dragondawg
07-28-2007, 03:58 PM
'Anonymity' QB enjoyed in 2006 no longer exists
ENGLEWOOD - The thought of Jay Cutler being the Broncos quarterback through a long and fruitful career is almost enough to sneak a smile across Mike Shanahan's perennially no-nonsense face.
But there also is a nagging thought, a responsibility almost, of those fortunate enough to find the quarterback they believe is the long-term solution every team longs to have.
That while one-man shows might play well for a Tony Award, they don't often end with Lombardi trophies after a season of NFL weekends.
"It's about getting him some help, we understand that," Shanahan said. "We've always approached it that the thing we have to do is give him a supporting cast, not put it all on his shoulders.
"Do things that help him. Have a good running game, have a good play-action game, a good drop-back game. (The) quarterback can't do it all. Hopefully, we have the pieces together to take some of the pressure off him."
And, as the Broncos report today for training camp, there is the rub even with all the buzz that has come with Cutler's arrival behind center; that no matter his skill set, his vast developmental potential, the confident and composed demeanor in the public eye, the Broncos will have to do some things better than they did in 2006 - a 9-7 finish and a playoff miss - or it won't matter.
"We have to give him some help, that's our thing, we all know that," Broncos receiver Rod Smith said. "When he goes back there, he has to know everybody is going to do everything we can to give him a chance to be successful. If we do that, we'll all be successful."
And Cutler's task will be more manageable.
Wanting to get job done
"I just want to do my job," Cutler said. "That's all. People are going to say a lot of things about what should happen, but I have to concentrate on just doing my job; hopefully, throw some touchdowns, put up a lot of points and win some games."
Cutler's résumé is five NFL starts long. When he formally replaced Jake Plummer as the Broncos headed down the stretch last year, it was enough of a glimpse for the team to feel comfortable in its commitment to him.
But according to some pro personnel scouts contacted in recent weeks, it also was enough for defenses to now plan for Cutler.
Instead of simply scouting the Broncos offense with a new guy at quarterback, they will focus on what they believe might be Cutler's weaknesses and try to prevent him from playing to his strengths.
"I know that part will be a little different," Cutler said. "Last year, maybe people didn't know what I was about or maybe they thought I wasn't comfortable in the offense. But that's what the offseason was for, to put in the work, to get more comfortable, to do what I can to help us win."
Vulnerability showed
The season finale, a 26-23 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Invesco Field at Mile High, is of particular interest to those looking for vulnerable spots in Cutler's game.
Cutler played well in spots, throwing for 230 yards in a little more than three quarters, but he also took some punishment from the 49ers rush. He was knocked out of the game in the second quarter and did not return until the start of the third quarter.
San Francisco defensive tackle Anthony Adams had powered around tackle George Foster on the play, just before slamming a soon-to-be-woozy Cutler to the ground.
Even Cutler's 12-for-19 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter and overtime combined was not enough to rescue what already had gone wrong.
Things like letting a 13-0 lead slip away - the Broncos lost leads of at least eight points in all four of their home losses last season, including both home losses Cutler started.
Also, the Broncos allowed 189 yards rushing against the 49ers, failed to score touchdowns in three trips inside the 5-yard line and used all three of their second-half timeouts because they seemingly struggled to get the plays in quickly enough from the sideline.
Supporting cast a must
"I'm going to make some mistakes, and when things happen, it's frustrating for me, for everybody," Cutler said. "But if you're going to be a starting quarterback, you've got to roll with all the punches and keep going. There are always things you have to deal with, I think I understand that. I have to just try to get better."
The Broncos hope to ease that learning curve.
"I've said it before and I'll say it every time when it comes up," Shanahan said. "A lot of very good quarterbacks have become very average because they didn't have the supporting cast to get it done. If we put all of the pressure on him, it's just going to be that much more difficult to do the things we want to do, to get to where we want to go."
And when quarterbacks are measured in Denver, the standard "always and forever," according to Smith, will be Hall of Famer John Elway.
With 148 wins, he retired as the league's all-time winningest passer, had won two Super Bowls and was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times.
But even Elway didn't win a Super Bowl until the Broncos had a 1,200-yard rusher, at least one 1,000-yard receiver and a defense ranked in the league's top 11 in yards allowed in the same season.
In fact, in Elway's 16-year career, the Broncos did all that in only three seasons - the team's 13-3 finish in 1996 and the two Super Bowl wins at the end of the '97 and '98 seasons.
"Even John needed help," Shanahan said. "And that means everybody needs help. That's just the way it is."
A little help
In John Elway's 16-year career with the Broncos, only three times did the team finish with a 1,200-yard rusher, at least one 1,000-yard receiver and a defense ranked among the league's top 11 in the same season. Two of those seasons ended with Super Bowl wins.
