analysis of a rookie is rediculous IMO. He obviously has a big gun/talent and played a respectable game down the stretch. Does this translate to winning records/playoff wins? There are so many unknowns on how Jay's career will play out.

I do know this. I didn't see Cutler leading the team to the playoffs and I was right unfortunately. The season was a rough one but the good thing is we are slightly ahead of the curve going into next season as a result.

[rovolution]

Hes going to be a great one. the only thing i am concerned about is his so called "mobility". In the SF game, he had plenty of time to avoid the blitzing corners, but he was a sitting duck in the pocket, getting sacked easily. I know he shows the mobility on the bootleg passes, but i really hope he can learn to dodge pass rushers like Elway did in his day.

[Xenos]

Name 2 other NFL QBs that can throw that ball to Javon. This kid can make every throw on the field (something maybe 1/3 of NFL QBs can do), and shows the poise of Johnny U and you have the gall to compare him to Eli Manning? Get real.

There is no limit to what this kid can do in Denver, and better, there is no limit to what Shanahan can do with the the game plan with this kid taking snaps. That's why this offense was so dynamic when Elway was around; Shanahan could draw up any play knowing that he had a QB that could make the throw, no matter where the ball needed to get to.
Shannahan is probably better than Coughlin when it comes to QB, because all the Giants fan apparently hate the way that Coughlin is handling Eli.

[Dedhed]

Shannahan is probably better than Coughlin when it comes to QB, because all the Giants fan apparently hate the way that Coughlin is handling Eli.

There is truth to that, but Eli has limited tools. He's living on a name.

[lostknight]

We really still don't know what type of quarterback Jay Cutler will be. (This is coming from a Cutler supporter - so hold your fire for a moment). All we can say definitivly from this season and looking at the stats is a) he preformed better then Plummer after the first game, b) The rookies seem to be gelling very nicely with him, c) He brought Smith back from the brink, but seems to have more trouble hooking up with Smith and Walker then the rooks.

The real question is going to be, how fast does Jay learn when not to throw? Do the stupid snap and interception problems last? Can Jay learn when to judge when/if a receiver downfield is going to get significant seperation?

That's going to make the long term difference. So far Jay has not shown anything that would make one doubt Shanahan's decision to swap QB's on a pure player positional level (team chemistry non-withstanding), but remember that Griese's problems were much more team leadership and learning then the tools. Jay has the tools, can he become the leader?

[KipCorrington25]

He throws off his back foot...
His mechanics are terrible...
He has a torn rotator cuff....

Besides that I thought he did great!

[brncs_fan]

Jay Cutler? Worst quarterback ever!

http://www.quicklybored.com/wp-content/uploads/cbg.jpg

[Merlin]

I don't know why some people are showing a little hate towards Jay. Give him time and you'll see he'll make a pretty good SAFETY.























Note: For the less informed, that was one of the positions colleges wanted him to play when considering drafting him ;D :rofl:

[The Moops]

I always laugh when I hear people say Eli is living on a name. Because of Peyton for some reason the Manning name has been elevated to become known as The First Family of football. It's so stupid. I'm one of the few old guys around who remember Archie Manning. He sucked. He was a ballyhooed first round pick who got a lot of sympathy for playing on a bad team. The truth is he threw 173 interceptions and only 125 TD passes. And he had good receivers. Danny Abramowicz, Dave Parks and Wes Chandler were top-tier recievers. He also had Chuck Muncie. But his career rating is 67. Eli is just like his father. Just because the Manning sons are also first round picks somehow Archie is now thought of as a great QB. He sucked on the Saints except for a couple years. They were never better than 8-8 and then he went to the Vikings and Oilers and was terrible on those teams as well . . . he made them losers too.

Peyton is the only good Manning.

[Doc]

I was at the Cards game and Jay's throw to Walker brought me out of my seat. It has been a while since a display of pure athletic ability did so. I want to annoint him, but realize that he needs to age a bit. However, I am optimistic and think the future is looking pretty bright with Jay leading all of the young talent we have.

[zdoor]

Lots of QBs in this league convert 3rd downs under adversity. Just because we are used to bonehead Jake, we think that's something earth-shattering.

Are you telling me Matt Hasselback, Trent Green, Carson Palmer and the like cannot convert 3rd downs under adversity?

Cutler will be a good qb who will make us a very strong playoff contender for many years.

But those folks who think he will be as good or better than Elway or even Brady are on crack.

There are a lot of variables that will still affect how he develops. But to this point he is been way above the curve for a rookie. And head to head, he outplayed Palmer...

[watermock]

Once he gets his timing down with ALL receivers and gets rid of the ball (faster) in NFL timing - HE'LL BE ALL PRO.

Not if Foster keeps letting his head bang off the turf.

[cutthemdown]

He fumbles too much when being hit. He needs to work on taking snap. He needs to not throw off back foot so much. He has a long ways to go.

[go_broncos]

he is better than Jake Plummer..

that's all i want...

[watermock]

Who said that he has a ways to go? I don't think it's a LONG ways whatsoever.

Jake Plummer played his way out of that high paying gig.

[BlaK-Argentina]

Not sure if anyone noticed but there was a play where one opposing player was dancing around like he had won the Super Bowl, and Jay grab the guy by the jersey around the neck and basically shoved the guy out of the way. That kind of attitude is what I like to see in a QB. That tells me he'll be a leader...not just some cog in the machine.


I sure did, it was GREAT! After seeing that I threw a punch in the air. ROFL! It was a bad play for us but he showed me some fire there! You don't see many QBs doing that to a defensive linemen.

And like Mock said, I don't think he has a LONG way to go... I mean, with the way he progressed this year, I think by next year he'll play at a top notch level. At least I hope so.

[broncosteven]

I am so glad I got to see him play as a rookie.

He looked sharp before he was pancaked twice & knocked out of the game. If he did not take that sack that knocked him out of the game he would have had a huge stat game vs 49ers.

Being at the 49er game gave me a great vantage point to see Jake's INT. He held the ball way too long & had no business throwing it that late. The CB & saftey had time to break & knew it was coming, Walker would not have had a chance even if he had his feet under him. It was also a good no call.

I only want to see Plummer back in Mile High lining up under center of a VISITOR. I NEVER want to see him handle a snap for the Broncos.

That said Cutler's INT was off a play that should not have been called that deep in your own zone on 3rd & long. They should have run TBell up the middle for 1 yard then punted. The kid had head trauma yet Shanny puts him in the gun & makes him pass? Bad play call & bad choice on the throw.

Cutler still made some great throws later in the game but you could tell he was hurt & not making the same reads as quickly as he was earlier in the game. Still I feel he knew what he was doing out there & knew how to throw the ball on all the routes unlike Plummer who looked more like the rook than a 10 year vet.

I am proud that Cutler made the drive late to tie with no timeouts.

[TheDave]

So far so good... We are going to have to see what happens when defensive coordinators start game planning for him. Hopefully with an improved running game next year they will be forced into a pick your poison scenario. As Kaylore mentioned he did focus on the middle of the field, once he starts attacking the sidelines defenses will have their hands full covering the entire field. With Shanahan's play book now completely open it's going to be fun to watch.

[ukbroncosfan]

Johnny Unitas reincarnated couldn't lead the 06' Broncos to the SB. IMHO the 9 year vet Jake Plummer could have led the 06' Broncos to 10 wins and the playoffs. But Mike Shanahan's goal is to win SB's. The 07' Broncos will have a better shot at winning the SB because the move was made.

[watermock]

I sure did, it was GREAT! After seeing that I threw a punch in the air. ROFL! It was a bad play for us but he showed me some fire there! You don't see many QBs doing that to a defensive linemen.

And like Mock said, I don't think he has a LONG way to go... I mean, with the way he progressed this year, I think by next year he'll play at a top notch level. At least I hope so.

God only knows how many concussions he fought thru at Vandy. Hasn't anyone else seen that opposing QB's can clip toe nails and Cutler is attacked just as he can set his feet?

I make Jay get a bubblehead helmet...no arguments I don't care if we have to hide his helmet. I guarantee you he took concussions at Vandy. In fact, I'm going to E-mail the Broncos about it. What's the point if we wind up with Bronco Billy in a couple years...wait...Bronco Billiy is a genius.

[Donk]

So far so good.

Cuttler was a much better first year qb then Elway.

[watermock]

I talked to a trainer a moment ago and said maybe they should give jay the newer helmet and was hung up on. "How did you get this number..." click

[broncosteven]

I talked to a trainer a moment ago and said maybe they should give jay the newer helmet and was hung up on. "How did you get this number..." click

I love you man!

How many #'s did you have to dial before you got transferred?

