Another Former Coach Weighs in On Cutler: Ditka Speaks
by Dane Noble on Jun 9, 2009 2:31 PM CDT
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Last week, we heard the comments made by former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy about Jay Cutler... some of us cared, and some of us didn't. This week, we have another former coach doing the talking- Ditka.
"People ask me one question: Is he a good quarterback?" he said in a telephone interview. "Well, he's got a great arm. He had great receivers up in Denver, they had an offense that threw the football a lot, so it highlighted his strengths. If he's in an offense that doesn't highlight his strengths, what's his strength going to be? It's got to be leadership, like Tony said. And he's got to prove that."
That is a great point by da Coach. I remember before the Bears even acquired Cutler, I was personally wondering if the potential "pros" would outweigh the potential "cons". I have no problem admitting that, before Cutler was a Bear, he was one of my least favorite NFL QBs... he constantly reminded me of Phillip Rivers. Talent-wise, both of those guys have the goods. But it always seemed like they would both pitch a fit anytime something did not go their way.
For both Rivers and Cutler, their age may very well play a part in their level of maturity, but I can tell you that it was not fun watching either of them yell at officials, and sometimes their own teammates. Chicago is a ruthless sports town... the fans are fanatical, and all of the professional sports here have fans who can get downright nasty when they feel disrespected.
Ditka on the subject:
"The worst thing that you could ever do in this city is come in here and be a complainer or a whiner," Ditka said. "If you do that, you've got a problem. So I think if he comes in here and shows that he's the leader of this football team ...
"You'll find out a lot when the pressure's on," he said. "We'll find out once the season starts, when things are either going good or not so good, you find out how people respond to that."
Since Cutler has come to Chicago, of course I have become subjectively more optimistic about the impact he will have on this football team. I hope beyond hope that he is not only able to win a bunch of football games, but also is able to grow into a mature football player, and more importantly, be a great teammate.
Like Ditka says, if Chicago remains a run-first team, Cutler's main strength will need to change from being a great passer into a great leader. And that is the part that concerns me the most.
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Hmmm thats a great question, will he lead.
Orton didn’t have a great arm or scrabbling ability but you could pretty much say he was a good leader. He had the respect of his teammates and really studied hard taking a page from Payton Manning.
When the chips are down can Cutler lead? Thats the million dollar question as the honeymoon fades. I guess will know more after the season.
Great point about Orton...
For all of his short-comings, he was elected a team captain by his teammates. I’m sure by default Cutler will be too, but it spoke volumes of Orton.
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to expand on your point...
he was elected a team captain before getting the starting job… which means the rest of the team saw fit to make the second string QB a captain.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.
that's not true
he got voted to captain after winning the starting job. would’ve made for a good story, though.
from with a date of 1 September.
“Under head coach Lovie Smith captains are voted on by teammates every season on the Monday before the opener. Today, quarterback Kyle Orton joined center Olin Kreutz safety Mike Brown, linebacker Brian Urlacher, and long-snapper Pat Mannelly. Orton’s selection holds valuable significance. He starts at the position of leadership on offense and it says a lot about how he’s perceived in the locker-room.”
"If God had wanted man to play soccer, He wouldn't have given us arms" - Ditka
fail
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/2716822.php?
is the web address. tried to link it and i failed.
"If God had wanted man to play soccer, He wouldn't have given us arms" - Ditka
maybe i looked too deep into this comment...
Won the starting job in ’08 and was voted a team captain by his teammates prior to the season
and this one:
It will be interesting to see how many of the captains will actually be on the field throughtout the year, seeing Kyle Orton is by no means a definite starter and Mike Brown is long term injury prone.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.
Nice Combo
With Cutlers skills, … if he can display Orton’s grit, leadership and the respect he received from his teammates, … we have pulled off the coup of the Decade!
by pete banachi on Jun 10, 2009 6:08 AM CDT up reply actions
I have no worries about Cutler becoming a leader
He has already gained the support of his team. Now he just has to keep it. Earning it is very tough. The only thing tougher is regaining it.
Kick it to me... I'm open!
There's a difference in earning it during the "honeymoon" period
and earning it when the going gets tough. So far, he has made all of the throws in OTAs, and has done well with the media. His presence has changed the feeling in the lockerroom. But that is all just “newness”. People ar always on their best behavior when they are new.
But his true value of a “leader” will show when we get into the regular season…
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Rick, is that you?
Stop worrying. He’s done fine thus far, and if it comes up, let’s talk then.
I'M A MAN! I'M 23!
I understand that.
And I’m not worrying. But “thus far” isn’t that much.
