Where are you playing tomorrow - Chicago (Round2)

[chisag]

Nagy had an AWFUL 2nd half. He played not to lose...and that's exactly how you do lose. It was John Shoop making a triumphant return. I went to bed pissed, and I still am. Rodgers didn't even have to move an inch from the pocket that second half. You've gotta score points in the NFL and getting complacent and sitting back in the weeds won't win you anything. Nagy obviously didn't learn from his massive error for the Chiefs in the second half of that playoff game last year...

 

... Sheesh you guys are a tough crowd. Comparing Nagy to Shoop? Somebody needs a treat and a nap. ; ) I agree that Nagy played to win in the 1st half and not to lose in the 2nd but he still made some good calls. That reverse flow throw to Sims on 3rd and 1would have looked like a genius call if the off side LB had not stayed home, which they rarely do. And of course Sims needed to run a deeper route past the 1st down marker, not short of it. If Fuller had held on to the pick and the Bears won, I think many would still say Nagy needs to be more aggressive but not compare him to Shoop or Fox. I thought the offense looked excellent in the first half. And Fuller's coverage was outstanding on that TD throw where Rodgers had about a 2 foot square box to drop that ball into ... and he did. I can't say the same for Amakumura who really had a bad 2nd half.

 

... Tough loss to swallow no doubt as the Bears should have won that game but it took a heroic effort by Rodgers to beat them and the Bears won't be facing him more than 2 times a year. And Trubisky is still so inexperienced, learning and getting better every day. The ability, accuracy, leadership, intelligence, work ethic and desire is there, he just needs more game experience. We got a new coach my sophomore year in college and learning a new offense was amazingly difficult and took time to feel comfortable as a QB calling ne formations and knowing how it all worked together. Our starting QB went on to play for the Giants and he said the difference between high school and college was 10 times more difficult, which I think is pretty accurate. He told me learning to play a new offense against an NFL defense is 100 times more difficult than college. I always remembered that when Cutler had to learn a new offense every year and he only had once chance to take an offense into a second year. If Trubisky is still struggling in the 2nd half of the season, I will start to worry. But until then I really like what I see from him.

[games]

As one of the few (only?) Packer fans that participates in this forum, I thought the Bears offense finally looked like it joined the 21st century.

While the comments on the Bears misdirection plays being "too cute" are spot on, there's more to this year's Bears offense than in prior seasons.

 

The bad news for the Bears was the Packers no longer have Dom Capers as defensive coordinator. Mike Pettine made great adjustments at halftime and deserved the defensive game ball.

[dhartmann34]

The 2nd half continuous screens and runs up the middle...and then a throw on 3rd and 1 when you need a 1st down, or at least the clock to keep running...yes, that second half was John schoop esque. If they got, great, but I'd still question it because you can't risk it there when you've absolutely laid an egg the second half. Fuller should have caught that yes, but it never should have gotten to that point. Should have been a blowout after that first half.

 

The secondary had a bad 2nd half because they were playing conservative and had no pressure on Rodgers whatsoever. They played back and we're playing not to lose. Plain and simple. And it's hard to watch because so many coaches have done the same thing before. You never see the Patriots lay down...they keep moving the ball and scoring points....and there was no way that was happening with what was being called in the 2nd half.

 

Nagy had an AWFUL 2nd half. He played not to lose...and that's exactly how you do lose. It was John Shoop making a triumphant return. I went to bed pissed, and I still am. Rodgers didn't even have to move an inch from the pocket that second half. You've gotta score points in the NFL and getting complacent and sitting back in the weeds won't win you anything. Nagy obviously didn't learn from his massive error for the Chiefs in the second half of that playoff game last year...

 

... Sheesh you guys are a tough crowd. Comparing Nagy to Shoop? Somebody needs a treat and a nap. ; ) I agree that Nagy played to win in the 1st half and not to lose in the 2nd but he still made some good calls. That reverse flow throw to Sims on 3rd and 1would have looked like a genius call if the off side LB had not stayed home, which they rarely do. And of course Sims needed to run a deeper route past the 1st down marker, not short of it. If Fuller had held on to the pick and the Bears won, I think many would still say Nagy needs to be more aggressive but not compare him to Shoop or Fox. I thought the offense looked excellent in the first half. And Fuller's coverage was outstanding on that TD throw where Rodgers had about a 2 foot square box to drop that ball into ... and he did. I can't say the same for Amakumura who really had a bad 2nd half.