[dsmoot]

I still think Denver makes the playoffs with Plummer finishing the year. No way would they have gone 2-3 after already going 0-3 in the middle of the season. But the defense would have been exposed in the playoffs rather quickly. That said, I think Shanahan made the right move to set up next year. It's almost the same scenario that happened with the Giants in Eli Manning's first year. They benched Kurt Warner when the Giants had a winning record and were very much in the playoff hunt. Manning lost four of the final five games. But the next year they won the NFC East.

There's a lot of work to do for next season. They have to retool the offense to be a more down-the-field passing game. They've needed a young safety and good pass rush since forever. I don't think the running back by committee is really working. The line needs help. And on top of everything, we've all got heavy hearts. Next season will not be easy.

No way Denver makes the playoffs. Jake showed nothing this year that gave an indication he was able to pull the team from behind. The defensive dropoff at the end of the year sealed the teams fate. Look at that spark Jake provided when he came in for Jay during the SF game. NOT. Just another deep pick by SF. Sure Cutler threw a couple of ill-advised picks but how many times this year did you think about Jake "Why in the world did he throw the ball" and it was picked off. As for a downfield passing game, when Cutler came in, there was a night and day difference in balls going downfield. It is only going to get better.

The need to shore up the lines is the biggest issue now.

[atomicbloke]

I don't know why some people are showing a little hate towards Jay.

Did anyone show hate towards Jay in this thread? I don't think so.

[dsmoot]

Johnny Unitas reincarnated couldn't lead the 06' Broncos to the SB. IMHO the 9 year vet Jake Plummer could have led the 06' Broncos to 10 wins and the playoffs. But Mike Shanahan's goal is to win SB's. The 07' Broncos will have a better shot at winning the SB because the move was made.

Our 7 wins with Jake hung mainly on the performance of the defense at the beginning of the year. The offense was pathetic and it wasn't getting any better.

[Rock Chalk]

Why don't you think he will be an elite quarterback? He has one of the strongest and accurate arms in the league, big strong and mobile and seems to be a student of the game.

Cutler has the tools to be the best QB in the league.

Conversely, why do you think he will be an elite QB? A strong arm is not the only thing a QB needs. As for accurate, I'll have to disagree. His accuracy looks good because we have designed a lot of high percentage completion passes for him, but on his deep passes he is like 3 for 15 or something. Not exactly earth shattering accuracy there.

He has the tools to be an elite QB, but that doesnt mean he will be.

There are a number of guys with the tools but fell short of elite status. I think that atomic character is merely pointing out that he might not necessarily be ELITE. We dont need an elite QB anyway. I just want a better than average QB that wins more than he loses. Right now, at this moment, we have exactly one of those on the roster and his name isnt Jay Cutler.

Will Jay Cutler win more than he loses? Odds are in his favor. In fact, teh deck is stacked FOR him to be successful. Then again, it was stacked for Griese too and Griese was either 1 game below .500, .500 or 1 game above .500 his career in Denver.

I like what I have seen for the most part but there are some things that do concern me and im not entire sold that he WILL get them fixed. His propensity to stare down receivers - much like Jake - was evident in his 5 games with few exceptions JUST like it was in his college games that I did get to see. Can he fix that? I hope so, or its gonna be a lot of pick sixes for Cutler. I do think he can learn to get his sack-o-meter clock up to NFL speed and get that ball out of there faster, but this is more of a game time experience thing than anything.

Throwing off his backfoot, while some said he was good at doing it, resulted in a pick, just like with any other QB that throws off his backfoot. Bad things happen and I dont care how strong your arm is. Get that corrected, and his read progressions and his football smarts (like throwing it up for grabs on 4th down with the game on the line instead of taking a sack, and taking a sack on 1st down deep in your own territory in the beginning of the game and throwing short on 3rd and medium instead of going deep to a double covered Javon).

It wont will make little difference if we cant get a better pass blocking O-line, he will struggle and so will our offense, until that happens.

[bloodsunday]

Very happy with how he played. Made some great throws (Javon in AZ), had some great drives (99 vs. Cincy and the tying score against San Fran), and some stupid rookie mistakes (both pick 6s).

Gotta remember he's only played in 5 games, so if he throws for 3500 yds and has a 2/1 TD/Int ratio, I'll be incredibly pleased.

This pretty much sums up my expectations.

One thing I would like to throw in there is that he was only 2 - 3 as a starter, two of those loses coming at home to the woeful NFC West. His stats were pretty good (in terms of ratings) but he made critical mistakes in both games (free TDs when we had the lead). One thing that is a little different about Jay is that he has not been a winner (at least not in a while). You really have to wonder if he can bring all of his talent together and translate it into Ws and not good stat Ls. There were no expectations at Vanderbilt so a 300 yd, 4TD game and hanging with Tennessee was a good day. In Denver a 300 yd , 4TD game doesn't mean jack if you lose. He has to find a way to overcome the mistakes that get you beat at this level.

All that said, I think he can. I hope we get a coaching staff around him that can help teach a young QB. It's too bad we lost Kubes because this is an assignment perfect for him. I am not sure if I trust Heimerdinger just yet and Dennison was a former LB so he doesn't know **** about playing QB.

[ZONA]

I think it's important to understand not only what Jay has been able to do but the stage on which he had to do it. Of course there is always "John's Shadow" out there but he also replaced a well like vet in Jake. He made his start while the team was starting to drop games so that was pressure. It's only his first year so not only does he need time to learn the NFL but the Broncos system as well. Half of his games were must win games and that's a great deal of pressure. Considering all of this, I think he showed some signs that he could very well be a great one. The 4th quarter of last game showed me alot. He had his bell rung early in the game and still lead that drive down the field to tie. He also should have won that game, the ball was right in Marshalls hands and we would have been in Elam range at that time.

And yes - anybody can see that his arm is not "Mediocre" as somebody else has said. Give me a break. With a little more seasoning, this kid should be "feared" throughout the league.

[epicSocialism4tw]

I talked to a trainer a moment ago and said maybe they should give jay the newer helmet and was hung up on. "How did you get this number..." click

I would have hung up on you too.

[Broncomutt]

I was very happy with the way he played, especially considering the circumstances regarding how he was thrust into the starting role.

My only concern is with some of the plays vs San Fran. A couple times he just stood there as the blitz came in on him (see 1st sack). I appreciate standing tall in the face of pressure. I love that he doesn't have nervous feet. I already see his toughness.

But he kinda looked like a deer in headlights.

Hopefully, I'm wrong and that gets worked out next year. I think he'll be much better next year...which is reason for great optimism.

[bloodsunday]

And yes - anybody can see that his arm is not "Mediocre" as somebody else has said. Give me a break. With a little more seasoning, this kid should be "feared" throughout the league.

It is one thing to be "feared" because of your physical talents. There are dozens of players in the NFL like that. Hell everyone kept telling us what a nightmare it would be to have Randy Moss in this division for the same reason -- he has scary physical talent. But Randy Moss is not a winner. You want a guy at QB that teams fear not because of his physical talents, but because he is gonna make the key play at the key time to win games. Joe Montana and Tom Brady don't have great arms, but they are assassins. Just when you think you can beat them, they put a dagger in your heart.

No one doubts Jay's physical skills. But, can he develop the ability to make game changing plays? What I saw was a kid making game changing plays for both teams. That is to be expected from a rookie, but it will have to improve fast for this team to make a serious push at anything next year.

[Kaylore]

Anybody with any historical perspective on the League whatsoever would give Cutler an A+ for his performance this season. Only a handful of quarterbacks have ever stepped right in and played as effectively as Jay did this year. He was thrown into a pennant race for a injury depleted team and caught bad weather games for the majority of his starts. Despite that, he took a grand total of six quarters to get up to speed for the Broncos rabid, but often clueless fan base.

Too bad he wasn't octuplets. Maybe he could have been inserted at several other positions of need simultaneously, so the Rain Man like retards on this board could stop repeating the same stupid monotonous **** ad nauseum.

That's what people don't get. I have to laugh at all the people who are posting things like "this and this really concern me." The guy is a rookie who has played a handful of games and you're concerned he has problems? Get a clue people! He's going to have more next year but they will slowly go away. If we upgrade the offensive line (And I pray that we do) it will go a long way toward fixing things like throwing off your back foot.

[broncosteven]

That's what people don't get. I have to laugh at all the people who are posting things like "this and this really concern me." The guy is a rookie who has played a handful of games and you're concerned he has problems? Get a clue people! He's going to have more next year but they will slowly go away. If we upgrade the offensive line (And I pray that we do) it will go a long way toward fixing things like throwing off your back foot.

People forget that Cutler broke Marnio & Connerly's Record of 2 tds in 1st 3 games just like they forget the great run the D had before all the injuries...

