Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been sacked more than groceries. Actually, he’s been sacked more than David Carr in his Houston Texans days, who was sacked even more than groceries.
Cutler may have the worst offensive tackles in NFL history blocking for him this week against the Green Bay Packers (4th in the league in sacks), now that the self-nicknamed “Jew Bear” starting tackle Gabe Carimi is expected to miss the game because of a partially dislocated kneecap. Good luck trying to block Clay Matthews and company short-handed.
Cutler made comments today indicating he’s well aware he may not last the entire season, given how ineffective the line is in front of him.
“I don’t know. We’re two games in, I don’t think there’s any reason for anybody to hit the panic button,” Cutler said. “Those [offensive linemen] are working hard and doing what they have to do. We just have to help them out some,” Cutler said today.
The Saints sacked Cutler six times and hit him 16 times. He was sacked a NFL worst 52 times last season, and has been taken down 11 times already through two games. He was sacked an NFL-record nine times in the first half against the New York Giants last season, and suffered a concussion that kept him out of the second half of the game as well as the following week.
That’s when Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz realized the folly of his ways, and made some adjustments. He stripped down the offense and offered more protection for Jay, and the offense, and then the team took off from there. That was in mid-season, looks like he needs to figure that out much earlier in 2011.
Martz’s offenses with the Rams, Lions, 49ers and Bears gave up 40 sacks or more in 10 consecutive years after allowing 33 in 1999. He needs to update his offense from 2000- it’s been awhile. Everyone likes to use the tight ends in this league, why doesn’t Martz?
There’s as much fault with him (or more) as there is with the O Line.
Cutler has been sacked 63 times since the start of ’10, the next closest QB to Cutler is the Baltimore Ravens Joe Flacco, with 44! The better NFL defensive lines will murder Jay Cutler at some point this season, if Martz doesn’t figure it out. One thing’s for sure, he won’t go through all 16 games without getting hurt. Not with that sorry bunch of sad sacks in front of him “blocking.”
And Martz being stubborn and clueless about his schemes.
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