 

... Tough loss to swallow no doubt as the Bears should have won that game but it took a heroic effort by Rodgers to beat them and the Bears won't be facing him more than 2 times a year. And Trubisky is still so inexperienced, learning and getting better every day. The ability, accuracy, leadership, intelligence, work ethic and desire is there, he just needs more game experience. We got a new coach my sophomore year in college and learning a new offense was amazingly difficult and took time to feel comfortable as a QB calling ne formations and knowing how it all worked together. Our starting QB went on to play for the Giants and he said the difference between high school and college was 10 times more difficult, which I think is pretty accurate. He told me learning to play a new offense against an NFL defense is 100 times more difficult than college. I always remembered that when Cutler had to learn a new offense every year and he only had once chance to take an offense into a second year. If Trubisky is still struggling in the 2nd half of the season, I will start to worry. But until then I really like what I see from him.

 

 

[dhartmann34]

Easy to make adjustments on screen plays that are thrown at the line of scrimmage. 42 "throwing" plays and I counted 16 screen play throws less than 3 yards... And I probably missed a couple. Mitch showed he has an arm in the first half...yet they gave up on slants and deep balls in the second half to give him little 1 yard passes. Bad play calling in my opinion.

As one of the few (only?) Packer fans that participates in this forum, I thought the Bears offense finally looked like it joined the 21st century.

While the comments on the Bears misdirection plays being "too cute" are spot on, there's more to this year's Bears offense than in prior seasons.

 

The bad news for the Bears was the Packers no longer have Dom Capers as defensive coordinator. Mike Pettine made great adjustments at halftime and deserved the defensive game ball.

[chisag]

... As Games said, you are not giving credit to GB for making half time adjustments. Should have been a blowout? LOL Packers are picked to win the SB by more than a few, so go get yourself a big beef and dream DiKKah is still coaching. ; )

[dhartmann34]

I'm sure they made some adjustments... But no, I think the play calling ruined that second half more than green bay making any adjustments. I'm not living in the ditka era as I wasn't even around then. Nagy said he learned from his play calling errors in last year's second half play calling for the Chiefs playoff game.... And guess what? He went and did the same exact thing here. That's not learning...

... As Games said, you are not giving credit to GB for making half time adjustments. Should have been a blowout? LOL Packers are picked to win the SB by more than a few, so go get yourself a big beef and dream DiKKah is still coaching. ; )

[VNutz]

Waking up this morning remembering the mess of last night, only to be reminded of the Shoop era. :russian_roulette:

 

I'll agree with the above, GB adjusted at halftime and it worked. The hurry up and no huddle offense stymied the pass rush and protected Rodgers.

They did get too conservative offensively IMO, should have run the ball more in the 2nd half, but to be fair that was getting nowhere for a while. I hate the dink and dunk throwing offense. What happened to all the receiving threats in the 2nd half? Burton and Robinson were rarely thrown to, and it's an abomination to try a 3rd & 1 throw to Sims of all people, who can't even figure out how to get past the sticks, just dumb.

 

I hope Fuller is still walking home right now.

[dhartmann34]

Dink and dunk... Perfect name for it.

Waking up this morning remembering the mess of last night, only to be reminded of the Shoop era. :russian_roulette:

 

I'll agree with the above, GB adjusted at halftime and it worked. The hurry up and no huddle offense stymied the pass rush and protected Rodgers.

They did get too conservative offensively IMO, should have run the ball more in the 2nd half, but to be fair that was getting nowhere for a while. I hate the dink and dunk throwing offense. What happened to all the receiving threats in the 2nd half? Burton and Robinson were rarely thrown to, and it's an abomination to try a 3rd & 1 throw to Sims of all people, who can't even figure out how to get past the sticks, just dumb.

 

I hope Fuller is still walking home right now.

[chisag]

... This is the first time Nagy has been a Head Coach and he has not been calling plays for even a year now. Trubisky has one year of college experience and not even one year in the NFL. Bears fans are brutal and the reason I refer to Dikkah is thinking a very young team with an inexperienced QB, HC and quite a few other really young players should dominate right out of the gate. They need to keep getting better every game and as long as they do that, a real fan should be ecstatic with their play last night. Of course that loss was really tough to accept as they really let it slip through their fingers but that is the best they have looked on both sides fo the ball in a very looooong time. Of course they made some mistakes and I would bet Nagy is beating himself up this morning for his 2nd half play calling but comparing him, Helfrich and Fangio to previous coaches is so typical of the Dikkah fan era.

