Shanahan speaks highly of Cutler
While the Bears spread around the blame for their prodigious sack-surrendering pace, it seems clear where Mike Shanahan believes the blame doesn't belong.
Shanahan, who's in his first year as Washington's coach, mentored Jay Cutler during his first three years in the NFL.
Nearly 22 months after their last game together in Denver, Shanahan still sounds protective of his quarterbacking prodigy.
“I think the world of Jay Cutler,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “He did a great job for me in Denver. I just like who he is and what he stands for.”
And he liked the fact that Cutler stayed standing in Denver.
Cutler has suffered 15 sacks in his last three halves with the Bears, which is alien to their last year with the Broncos.
“We were a young offensive football team and I think we finished second in the NFL in total offense,” Shanahan said. “Obviously we wanted to do a little bit better in scoring offense (they were 16th). I thought he did an exceptional job leading our football team, did a great job getting rid of the ball.
“I think he set the record that year for fewest sacks I think one out of every 56 passes. I think he had 11 with 616 throws.”
Shanahan recalled the correct numbers, but Cutler's 1.75 percent sack rate in 2008 ranks eighth in NFL history. Nonetheless, you get the idea.
Contrast his final year in Denver with his current situation here. Cutler has been sacked 23 times in 4½ games. If he maintains that rate for the rest of the year, he'll finish with 77 sacks.
David Carr set the single-season record during the Houston Texans' inaugural year (2002) when he went down 76 times.
Cutler, meanwhile, gratefully acknowledges Shanahan's role in his development.
“Huge,” Cutler said. “Any time you can go to an organization like that with a coach and an offensive leader like a Mike Shanahan and the way he's been successful in the past in developing quarterbacks, it was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun my first year there and then obviously the next two.
“He was hands-on with me when I first got there. He was in our meeting rooms, he was always checking in. He did his utmost to make sure I was learning at the right pace and they weren't trying to overwhelm me.”
Shanahan and Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz have at least one thing in common when it comes to their shepherding of Cutler:
Neither coach's system allows for Cutler to audible at the line.
“No, not in this offense,” Cutler said. “Didn't really have the ability to do that in Denver, either, so there are answers out there (within the play call).
“If something happens and a play gets blown up, it means someone missed their assignment.”