Can Cutler's Woes Be Blamed on Concussion?

The Bears season so far can be broken down into two halves -- BCC (or before Cutler's concussion) and ACC (after Cutler's concussion). The Bears won three in a row before the disastrous game against the Giants where Cutler was sacked nine times and sustained a concussion. Since his return, Cutler has not been the same.

Cutler has played two games after getting what he claimed was his first concussion, and he has not been the same player. His passing yards per attempt have gone down from averaging 9.46 yards per attempt in the first three games to 7.2 in the last two games.

His quarterback rating has plummeted, as well. In the first three games, Cutler had one of the best QB ratings in the league. He led the league after week two. Now, he has fallen to the bottom half of the NFL's quarterbacks.

Beyond the numbers, his throwing has become more inaccurate, and he's forcing the catch in situations where it won't happen. This results in the kind of game where Cutler throws more receptions to Redskin DeAngelo Hall than Greg Olsen.

Even on the touchdown pass to Johnny Knox, Cutler threw the ball into double coverage. It was Knox's skill, not Cutler's, that made that touchdown happen. Wires seemed to be crossed on some plays, as Cutler threw the ball to a place where his receivers weren't.

Which begs the question -- how much of an effect did that concussion have on Cutler? He was sacked nine times in the game against the Giants, and both Cutler and medical staff don't know exactly which play injured him. Concussions are brain injuries that affect judgment and memory, so considering how discombobulated the Bears offense was, could the effects of his concussion be to blame?

The NFL doesn't require that players sit out after suffering concussions, which is insane when you consider that the only thing that will heal a concussion is time. The Bears sat Cutler out for a week after his concussion, but maybe it wasn't enough. Hopefully, he'll use the bye week to rest, heal and return to the QB who played the first three weeks of the season.

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