Jay Cutler to make NFL regular-season debut versus Seattle Seahawks
Jay Cutler is the future QB of the Denver Broncos. He is not, however, their QB of the present.
So you’ll excuse us if we take issue with Mike Shanahan throwing Cutler into the fire this Sunday against Seattle. Given the unwritten rule of NFL clubs to handle rookie QBs with kid gloves, this brazen move not only defies conventional wisdom, but common sense as well. Here are the facts:
-
At 7-4, Denver is still very much in the AFC playoff picture
-
With 37 sacks to their credit, the Seahawks are third in the NFL in QB drops
-
Denver has not started a rookie QB in 14 years, since Tommy Maddox started for an injured John Elway in 1992.
To say the Cutler move is a curious one doesn’t do justice to that adventurous little monkey named George. It’s a move that reeks of desperation more than inspiration – asking a rookie QB to learn on the job while trying to steer a flawed offense into the postseason.
Lest we forget that Jake Plummer isn’t the sole problem when the Broncos have the ball. While Denver does rank eighth overall with 132.8 rush yards per game, the backfield is full of question marks: it’s averaged a mere 86 yards over the last three games.
Leading rusher Tatum Bell hasn’t played in the last two weeks and undrafted rookie Mike Bell hasn’t topped 100 yards in a game since October.
It seems as though there is too little that can go right and too much that can go wrong with this move. Anything short of a playoff berth in Denver would be considered a flop, regardless of which QB is at the helm.
And when you consider that three of Denver’s final five games are against playoff-caliber teams – Seattle, San Diego and Cincinnati – it appears as though Shanahan’s cry for help might not be answered.
Bet on NFL with BET ONLINE, a company that prides itself on offering great bonuses, fast payouts and the best customer service in the industry … guaranteed. BET ONLINE, offers NFL betting odds and real time lines on World Series, Super Bowl, NBA, NCAA, SOCCER, NASCAR, BOXING, TENNIS, GOLF, and more.
Seahawks vs Broncos Odds: Seahawks 21, Broncos 17.
