When Jay Cutler went down to defeat Sunday against the Buffalo Bills–I resist the temptation to call them “lowly” so let’s say they had lost seven of the last eight coming in–the Denver Broncos lost the chance to clinch a division title in the lowly National Football League (NFL) American Football Conference (AFC). The loss means the Broncos (8-7) have to play the San Diego Chargers (7-8) in San Diego Sunday night with the winner going to the playoffs and the loser limping off the pitch.
Cutler, the quarterback, takes the blame, and that’s a downright shame considering how good he’s become in three years of activity on a team always flirting with the south side of the Mendoza Line. All he did this week was (a) make the Pro Bowl for the first time; and (b) surpass Jake Plummer, the QB he replaced, as the all-time leading Denver quarterback of record in passing yardage gained in a season, with one game still to play. On a team that has lost at least six tailbacks to injury–or is it eight?–a team with no running game whatsoever, Cutler has managed to carry them this far with the help of a supremely talented group of receivers: i.e., Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokely, Tony Scheffler, and Daniel Graham.
Here’s your question for the day: is there another team that could survive the loss of, say, three running backs and still be within a week of the playoffs with a week left?
Doubt it–but then the typical Denver fan will point out that Jay Cutler is not John Elway, despite the fact than Jay-C says his arm is better than John Elway’s ”hands-down.” Denver fans don’t remember that Godway went his entire career without winning a Super Bowl before winning his last two. They forget how much they hated him before he actually went out with a winning twofer.
Hate to say it, but the lack of appreciation of Cutler reminds me of the fans of my New York Jets and the dearly departed Chad Pennington. When Brett Favre came on the market the Jets through Pennington overboard like jetsam–even though he took them to the AFC Championship game, even though he overcame shoulder surgery on a supposedly week arm to not only take them to the playoffs again, but also emerge as the most accurate passer in the history of the NFL.
Oh yeah: Pennington’s having a great year with the Miami Dolphins thanks to Bill Parcells, who drafted him in New York.
Pennington wasn’t good enough for Jets fans, and I predict there will come a day when Jay Cutler has to leave Denver behind. In the NFL, a good QB is always next to go, right after the head coach.
Con-dude,
How long you been in these hills? Seems to me you are bringing your NY skills to the Rocky Mt. (Bonco/Donko) game.
Now don’t get me wrong, one of my pet names for Elway was No-way and in reality it was not a put down. Was he perfect? No way. Did he play his guts out? Hell yes (until he quit a year early, but that is another story) And I don’t think there were too many football fans out this a-way who didn’t have some kind of like/love of John Elway.
Could he win his first three Super Bowls with marginal offensive weapons while the Donko defense systematically surrendered point totals that reached (still I believe) record proportions? No.
Did he finally win his last two with a better than average defense and the best running back in the game at the time? Damn right he did.
Bottom line with the “Age of Elway”. I don’t think there was a better team to watch, or often in my case listen to, game for game, year in, year out during that time.
Why? Because they seemed to play to the other teams abilities on every given day. In other words, rarely a blowout was played during those years. Most were in doubt well into the last seconds of the game.
Now to today and Cutler. Is he good? No doubt. Has he proved himself to anybody yet? Maybe, but.. not me.
Why? Lets use yesterday for example.
Just chosen to the Pro Bowl ahead of his division nemesis Philip Rivers who just happens to lead the league in Q-back ratings, although hardly in Class. Now with the Bonco’s poised to win the division, Jay-bird proceeds to over/miss throw open receivers or force throws into interceptions at crucial times.
Now it can be argued that the defense stinks. And he is not even close to having the best running back in the game today lining up behind him. But… yesterday Jay Cutler found a way to lose the game in a-way we have come to see a bit too often this year.
So now, the challenge ahead this coming Sunday (High Noon?) eve. Does it really get much better here in the wild, wild West? Hell no!
Cutler and the Bronco/Donko’s and Rivers, along with his Bolt/Dolt’s, have found a way to play themselves into THIS situation. Last years spankings and game two notwithstanding, loose lips/grips may still sink mighty (franchise) ships.