[bloodsunday]

That's what people don't get. I have to laugh at all the people who are posting things like "this and this really concern me." The guy is a rookie who has played a handful of games and you're concerned he has problems? Get a clue people! He's going to have more next year but they will slowly go away. If we upgrade the offensive line (And I pray that we do) it will go a long way toward fixing things like throwing off your back foot.

That's all good, but Jay was supposed to be the guy that gives us the best chance to win. Now its his team and a team that demands not only the playoffs but Super Bowls. He doesn't get the rookie or young guy excuse for long. That was Mike Shanahan's choice, not mine or any other fans.

[Kaylore]

That's all good, but Jay was supposed to be the guy that gives us the best chance to win. Now its his team and a team that demands not only the playoffs but Super Bowls. He doesn't get the rookie or young guy excuse for long. That was Mike Shanahan's choice, not mine or any other fans.

He already out-played Plummer which by default means he gave us the best chance to win now. Are you trying to argue that since Shanahan started him that means he magically has to play like a seasoned veteran now? Are you suggesting that his flaws that take quarterbacks years to polish out are unacceptable all of a sudden? And how many games have you decided he gets "the rookie excuse" before he has to be a perfect player with no flaws?

[Meck77]

I think it's important to understand not only what Jay has been able to do but the stage on which he had to do it. Of course there is always "John's Shadow" out there .

and ironically enough there is a small "Jake shadow". Love him or hate him he didn't lose alot of games if you look at his full career as a Bronco. This was definetly his weakest year but wins are wins and Jake had alot of them and Jay has 2-3 record right now. Crazy as it is he can't rack up that many more losses to keep up with Jakes pace. For now he's just a rook with alot of potential but there is no guarantee of anything from game to game in the NFL.

My statement has nothing to do with whether it was right to replace Jake or not. That is over and done with. I'm simply stating Jay has his work cut out for him before we compare him with Jake and *laugh*(Elway).

[broncosteven]

That's all good, but Jay was supposed to be the guy that gives us the best chance to win. Now its his team and a team that demands not only the playoffs but Super Bowls. He doesn't get the rookie or young guy excuse for long. That was Mike Shanahan's choice, not mine or any other fans.

How many true Rookies start their 1st year & go to the playoffs?

did Big Ben start out of the gate? he is only one that comes to mind & he was one & done to Marcia his rookie year. BTW Marcia DNP his true Rookie year.

Starting Cutler this year gave us 5 games to prep him so next year we didn't have to go through any growing pains while he adjusted to the speed of the game.

Conversly Plummer, the greatest Backup EVER, came in and posted a 0.00% QB Rating. Shanny had to call a QB Draw on 3rd & goal from about the 8 because he did not want him to toss an INT!

Something happened to Jakes mind after training camp. I am not sure if I was him that I would not just take the $ I made form football & buy a ranch & a business & chill while someone runs the business for me. He will be lucky to make the vet min if anyone picks him up.

Depending on our Draft & FA signing I should expect to make the playoffs in 2007. we need more help on Dline than Carlos Hall & oft injured Courtney/China Brown.

[broncosteven]

and ironically enough there is a small "Jake shadow". Love him or hate him he didn't lose alot of games if you look at his full career as a Bronco. This was definetly his weakest year but wins are wins and Jake had alot of them and Jay has 2-3 record right now. Crazy as it is he can't rack up that many more losses to keep up with Jakes pace. For now he's just a rook with alot of potential but there is no guarantee of anything from game to game in the NFL.

My statement has nothing to do with whether it was right to replace Jake or not. That is over and done with. I'm simply stating Jay has his work cut out for him before we compare him with Jake and *laugh*(Elway).

I see your point Meck but what is Jakes Playoff record over that period? One win & 3 terrible losses? Jake came in as a Vet, you cannot compare a Vets record to a Rookies right away.

Jay had to mop up Jakes mess this year & posted a QB rating in the high 80's while Plummer ended up in low 70's & -2 in TD/INT ratio.

Something happend to Jake. I wish him the best but I don't want him to play for the Broncos ever again.

[orange 4 life]

I was wondering what you all think of his performance this year.
Now that our season is over, I'd like to know what the rest of the Mane's opinion is about him.

I gotta say I was impressed by the poise he showed, the ability to thread the needle and just the confidence he shows on the field. I could never have guessed that he was a rookie. (except for that INT for TD in the Seattle game, and maybe the one against the Niners) That drive with 6 minutes left where he and Bell led the offense to tie the score with under 2 minutes left on sunday was all I needed to see. Just before that drive I sent a text message to a friend saying: "This is where the legend of Jay Cutler begins". It would have been that way had we been able to score in OT. I still can't believe we lost that game.

I CAN'T WAIT to see what he does next year after a whole offseason to prepare and get in sync with the offense.

I give him a B+ for this season. He was thrown into a playoff race with a team that was going downhill in a hurry and he almost pulled it off. He fell just a few yards short.

It was really great seeing him play, and I'm looking forward to next season when he will definitely torch more than a few defenses. :thumbsup:

EDIT: I forgot, what do you expect of him next year? Throw some stats too! ;)

i think anyone would be stretching to say they WERENT impressed.
sure, he made rookie mistakes, and im sure he'll make some next season too.
heck, he's a playmaker, so i think he'll make those kind of mistakes his whole CAREER, but he'll ALSO have the ability to make more plays than anyone we've had since elway.

the loss was disappointing, and how it happened was even more disappointing, but at the end of the day i didnt expect anything more than maybe one playoff win (and i felt that was even a stretch) so i took it better than i have any final game of the season loss in awhile.

as for next season, i think he'll play better than his stats will show. he'll throw more than a few picks, but he'll also make alot of passes that make us say "wow".
the development should be fun to watch, and MAYBE he can progress fast enough to give us a chance next season.
we need to put the missing pieces in place or it wont matter who plays qb, but if we can get those players around him that we need, it could be a fun season next year.

jake

ps- happy new year to all. obviously the darrent williams news put a damper on the start of this year, but hopefully his family can get the support they need, and hopefully the police can catch these thugs and send a message that this kind of garbage wont be tolerated. sounds like theyre making progress in the case, so here's to hoping the perpetrators pay and everyone else learns a valuable lesson.

[broncosteven]

and ironically enough there is a small "Jake shadow". Love him or hate him he didn't lose alot of games if you look at his full career as a Bronco. This was definetly his weakest year but wins are wins and Jake had alot of them and Jay has 2-3 record right now. Crazy as it is he can't rack up that many more losses to keep up with Jakes pace. For now he's just a rook with alot of potential but there is no guarantee of anything from game to game in the NFL.

My statement has nothing to do with whether it was right to replace Jake or not. That is over and done with. I'm simply stating Jay has his work cut out for him before we compare him with Jake and *laugh*(Elway).

BTW Meck, you remind me of Mickey in the Life Cereal Comercials. Everytime I read one your posts about the QB position I hear this in my head:

Just try Jay, you'll like it, you'll really like it!

[orange 4 life]

I see your point Meck but what is Jakes Playoff record over that period? One win & 3 terrible losses? Jake came in as a Vet, you cannot compare a Vets record to a Rookies right away.

Jay had to mop up Jakes mess this year & posted a QB rating in the high 80's while Plummer ended up in low 70's & -2 in TD/INT ratio.

Something happend to Jake. I wish him the best but I don't want him to play for the Broncos ever again.

the problem i see is that those three "terrible losses" were largely due to the defensive collapses we had. you can credit plummer with them all you want (and he certainly didnt play well in any of those games, but NO ONE did), but the #1 reason we lost all three of those games was our COMPLETE lack of a pass rush with the result being helpless d-backs that got torched by manning and then roethlisburger.

my fear is that cutler finds himself in those same circumstances, loses games in similar fashion (remember elways 1st 3 superbowls?), and then CUTLER becomes the fall guy.
you can laugh off that scenario NOW, but unfortunately its a very real possibility.
again, if we dont field a playoff caliber defense, it wont matter who plays qb.

i just hope our fans will be smart enough to figure that out this time.

jake

[epicSocialism4tw]

i just hope our fans will be smart enough to figure that out this time.



I think that you are asking a little too much there, jake. ;D

[freak6]

If I was Head Coach as I should be, Jay would have started after the week one, made all the Jake Mistakes while the defense was peaking, and we would have probably gone 10-6.

On his performance.

He was excellent. I wouldn't give him an A+ as Slap said though. Those terrible lazy garbage TWO pick 6s he threw up cost us the playoffs in close games. Because of those terrible decisions, I'd grade him out as B overall on his performance. Throw in the Rookie Curver factor like Slap and I would bump him up to an B+ or A-.

