For those who don’t know him, NFL fans should give Miami Dolphins beat writer Omar Kelly a follow on Twitter. The guy doesn’t always say things that make people happy, but one thing is for sure. He has absolutely no fear about speaking his mind. This was true recently when he unloaded a series of tweets explaining his beliefs about what really happened with the Chicago Bears offense in 2015, namely regarding the relationship between Adam Gase (now head coach in Miami) and quarterback Jay Cutler.
Suffice to say it wasn’t the most glowing review.
https://twitter.com/OmarKelly/status/740549584024416256
https://twitter.com/OmarKelly/status/740549789255925760
https://twitter.com/OmarKelly/status/740550083440214016
https://twitter.com/OmarKelly/status/740550320330280961
One of the primary criticisms of Cutler over the years has been his perceived attitude problems. The idea that he has never cared enough to put in the work to be a better quarterback rather than just a talented thrower of the football. At times there have been moments that seem to back up this assumption, but it’s also fair to say that has changed the past couple seasons. More than ever he has embraced the role of being a leader and continues to work tirelessly to hone his craft. That actually started before Gase’s arrival, so Kelly saying it did would be inaccurate.
As for the broad assumption that the Bears just masked Cutler’s problems by running the ball a lot is also glossing over the situation without actually looking at it. If he’d bother to look closer, he would’ve noticed that Jay was often throwing the football to guys like Josh Bellamy, Marc Mariani and Cameron Meredith. Sure, they played hard and did what they could, but let’s be honest. None of them would be considered #1 or even #2 options in most offenses.
Regardless, Cutler got the most out of them possible.
[video width="1280" height="720" flv="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Cutler-To-Bellamy.flv"][/video]
Cutler threw for at least 260 yards in five games last season. All five of those games had something in common. They were games that top receivers Alshon Jeffery or Eddie Royal were actually on the field. Combined they missed a total of 14 starts due to various injuries in 2015. So of course the Bears ran the ball a lot. It’s not like they had much choice.
Kelly is a smart man who has written some good football pieces in the past, but like any writer he has an opinion on everything and it can’t always be the right opinion. He believes the impact Adam Gase had on Jay Cutler was marginal and the tape proves it. No effort was taken to apply context to the situation. He retained what is obviously a long-standing opinion of a player and claimed a coach made due with what he had rather than actually made any sort of progress.
Such is the sad state of affairs with many people these days: a stubborn unwillingness to believe that players can change. This despite clear evidence to the contrary.
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