Jay Cutler was many things. He had a right arm that could deliver passes from the Sears Tower to Lake Michigan without the aid of wind. His attitude could be characterized as surly toward fans off the field but he was incredibly generous to charities. His trademark bad decision-making and turnovers turned many against him but his toughness and ability in the clutch brought others to his side.
The man was anything but predictable. Having a 52-52 career record with the
Chicago Bears seems almost too perfect a way for him to go out. A reflection of the Jekyll/Hyde nature he brought to the quarterback position. He was a man who delivered 16 comebacks in the fourth quarter across eight seasons but could only beat the arch rival Packers twice. Amazing as it sounds, Bears fans are just as conflicted on how they feel about him as they were when he first arrived.
One thing that is clear though is he holds every major passing record in franchise history and provided a wealth of highlights during his time under center. Ones that even his hater will have to begrudgingly admit made watching him every week a thrill. Here are 10 of his best moments.
Sinking the Steelers
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By week two of his first season in Chicago, Bears fans weren't ready to admit whether the trade for Cutler had been a mistake after he threw four interceptions in his debut. Next on the schedule were the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers. They got ahead 14-7 in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for Cutler to prove whether he was worth the price. To the surprise of many he delivered, engineering this touchdown drive to tie the game and another with time winding down to get the winning field goal.
Monday Night Bomb
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The 2009 season as a whole was a forgettable one, but any self-respecting Bears fan will never forget this epic Monday Night clash with the Vikings. Minnesota was on its way to the playoffs. They had Brett Favre, the notorious Bears killer and a shot at home field advantage. Nobody gave Chicago a prayer. Instead it was the young gun to emerged. Cutler threw four touchdowns including this beauty to Devin Aromashodu for the game-winner in overtime.
The Great Lions Escape
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This game set the tone for the 2010 season. Most remember it as the Calvin Johnson game when the Detroit Lions receiver appeared to catch the winning TD pass but was called off after he failed to possess it all the way to the ground. So many forget the terrific play by Cutler just minutes earlier to put Chicago in front. This after enduring a lot of sacks and hits. Being able to hit
Matt Forte down the sideline without his feet set was a testament again to that unreal arm of his.
The Peak
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This was the high point of the Cutler era, though nobody knew it at the time. In this game the team realized why they'd traded for him. Jay delivered the best performance a Bears quarterback has ever produced in the postseason with four touchdowns (two passing and two rushing). This beauty to Greg Olsen for a 57-yard touchdown on the first drive of the game pretty much sent the message that the day would belong to the Bears.
Delighting In Minnesota Misery
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There was no team in the NFL that Jay seemed to delight in torturing more than the Vikings. After all, his nine wins against them is the most he has against any other franchise in the NFL. This one probably stung more than most for Minnesota. They were coming off a loss to Detroit already and hopes to get back on track in Chicago. It looked like they had it in the bag. That is until Cutler engineered a soul-crushing last-second TD drive to steal the win.
Lowering The Boom
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People have constantly debated the toughness of Jay Cutler ever since that knee injury controversy during the NFC championship game. It's absurd to be honest. Few in this league have endured a rougher pounding than Cutler and he kept getting up for more. There was no better measure of how throwback he truly is than on a Sunday Night matchup in Pittsburgh when he did something QBs just don't do. He actually trucked a safety during a scramble for a first down. Lowered the shoulder and everything.
San Francisco Treat
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The 2014 season was a long and painful one for Bears nation, but it almost could've been something more. At least that's what it felt like after what happened in San Francisco. Chicago looked dead in the water after falling behind 17-0 late in the first half against the 49ers. Cutler had just taken a vicious shot to the chest, drawing personal foul flags. The offense could do nothing. Then Jay just seemed to take his game up a notch. Out of nowhere he led four touchdown drives, including three in the fourth quarter to secure an improbable comeback.
The Dime
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There is nothing sweeter than stealing a game that everybody knows you had no business winning. Chicago got that in 2015. Cutler was in the midst of his most efficient year as a pro, and it was this game in Kansas City that became his signature. Hounded by a tough Chiefs defense and without most of his top receivers, Jay was struggling to get the offense going. With just over three minutes left and down 17-6, they needed a touchdown if they had any hope of a comeback. So Cutler just uncorked this absolute dime off his back foot.
A Wacky Winner
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Incredibly that throw to Wilson wasn't the best highlight of the game. That came just a few minutes later when Cutler engineered another drive into the Chiefs red zone. With 24 seconds left they needed a touchdown to win. A low snap from center forced Jay to crouch to corral it, almost leading to a fumble. He managed to bring it in but was immediately put under pressure up the middle. As a K.C. defender was grabbing at his legs, Cutler lofts an off-balance throw to Matt Forte for a game-winning score. Uncanny and unbelievable.
One More Vikings Stinger
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It's fitting that Cutler would deliver his last great performance in a Bears uniform against the Vikings. On a Monday Night no less. Again few were giving Chicago a chance to win. So naturally it was Jay (with a little help from
Jordan Howard) who hatched a Halloween surprise. He was efficient and effective all night long, making tough passes look routine and cutting up what was a pretty good defense. These two passes to
Alshon Jeffery to start the second half were what sealed the victory.
