Jay Cutler came into the 2008 season destined for stardom. Blessed with a Howitzer for an arm and the short term memory of a Labrador puppy, Jay seemed to have all the tools needed to crash the party of the league's upper-echelon of quarterbacks.
When the season officially started the compliments and comparisons to a certain Denver Duke kept coming as Cutler led the surprising Broncos to a 3-0 start and boasted the highest scoring offense in the NFL. In the season's first month, Cutler completed 102-157 passes (64.9 completion %) for 1,275 yards notching nine TDs to four INTs in being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month. The Broncos owned a 3-1 record and were top dogs in the AFC West.
Fast forward to today. The Broncos are still on top of the AFC West, but at 4-3 and coming off one of the worst performances in Broncos recent history, a 41-7 drubbing at the hands of the Patriots on Monday Night Football, there is definitely some unrest in Broncos Country.
Though Cutler cannot singularly be faulted for the recent missteps (the defense harbors the most culpability by far) his play, and his mouth, in recent weeks have opened Cutler up for criticism at the hands of the national media and his own fans here in Denver. The Broncos have gone 1-2 in October due in part because their explosive offense has suddenly sputtered.
In the last three games, Cutler has gone 61-97 for 587 yards with four touchdowns compared to three interceptions. He has also lost a fumble. One has to ask: why the about-face?
Cutler and the Broncos offense have been bitten by the injury elephant with starters Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokely, Tony Scheffler, and Selvin Young all missing time on the infirmary list. That's not even mentioning number 1 receiver Brandon Marshall's suspension for the first game of the season.
While the offense hasn't been playing with a full deck for much of the team's recent downturn, Cutler will be the last Bronco player to use that as an excuse. When he speaks to the media, he speaks bluntly and with an implicit confidence that borders on arrogance. Though those tools are indispensable for a successful quarterback in the NFL, his comments have gotten him in some hot water in recent weeks.
In a recent Sporting News article, Cutler made a comment that he had a stronger arm than Broncos legend John Elway and refused to back down from the statement even when national media prognosticators more or less told him to keep his mouth shut and back up his statements with his play on the field.
He has also fueled the fire in an ongoing feud with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. Rivers was seen jawing at Cutler during the Broncos-Chargers Monday night game last Christmas Eve and Cutler has responded by going public with comments that he doesn't like the way Rivers carries himself on the field.
After the bye week, Cutler will have to try and rejuvenate this offense that has become more of a Jekyll and Hyde act than a run and gun. The Broncos are still in the driver's seat in the AFC West, but they have shown the last few weeks that maybe these players are not quite ready for prime time.
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