[VNutz]

... This is the first time Nagy has been a Head Coach and he has not been calling plays for even a year now. Trubisky has one year of college experience and not even one year in the NFL. Bears fans are brutal and the reason I refer to Dikkah is thinking a very young team with an inexperienced QB, HC and quite a few other really young players should dominate right out of the gate. They need to keep getting better every game and as long as they do that, a real fan should be ecstatic with their play last night. Of course that loss was really tough to accept as they really let it slip through their fingers but that is the best they have looked on both sides fo the ball in a very looooong time. Of course they made some mistakes and I would bet Nagy is beating himself up this morning for his 2nd half play calling but comparing him, Helfrich and Fangio to previous coaches is so typical of the Dikkah fan era.

 

I had zero expectations going into last night, but only after having the huge lead and blowing it am I upset. The way to truly crush somebody isn't to simply beat them, it's to get their hopes up a bit so victory is closer, then take it out from under them. That's why there's so much anger today. It's going to be a learning process for everybody, bu the night and day differences between the 2 halves was terrible. But it's at least encouraging going forward.

[DavePelz4]

Waking up this morning remembering the mess of last night, only to be reminded of the Shoop era. :russian_roulette:

 

I'll agree with the above, GB adjusted at halftime and it worked. The hurry up and no huddle offense stymied the pass rush and protected Rodgers.

They did get too conservative offensively IMO, should have run the ball more in the 2nd half, but to be fair that was getting nowhere for a while. I hate the dink and dunk throwing offense. What happened to all the receiving threats in the 2nd half? Burton and Robinson were rarely thrown to, and it's an abomination to try a 3rd & 1 throw to Sims of all people, who can't even figure out how to get past the sticks, just dumb.

 

I hope Fuller is still walking home right now.

 

You don't get much for $14M/year.

[propman]

I would be really surprised GB wins the division let alone going to the SB. Aaron might (probably?) won't get thru the season.

[chisag]

I would be really surprised GB wins the division let alone going to the SB. Aaron might (probably?) won't get thru the season.

 

 

... Right there with you. But some of the "experts" have made that prediction. I expect the Bears to get better with every game and think the Packers are hanging on and hoping to milk the best out of older players and avoid injury. Their sign is over and the Vikings are the tee to beat in the NFC North. I get frustrated with fans that do not appreciate what the Bears have now. For the first time since 85, they have the right GM, HC, OC and DC and have spent money to get the right young players. This is the best they have looked on both sides of the ball a in a long time and I am very excited about this season. IF they continue to lose then there is plenty of time to be upset with them. But if you would have asked me before the season started that the Bears would go into GB on Sunday night for the opening game of the season and barely lose by 1 point with typical Rodgers heroics I would have happily accepted that. It isn't about last night, it is about the future.

[chisag]

I had zero expectations going into last night, but only after having the huge lead and blowing it am I upset. The way to truly crush somebody isn't to simply beat them, it's to get their hopes up a bit so victory is closer, then take it out from under them. That's why there's so much anger today. It's going to be a learning process for everybody, bu the night and day differences between the 2 halves was terrible. But it's at least encouraging going forward.

 

... You are a better man than I because I had very high expectations going into last night. Of course I am still upset this morning and was really shell shocked and disappointed last night. No doubt they should have won the game. My son (an ex 1st team all conference DE in college) called me from LA last night as he DVR'ed the game and after the first half and was just out of his mind happy as Mack is his favorite player, and he still can't believe the Bears have him! It took all my fortitude to not dash his hopes and let him experience the heartbreak a fan deserves. We have had so many bad teams, coaches, players and looking forward was difficult to impossible. So I agree with everything you said, and look forward to the rest of the season because we finally have a future to look forward to.

[Argonne69]

Why do tight ends insist on thinking that they're swift footed running backs? Early in the 4th quarter the Bears had a 3rd and one after two solid runs by Howard, and Sims catches a pass with a clear path to the first down marker. Instead of simply bulling ahead and dragging defenders with him, he starts to stutter step, and gets tacked for no gain. WTF. The Packers score on their next drive. Quit trying to be cute, and run over people FFS.

[VNutz]

Why do tight ends insist on thinking that they're swift footed running backs? Early in the 4th quarter the Bears had a 3rd and one after two solid runs by Howard, and Sims catches a pass with a clear path to the first down marker. Instead of simply bulling ahead and dragging defenders with him, he starts to stutter step, and gets tacked for no gain. WTF. The Packers score on their next drive. Quit trying to be cute, and run over people FFS.

