In Jay We Trust; well, some of us anyway

First appeared on September 23rd
in The Lebanon Reporter

Have you ever regretted buying something and spent days or weeks looking for the receipt just so you could return it? After tossing four interceptions in his first game, one has to wonder how much time the Bears ownership spent scouring their offices, emptying drawers, turning over couch cushions and looking under mattresses for Jay Cutler’s receipt. After such an embarrassing opener against their arch rivals, just how close was ownership to making that dreaded trip back to the store to shamelessly grovel, “I can’t find the receipt- but I only used it once.”
As ugly as week one was, week two didn’t start much better for the man most in Chicago had dubbed the greatest quarterback in Bear’s franchise history before he had even taken a snap. Of course nobody in their right mind, present company included, would dare compare Kyle Orton to Dan Marino, but I’m sure even Orton could have gotten more than the 8 yards passing Cutler had in the first quarter against Pittsburgh Sunday. In fact after just five quarters of football, one has to wonder how many Bears fans were thinking the same thing but collectively waiting for Kanye West to storm the stage, steal the microphone and announce to the world that he loves Jay Cutler but Kyle Orton was better.
This isn’t meant to be an exercise in Cutler bashing it’s just the hype that surrounded his trade from Denver was so ubiquitous all summer it’s simply human nature to wonder how warranted it was. For never before have we seen the media whipped into such a frenzied hype over one player switching teams; OK you’re right Brett, please forgive us for forgetting about you momentarily.
But with the Blackhawks coming so close to a Stanley Cup last season and both the Sox and Cubs fading, the city of Chicago is suddenly hungry for a title. With this in mind Cutler becomes more than just another off season acquisition. He becomes the great white hope for Chicago sports fans everywhere.
Forget the 4 interceptions from week 1 and the 8 yards passing in Sunday’s first quarter, Cutler seemingly has larger issues. Not only are the words Super Bowl and his name being printed in the same sentence on a near constant basis, but he must also find a way to fill a pair of shoes that have went unworn for the duration of my lifetime; those of the first Chicago Bear superstar quarterback.
Luckily for Cutler, he was able to make something of the final three quarters Sunday. And, after watching years of Orton and Rex Grossman battling each other for control of the clipboard, it would appear Cutler will make the Bears a much better football team. This being said, Cutler wasn’t a media darling in Denver and, if things don’t go well early on, the Chicago media will likely make Denver feel like a ghost town.
Can Cutler deliver a title as well as become the superstar everyone assumes he will be? The Hall of Fame, NFL legend status and a lifetime free pass from parking tickets in Chicago all hinge on whether he can deliver a title and become the quarterback Chicago hungers for.
In the end, it will all fall on Cutler’s head. Literally. Does he have the head it takes to be a consistent quarterback, or more importantly for his position, a leader? Too often it’s been his bottom lip we’ve seen when things get tough and for him to deliver both a title and become a superstar, Cutler will need more than simply a rocket arm.