As for next year, I expect him to keep gunslinging but with more accuracy, and improved decision making. He showed a ton of heart, poise, and skills.

Fantasy wise I would not hesitate to select him in the late 2nd round.

Technique wise I honestly wouldn't change much. He took some brutal sacks this season. Why? Because he keeps his eyes downfield. He is so patient in the pocket, he allows himself to get drilled. We can't have that. So I would agree with other posters that he needs to take his time making pre-snap reads, and with experiance he will learn to move in the pocket and adjust his body into the throwing lanes ala Dan Marino. Again, we gotta get some decent tackles.

If I could change just one thing, we would run the Kelly Gun no huddle Shot-gun offense exclusively and turn this talent loose.

I believe that with this weapon, Shanahan can dump our garbage offensive philosophy based upon fooling the safety with play action.

3 timeouts in one series that nets a FG?

With a smooth no huddle offense we can wreck havoc on the NFL an avoid the deliberations that come from looking for the perfect play that we have set up with similar formations earlier in the game. Just go 3 wide and let it fly. We used this offense with Elway quite a bit and it was extremely successful with Reeves and Shanny, with Elway calling his own plays one preseason, and with Jim Fassel who opened it up.

We should have an offense that strikes fear in the opponent every down, not one that is predicated on fooling the defense, because when it doesn't, you get what happened on Jake's bootleg int vs SF. <b?How many bootlegs did we call where the DE stayed with QB and forced an incompletion?</b>

I know it is a pipe dream, but I would love to see a dramatic, major, complete overhaul of our offense which has bogged down since the retirement of John Elway.

Remember, with Elway, we would typically come out with 4 WR and just scare the crap out of teams, letting TD bang through nickel and dime backs when Elway wasn't cutting them to pieces. That is what we need to return to.

We no longer have the offensive Crutch at QB (Brister, Griese, Ferrotte, Plummer). It's time to re-define/evolve our offense to the rules of the NFL and play to our new greatest strength, which is our QB.

Edit - Our greatest strength really is Mike Shanahan, but his schemes, trick plays, bootlegs are not neccessary anymore. We should still use them as need be. But with Jay Cutler, it's time to stop trying to fool defenses and just beat them.

13-3 in 2007

[Taco John]

the problem i see is that those three "terrible losses" were largely due to the defensive collapses we had. you can credit plummer with them all you want (and he certainly didnt play well in any of those games, but NO ONE did), but the #1 reason we lost all three of those games was our COMPLETE lack of a pass rush with the result being helpless d-backs that got torched by manning and then roethlisburger.

my fear is that cutler finds himself in those same circumstances, loses games in similar fashion (remember elways 1st 3 superbowls?), and then CUTLER becomes the fall guy.
you can laugh off that scenario NOW, but unfortunately its a very real possibility.
again, if we dont field a playoff caliber defense, it wont matter who plays qb.

i just hope our fans will be smart enough to figure that out this time.

jake

I just want to go on record and say that if Jay plays as gutless as Jake did during our playoff outings, and especially this past season, I'll definitely be calling for his head regardless of what happens on the defensive side of the ball. It's one thing to struggle. It's another thing to collapse...

...back to work.

[errand]

There is truth to that, but Eli has limited skills. He's living on a name.

...and everyone knows chicks dig guys with skills.

[NYBronco]

I enjoyed watching Jay run the offense (at least the plays he was called on to execute) and will expect to see an improvement in his performance next year. His 2 to 1 (TD to Int) ratio should improve in both areas (more TD's and fewer Int's). He should have a good idea of what he needs to focus on in the off season.

[Hulamau]

He's going to be a great one. Given his talent level, yet rookie status... his up and down performance didn't surprise me, and I'm not worried about it. All in all, he showed MUCH more good than bad. His capabilities in this offense are immediately obvious.

He's clearly got some things to work on, but he's also clearly got insane upside. I'm not worried at all about the QB position... but, I haven't been worried about it much over the last few years. We've got bigger fish to fry, like putting together a respectable NFL defense.

Amen on all points

[Idaho_Bronco_Fan]

For the long term, I think Cutler is the man. He can make all the throws, yada yada yada

Short term, I think we're in the playoffs right now if Jake remains the starter. I know that opinion isn't popular with a lot of you, but I think Jake pulls out one or two more wins than Cutler.

Next year I expect more growing pains and pray Cutler doesn't get hurt since we'll have a backup QB new to the system.

Year after that, look out :) Give Lepsis a full year back after his ACL, give Marshall and Kircus more maturity, and hopefully develop more talent on the DLine and in both backfields, I'm thinkin' of a few ticker tape parades downtown!

[Broncos4tw]

He is far from a mediocre, or even "above average" QB. At least, in what the NFL has right now. Had he been around when the class of '85 was out there playing, who knows where he would sit. But at the moment, he could easily be the 2nd best QB in the league if he trains hard in the offseason, maybe within a couple of years. Brady? Brady has one thing going for him aside from decent accuracy and a solid arm - he is very cool under pressure. And Jay is already doing the same. And he scrambles better than Brady imo.

A couple of the more important throws he made, that qualify him imo, for the status of a "great qb" if he keeps up the work and training:

The bomb of course, it showed he has arm strength and accuracy, even under pressure.

The zippy pass right in front of a defender in the endzone for the touchdown. Many rookies would have flung it to the right to avoid a pick, and probably out of the reach of the receiver. He showed he trusts his arm strength, has deadly accuracy with the quick passes, and is confident.

He has arm strength, good vision (he looks for probably 2 more receivers per-play than Jake ever did), a solid deep ball, and two very important mental attributes in confidence and coolness. Being confident and cool / collected can make all the difference in the world. Just watching Griese bungle his plays because he chokes, or watching Jake throw it to the other team, desperate to make something happen makes you really appreciate these qualities in a young guy.

He has the makings of an amazing NFL player. 2 touchdowns per game? That's 32 TDs next year, and I think he'll do that, or even more. I said earlier this year he would make plays Jake couldn't make within 15 games. He already has made one (two if you count the deep ball), and I think within 15 games, he'll play a more solid game than Jake can possibly play. No knock on Jake, he is what he is. But Jay has the physical abilities to go with the solid mental traights needed to succeed.

And yea, when he shoved the defender out of the way without hesitation, that was awesome, he doesn't take crap either.

[crazyhorse]

He was OK. He went 2-3 in his starts and it could be argued that he should have lost the Cincy game. Meaning the only team he really beat were the Cards.

The jury is still out. But he could be something. If he developes. But right now, he really hasn't proven anything.

[Florida_Bronco]

Conversely, why do you think he will be an elite QB? A strong arm is not the only thing a QB needs. As for accurate, I'll have to disagree. His accuracy looks good because we have designed a lot of high percentage completion passes for him, but on his deep passes he is like 3 for 15 or something. Not exactly earth shattering accuracy there.

Well for one, he is probably the most physically gifted QB in the league. He is basically a prototype QB and has shown great accuracy when throwing the ball into tight spots.[/QUOTE]

[telluride]

Future MVP.

[ScottXray]

For a rook JC did well. The picks he threw...well, he needs improvement there. Also Shanny needs to learn his tendencies...which to me appear to be:

1. slow starter....should not go deep or medium deep from the pocket early in a game...tends to throw high and with less accuracy early in games.

2. Needs to develope a sense of the rush, step up into the pocket (if there IS one). Too many fumbles when hit from the backside.

3. Looks deep too much...needs to progress through reads faster.

4. Tends to lock in on a receiver...

He will get better in all of these , except perhaps the slow start thing. It could just be his response characteristic.

More than anything else...we NEED a line that can protect him. He is a classic drop back guy that CAN run, and throw on the run...but is most comfortable with a pocket to throw from. O line is a priority or our rook will be on injury report a lot.

[orange 4 life]

That's what people don't get. I have to laugh at all the people who are posting things like "this and this really concern me." The guy is a rookie who has played a handful of games and you're concerned he has problems? Get a clue people! He's going to have more next year but they will slowly go away. If we upgrade the offensive line (And I pray that we do) it will go a long way toward fixing things like throwing off your back foot.

look at the way plummer was treated.

are you surprised people are unrealistic in what they want from jay also?
i wish i was surprised, but im not.

part of the problem is shanahan. he did a PISS poor job of handling the situation all year, and he led the pack in letting the public hysteria and expectations reach epic (and unrealistic) levels.

....and yes, cutler did perform phenominally well considering the circumstances.
too bad more people cant see that and be excited about it.

jake

[bloodsunday]

He already out-played Plummer which by default means he gave us the best chance to win now. Are you trying to argue that since Shanahan started him that means he magically has to play like a seasoned veteran now? Are you suggesting that his flaws that take quarterbacks years to polish out are unacceptable all of a sudden? And how many games have you decided he gets "the rookie excuse" before he has to be a perfect player with no flaws?

