The Bears’ new quarterback is about to take the Bears’ offense to a level it hasn’t been before, or at least not in quite some time. What Jay Cutler gives the Bears is an Offense that can now, in fact, strike fear into the hearts of opposing Defenses. Instead of just focusing on the running game, opponents will now have to respect the Bears’ passing game. Imagine, an NFL offense that can run AND pass the ball!

For those of you who say Cutler throws too many interceptions, I ask you this. Hasn’t Brett Favre thrown a lot of interceptions in his career? Now I’m not exactly putting Cutler in Brett Favre’s class. Not quite yet anyway. My point is that you can look at any QB in the NFL (current or past) and find a weakness. He throws a lot of interceptions, he’s immobile, he’s too short to see over Defenders, etc. The bottom line is, when you weigh the pros against the cons, I say the pros far outweigh the cons.

What are some of the pros?

1. Cutler is young, big and strong. He is MOBILE! He can escape a pass rush. Unlike our most recent quarterbacks, Orton and Grossman, who played like their feet were glued to concrete, Cutler has the ability to avoid rushes and carry the ball down the field; Or he scrambles enough to give his WR enough time to break away and OPEN! What a concept!

2. Has the ability to easily throw for 300, 350 or more yards in a game.

3. Now it opens things up a lot more for the Bears’ run game. Think what that will do for Forte!

4. It will make WRs much better; when you have a good player, he makes those around him better.

5. It will keep our Defense out of the field; now you won’t see as many 3’s and outs.

Also, keep in mind that the Bears added Orlando Pace. Granted, it’s been around for a while, and it’s not exactly what it used to be, but it’s certainly an improvement on what the Bears have had.

What are some of the cons?

1. As mentioned, he has a tendency to throw interceptions. Probably more than you would like to see. But didn’t we see that with Grossman and Orton? You might see a bad game or two as a result, but given everything he brings to the table, I’ll gladly take the trade off.

2. Who are you going to shoot? It’s not exactly a con as far as Cutler is concerned, but it’s a question everyone (or at least most Bear fans) are asking. It’s a legitimate question, but as I noted earlier, a good player makes those around him that much better. How many times did we see Hester take a step or two in the Defender last year? And how many times did we see the ball thrown, thrown under, etc.? Trust me, I’m not saying the Bears can’t use another WR or two. They definitely could. But given what we have at this position, the addition of Cutler automatically improves this position as well.

So tell me, where are the negatives?

Howard A Becker