Since the Greatest Show on Turf, every quarterback who's lined up in Mike Martz's offense has racked up impressive stats. But they also throw a ton of interceptions and spend a ton of time on their backs. Kurt Warner, the last QB to thrive unscathed in the Martz offense, says he knows what's wrong with the Bears.
In Sean Jensen's column, Warner says, "Jay's got to get more confident -- in the offensive line and where the players around him are going to be. Trust the system."
Oh. Now we get it. The turnovers and sacks are all Jay's fault. He doesn't trust the system enough. As if trusting the system would make the receivers run their routes better. As if trust could block those extra rushers that come whipping through the offensive line. Call me crazy, but it's hard to trust in an offensive philosophy when you're running for your life.
Warner emphasizes that a lot of the throws Cutler needs to make are "blind throws," where he'll throw to a spot and expect the receiver to be there. Is that really a good idea with this receiving corps? Is there a single receiver on this team you can count on to show up to a dinner party, let alone a crossing route against a zone blitz?
Cutler has every right to be skeptical. He doesn't have the luxury of throwing to Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce or Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Even if he were targeting Pro Bowl caliber receivers, he's not getting the time he needs.
Right now, Warner wants Jay Cutler to buy an engagement ring and throw it up in the air, hoping that the girl of his dreams will walk down the sidewalk at that precise moment to have it fall on her finger. But none of these receivers is worthy of that kind of commitment. Not yet, anyway.
In that way, Cutler is like a lot of Bears fans. He likes his teammates, but he's not sure about them. He harbors skepticism. You don't hear a lot of Bears fans betting actual money on the outcome of games. We've had our hearts broken too often. Too many missed blocking assignments. Too many dropped passes.
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Trust is difficult to come by. And trust alone won't save the Bears offense.