Year Rusher (yards) Receivers (yards) Defense rank (yards/game)
1996 Terrell Davis (1,538) Shannon Sharpe (1,062) Fourth (279.4)
1997 Terrell Davis (1,750) Rod Smith (1,180) Fifth (291.9) Shannon Sharpe (1,107)
1998 Terrell Davis (2,008) Rod Smith (1,222) 11th (308.4) Ed McCaffrey (1,053)
First time
Before Jay Cutler, two Broncos quarterbacks had their first full season as the team's starter in their second year in the league. How they fared:
Quarterback (year) Comp.-Att.-Yds. Comp. % TD Int. Record
John Elway (1984) 214-380-2,598 56.3 18 15 13-3
Brian Griese (1999) 261-452-3,032 57.7 14 14 6-10
Broncos at a glance
• Players report: Today
• Practice schedule Gates open one hour before practice. Date Morning Afternoon
Sunday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Monday 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Tuesday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Wednesday 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Thursday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Aug. 4 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 5 None None
Aug. 6 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 7 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Aug. 8 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 9 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Aug. 10 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 11 8:30 a.m. No practice
• Preseason games (times MDT)
Aug. 13 at San Francisco 6 p.m.
Aug. 18 at Dallas 6 p.m.
Aug. 25 vs. Cleveland 7 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. Arizona 7 p.m.
• Other key dates
Aug. 28: Roster trimmed to 75 players.
Sept. 1: Roster trimmed to 53 players.
Sept. 9: Regular-season opener, at Buffalo, 11 a.m.*Special Teams Only
More ups than downs
Jay Cutler started five games as a rookie in 2006. Cutler and the Broncos had plenty to be happy about, but he also felt the sting of the learning curve.
Some ups
• Threw two touchdown passes in each of his first four starts.
• Threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter against the Chargers.
• Some scouts say his 54-yard touchdown pass to Javon Walker in Arizona was his best throw.
• Directed a 14-play, 99-yard touchdown drive against Cincinnati.
• Directed a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive against San Francisco. Went 6-for-7 passing for 73 yards and a touchdown on the drive.
Some downs
• Went 2-3 as a starter.
• Thrown into the lineup against Seattle in a playoff drive, went 10-for-21 passing and threw two interceptions in first career start. Only game in which he threw more than one interception.
• Sacked 13 times in five starts, including three times in a game twice and four times once.
• Knocked woozy on a hit against the 49ers and left the game for a little less than a quarter.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_5649250,00.html
ENGLEWOOD - The thought of Jay Cutler being the Broncos quarterback through a long and fruitful career is almost enough to sneak a smile across Mike Shanahan's perennially no-nonsense face.
But there also is a nagging thought, a responsibility almost, of those fortunate enough to find the quarterback they believe is the long-term solution every team longs to have.
That while one-man shows might play well for a Tony Award, they don't often end with Lombardi trophies after a season of NFL weekends.
"It's about getting him some help, we understand that," Shanahan said. "We've always approached it that the thing we have to do is give him a supporting cast, not put it all on his shoulders.
"Do things that help him. Have a good running game, have a good play-action game, a good drop-back game. (The) quarterback can't do it all. Hopefully, we have the pieces together to take some of the pressure off him."
And, as the Broncos report today for training camp, there is the rub even with all the buzz that has come with Cutler's arrival behind center; that no matter his skill set, his vast developmental potential, the confident and composed demeanor in the public eye, the Broncos will have to do some things better than they did in 2006 - a 9-7 finish and a playoff miss - or it won't matter.
"We have to give him some help, that's our thing, we all know that," Broncos receiver Rod Smith said. "When he goes back there, he has to know everybody is going to do everything we can to give him a chance to be successful. If we do that, we'll all be successful."
And Cutler's task will be more manageable.
Wanting to get job done
"I just want to do my job," Cutler said. "That's all. People are going to say a lot of things about what should happen, but I have to concentrate on just doing my job; hopefully, throw some touchdowns, put up a lot of points and win some games."
Cutler's résumé is five NFL starts long. When he formally replaced Jake Plummer as the Broncos headed down the stretch last year, it was enough of a glimpse for the team to feel comfortable in its commitment to him.
But according to some pro personnel scouts contacted in recent weeks, it also was enough for defenses to now plan for Cutler.
Instead of simply scouting the Broncos offense with a new guy at quarterback, they will focus on what they believe might be Cutler's weaknesses and try to prevent him from playing to his strengths.
"I know that part will be a little different," Cutler said. "Last year, maybe people didn't know what I was about or maybe they thought I wasn't comfortable in the offense. But that's what the offseason was for, to put in the work, to get more comfortable, to do what I can to help us win."
Vulnerability showed
The season finale, a 26-23 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Invesco Field at Mile High, is of particular interest to those looking for vulnerable spots in Cutler's game.