 

Quite simply, because Sims sucks.

[VNutz]

I had zero expectations going into last night, but only after having the huge lead and blowing it am I upset. The way to truly crush somebody isn't to simply beat them, it's to get their hopes up a bit so victory is closer, then take it out from under them. That's why there's so much anger today. It's going to be a learning process for everybody, bu the night and day differences between the 2 halves was terrible. But it's at least encouraging going forward.

 

... You are a better man than I because I had very high expectations going into last night. Of course I am still upset this morning and was really shell shocked and disappointed last night. No doubt they should have won the game. My son (an ex 1st team all conference DE in college) called me from LA last night as he DVR'ed the game and after the first half and was just out of his mind happy as Mack is his favorite player, and he still can't believe the Bears have him! It took all my fortitude to not dash his hopes and let him experience the heartbreak a fan deserves. We have had so many bad teams, coaches, players and looking forward was difficult to impossible. So I agree with everything you said, and look forward to the rest of the season because we finally have a future to look forward to.

 

I really think I've become a cynic to Bears football because of the past 10 years or so. So much talk, so much hype, so many expectations, completely shot to crap by seasons that didn't go according to plan. In theory this season they should have the dreaded "all the pieces in place," but I just can't seem to buy into it, yet. So it's probably better for me that I simply don't expect much and be pleasantly surprised by success.

[DavePelz4]

Why do tight ends insist on thinking that they're swift footed running backs? Early in the 4th quarter the Bears had a 3rd and one after two solid runs by Howard, and Sims catches a pass with a clear path to the first down marker. Instead of simply bulling ahead and dragging defenders with him, he starts to stutter step, and gets tacked for no gain. WTF. The Packers score on their next drive. Quit trying to be cute, and run over people FFS.

 

Quite simply, because Sims sucks.

 

He's from Michigan State so your expectations should be way lower.

 

And you shouldn't expect much from someone signed to a 3 year, $18M contract with $10M guaranteed.

[DavePelz4]

I had zero expectations going into last night, but only after having the huge lead and blowing it am I upset. The way to truly crush somebody isn't to simply beat them, it's to get their hopes up a bit so victory is closer, then take it out from under them. That's why there's so much anger today. It's going to be a learning process for everybody, bu the night and day differences between the 2 halves was terrible. But it's at least encouraging going forward.

 

... You are a better man than I because I had very high expectations going into last night. Of course I am still upset this morning and was really shell shocked and disappointed last night. No doubt they should have won the game. My son (an ex 1st team all conference DE in college) called me from LA last night as he DVR'ed the game and after the first half and was just out of his mind happy as Mack is his favorite player, and he still can't believe the Bears have him! It took all my fortitude to not dash his hopes and let him experience the heartbreak a fan deserves. We have had so many bad teams, coaches, players and looking forward was difficult to impossible. So I agree with everything you said, and look forward to the rest of the season because we finally have a future to look forward to.

 

I really think I've become a cynic .

 

Updated for accuracy.

[games]

I really think I've become a cynic to Bears football because of the past 10 years or so. So much talk, so much hype, so many expectations, completely shot to crap by seasons that didn't go according to plan. In theory this season they should have the dreaded "all the pieces in place," but I just can't seem to buy into it, yet. So it's probably better for me that I simply don't expect much and be pleasantly surprised by success.

 

As a Packer fan growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I completely get it.

[mci711]

I am going to stay out of this for the most part, but I don't think Trubisky is going to have a long great career. I hated the pick last year and may just be stubborn. I could be wrong, last year they obviously didn't trust him. He has a very strong arm, I don't know if he has the football IQ that Brady, Rodgers, Ben, Luck etc have. Bears could have had Watson or Mahomes, I don't know if I can get over that.

 

But the Bears made it with Rex so if they can keep the defense firing and Mack plays half as well as the first half last night they can compete.

[DavePelz4]

I am going to stay out of this for the most part, but I don't think Trubisky is going to have a long great career. I hated the pick last year and may just be stubborn. I could be wrong, last year they obviously didn't trust him. He has a very strong arm, I don't know if he has the football IQ that Brady, Rodgers, Ben, Luck etc have. Bears could have had Watson or Mahomes, I don't know if I can get over that.

 

But the Bears made it with Rex so if they can keep the defense firing and Mack plays half as well as the first half last night they can compete.

