The Cobra
01-25-2011, 03:09 PM
Mark Suitor...TSN
Marc Trestman, the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes, said in his book, "Perseverance," that the quarterback is the most important person on and off the field in a football organization. He believes quite simply that no matter what league you play in the quarterback is the one man that can give the team hope, and Sundays AFC and NFC Championships proved that the statement is bang on.
The Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger and the Packers' Aaron Rodgers weren't perfect on Sunday but made the plays they needed to make, when they were needed the most. Perhaps as importantly, when things weren't going well, they maintained a strong emotional involvement in the game, and confident demeanor, giving off the impression that no matter what adversity they faced they would do everything humanly possible to lead their teams to a win.
Mark Sanchez of the Jets is still young, and looked like a deer in the headlights out of the gate, which is understandable. Then once he settled in showed everyone including his teammates why he should be a QB to watch in the future.
The two winning quarterbacks always provided hope no matter what the circumstances as did Sanchez once he settled down and relaxed.
Jay Cutler of the Bears on the other hand did the opposite, with a poor performance in the first half, and then a widely criticized move to leave the game early in the second half due to injury, Chicago slowly but surely appeared to lose hope and then proceeded to lose the game.
Many NFL players and members of the media have taken shots at Cutler and accused him of quitting on his team and essentially suggesting that he wasn't hurt that badly, and pulled himself when the going got tough. Their argument being that he wasn't noticeably limping, he couldn't recall what play it happened on, and he looked disinterested on the sidelines, wrapped up in a warm jacket and knit cap. His teammates publicly supported him including linebacker Brian Urlacher, as did the teams medical staff and head coach Lovie Smith.
But this should not be a debate about whether or not Cutler was hurt or how badly he was injured, the fact of the matter is Cutler in the first quarter, by his play and his demeanor, did not provide the hope that his team needed to stay with a very talented Packers team. He looked unprepared both physically and mentally, and it showed in his play well before the injury was part of the discussion.
Many people are not Cutler fans and I confess I'm in that club, he just doesn't appear to be a championship caliber quarterback, but that doesn't mean we should just assume that he was faking an injury that just isn't fair.
Rather than ask how badly Cutler was injured, Bears fans should be asking is he good enough to win it all, or is he a QB that could play well enough to not lose a game and possibly be part of a Championship, but if asked to carry the load and go head to head with a Tom Brady, Payton Manning or Aaron Rodgers could he step up to the plate and get it done?
The fact is that the Bears made that game on Sunday a little interesting with their third string quarterback Caleb Hanie and had Cutler not been injured or taken out of the game, it might have been a lot worse because quite simply, Cutler didn't give the Bears hope from the get go.
Confidence and leadership from the most important guy on the field doesn't guarantee victory but it does give you a chance, because whether the quarterback is hurt or not, or liked or not, he has to do one thing, and that is give his teammates hope.
Marc Trestman, the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes, said in his book, "Perseverance," that the quarterback is the most important person on and off the field in a football organization. He believes quite simply that no matter what league you play in the quarterback is the one man that can give the team hope, and Sundays AFC and NFC Championships proved that the statement is bang on.
The Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger and the Packers' Aaron Rodgers weren't perfect on Sunday but made the plays they needed to make, when they were needed the most. Perhaps as importantly, when things weren't going well, they maintained a strong emotional involvement in the game, and confident demeanor, giving off the impression that no matter what adversity they faced they would do everything humanly possible to lead their teams to a win.
Mark Sanchez of the Jets is still young, and looked like a deer in the headlights out of the gate, which is understandable. Then once he settled in showed everyone including his teammates why he should be a QB to watch in the future.
The two winning quarterbacks always provided hope no matter what the circumstances as did Sanchez once he settled down and relaxed.
Jay Cutler of the Bears on the other hand did the opposite, with a poor performance in the first half, and then a widely criticized move to leave the game early in the second half due to injury, Chicago slowly but surely appeared to lose hope and then proceeded to lose the game.
Many NFL players and members of the media have taken shots at Cutler and accused him of quitting on his team and essentially suggesting that he wasn't hurt that badly, and pulled himself when the going got tough. Their argument being that he wasn't noticeably limping, he couldn't recall what play it happened on, and he looked disinterested on the sidelines, wrapped up in a warm jacket and knit cap. His teammates publicly supported him including linebacker Brian Urlacher, as did the teams medical staff and head coach Lovie Smith.
But this should not be a debate about whether or not Cutler was hurt or how badly he was injured, the fact of the matter is Cutler in the first quarter, by his play and his demeanor, did not provide the hope that his team needed to stay with a very talented Packers team. He looked unprepared both physically and mentally, and it showed in his play well before the injury was part of the discussion.
Many people are not Cutler fans and I confess I'm in that club, he just doesn't appear to be a championship caliber quarterback, but that doesn't mean we should just assume that he was faking an injury that just isn't fair.
Rather than ask how badly Cutler was injured, Bears fans should be asking is he good enough to win it all, or is he a QB that could play well enough to not lose a game and possibly be part of a Championship, but if asked to carry the load and go head to head with a Tom Brady, Payton Manning or Aaron Rodgers could he step up to the plate and get it done?
The fact is that the Bears made that game on Sunday a little interesting with their third string quarterback Caleb Hanie and had Cutler not been injured or taken out of the game, it might have been a lot worse because quite simply, Cutler didn't give the Bears hope from the get go.
Confidence and leadership from the most important guy on the field doesn't guarantee victory but it does give you a chance, because whether the quarterback is hurt or not, or liked or not, he has to do one thing, and that is give his teammates hope.