Adam Gase: Jay Cutler Is Smarter Than I Thought

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In a recent interview with ESPN about being one of the veterans on this Bears team, Cutler made some of the best “Get off my lawn” statements that you could possibly imagine.

Gase spent the last six seasons on Denver’s staff, including the last two as offensive coordinator.

Brandon Marshall of the Chicago Bears stands on the field prior to Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015. You’ve got to play for more than than the money, you’ve got to play for more than yourself.

Indeed, Jay. A little Madden and virtual voyeurism goes a long way toward connecting you with your teammates. Can’t blame you. “But we’re going to do what’s best for our players”. Gase’s quarterback this year is someone who can have a flash of Manning but follow it with a miscue that makes some wonder why he’s still got an NFL job.

It’s likely been creeping up Jay Cutler’s spine for years now.

“I felt like I was the only in the organization that had the “huevos” to hold (Cutler) accountable”, he said. “His ability to communicate with his teammates. He’s farther ahead than everybody else”.

This came after a day of collapsing pockets and batted passes for Cutler, so perhaps it wasn’t the best time to judge. We’ll Gase stopped short of saying that.

“His intelligence – way better than what I thought”, Gase said.

That’s why it was interesting to see Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase being rather equivocal when asked if he was going to be the guy to tap into all that talent we’ve been hearing that quarterback Jay Cutler possesses. “I can’t call it, but I just know we’re getting older….And you don’t know when that window is there and how big that window is”. “Right now I don’t know”. He asks us good questions.

Cutler has to do a better job of protecting the football.

Consistent is the way people would like him to be after a 2014 where he was all over the map. He was so inconsistent that he was benched for Jimmy Clausen in the Week 16 game against the Lions.

Cutler sees elements of the Martz offense in what Gase does. Ron Turner, Mike Martz, Mike Tice and Aaron Kromer couldn’t get it right, so can Gase?

One voice that you wouldn’t expect to be bullish on Cutler is one of his ex-coordinators, one of many assistants that have filtered through Halas Hall since 2009. They just watch you play the video game.

“That makes it easier on the quarterback”. The Chicago Bears are entering a season with a new regime and expectations are high to improve and improve quickly. Cutler has a talented group of wide receivers in Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White, Eddie Royal, and Marquess Wilson; and Gase seems committed to playing to Cutler’s strengths-one being that quarterback thrives with a moving pocket.

So how is it coming along?

“It’s tough. It is tough”, Cutler said with a smile. We had a good player there but the rest of them now, the year after I left, what happened to them? I think guys have done a really good job of learning the system because it’s not an easy system, it’s not something you’re going to pick up in two or three weeks.

Jeez, you’d swear that Cutler was 70 with some of the ways he’s talking here.