 

With this defense, which should get better once Smith is a full go, Floyd isn't playing with a cast and Mack is able to play the entire game, he doesn't need to carry the weight and outscore the other team. If they can consistently put up 24 points, they could win their next two against Seattle and Zona. Unlike my cynical friend Mr. Nutz, there's hope they could come out of the first 6 games at 4-2.

[chisag]

I really think I've become a cynic to Bears football because of the past 10 years or so. So much talk, so much hype, so many expectations, completely shot to crap by seasons that didn't go according to plan. In theory this season they should have the dreaded "all the pieces in place," but I just can't seem to buy into it, yet. So it's probably better for me that I simply don't expect much and be pleasantly surprised by success.

 

... Solid plan. I will say the last 10 years had tons of IFS every season. I am one of the few Cutler fans and think if he had a defense and IF he had a decent Line and IF they gave him some premium receivers that could stay healthy, the Bears would have won more with him. But as Desmond Clark told me, he wasn't a leader that ever inspired the players around him. In short, Cutler had IFS too but as someone that pled QB 2nd grade thru college he was the best I had seen in Chicago. What is different about this team id there are no IFS. GM, HC, OC, DC and players at every position, although they could use some depth. The thing is they are all so young and inexperienced with the exception of a few. This team should get better every week and learn how to win, with the occasional stumble along the way.

[DavePelz4]

I really think I've become a cynic to Bears football because of the past 10 years or so. So much talk, so much hype, so many expectations, completely shot to crap by seasons that didn't go according to plan. In theory this season they should have the dreaded "all the pieces in place," but I just can't seem to buy into it, yet. So it's probably better for me that I simply don't expect much and be pleasantly surprised by success.

 

... Solid plan. I will say the last 10 years had tons of IFS every season. I am one of the few Cutler fans and think if he had a defense and IF he had a decent Line and IF they gave him some premium receivers that could stay healthy, the Bears would have won more with him. But as Desmond Clark told me, he wasn't a leader that ever inspired the players around him. In short, Cutler had IFS too but as someone that pled QB 2nd grade thru college he was the best I had seen in Chicago. What is different about this team id there are no IFS. GM, HC, OC, DC and players at every position, although they could use some depth. The thing is they are all so young and inexperienced with the exception of a few. This team should get better every week and learn how to win, with the occasional stumble along the way.

 

I'm so sorry to be in disagreement but Cutler's best Sunday performances are on Very Cavalleri.

[chisag]

I am going to stay out of this for the most part, but I don't think Trubisky is going to have a long great career. I hated the pick last year and may just be stubborn. I could be wrong, last year they obviously didn't trust him. He has a very strong arm, I don't know if he has the football IQ that Brady, Rodgers, Ben, Luck etc have. Bears could have had Watson or Mahomes, I don't know if I can get over that.

 

But the Bears made it with Rex so if they can keep the defense firing and Mack plays half as well as the first half last night they can compete.

 

... LOL, such a hater. Fox doesn't trust any passer. Did you watch his Carolina and Denver teams? Soooo many scouts had Trubisky rated as their highest QB in that draft. You just have to remember he is learning at break neck speed. I started as a QB as a freshman on the varsity team and had 4 years of high school experience before playing in college. My first year was a blur as it was so much to learn and adjust to. Repeating myself our starting QB said the jump to the NFL was 100 times harder. 100 times!!! Trubisky started one year in college and he has all tools including a strong arm, very accurate, high football IQ, athletic, hard worker and a natural leader ... but what he doesn't have is experience. I would give him this entire season before making any judgements on how good a NFL QB he is going to be. Did you watch P Mannings first year in the NFL? I have studied and broke down film quite a bit (old habit) and think there are no limits to his potential. And I have never said that about any of the 40 or more QB's that the Bears have drafted or traded for since 78.

[games]

I am one of the few Cutler fans and think if he had a defense and IF he had a decent Line and IF they gave him some premium receivers that could stay healthy, the Bears would have won more with him. But as Desmond Clark told me, he wasn't a leader that ever inspired the players around him. In short, Cutler had IFS too but as someone that played QB 2nd grade thru college he was the best I had seen in Chicago.

 

Very good observation about Cutler, and as a fan of the game, I agree. You can't teach arm strength. You can't teach getting shellacked and getting back up to go again another play, even though it will probably happen again. I think the media ran with his dour sideline expressions and people believed them. I don't believe for a second the pictures were indicative of his real leadership qualities. I'm pretty sure he wasn't a "rah rah" guy, but I highly doubt he was as negative and dour as a few candid shots made him out to be...

