Former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick, who will be the color analyst for Sunday's Bears-Packers game, weighed in today with his thoughts about Jay Cutler and the Bears.
Appearing on the "Waddle & Silvy Show" on WMVP-AM 1000, Billick was asked what Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is doing right and what Cutler is doing wrong.
"Well, first, Aaron Rodgers is in a system and surrounded by a group of players that when you're talking about that group of receivers he has with (Donald) Driver and (Greg) Jennings and the emergence of Jermichael Finley, who really is an impressive young tight end to watch him play,'' Billick said. "They're getting a solid balance in the running game with Ryan Grant and they're playing top-level defense, so the circumstances surrounding Aaron Rodgers are a little bit different.
"I'm not here to make excuses for Jay Cutler; he has to play better. What I see in Jay Cutler is someone who is trying to force the ball and trying to make all the plays to make up for some of the things that are going on for the Bears."
Billick was asked if Cutler's mechanical issues disturbed him.
"No, they are the same mechanical things he did last year when threw for over 4,500 yards and had a great season,'' Billick said. "He's a gifted QB, he's a smart QB. Obviously, there has to be a meshing of what you do with the talent that you have around you. Right now, he just doesn't seem comfortable. I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with the system. It's not a good system, it's not a bad system, it's just not a fluid system right now with the moving parts that it has.''
Asked if a new offensive system would fix the Bears' problem, Billick said no.
"I mean, we're all doing the same thing," he said. "We really are. You're going to have to show me a system, a play-calling sequence, a play that once someone is successful with something within your system, we coaches look at, analyze it, tear it apart, rebuild it in our own way and take credit for it.
"To just simply say Jay Cutler is not in the right system, that's not what I'm saying, and I don't think it will make a difference to just simply bring in a different set of coaches. But it's the system -- when I say that, I mean having the right players offensively, defensively, and the way it all comes together.''
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"Cutler had a "great season" in Denver last year? Wasn't his team playing golf during the playoffs after losing 4 games to hand the Chargers the Division Crown?? Maybe by Billick's standards that is "great". Is that why he's now in the broadcast booth and not on the sidelines???"
Yes, Cutler had a Pro Bowl season last year. He had great receivers in the right system and flourished, even with a 5th string running back. Whether a team has a winning or losing record doesn't necessarily mean that an individual player is bad. When the Titans were 0-6 was it because Chris Johnson was terrible, but now that they've since gone 7-1 he's great?
As a college player, Cutler was the MVP of the best football conference in the country while playing for a losing team. He can't be held responsible for poor pass blocking and defense. Give him an offensive line, great receivers and a good offensive playbook and he'll excel.
Little Laura: yeah, but the funny thing is , if you ready the end closely, Billick seems to define the "system" as the players, not the coaches or scheme. "We're all doing the same thing"... sure - they're copy cats. But you can't tell me that some coaches aren't out in front of that "copy cat" group, while others are in the rear. And, if we don't have the right players, whose fault is that? Lovie and Angelo - out of here.
judd1157, so it was Cutler's fault that he played with a terrible defense that couldn't stop a high school team? By your lack of logic, I guess it's Cutler's fault that this O-line is bad and the defense sux, and the receivers aren't good and Olsen is soft? And the whole management and coaches are a bunch of dumbasses, that's all his fault too huh?
Cutler had a "great season" in Denver last year? Wasn't his team playing golf during the playoffs after losing 4 games to hand the Chargers the Division Crown?? Maybe by Billick's standards that is "great". Is that why he's now in the broadcast booth and not on the sidelines???
Brian Billick totally hit the nail on the head. It is the Bears system that is broken. With Urlacher out on defense, that side is getting better, even with the younger players. However, the offensive line is a MESS and Cutler, all receivers, and all running backs are not given the coaches' confidence in play-calling. In the Rams game, at least more pass plays were called. That's what Cutler is great at. Let him do his job. Hell, let him call some plays. See what happens. And put in second- and third-stringers on that O line. See what happens. There has to be a magical combination that works, like finding the right key for a lock. The 85 Bears sparkled. And they liked each other.