I don't really want to get into the Jake vs Jay debate because its too complex to make sense of. I'll say this, Jay's numbers were better than Jake's, but I am not convinced that he outplayed Jake. Jake was 7 -4 as a starter and Jay 2 - 3 against what I think was an easier schedule (three against the NFC West). One thing I noticed is that Shanny always gave Jay a chance to redeem himself after a mistake -- he kept the playbook open -- but he tended to get more and more conservative with every Plummer mistake.

I like Jay and I am GLAD he replaced Jake. But, he has to grow up in a hurry. The members of this board (and to a lesser degree, the general consensus among "analysts") seemed to feel that the big advantage of Jay playing this season was because this year was not going to result in a Super Bowl and that he gets a head start on next year. So, that move better pay dividends huh?

I just want to see this team win, I don't care if Dilfer is at the helm. Of course its nice to have a young guy with some promise for great things. Of course its fun to watch him throw lasers that make your jaw drop. But Jeff George had those things going for him. I want to watch my team win. It kills me to see KC playing this weekend while we sit at home!

[Kaylore]

I don't really want to get into the Jake vs Jay debate because its too complex to make sense of. I'll say this, Jay's numbers were better than Jake's, but I am not convinced that he outplayed Jake. Jake was 7 -4 as a starter and Jay 2 - 3 against what I think was an easier schedule (three against the NFC West).

I'm really tired of people putting all the teams' win and loss credit on the quarterback. If you are beginning your argument with the idea that he gets solecredit for wins and loses, and that that is your starting point of evaluation, then I'm not even going to try and argue with you. George Foster has a pretty good win percentage as well. So did Mario Fatafehi.

[bloodsunday]

and ironically enough there is a small "Jake shadow". Love him or hate him he didn't lose alot of games if you look at his full career as a Bronco. This was definetly his weakest year but wins are wins and Jake had alot of them and Jay has 2-3 record right now. Crazy as it is he can't rack up that many more losses to keep up with Jakes pace. For now he's just a rook with alot of potential but there is no guarantee of anything from game to game in the NFL.

My statement has nothing to do with whether it was right to replace Jake or not. That is over and done with. I'm simply stating Jay has his work cut out for him before we compare him with Jake and *laugh*(Elway).

Awesome post. You hit the heart of my point. We won games with Plummer and we didn't with Jay. I know its not quite that simple because this team was sliding hard before Jay took the reigns, but its true. And in each of those loses Jay made some very bad mistakes -- forcing throws, holding the ball too long, pick sixes, and fumbling snaps. Somewhere along the line the members of this board and Bronco fans in general fell in love with winning "sexy". It wasn't enough that Jake delivered 3 Ws in 4 attempts, his play wasn't statistically perfect enough. If we can win 3 of every 4 with the pathetic Jake Plummer, shouldn't we then win 3.5 or 4 of 4 with an all world QB like Jay?

We crucified Jake Plummer for his mistakes but we just write off Jay's because he is a rookie? How long before that's not okay anymore? How long before the expectation once again becomes winning and losing?

Man I feel like I am being forced to dog on Jay, but that's not my intention at all. I just want people to hold him to the same standard as they did Jake and every other starting NFL QB -- Ws and Ls. I don't think this should be a debate about "sexy stats" or "rookies vs veterans". The argument should be about wins and loses, period. Jay led us to a 1 - 2 record against he horrible NFC West. That stings right now.

[c_lazy_r]

"...One thing I noticed is that Shanny always gave Jay a chance to redeem himself after a mistake -- he kept the playbook open -- but he tended to get more and more conservative with every Plummer mistake..."


Could it be that Cutler was more level-headed after making a mistake?

[bloodsunday]

I'm really tired of people putting all the teams' win and loss credit on the quarterback. If you are beginning your argument with the idea that he gets solecredit for wins and loses, and that that is your starting point of evaluation, then I'm not even going to try and argue with you. George Foster has a pretty good win percentage as well. So did Mario Fatafehi.

But this team was 7 - 4 with essentially the same roster under Jake. Lepsis was already hurt before Jay came in the line up. Foster has been playing like **** since he got here -- none of that has changed.

I agree that a team is a more than the QB, and the defense in particular let this team down the second half of the season. But it is not a coincidence that good QBs generally mean more wins. On the whole the QB is called on to make more plays at more pivotal times than any other player on the field. Those plays don't always have to be long bombs for touchdowns, or even a pass at all for that matter. Sometimes its just knowing when to get rid of the ball so you don't take a sack and/or a fumble. Sometimes it making a good audible. Sometimes its scrambling for a first down. Sometimes it is just the confidence and swagger you have as a leader. Sometimes a bad play takes away your momentum (happened twice to Jay in two losses). Now I don't "grade" game film and I don't know each play call, so I am not in a position to speak specifically on whether Jay or Jake did better in those depts, but I will say they are overlooked areas of QB play by the average fan.

[bloodsunday]

"...One thing I noticed is that Shanny always gave Jay a chance to redeem himself after a mistake -- he kept the playbook open -- but he tended to get more and more conservative with every Plummer mistake..."


Could it be that Cutler was more level-headed after making a mistake?

Answering that question is just pure speculation. But if I had to speculate honestly I would say its because Shanny had lost confidence in Jake and because Jay was "his guy". Shanny has a vested interest in seeing Jay succeed, but the entire world had already written Jake off after last season. Thus, I think to some degree it was Shanny's ego that made him do that, and to some degree I think it was just his confidence.

Personally I think Shanny wanted Jay to be the guy after he saw him play in training camp and didn't make the move out of fear he would lose the team.

[broncosteven]

Awesome post. You hit the heart of my point. We won games with Plummer and we didn't with Jay. I know its not quite that simple because this team was sliding hard before Jay took the reigns, but its true. And in each of those loses Jay made some very bad mistakes -- forcing throws, holding the ball too long, pick sixes, and fumbling snaps. Somewhere along the line the members of this board and Bronco fans in general fell in love with winning "sexy". It wasn't enough that Jake delivered 3 Ws in 4 attempts, his play wasn't statistically perfect enough. If we can win 3 of every 4 with the pathetic Jake Plummer, shouldn't we then win 3.5 or 4 of 4 with an all world QB like Jay?

We crucified Jake Plummer for his mistakes but we just write off Jay's because he is a rookie? How long before that's not okay anymore? How long before the expectation once again becomes winning and losing?

Man I feel like I am being forced to dog on Jay, but that's not my intention at all. I just want people to hold him to the same standard as they did Jake and every other starting NFL QB -- Ws and Ls. I don't think this should be a debate about "sexy" stats or "rookies vs veterans". The argument should be about wins and loses, period. Jay led us to a 1 - 2 record against he horrible NFC West. That stings right now.

Jay had a 140lb FS starting who had to wear "Bigger Pads" because it was too late in the season to put on weight. Foxworth was forced to FS due to at least 3 other Safety's on IR! We also lost Al Wilson as a scratch in the 49er game, DWill had a seperated shoulder near end of 49er game.

Look at the D starters that started the season & the players on the field at the end of the last game & tell me which QB had the better unit.

Sure Coaches & GM's have to plan to have quality Depth for the long haul but 3 Safety's? 1 starting MLB, a couple DLinemen, hard to over come that & put those losses on either QB. What you can put on the QB's are TO's & Jake flat out had more of those.

I go back to what I saw in person. Jake held that INT at the 49er game way too freaking long, I could see where it was going, the Safety could see it the CB could see it, no way Walker had a chance to make that play PERIOD. Jake made throws all year that he should not have thrown. I am convinced.

People here like Jake, that is great but I feel that the Broncos would have finished the year 7-9 or 8-8 had Jake Plummer started the rest of the year with all the injuries we had on D. Jake would have had 20 Td's & 33 INTs if he was lucky to reach the 20 TD mark.

No way our injured D would have been able to bail out Jake like they were able to early in the year when they were healthy. We would have seen more of the KFC Thanksgiving day beatings & none of the AZ or Cinny Magic.

Think about it people, Remember what Thanksgiving evening felt like?

[freak6]

I think the biggest problem was that the play calling didn't change enough with Cutler in there. He was obviously much more successful in the Shotgun then out of it, and much more successful than Jake in the Shotgun.

But how many times did Jay roll out on a bootleg to find the DE staying at home and forcing an incomplete on a ball thrown off balance? Way to many.

We don't need to toy and attempt to fool LBs and Ss who are given responibility options predicated on what we do. We can do that, but our offensive big plays should be much less dependent on the play action pass now that we have a stud QB that can fire from the pocket and convert 3rd and longs like he is back on the playground.

