Chicago Bears: Projecting Why Jay Cutler Will Thrive in Year 2 Under Mike Martz

For all of the intelligent Bears fans that have moved on with their lives since Jay Cutler's injury in the 2011 NFC Championship Game, this article is for you.

I have absolutely zero desire to acknowledge the still remaining contingent of fans who refuse to let it go because THEY know that Jay Cutler could have finished that game, choosing to ignore the fact that he sprained his MCL.

According to espn.com, Chicago Bears center Olin Kreutz was not surprised, and he said he could see Cutler's leg shaking during a huddle in the second quarter.

"I didn't even think he was going to finish the half," Kreutz said. "When he came back to try it again, that amazed me. It was shaking right after he took the hit and walked back in the huddle. It was swinging like this [waving his hand back and forth].

"So I knew one of his ligaments probably went. I can't remember exactly what play it was. I know it was the second quarter. I remember him walking in the huddle, and I saw it shaking like this. I said, 'Ah, man.'"

You can read the entire article from espn.com here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/news/story?id=6054047

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about how Jay Cutler will not only bounce back from last season's NFC Championship game, he will absolutely thrive in his second year leading Mike Martz's offense.

5. He Looks Completely in Control of the Offense

For those of us that watched the Bears game this past Monday night against the New York Giants, we are well aware of how much better Jay Cutler's stats could have been.

Cutler played the entire first half, going 12-for-21 (these numbers include at least four WR drops) for 171 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.  That comes out to 8.1 yards per attempt—a half yard more than his 7.6 average in 2010.

As long as his wide receivers don't drop the balls they are supposed to catch (I'm looking at you, Mr. Williams), Cutler is in line for a breakout season in 2011-12.

4. His Offensive Line Will Be Significantly Improved

The Bears' completely re-vamped offensive line allowed just one sack in the Giants game—on a play where Jay Cutler should have thrown the ball away instead of taking a sack.

With the addition of rookie Gabe Carimi at right tackle and veteran Roberto Garza taking over the duties at center, this year's offensive line has a much better chance to succeed, especially if the left side of the line featuring Chris Williams and J'Marcus Webb continue to make progress.

Cutler was sacked 52 times last year in 15 games, an average of nearly 3.5 sacks per contest.  If the offensive line can get that figure down to two sacks per game (20 less total sacks), this offense could be wildly successful. 

3. He's Got More Weapons

The Bears added a couple of key pieces in Roy Williams and Marion Barber to an offense that ranked 30th out of 32 teams in 2010.

The addition of Williams adds some much needed depth to the Bears' receiving corps, while Barber will be able to share some of Matt Forte's workload (unfortunately for Matt Forte's fantasy owners).

The Bears' current group of skill position players—Devin Hester, Williams, Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, Forte and Barber—should help increase the Bears' points per game from 21 to 24 in 2011.

2. He's in Great Shape

Jay Cutler has always been in good shape; today, he's in great shape.  Cutler lost 20 pounds over the offseason and should be an even bigger threat to scramble when things break down in the pocket.

The Bears are also hoping Cutler's increased athleticism will help cut down on the number of sacks he takes in 2011.

1. He Is the Unquestionable Leader of the Team

Both his teammates and coaches have said it repeatedly—Jay Cutler has become the unquestioned leader of this football team.

From leading the offseason workouts during the lockout to being a more vocal leader both on and off the field, this is officially Jay Cutler's team.

And more importantly, his teammates are behind him 100 percent and believe in his ability to lead them to just one more game than they got to play in last year.