Be nice. Flag comments that you think are offensive. Use the "reply" button. Drink plenty of water. Compliment others. "Rec" comments and posts you like. Don't call people names. If you don't like someone's comment, attack the comment and not the commentor. Learn the difference in your/you're, then/than, to/too. Exercise. Relax. Stretch often. Find good in the world.
Relax. Everyone's climbing aboard the "media sub-plot" of the summer.
It’s all a bunch of bunk. I wish this site would stop obsessing with it… it’s just feeding the media machine.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
If you are saying that he is going to lose the respect of his team once the season starts, I will disagree.
Do you know how much lee way these guys gave Grossman and Orton. They are going to give Cutler forever to get this offense looking good. The reason they respect him is because of what he has already done. He didn’t just forget how to be a QB. He made Eddie Royal look like a Pro Bowler as a rookie. He is going to have to suck hard core to lose respect or blow up on everyone.
Kick it to me... I'm open!
by #23 on Jun 9, 2009 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions
He's 25
for crying out loud. Everyone should ask themselves the question how mature was I when I was that old/young? He wasn’t from NFL pedigree like the Manning brothers; he’s learning on the go from his experiences, and I’m sure he’ll figure it out soon enough. Plus, I believe having more structure with the Bears historically conservative offense will enable him to grow into a complete NFL QB.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." - Sun Tzu
I am not saying that he will.
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Why!
why is everyone asking stupid questions.. we all know he acted immature and ended up here. I dont know about anyone else, but when i saw the numbers he was puttin up in Denver, i could only dream of having a QB like that.. We finally got a QB and everyone was so excited.. now everyone sayin how hes selfish immature and all that shit…
screw it just WAIT and see.. talkin about it wont change anything.. all it does is make people second guess Cutler
I agree. What is funny is no one denies how amazing his arm is, his accuracy, strength, etc.
What QB was awesome at making all the throws in the NFL, proved how awesome he was, and then disappeared and became a whiny baby and couldn’t lead anymore. You all are crazy.
Peyton Manning is a whiny baby that yells at his team and players. So is Hasselback and Delhomme and even Phillip Rivers and lots of quality QB’s. Making the reads and throws are what matters.
If you want to question anything, let’s talk about him taking too many risks like Brett Farve did. Not whether the guy can win games, make plays, or “lead his team.”
Kick it to me... I'm open!
by #23 on Jun 9, 2009 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Oy... GB.
Like Ditka says, if Chicago remains a run-first team, Cutler’s main strength will need to change from being a great passer into a great leader. And that is the part that concerns me the most.
Like I said above… stop obsessing with this! Please. You should be smart enough NOT to buy into this “leadership BS,” that the media has created. Cutler is the QB. He’s the leader of the team no matter what kind of team it is: run-first or pass-first. He’s the friggin QB!
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
Lol.
I’m not obsessing on it, and my opinions aren’t based on anything the media creates. I just know that I didn’t like what I saw from Cutler at different points of the last couple of seasons… and hopefully he will be able to turn over a new leaf in Chicago.
Be nice. Flag comments that you think are offensive. Use the "reply" button. Drink plenty of water. Compliment others. "Rec" comments and posts you like. Don't call people names. If you don't like someone's comment, attack the comment and not the commentor. Learn the difference in your/you're, then/than, to/too. Exercise. Relax. Stretch often. Find good in the world.
I couldn't agree more
A starting QB is by default a leader for his team. As long as he keeps his outward complaining down to a minimum he’ll be just fine. How much of his fire/competitiveness has been misconstrued as complaining? Let the wondering begin….
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." - Sun Tzu
Are you guys forgetting about Cade McNown?
He was the starter, but was definitely NOT a leader by default or any other way. As corny as it sounds, teams have to respect their QB to really see him as a leader and play at a championship level. Physical ability has a lot to do with that and, obviously Cutler has no problems there, but if he folds in the face of pressure or throws some of his teammates under the bus, there will be problems. Ask the teams that played with Jeff George, he had an unbelievable arm, could make any throw, was fairly athletic, put up some incredible numbers, but was a complete tool and his teams only had moderate success at best.
My concern isn’t with the media’s views, but I also felt like GeauxBears did when the deal was made, and now that REAL football people are voicing the same concerns (please don’t read into this that I’m saying he will fail because I’ve said all along I hope we all give him the time and space to play up to his abilities), it seems like there has to be some basis for this line of thinking. I am an Orton fan, but I’m completely onboard with having someone of Jay’s talent level and can’t wait to see him put all of these things to rest. I really hope he can do it.
He was voted to the Pro-Bowl!