Hopefully next Monday morning Q-backs club will have something to write about. Winning… and Class wearing a Bronco’s uniform.
Go Jay-bird! Show us the right way to fly!!
I’m ready for Jay Cutler to become the next big thing for the Broncos. It’s going to take a lot on his part to replace what many of us still feel has been lacking ever since Elway’s retirement though, but I’m open to the idea of being able to feel that energy and excitement again. It never came close with Jake Plummer. At least Cutler has the makings of the right stuff, but I don’t think he’s at Elway’s level yet.
I never thought I’d say this, but I want those games with the Cardiac Kids. I miss those times and that on-edge feeling. Maybe “The Drive” was one of those once-in-a-lifetime events that we get to witness, but wouldn’t it be great to see something that close again on Sunday night?
As it is, I only get to see two or three Broncos games on TV now anyway, so naturally I want it to be exciting. From where I sit I don’t see that excitement coming from Shanahan anymore. Maybe his time in Denver is nearing a finish and Cutler will mature with a new coach. I think JC will be there for several years to come. But I could be wrong. I never thought they’d let Clinton Portis go either.
Star and Kit:
I’ve never seen fans who live in the past quite like those who root for the Denver Broncos like every season is a root canal.
Let me be specific. I am indeed from New York, where the fans are brutal, and I lived for nine years in Boston, where the fans are much much worse. All New York fans hope their teams will win a championship every year, but not many of us expect it. Until the 21st Century, all Boston fans expected to lose every year.
That’s the difference between Broncos fans and those who root for any other team. Because Elway’s team won not once but twice, back-to-back, the typical Broncos fan EXPECTS a Super Bowl every year and kvetches when it inevitably doesn’t happen. I find that obnoxious beyond belief.
Call in The Elway Effect.
No doubt Cutler makes bonehead plays on occasion, but I attribute at least a chunk of that with trying to do too much. Can you imagine this team with Terrell Davis?
There it goes again: The Elway Effect.
Let’s be clear about two things:
First, Cutler has never lined up behind Guard.
Second, Cutler intimating his arm is better than Elway’s is a fairy tale. Better, as in more accurate? I’m willing to listen to this argument, but stronger? Not a chance.
Cheers,
[ the typical Broncos fan EXPECTS a Super Bowl every year and kvetches when it inevitably doesn't happen. I find that obnoxious beyond belief.]
Michael, I’m not sure if I’m in that category of a typical Broncos fan, but I have never expected the team to win the Super Bowl every year, or even GET to the Super Bowl. I do, however, halfway expect them to make the playoffs.
They’ve had some pretty miserable years in the last ten though, so I’m never really that disappointed. I figure it’s going to take them another five to ten years to get back to that level of talent they had in 97-99.
If you want to see truly obnoxious fans, catch a flight down to San Diego for Sunday’s game. The years I lived in SoCal I tried to get to every game the Broncos played there, whether it was at the Coliseum with the Raiders (before they moved back to Oakland) or to San Diego. This was back in the 80′s, when most people assumed the nastiest fans belonged to the Raiders and we were risking life and limb attending a game decked out in orange and blue. Not so….by far, the most obnoxious and nastiest fans were in San Diego; even to the point of a couple of them trying to run us off Interstate 5 on the way home after the game.
I think in comparison to other team’s fans, i.e. San Diego or Cleveland, or even Oakland still, Broncos fans are fairly mild.
Anyone who kvetches about Broncos fans having unrealistically high expectations never lived through the Saban, Smith, and Ralston eras…
Cheers!
Kit O’Carra wrote: [From where I sit I don't see that excitement coming from Shanahan anymore. Maybe his time in Denver is nearing a finish and Cutler will mature with a new coach.]
Do tell, Kit. How long have you and Pat Bowlen been discussing the firing of Shanahan? LOL They say people are shocked by the news, but evidently you aren’t. You saw this coming. Good call.