Jay has shown that he has the arm and timing to open up the true west coast offense and fire balls on time on deep outs before the WR even makes his break.

The playcalling in the redzone with Cutler has also got to be more aggressive. I think and I believe Jay Cutler thinks according to his qotes he was tied down with the conservative playcalling. He was obviously frustrated at Dennison not changing the blocking scheme quickly enoughvs SF. Trust in Jay next year I expect to balloon, and our scoring should as well.

[bloodsunday]

Wow what a rant. One general observation -- you make excuses for Jay but you won't let Jake make any.

Jay had a 140lb FS starting who had to wear "Bigger Pads" because it was too late in the season to put on weight. Foxworth was forced to FS due to at least 3 other Safety's on IR! We also lost Al Wilson as a scratch in the 49er game, DWill had a seperated shoulder near end of 49er game.
This is true and I acknowledged this point. But don't tell me that Jake Plummer never played on an injured team. Lepsis went down, CB went down, Sam Brandon went down -- all before the Plummer benching.

I go back to what I saw in person. Jake held that INT at the 49er game way too freaking long, I could see where it was going, the Safety could see it the CB could see it, no way Walker had a chance to make that play PERIOD. Jake made throws all year that he should not have thrown. I am convinced.
But one of my points is that there is much more to being a QB than what you "saw". Yeah Jake is not the most appealing QB to watch play, but 75% speaks volumes. The play you are pointing out here is a bit unfair as Jake was rusty -- just as I admit that its a bit unfair to grade Cutler against Seattle as he hadn't played in 12 months. Nonetheless it was a crappy throw. It wasn't particularly costly though either -- like I don't know the free TD Cutler gave them.

People here like Jake, that is great but I feel that the Broncos would have finished the year 7-9 or 8-8 had Jake Plummer started the rest of the year with all the injuries we had on D. Jake would have had 20 Td's & 33 INTs if he was lucky to reach the 20 TD mark.
There is so much speculation in here that I don't even know where to start. First of all I think -- my opinion -- that we win the Seattle game with Jake. Other than that we probably accomplish about the same thing. We didn't really win any games with our offense -- the closest we came was Arizona but that was also the D's best game of the 2nd half. Cincy beat themselves.

Think about it people, Remember what Thanksgiving evening felt like?
What I remember about the KC game was LJ running up and down the field. I don't think Jay, Jake, John Elway or Joe Montana was gonna win that game.

[No1BroncoFan]

For this season, it didn't make a sh*t bit of difference who our quarterback was. The defense was still able to piss away a playoff run.

In hindsight, I'm glad the kid got some reps now instead of waiting for next season. As much as I was against the switch, it didn't matter. With our defense we weren't going to the Superbowl with Manning or Brady under center, let alone Jake or Jay.

Ben

[c_lazy_r]

Awesome post. You hit the heart of my point. We won games with Plummer and we didn't with Jay. I know its not quite that simple because this team was sliding hard before Jay took the reigns, but its true. And in each of those loses Jay made some very bad mistakes -- forcing throws, holding the ball too long, pick sixes, and fumbling snaps. Somewhere along the line the members of this board and Bronco fans in general fell in love with winning "sexy". It wasn't enough that Jake delivered 3 Ws in 4 attempts, his play wasn't statistically perfect enough. If we can win 3 of every 4 with the pathetic Jake Plummer, shouldn't we then win 3.5 or 4 of 4 with an all world QB like Jay?

We crucified Jake Plummer for his mistakes but we just write off Jay's because he is a rookie? How long before that's not okay anymore? How long before the expectation once again becomes winning and losing?

Man I feel like I am being forced to dog on Jay, but that's not my intention at all. I just want people to hold him to the same standard as they did Jake and every other starting NFL QB -- Ws and Ls. I don't think this should be a debate about "sexy" stats or "rookies vs veterans". The argument should be about wins and loses, period. Jay led us to a 1 - 2 record against he horrible NFC West. That stings right now.


First, I completely understand your argument and don't totally disagree. It should be about winning and losing football games.

That said, though, Cutler brings a dimension to our team that has been lacking for a long time. Our scoring offense was significantly better under Cutler vs. Plummer and this occurred at a time when our running game (team strength) was struggling. Mistakes or not, he gave the team a chance to win by scoring.

If the offense would have only put up 12-14 points a game during the last 5, I would put much more blame for the losses on Cutler. He produced exactly what was asked of him and it was more than Plummer had produced.

Bottom line...if our TEAM would have played as well the last 5 games as they did the first 5 games of the season, Denver would have been easily in the playoffs.

As a side note...I really had no doubt Cutler was going to drive for that 4th quarter TD. It's been awhile since I've had that kind of confidence. Makes it fun again.

[broncosteven]

[INDENT]Wow what a rant.


But one of my points is that there is much more to being a QB than what you "saw". Yeah Jake is not the most appealing QB to watch play, but 75% speaks volumes. The play you are pointing out here is a bit unfair as Jake was rusty -- just as I admit that its a bit unfair to grade Cutler against Seattle as he hadn't played in 12 months. Nonetheless it was a crappy throw. It wasn't particularly costly though either -- like I don't know the free TD Cutler gave them.

Cutler was also A 1ST YEAR ROOKIE & NOT A 10 YEAR VET! Unfair! LOL When your Coach won't let you throw the ball inside the 10 & instead calls A QB DRAW & HOPES YOU DON"T FUMBLE SO HE CAN KICK A FG is when I as that QB would have hung up the cleats.


There is so much speculation in here that I don't even know where to start. First of all I think -- my opinion -- that we win the Seattle game with Jake. Other than that we probably accomplish about the same thing. We didn't really win any games with our offense -- the closest we came was Arizona but that was also the D's best game of the 2nd half. Cincy beat themselves.

You are intitled to your opinion but I don't think Jake converts enough 3rd down plays to win those games. Plus he throws a couple more INTS as he proved he has ability to do & those INT's could cost those games...

What I remember about the KC game was LJ running up and down the field. I don't think Jay, Jake, John Elway or Joe Montana was gonna win that game.

Funny but I remember a QB that could not convert a 3rd down & keep the KFC O off the field. Plus I remember a INT on 1st drive & another TO later in the game. Keep the ball out of LJ hands & they win. Cutler had a good chance to win that game if he manages it.



I hope Jake latches on in Oakland so we get some INT's back.

[freak6]

As a side note...I really had no doubt Cutler was going to drive for that 4th quarter TD. It's been awhile since I've had that kind of confidence. Makes it fun again.


No doubt.

We should be firing on all cylinders next season, no more fking around toying with the S on stretch right just to set up a play action pass later in the series.

If Jay is so solid in down and distances where we have to pass, why not show pass every down and let our star QB do his thing?

Shanahan should call plays through the first 3 quarters like we are down by 7 with 5 minutes to go in the game every series until we are up by 20 and we want to run out the clock.

Elway
<img src="http://lo.redjupiter.com/images/FerrariForSale/FA01F4019892b.jpg">

Brister, Griese, Ferrotte, Plummer <img src="http://www.carbuyersnotebook.com/archives/ferrariwreck.jpg">

Cutler

<img src="http://www.autocult.com.au/img/gallery/TorqueOmata87.jpg">

[broncosteven]

As a side note...I really had no doubt Cutler was going to drive for that 4th quarter TD. It's been awhile since I've had that kind of confidence. Makes it fun again.

RIGHT ON MAN!

I did not feel it was over until the reverse by SF in overtime.

Cutler brought the team back on an 80 yard drive with no, ZERO, ZIP timeouts! That was one gutsy drive by a kid that was concussed!

[SprintRightOption]

People here like Jake, that is great but I feel that the Broncos would have finished the year 7-9 or 8-8 had Jake Plummer started the rest of the year with all the injuries we had on D. Jake would have had 20 Td's & 33 INTs if he was lucky to reach the 20 TD mark.

Jake Plummer, who used to play QB for the Broncos, got benched sitting at 11 TD and 12 INT after 11 games. I guess the Broncos played the 1976 Steelers D 5 times in the last 5 games, because he would need 21 INT in 5 games to get to your totals. mm hmm.

That's more than 4 INTs every game. I doubt he would get 9 TD in 5 games, but the dude had 4 INTs like 3 times in 4 years.

I think you should put a disclaimer in your signature that says "I hate Jake Plummer, so anything I say about him is going to be ridiculous."

[SprintRightOption]

But at the moment, he could easily be the 2nd best QB in the league if he trains hard in the offseason, maybe within a couple of years. Brady? Brady has one thing going for him aside from decent accuracy and a solid arm - he is very cool under pressure. And Jay is already doing the same. And he scrambles better than Brady imo.

.....