You know you votes right? Other than the fans? It’s the players… and coaches! They vote and help decide who deserves that honor among their peers.
Jeff George, despite some of his fantastic passing credentials, was never voted to a Pro-Bowl by his peers…. because nobody liked him. Let’s face it, he was an ass. Jay was voted in, not only by his team mates, but also by his peers from around the league. He’s well liked.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
True, but the comments weren't made to say that he's not respected
only that being made the starter doesn’t automatically make you the leader by default. Also, I think we’re making assumptions that when Dungy and Ditka are talking about having to still prove himself, that they mean the other players don’t like him. It could very well mean that, as coaches, they see and hear things throughout the league that he hasn’t established himself as the guy the rest of the team looks to YET. Again, neither man said he isn’t that guy or couldn’t be that guy, just that in their opinions, he still has to prove it. I’m sure all of us know people that we either work or go to school with that we really like and enjoy, but don’t necessarily consider them the leader of the particular group. Vice versa, we probably know people who we’re not that crazy about personally, but respect their ability to do the job and, in that work environment can count on them greatly, so they can be a leader for those reasons. Ideally, your leaders have both qualities, but they’re not mutually exclusive.
Yeah but...
As corny as it sounds, teams have to respect their QB to really see him as a leader and play at a championship level.
This is kind of a no-brainer of a comment if a team wants a legitimate chance at a title. He does have the respect of his teammates already, and has made all the right moves so far. There’s really nothing but speculation about his yelling/complaining to refs or teammates in Denver. It’s basically making a mountain out of a molehill. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I want the QB of my team to have that kind of passion in good times as well as bad. Again, he’s only 25 and has plenty of time to mature into a great, consistent QB.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." - Sun Tzu
Not that it's a big deal, but I don't think you can vote for anyone on your own team for the Pro Bowl
Does anyone know if that’s the case?
I've seen in the past,
a commercial that humorously had Grossman and Moose voting for each other. Very humorous, considering that is the only way they would have made the Pro-Bowl together. But the answer to your question is, I don’t know.
AHHH...
the good ol’ jedi mind trick…
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.
A lot pf players have also admitted
that just like a most of the “fans”, they tend to vote by name recognition a lot of the time, along with voting for friends. Same with a lot of the coaches.
"Well, we didn't block real good but we made up for it by not tackling."
- John McKay
Let's not kid ourselves.
Faizamaze is right. We got him because he’s a supremely talented quarterback. Period. We have leaders. People act like we don’t have guys like Kruentz and Urlacher. IF we’re such a running team, good guys like Forte should be leaned on as well. But I have a major issue with the line of thinking that Ditka is talking about: if we are going to be a “running team”, why in the HELL did we give up so much for a guy that we KNOW is a great passing quarterback?!? That would be just dirt stupid to give up so much only to limit what this man can do for us. I’m with the writer, I “hated” Cutler and Rivers too. But never did I think that Cutler wasn’t a damn good quarterback and I’m glad we have him. If he’s a baby, the city and the REAL leaders of the team will whip him into shape.
Exactly why I'm not worried about the leadership aspect.
If he cries too much Olin will turn around, smack him in the mouth, and tell him to play football.
All this speculation with be water under the bridge soon enough.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." - Sun Tzu
Since when....
….are Mike Ditka’s comments more tempered than Tony Dungy’s comments?
I feel like I’m in an alternate universe at this point – Mike Ditka sounds like a real GM, and Tony Dungy sounds like an impressionable and prideful coach. Huh????
I need another beer to really enjoy this story. By the way, I’m in Krakow Poland having that beer, so I’m not drinking heavily in the afternoon.
by BullsFanInSeattle on Jun 9, 2009 5:15 PM CDT reply actions
And just as we blabbered about Dungy and Ditka...
Ditka was right on cue.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
That's where my grandmother is from.
:)
"A lot of fans were drawn to me because they knew that whatever the score was, I was going to run as hard as I could on every play. You don't have that now, you have guys waiting for next week or even next year." - Walter Payton
did cutler have great talent around him?
or did he make others look great? brandon marshall runs good routes, is physical, and catches the ball pretty well. you could say that about a ton of NFL receivers. eddie royal is a really fast dude – who was also a rookie. i’m not saying these guys aren’t good, but i’m getting kind of tired about the “he had great weapons” argument without people looking at it the other way…those guys might not be that good without cutler. great QBs make mediocre receivers look good. now, i think our receiver corps isn’t exactly great, but with a great QB, they might be. i just wish some of these “experts” (most of whom give analysis that a 10-year-old could give you) would at least consider the fact that cutler’s weapons were made great because of cutler. marshall was nothing special his rookie year…but great his 2nd season, which was, shockingly, cutler’s first full year as a starting QB.
by guy incognito on Jun 9, 2009 5:27 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
When you say....
