Count Jedd Fisch among those who see Chicago as NFC North favorites now that the Bears have acquired quarterback Jay Cutler from Denver. Fisch, who worked closely with Cutler last season as Denver’s receivers coach, spoke enthusiastically to Sports Headliners about the 25-year-old quarterback.
“I think the Bears are going to be a Super Bowl favorite because of Jay,” said Fisch, who became the Gophers’ offensive coordinator in January. Cutler made the AFC Pro Bowl roster after last season, his third in the NFL. Among his numbers: 4,526 yards passing, 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
In a league where perhaps half the starting quarterbacks are nothing special, coaches like Fisch know the value of a Cutler. “Yeah, I would say half might be high,” Fisch said. “They’re all elite athletes, elite of the elite of the elite. But on the same token, there’s only a few that are special. I think Jay is one of those guys that’s going to be special.”
The Vikings won the NFC North last season without a special quarterback. The Bears have been looking for an extraordinary quarterback for many years, much longer than the Vikings. The Cutler acquisition changes the thinking about Chicago.
Fisch likes the Bears’ prospects for winning the division, but adds a qualifying statement. “Yeah, as long as their defense stays healthy and as long as they’ve got a couple (of) receivers around him,” he said. “They’ve got a really good back (Matt Forte), and Jay Cutler is a Pro Bowl quarterback. So when you have a Pro Bowl quarterback you immediately should be at the top of the pack.
“For example, Jay is 13-1 when they’ve (the Broncos) kept a team to 21 points. That’s like 94 percent of their games. Look at how many times the Bears have kept teams under 21 points (eight times last season). See how many games they should win. Jay’s a great person and a great player. He’s gotten a bad rap for no reason.”
The Bears finished 9-7 last season, second in the division behind the 10-6 Vikings. To make Fisch’s point, the Bears lost three games when they gave up 22 points or less.
It was rumors this off-season about the Broncos and new coach Josh McDaniels wanting to trade Cutler that reportedly set off the young quarterback’s unwillingness to stay in Denver. Fisch said Cutler isn’t a complainer and that negative perceptions about him are wrong.