He has arm strength, good vision (he looks for probably 2 more receivers per-play than Jake ever did), a solid deep ball, and two very important mental attributes in confidence and coolness.

I assume you mean 2nd behind Manning and ahead of Brady. Wow. Let me say that if Cutler is better than Brady next year, then the Broncos WILL WIN THE SUPERBOWL if the D is at least better than the 2002 Chiefs 3-2 defense.

I think what you meant to say about Brady was "Brady has one thing going for him aside from decent accuracy and a solid arm - he is the best QB in the NFL."

Also, I'm not sure which QB you are watching, but one of the only knocks on Jay is he stares down his receivers too much, probably something he accidentally learned from Plummer. This is common with rookies, and will be fixed soon."

[broncosteven]

Jake Plummer, who used to play QB for the Broncos, got benched sitting at 11 TD and 12 INT after 11 games. I guess the Broncos played the 1976 Steelers D 5 times in the last 5 games, because he would need 21 INT in 5 games to get to your totals. mm hmm.

That's more than 4 INTs every game. I doubt he would get 9 TD in 5 games, but the dude had 4 INTs like 3 times in 4 years.

I think you should put a disclaimer in your signature that says "I hate Jake Plummer, so anything I say about him is going to be ridiculous."

Your right, The INT total was high. If he finished the year it was more on the order of 20 TD's & 28 INTS. He is capable of multiple INT games as well as 0.00% QB rated games.

I don't hate the guy, I just think something in his decision making process snaped after TC. I wish him luck elsewhere I just hope we get to play him twice a year!

[-Slap-]

For this season, it didn't make a sh*t bit of difference who our quarterback was. The defense was still able to piss away a playoff run.


Nor does it make a sh*t bit of difference to many people that our defense were the ones who put us in position for a playoff run.

[No1BroncoFan]

I don't hate the guy, I just think something in his decision making process snaped after TC. I wish him luck elsewhere I just hope we get to play him twice a year!
Have you ever had a job where you're replacement gets hired, then you have to train him? Ever had a boss tell you "You're fired, but we need you to work the next 11 weeks?" I have, and I can tell you it takes the heart right out of you. You just don't care as much. Hell, I'm not sure you even can care as much. That is essentially what happened to Jake. Shanahan seriously mismanaged the entire situation. Jake knew he was already fired and though he may have tried to care, may have tried to do his best and play with the same heart he showed in previous years, he couldn't.

For those of you who will want to jump all over me and bash Jake some more at the same time:
No, I am not upset, disappointed or angry that we selected Jay in the draft.
No, I do not think Jake is a better QB or think (any longer) that he gives us the best chance to win.
Yes, I believe that (if we actually field a decent defence, especially the pass rush) we are in for one hell of a run over the next 8-16 years.

Shanahan could have, and should have, handled the Jake/Jay situation much better.

Ben

[Play2win]

So my question is how many here are going to be watching other teams next year... that just so happen to have Jake Plummer playing for them (backing up...) ... instead of the Broncos...

Jake is not the QB for Denver anymore... GET OVER IT!!!!

Hell, he might not (probably won't) even be a Denver Bronco next year!!!

[No1BroncoFan]

Nor does it make a sh*t bit of difference to many people that our defense were the ones who put us in position for a playoff run.
Our defence did no wrong in your eyes did they? Hell, you even excused their 17-point second half collapse against the Chargers. Sure, the defense looked good against the scrub offenses they played early, but once they started facing good ones, especially good passing attacks, they simply bent over.

Ben

[Cito Pelon]

The kid showed some playmaking ability. Lot's of potential.

[broncosteven]

So my question is how many here are going to be watching other teams next year... that just so happen to have Jake Plummer playing for them (backing up...) ... instead of the Broncos...

Jake is not the QB for Denver anymore... GET OVER IT!!!!

Hell, he might not (probably won't) even be a Denver Bronco next year!!!

That is a great question. I am wondering how many here were fans of Plummer or true Bronco Fans. The 1st Bronco QB I supported was Steve Ramsey. He was about as good as Jake was this year. If I didn't give Morton a chance I would not have had a chance to root for Elway & enjoy The Drive & 6 SB's among other highlights too numerous to mention.

[Jesterhole]

If Shanahan coaches here another 15 years here, then Cutler could equal or surpass Elway's career. Not sure that physically there is anything John could do that Jay couldn't.

In fact, I'm willing to say that Jay has a stronger arm. John could throw it far, but I'm not sure he had the same velocity on his medium passes that Jay puts on. Dude throws the ball in a straight line, Jeff George style.

Anyway, I feel confident that we got the best overall player from last year's draft. Bush would have been nice, as would have that San Diego tackle whats-his-nuts, but Jay is a rare talent that finally makes the Bronco offense dangerous again.

[Dedhed]

He was OK. He went 2-3 in his starts and it could be argued that he should have lost the Cincy game. Meaning the only team he really beat were the Cards.

The jury is still out. But he could be something. If he developes. But right now, he really hasn't proven anything.
You're scared to death.

[Dedhed]

1. slow starter....should not go deep or medium deep from the pocket early in a game...tends to throw high and with less accuracy early in games.



yeah, I hated seeing that ball to Javon on the first passin g play against the Cards. Jay should nix that and stick to 4 yard routes early.

[broncosteven]

yeah, I hated seeing that ball to Javon on the first passin g play against the Cards. Jay should nix that and stick to 4 yard routes early.

He should also throw more INT's on 1st drive of the game like Jake did all year. Jay only did that once vs Cincy & DWill bailed him out.

[broncolife]

3600 yards
41 Tds
22 Ints
6 fumbles
35 rushes for 203 yards
3 rushing TDs

[-Slap-]

Our defence did no wrong in your eyes did they? Hell, you even excused their 17-point second half collapse against the Chargers. Sure, the defense looked good against the scrub offenses they played early, but once they started facing good ones, especially good passing attacks, they simply bent over.

Ben

They played outstanding, almost record-setting, football for the first two months and had us poised at 5-1.

How many games did the offense win this year?

[SportinOne]

The one thing i would like to see Jay work on is to step up in the pocket. It's a very simple fix, but he has a tendacy to keep falling backwards and throw off his back foot. Doesn't matter how strong his arm is at that point, it's going to be a weak throw usually.

Sometimes he will have to fall back like that, but alot of times when he does it the defenders are all behind him and if he steps up he could either take off running or have more time to complete a pass. He has to remember that our OL is smaller so instead of pushing guys forward they will let them try to get that corner all the while forcing them past the QB.

Another thing, i'm very impressed at how long he stays in the pocket. He's a big guy, so if he gets hit he doesn't care. But he's also a pretty quick guy and i'd like to see him use that more. It's refreshing to see him hang in there and work on being a pocket passer, but he could be even more dangerous when things break down.

[kappys]

They played outstanding, almost record-setting, football for the first two months and had us poised at 5-1.

How many games did the offense win this year?

Precisely why upgrading the D-line is the most critical offseason move to make. You add an above average D-line to this defense and we might have a defense for the ages.

[footstepsfrom#27]

I'm simply stating Jay has his work cut out for him before we compare him with Jake and *laugh*(Elway).
Why are you laughing? You were 9 years old when John came to Denver so you obviously can't speak to comparing Jay with him in their rookie seasons.

Compare him with Jake? LOL Cutler has already shown he's infinitely superior to Jake, and I don't care what the win percentages are...the defense took a collective crap in the 2nd half of the season. As for Elway...his first 5 games have already surpassed what John did his entire rookie season. Cutler has similar physical tools to John, and has the advantage of far better coaching, so I see the comparison as warranted though he obviously has to prove it over time.

I've watched the NFL for almost 4 decades. Short of Marino in his rookie year, Cutler's inaugural performance was as good as any I've seen yet.

[BlaK-Argentina]

Does anyone have Elway's first 5 games stats at hand? I'd like to see a comparison of his numbers and Jay's.

EDIT: I'm NOT saying CUTLER = ELWAY... I'm just curious.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Does anyone have Elway's first 5 games stats at hand? I'd like to see a comparison of his numbers and Jay's.

EDIT: I'm NOT saying CUTLER = ELWAY... I'm just curious.
Individual game stats are tough to come by, but here's Elway's 11 game rookie year stats:

completions/123
pass attempts/259
percentage/47.5
yards/1663
yard per attemp/6.4
TD's/7
INT's/14
rushing attempts/28
yards/146
rushing TD's/1
games lining up behind the guard/1

[Pat Bowlen]

Not sure that physically there is anything John could do that Jay couldn't.

In fact, I'm willing to say that Jay has a stronger arm. John could throw it far, but I'm not sure he had the same velocity on his medium passes that Jay puts on.
Build a time machine.