 

Cutler's O-line, receiving corps, and running back were always a revolving door. How many seasons were any two of those three relatively healthy and intact from the prior year? Maybe the NFC Championship year?

 

I iike Trubisky for this Bears team, long term. I do think the second half was a combination of better Packer defensive schemes, more conservative Bears play-calling and Trubisky checking down to second- and third-options too quickly. The good news for you guys is there is SO much more upside to this Bears team on both sides of the ball than in prior years.

[chisag]

I'm so sorry to be in disagreement but Cutler's best Sunday performances are on Very Cavalleri.

 

... You are not in the minority LOL. When he was good he was off the charts good. And when he was bad he was really of the charts bad. I was a huge fan gong back to Vandy and was very disappointed in his Bears career. I can't remember if I posted it here but playing with Desmond Clark in Phoenix, he told me Cutler was by far the most talented QB he ever played with. That he was crazy athletic and the toughest guy he ever played with and said if he got into a fight and could have anyone on the team back him up, it would be Cutler. That shocked me. But he never inspired his team mates and Des considered him a poor leader as well as being pretty stubborn. Said he slapped 5's and said nice play or good job yet never said anything to fire anyone up in the huddle or at practice. Obviously that is an essential quality in a QB.

[chisag]

I am one of the few Cutler fans and think if he had a defense and IF he had a decent Line and IF they gave him some premium receivers that could stay healthy, the Bears would have won more with him. But as Desmond Clark told me, he wasn't a leader that ever inspired the players around him. In short, Cutler had IFS too but as someone that played QB 2nd grade thru college he was the best I had seen in Chicago.

 

Very good observation about Cutler, and as a fan of the game, I agree. You can't teach arm strength. You can't teach getting shellacked and getting back up to go again another play, even though it will probably happen again. I think the media ran with his dour sideline expressions and people believed them. I don't believe for a second the pictures were indicative of his real leadership qualities. I'm pretty sure he wasn't a "rah rah" guy, but I highly doubt he was as negative and dour as a few candid shots made him out to be...

 

Cutler's O-line, receiving corps, and running back were always a revolving door. How many seasons were any two of those three relatively healthy and intact from the prior year? Maybe the NFC Championship year?

 

I iike Trubisky for this Bears team, long term. I do think the second half was a combination of better Packer defensive schemes, more conservative Bears play-calling and Trubisky checking down to second- and third-options too quickly. The good news for you guys is there is SO much more upside to this Bears team on both sides of the ball than in prior years.

 

... Well said! Best and most informative post I have read here and it comes from a Packers fan LOL! There was such a combination of cluster*cks in that second half. I doubt the team expected to be in that position. Nagy got defensive. Trubisky seemed a little conservative and unsure so I wonder what the coaches were telling him on the sidelines about protecting the ball and not doing anything dumb. And of course GB adjusted and got better, as well as THE trump card in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers started playing like Aaron Rodgers.

[DavePelz4]

I'm so sorry to be in disagreement but Cutler's best Sunday performances are on Very Cavalleri.

 

... You are not in the minority LOL. When he was good he was off the charts good. And when he was bad he was really of the charts bad. I was a huge fan gong back to Vandy and was very disappointed in his Bears career. I can't remember if I posted it here but playing with Desmond Clark in Phoenix, he told me Cutler was by far the most talented QB he ever played with. That he was crazy athletic and the toughest guy he ever played with and said if he got into a fight and could have anyone on the team back him up, it would be Cutler. That shocked me. But he never inspired his team mates and Des considered him a poor leader as well as being pretty stubborn. Said he slapped 5's and said nice play or good job yet never said anything to fire anyone up in the huddle or at practice. Obviously that is an essential quality in a QB.

 

Think you hit the heart of the matter. Without hesitation, he had the best talent of any quarterback in Bears history and I go back to the Billy Wade/Rudy Bukich days. Tough, rocket for an arm but leadership was never his forte (Matt pun intended). He openly admitted that as well. I don't think you can be a successful QB without being a leader. Not a vocal one but one who leads through actions.

[chisag]

... Yup, you can get away with it in High School if you are very talented but not at a high level in high school against a really good team. And certainly not in college. I agree, you have to be a great leader in the NFL because everybody is so good. There is so much emotion in high school and even college, but a lot of Pro's are mature family men and earning a paycheck. More than a few admit they have lost their "love of the game" and those are the guys that can really get fired up by a great leader that inspires those around him to be better.