Jimmy Clausen will start at Quarterback for the Chicago Bears this Sunday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Yes, that Jimmy Clausen.
The same Jimmy Clausen that choose his college by having an elaborate signing ceremony at the College football Hall of Fame. If the Bears quarterback situation was a nuclear power plant, we’ve moved past Three Mile Island and we’re rapidly approaching Chernobyl. This isn’t just a core reactor leak; this is explosion and subsequent nuclear winter fallout level of dysfunction.
Monday Night Football’s Jon Gruden, who LOVES EVERYBODY and anybody that he sees playing before him, did nothing but rip Jay Cutler and the Bears. Even Gruden couldn’t find positive words for a man who was shut out in the first half versus the NFL’s 31st ranked defense.
Jay Cutler is so disliked, and deservedly so, that all options, including the nuclear option, are on the table at this point. The signal caller from Notre Dame, who’s life story resembles the narrative of J.D. McCoy from “Friday Night Lights,” is certainly what you do when all options are on the table.
This decision isn’t stunning; or shocking. Or whatever adjective you want to use. Time to see what you have (or more likely don’t have) in Jimmy Clausen. The season is totally lost, and no likes or respects Cutler right. He’s lost the team completely. How many scoreless first halves do you need to see before you realize that?
The decision to start Jimmy Clausen isn’t surprising. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Bears considered putting him in when the Bears were scoreless in the first half versus Tampa. I applaud this decision. When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2