Bear Down Baffa

Apparently, the Bears are still playing this season.  And apparently, not much has changed on the performance front.  Hosting a limp 5-8 conference opponent at home is what an impotent 5-8 team like the Bears looks for on its schedule.  But Drew Brees was the only QB that had a “what-we-expected-out-of-Cutler-when-we-guarenteed-him-$54M” kind of night.  And it was evident Brees was sporting the manlier appendage when the score hit 24-0 at halftime – when the game unofficially ended.  And when I headed out to play pool.

We started at the Tilted Kilt on Wabash – $1 pool!

First Things First
While Cutler’s first half consisted of 6 for 14 (42.9%) for 56 yards, 4.0 yards/att, 2 INT’s and a 14.9 QBR, Brees was 18 for 20 (90.0%) for 226 yards, 11.3 yards/att, 2 TD’s and a 147.1 QBR.  That’s a QBR differential of 10 times!  Brees threw as many incompletions (2) as Cutler threw picks, and Brees threw 42% more passes (20-14).  That’s all kinds of bad, and no kinds of good.

Me breaking because, unlike the Bears, I was on the winning side

Brees finished 29 for 36 (80.6%) for 375 yards, 3 TD’s, 0 INT’s and a 137.9 QBR.  Cutler was 17 for 31 (54.8%) for 194 yards, 2 TD’s, 3 INT’s and a 55.8 QBR.  And while the Butler may have had better second half numbers (after discounting the pick, of course), New Orleans put up a soft defense while protecting a lead.  By contrast, Brees, who threw twice as often as he handed off in the first half, ran and passed evenly in the second.  So it’s only the first half numbers – the ones that defined the game – that really matter.

Then we went to Mother Hubbard’s on Hubbard ($2/game)

Is It On Jay?
Now I know Cutler doesn’t play defense or special teams (maybe he should for all they’re paying him), but as the guy touching the ball the most, and as the offensive leader around which this franchise has been built, he has to play better.  And he has to bare much of the blame when he doesn’t.  Just how much blame is the question…

Someone announced the Bears scored and
were coming back.  I didn’t like the comment.

And the answer is:  32.7849% of the blame goes to Jay.  Considering this game was played between relatively equal teams (both built around offense, with a highly-paid QB and a weak defense), and even taking into account that Brees makes $20M to Cutler’s $18M, Cutler was worse.  Much, much worse.

Me breaking after beating some dudes from “down unda”
who, for some reason, seem really pleased that they lost

Summary
Jay Cutler is not a great QB.  Jay Cutler is an average QB.  And Jay Cutler is over-paid to be an average QB.  But Jay Cutler is going to remain the starting QB for the Chicago Bears for at least 2 more years.  Unless he’s traded.  But I can’t think of anyone who’d give up something for him.  Except maybe the cubbies.  So until Theo needs a QB, we are stuck with him – like the president – until 2016.

Getting paid to be out-played from 2009 – 2016…?

BEAR DOWN!

#BringBackUrlacher

© 2014

This entry was posted on Wed, Dec 17, 2014 at 4:12 pm and is filed under g) 2014 Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.