Jay Cutler to Best John Elway

                I can hear already the cumulative scream from millions in Bronco Land, but even the mighty can be bested. It is about time another Denver quarterback remove the proverbial sword that has been wedged firmly into the Rocky Mountains.  Denver is certainly in need of a new hero and watching Jay Cutler perform every Sunday you can’t help but be excited by the possibilities.

                Many have questioned Mike Shanahan’s draft of Jay Cutler and many more have challenged starting him mid 2006 season. Personally, I would have started Jay Cutler in the beginning of the 2006 season, but that idea would be better suited for another blog, “Bringing Professionalism back to Professional sports.”  I know the theory, it is beneficial for a rookie quarterback to wait on the bench to learn all the things not to do on and off the football field, but there have been rookie success stories.  

                Now that we are in Jay Cutler’s third season it may be too early for the coronation, but it is not too early for a quick comparison of the two.  1985, John Elway finished his third season with twenty two touch downs, twenty three interceptions and a final quarterback rating of 79.9.  Yes, John Elway had a season with more interceptions than touchdowns, which makes me wonder when a quarterback throws an interception why we must condemn them to eternal damnation.

In week three, Jay Cutler scored eight touchdowns with only two interceptions and a quarterback rating of 110.  Watching Jay Cutler, there is no denying he is something special and every Sunday Bronco fans are excited to see how their offense obliterates opposing defenses with both long passes to Brandon Marshall and short slants to Tony Scheffler.  I must ask, was John Elway this exciting in his early days? In fact, if we were to compare Jay Cutler to anyone, it would be to Dan Marino who made the Super Bowl his second season with the Miami Dolphins.

I realize stats are meaningless when it comes to the win, loss record and John Elway built a career at Denver with two Super Bowls, but Denver fans need be prepared that Jay Cutler may one day break all of John Elway’s records including Super Bowl victories. Maybe, it is John Elway who should be prepared. 

One thing for sure, there is nothing certain in football and we may have to wait to the end of Jay Cutler’s career for this answer. We also must remember a quarterback is only as good as the coaches and the team that surrounds him.  Mike Shanahan has made it clear that Jay Cutler is the team’s leader in the future and Jay Cutler has shown us all his ability to do lead.

Last year, as we football fans excitedly watched Brett Favre break every quarterback record and the New England Patriots engineer a near perfect season, it is exciting for us all to see aspiring greatness and this season we see a quick fall from grace.  It is the one still standing with his head held high that wins it all. This is what football is about.