…Jay Cutler was surrounded by Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, it sounds very regal, as if JC doesn’t deserve to be in the same sentence as those two.
When you say that Jay Cutler’s two best WRs were a 2nd-round pick (Eddie Royal, #42) and a 4th-round pick (Brandon Marshall, #119), all of a sudden it sounds like Jay Cutler, somehow, beyond all expectations, deserves credit, somehow, for the successes of such lowly draft-picks.
Gosh, gee-willackers, that couldn’t possibly be the case, could it?
rec’d guy incognito, and yes to sarcasm.
by BullsFanInSeattle on Jun 9, 2009 6:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Guy- Yep!
I don’t really understand why stupid NFL analysts everywhere can’t make that assumption either. I mean it’s a two-way street, and history tells us fans that great QBs make mediocre WRs look very good, but rarely does it happen the other way around.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." - Sun Tzu
Exactly...
a great QB can get the balls to his receivers on time and accurretly, and no matter what you guys think every WR can catch a ball thrown right at him, even Rashied Davis. Whereas, a great WR can’t throw the ball to himself, the QB needs to get it to him.
no matter what you guys think every WR can catch a ball thrown right at him, even Rashied Davis
Well… let’s not get carried away, here…..
"They tried to take out the quarterback, and if they managed that, they tried to take out the backup." - Bears SB20 TE Emery Moorehead, on the mentality of *that* defense
Lol
I think Sheed is going to have a good year, cause he’s going back to his natural position at the slot position.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." - Sun Tzu
?????
i get that he was more productive in the slot but what does moving back there have anything to do with his hands???
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.
by windycity72 on Jun 10, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions
Comfort level=caught passes
I’m not guaranteeing it, but he certainly had good hands before switching to a starting role.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." - Sun Tzu
I can't wait til we actually play football games!
"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it." - Mark Twain
I'll get some sh*t for this but...
this is the same Ditka that traded away his NO draft for Ricky Williams. Sorry Mike, but you enjoy far too much credit for the ’85 Bears. Cutler is better than Orton; no one seriously can say otherwise. So where is the downside to this season for the Bears?
BTW, “leadership” is a euphemism for arrogance on a losing team and genius on a winning team. How much leadership did Ditka have in NO or, for that matter, did Dungy have in Tampa? Present a real argument based on something other than personal philosophy and tabloid “factuality” and it might make you sound less stupid!
I remember Dan Marino throwing fits on the sidelines and screaming at his own players
and Marino had a pretty good career. The only time I can remember Cutler getting pissy is when he got in the screaming match with Rivers and Rivers started that whole thing by talking trash to the Denver sideline. Cutler was the only one who stood up for his team. Cutler is fiery for sure and likes to have a good time off the field. I’m sure he’ll piss off plenty of 50 year old Bear fans who for some reason want a 25 year old’s signature on a piece of paper, but who cares? He reminds me of Jimmy Mac with a ton more talent.
As for Ditka and Dungy they get paid for giving their opinion and Dungy in particular was being intoduced as an NBC analyst and I’m sure he was told to say something controversial. I’m all for it. Hopefully Cutler hears about this and aims to prove them wrong.
Couldn't have said it better
The thing is no one can really point to any instances where he was a “bad” teammate or a complainer. I think it’s fans/media overblowing basic human emotions. I’ve seen Eli, Peyton, Rivers, and almost every NFL QB show frustration from time to time. How do people expect him to react after a bad play?
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
"Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack." - Sun Tzu
Sir, if I was chewing gum
I would throw it at you.
"Well, we didn't block real good but we made up for it by not tackling."
- John McKay
by JerBear50 on Jun 11, 2009 7:25 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I do what I can.
Occasionally it works.
"Well, we didn't block real good but we made up for it by not tackling."
- John McKay
I have to admit I had some concerns
and still do, to an extent. My questions are more about how well he takes care of himself however. Just before we signed him, he was shown a few times in the crowd during the UFC in Nashville. He looked a little heavy, and more than a little tipsy. I realize he’s young and that the drinking and clubbing shouldn’t be a big concern, but he’s diabetic which means it is a big concern. He’s going to have to be even more cognizant about how he treats his body than other athletes would be. If he’s not willing to do that, he could end up severely hurting his career, and of course taking our beloved team down with him.
"Well, we didn't block real good but we made up for it by not tackling."
- John McKay
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