Chicago Bears: The new and improved Jay Cutler

It’s been an interesting year for the National Football League. But seemingly many have blown by a significant story developing in the Windy City.

From the Carolina Panthers’ 11-0 start, to the emergence of rookie running back Todd Gurley, there are plenty of headline stories in the NFL this year. However, I feel as though the improvement of Chicago Bears’ quarterback Jay Cutler has gotten lost in the shuffle. Coming off a dismal 5-11 season in which Cutler threw a league-high 18 interceptions in 2014, I didn’t think much of Cutler’s upside this year. Then when the Bears got off to an 0-3 start and Cutler was sidelined with a hamstring injury, I thought to myself “here we go again.”

I was wrong.

Since their 0-3 start, the Bears have gotten themselves back into playoff contention with a 5-6 record and Jay Cutler has been a big reason why. Most recently, Chicago pulled off a major upset on Thanksgiving night by defeating arch rival Green Bay in Lambeau Field. In the game, Cutler out-dueled reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers with a 90.8 passer rating. Meanwhile, Rodgers was only able to muster up a 62.4 quarterback rating. So what has sparked this Cutler turnaround in the Windy City?

I watched the coaches film from weeks 4-11 to uncover some clues about Cutler’s recent string of success. The first thing I noticed is despite being on the wrong side of 30 and having just came back from a hamstring injury, I see no ill-effects in Cutler’s physical ability. He is still as nimble as ever in the pocket and he still can throw the football through a brick wall. Cutler still has great instincts and foot quickness to evade on-coming defenders and can make accurate throws from a multitude of angles.

The problem with Cutler is that he hasn’t always utilized these skills with the best judgement. I think first-year offensive coordinator Adam Gase deserves a heaping helping of the credit in Cutler’s improved decision making. Gase has devised a short, quick passing attack that has cut down on Cutler’s mistakes. In addition, Cutler is still given the freedom to improvise from within this structure and make big plays down the field.

Nov 26, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) shake hands after a NFL game on Thanksgiving at Lambeau Field. The Bears defeated the Packers 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

With less than a full season of working together, the marriage between Gase and Cutler is going way better than I could have possibly expected. Because of the changes to Chicago’s offense this year, Cutler’s completion percentage (63.2%) is at its highest mark since 2007. Also, Cutler has thrown just six interceptions so far and has compiled a career best 92.5 quarterback rating.

Strangely enough, I feel the subtraction of Brandon Marshall in the off-season and Alshon Jeffery being limited to six games this year has also helped in Cutler’s development. When surrounded by such prolific playmaking threats like Marshall and Jeffery, Cutler tends to be very reckless with the football. In my opinion, not having these stud receivers available has given Cutler time to familiarize himself with Gase’s system without falling into old habits.

It seems as though Cutler has more patience than he was ever given credit for by embracing this new offensive system so quickly. With the exception of a few hiccups, Cutler’s has been taking what the defense gives him. Cutler’s performance against St. Louis this year was a perfect illustration of that mindset. Rather than forcing throws into tight windows and taking chances downfield, Cutler simply dinked and dunked his way through a shoddy Rams’ secondary. The end result was a season-high three touchdown performance and a comfortable 37-13 win.

Nov 15, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) passes against the St. Louis Rams during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Cutler has also made strides towards shedding his reputation as an incapable leader. The former Vanderbilt star has led the Bears to three fourth-quarter comeback victories this season. With the exception of a few kneel downs against San Diego, Cutler was able to engineer scoring drives on his team’s final possession in each of these wins.

Even in Chicago’s losses, Cutler has given a good account of himself by engineering fourth-quarter scoring drives to give the Bears a chance. At Ford Field, Cutler put his team in position to kick the game-tying field goal before eventually losing in overtime to the Lions. Also, Cutler led Chicago on a 65-yard touchdown drive with 24 seconds remaining against Denver in week 10. While this score closed the gap to 17-15, it could have been the go-ahead score had Chicago head coach John Fox decided to attempt a chip shot field goal on fourth down earlier in the period.

Next: Chicago Bears: Alshon Jeffery Extremely Valuable

As they currently stand, Chicago has already equaled their win total from last season. An underwhelming team on paper, Cutler’s superior play has given the Bears a puncher’s chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Whether they get there or not, I have seen some major strides from their much-maligned starting quarterback.