Cutler played well in spots, throwing for 230 yards in a little more than three quarters, but he also took some punishment from the 49ers rush. He was knocked out of the game in the second quarter and did not return until the start of the third quarter.
San Francisco defensive tackle Anthony Adams had powered around tackle George Foster on the play, just before slamming a soon-to-be-woozy Cutler to the ground.
Even Cutler's 12-for-19 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter and overtime combined was not enough to rescue what already had gone wrong.
Things like letting a 13-0 lead slip away - the Broncos lost leads of at least eight points in all four of their home losses last season, including both home losses Cutler started.
Also, the Broncos allowed 189 yards rushing against the 49ers, failed to score touchdowns in three trips inside the 5-yard line and used all three of their second-half timeouts because they seemingly struggled to get the plays in quickly enough from the sideline.
Supporting cast a must
"I'm going to make some mistakes, and when things happen, it's frustrating for me, for everybody," Cutler said. "But if you're going to be a starting quarterback, you've got to roll with all the punches and keep going. There are always things you have to deal with, I think I understand that. I have to just try to get better."
The Broncos hope to ease that learning curve.
"I've said it before and I'll say it every time when it comes up," Shanahan said. "A lot of very good quarterbacks have become very average because they didn't have the supporting cast to get it done. If we put all of the pressure on him, it's just going to be that much more difficult to do the things we want to do, to get to where we want to go."
And when quarterbacks are measured in Denver, the standard "always and forever," according to Smith, will be Hall of Famer John Elway.
With 148 wins, he retired as the league's all-time winningest passer, had won two Super Bowls and was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times.
But even Elway didn't win a Super Bowl until the Broncos had a 1,200-yard rusher, at least one 1,000-yard receiver and a defense ranked in the league's top 11 in yards allowed in the same season.
In fact, in Elway's 16-year career, the Broncos did all that in only three seasons - the team's 13-3 finish in 1996 and the two Super Bowl wins at the end of the '97 and '98 seasons.
"Even John needed help," Shanahan said. "And that means everybody needs help. That's just the way it is."
A little help
In John Elway's 16-year career with the Broncos, only three times did the team finish with a 1,200-yard rusher, at least one 1,000-yard receiver and a defense ranked among the league's top 11 in the same season. Two of those seasons ended with Super Bowl wins.
Year Rusher (yards) Receivers (yards) Defense rank (yards/game)
1996 Terrell Davis (1,538) Shannon Sharpe (1,062) Fourth (279.4)
1997 Terrell Davis (1,750) Rod Smith (1,180) Fifth (291.9) Shannon Sharpe (1,107)
1998 Terrell Davis (2,008) Rod Smith (1,222) 11th (308.4) Ed McCaffrey (1,053)
First time
Before Jay Cutler, two Broncos quarterbacks had their first full season as the team's starter in their second year in the league. How they fared:
Quarterback (year) Comp.-Att.-Yds. Comp. % TD Int. Record
John Elway (1984) 214-380-2,598 56.3 18 15 13-3
Brian Griese (1999) 261-452-3,032 57.7 14 14 6-10
Broncos at a glance
• Players report: Today
• Practice schedule Gates open one hour before practice. Date Morning Afternoon
Sunday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Monday 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Tuesday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Wednesday 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Thursday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Aug. 4 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 5 None None
Aug. 6 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 7 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Aug. 8 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 9 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.*
Aug. 10 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 11 8:30 a.m. No practice
• Preseason games (times MDT)
Aug. 13 at San Francisco 6 p.m.
Aug. 18 at Dallas 6 p.m.
Aug. 25 vs. Cleveland 7 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. Arizona 7 p.m.
• Other key dates
Aug. 28: Roster trimmed to 75 players.
Sept. 1: Roster trimmed to 53 players.
Sept. 9: Regular-season opener, at Buffalo, 11 a.m.*Special Teams Only
More ups than downs
Jay Cutler started five games as a rookie in 2006. Cutler and the Broncos had plenty to be happy about, but he also felt the sting of the learning curve.
Some ups
• Threw two touchdown passes in each of his first four starts.
• Threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter against the Chargers.
• Some scouts say his 54-yard touchdown pass to Javon Walker in Arizona was his best throw.
• Directed a 14-play, 99-yard touchdown drive against Cincinnati.
• Directed a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive against San Francisco. Went 6-for-7 passing for 73 yards and a touchdown on the drive.
Some downs
• Went 2-3 as a starter.
• Thrown into the lineup against Seattle in a playoff drive, went 10-for-21 passing and threw two interceptions in first career start. Only game in which he threw more than one interception.
• Sacked 13 times in five starts, including three times in a game twice and four times once.
• Knocked woozy on a hit against the 49ers and left the game for a little less than a quarter.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_5649250,00.html