[-Slap-]

After good games, people will compare Cutler to Elway, after bad games, they'll compare him to Jake.

[-Slap-]

If Shanahan coaches here another 15 years here, then Cutler could equal or surpass Elway's career. Not sure that physically there is anything John could do that Jay couldn't.

In fact, I'm willing to say that Jay has a stronger arm. John could throw it far, but I'm not sure he had the same velocity on his medium passes that Jay puts on. Dude throws the ball in a straight line, Jeff George style.

Anyway, I feel confident that we got the best overall player from last year's draft. Bush would have been nice, as would have that San Diego tackle whats-his-nuts, but Jay is a rare talent that finally makes the Bronco offense dangerous again.

John "Goose Gooden" Elway's fastball is second to nobody. He was putting that Elway X on people back at Granada Hills High School.

[Spider]

Not sure if anyone noticed but there was a play where one opposing player was dancing around like he had won the Super Bowl, and Jay grab the guy by the jersey around the neck and basically shoved the guy out of the way. That kind of attitude is what I like to see in a QB. That tells me he'll be a leader...not just some cog in the machine.

.
I saw that also , he also Shoved a niner Player ............ Finaly a QB that fights back .....Kid wont quit when it get tough , thats all we can ask for

[broncogary]

Short of Marino in his rookie year, Cutler's inaugural performance was as good as any I've seen yet.

My feelings exactly.

[ukbroncosfan]

Awesome post. You hit the heart of my point. We won games with Plummer and we didn't with Jay. I know its not quite that simple because this team was sliding hard before Jay took the reigns, but its true. And in each of those loses Jay made some very bad mistakes -- forcing throws, holding the ball too long, pick sixes, and fumbling snaps. Somewhere along the line the members of this board and Bronco fans in general fell in love with winning "sexy". It wasn't enough that Jake delivered 3 Ws in 4 attempts, his play wasn't statistically perfect enough. If we can win 3 of every 4 with the pathetic Jake Plummer, shouldn't we then win 3.5 or 4 of 4 with an all world QB like Jay?

We crucified Jake Plummer for his mistakes but we just write off Jay's because he is a rookie? How long before that's not okay anymore? How long before the expectation once again becomes winning and losing?

Man I feel like I am being forced to dog on Jay, but that's not my intention at all. I just want people to hold him to the same standard as they did Jake and every other starting NFL QB -- Ws and Ls. I don't think this should be a debate about "sexy stats" or "rookies vs veterans". The argument should be about wins and loses, period. Jay led us to a 1 - 2 record against he horrible NFC West. That stings right now.

IMHO if the coach and front office stays in place during the Jay Cutler ERA, when it's all said and done Jay will have a high winning percentage. I am basing this on the organizations impressive recent track record.

[Spider]

Man I feel like I am being forced to dog on Jay, but that's not my intention at all. I just want people to hold him to the same standard as they did Jake and every other starting NFL QB -- Ws and Ls. I don't think this should be a debate about "sexy stats" or "rookies vs veterans". The argument should be about wins and loses, period. Jay led us to a 1 - 2 record against he horrible NFC West. That stings right now.

so let me put it like this , a Trucking company should hold a Rookie Driver , to my standards ?
there should be no grace period , no learning time ?
Truck driving schools are just a start , there are so many things you will encounter on the road , that you are not prepared for , it takes actually going through some of those expierences to learn how to handle them , much like College to the NFL ...........this is a Argument about Vets and Rookies cause that is what they are .............

[orange 4 life]

If Shanahan coaches here another 15 years here, then Cutler could equal or surpass Elway's career. Not sure that physically there is anything John could do that Jay couldn't.

In fact, I'm willing to say that Jay has a stronger arm. John could throw it far, but I'm not sure he had the same velocity on his medium passes that Jay puts on. Dude throws the ball in a straight line, Jeff George style.

Anyway, I feel confident that we got the best overall player from last year's draft. Bush would have been nice, as would have that San Diego tackle whats-his-nuts, but Jay is a rare talent that finally makes the Bronco offense dangerous again.

youre backwards.
jay might be able to throw it further than elway (despite many thinking otherwise, elway wasnt the guy who could throw it the farthest), but NO ONE has ever been able to throw it HARDER.
elway got the ball from point A to point B faster than anyone in history, and trust me when i tell you that jay isnt even CLOSE to elway as far as velocity.

not even close.

jay could have a FANTASTIC career here in denver, and im as excited as the next guy, but to say jay has more velocity than elway is absolutely ludicrous.

[Spider]

Randal Cunningham threw the furthest , Jeff George was the most Screwed up , Farve is the Most reckless , NoRingo had the fastest release ..............

[orange 4 life]

John "Goose Gooden" Elway's fastball is second to nobody. He was putting that Elway X on people back at Granada Hills High School.

the "goose gooden" thing was fantastic.

as much as i HATED lester hayes, that whole shpeal he gave about elway and his arm strength was great, and "goose gooden" was a funny way to describe it.

[orange 4 life]

Randal Cunningham threw the furthest , Jeff George was the most Screwed up , Farve is the Most reckless , NoRingo had the fastest release ..............

good to see ya spidey!!

and yes, cunningham (and kordell stewart later) could throw it FURTHER than elway, but neither could come CLOSE to throwing it as hard.

[Spider]

good to see ya spidey!!

and yes, cunningham (and kordell stewart later) could throw it FURTHER than elway, but neither could come CLOSE to throwing it as hard.

;D I agree .............Elway could put it on a rope 25 yards ...........

[Meck77]

Why are you laughing? You were 9 years old when John came to Denver so you obviously can't speak to comparing Jay with him in their rookie seasons.

Ok Jay Cutler=John Elway if not better.

All Jay has to do is post the 5th or 6th best all time Coach/QB combination winning percentage that Jake and Shanny had, Win more games than any other QB in history, Win a couple superbowls, and retire an MVP after he dives in the endzone.

I'll chat with you in about 15 years. Hopefully the dude doesn't blow his leg out in training camp or anytime in the next decade, become an asshat asking for money in two years, etc. The league is just differnt now for Jay to become the next Elway of Denver. I hope the kid can lead us to the playoffs next season. I'll be happy to start there.

Oh and for the record my earliest memories of watching Broncos football was 1980. Several years before the new "kid" Elway came to town. I remember it all like it was yeterday.

Go Jay Cutler! "The next John Elway"

Hey I hope it happens! I really do but I'm just trying to be realistic here.

I've seen enough people working real hard over the years to prove how "right' they were/are over the QB position. Not sure why they waste their time to be honest because they just seem to dig themselves in a further hole year after year....after year....after year....after year. ;D

I do know this. "Jay Cutler give us the best chance to win right now" because he is our only QB or soon to be only QB. :rofl:

[No1BroncoFan]

They played outstanding, almost record-setting, football for the first two months and had us poised at 5-1.

How many games did the offense win this year?
I'm glad you're happy with regular season wins because with a single exception (New England) they ain't done sh*t in the playoffs or in our playoff run this year. It doesn't matter if we've got Elway reincarnate or Rodney Dangerfield under center if the defense continues to collapse. Go ahead and keep pointing out a single guy though. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

Ben

[elpasojoe]

I can't imagine anyone in the Bronco nation not excited about the next 15 years with this kid at QB. ALong with the obvious physical talent, I most admire his intelligence, poise and coolness.
I remember watching much of the combine and he always had a air about him. Calm and cool. I was telling myself there is something special about this kid, it's not just the physical talent.
You can see that coolness and poise on the field now. Forget the rookie mistakes, those can be corrected. This kid has the potential to become one of the elite players in the game. At some point he'll be the leagues' best quarterback. The next 12-15 years look bright.

[c_lazy_r]

I do know this. "Jay Cutler give us the best chance to win right now" because he is our only QB or soon to be only QB. :rofl:


That is the only fact amongst the rest of our speculation. Good analogy.

[55CrushEm]

he is a mediocre nfl qb.

Tool post of the year.

[c_lazy_r]

good to see ya spidey!!

and yes, cunningham (and kordell stewart later) could throw it FURTHER than elway, but neither could come CLOSE to throwing it as hard.

And, if my memory serves, many times threw it too hard and into the dirt 5 yards in front of his receiver or right through his hands. Elway was obviously special but far from flawless. I can remember wishing that he had more "touch" like a Marino or Montana.

In hindsight, I wouldn't want anyone other than Elway but there were times...

[phibacka31]

I really loved what i saw from the kid. Before the draft I watched the colege all star game and I thought he had a cannon, but he didn't look all that great. When we traded up for him I was suprised, but I was excited to see what shannahna could do with a cannon like his. I absolutely LOVE watching CUtler play. I am VERY excited;D