Jay Cutler Is Lucky that Denver Is Cold

Watching the 2009 Pro Bowl this past Sunday, fans of the AFC saw Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler fail to execute a game-winning drive.

Cutler was put at the helm of the AFC offensive unit for the fourth quarter of the game, and he did not play well. He had two clutch opportunities, one with four minutes left and another with two minutes left, to lead an all-star team down the field and win the game.

The Pro Bowl is, of course, an exhibition. Most guys don't give their usual 110-percent effort, and it doesn't really matter who wins or who loses.

Still, any NFL player is a competitor, and every NFL player wants to win whenever he is out on the field.

Jay Cutler, who ran the NFL's second-ranked offense and threw for over 4,500 yards in the regular season, finished the Pro Bowl 7-of-15 in passing attempts for 48 yards and an interception.

The interception was caught by soon-to-be-free agent defensive end Julius Peppers, a player Denver fans have talked about as a prospective signing. While that possibility has gotten more and more distant in recent weeks, it was an ironic moment when he picked off Cutler.

All fans know about Cutler's major health problem. He has a serious case of type-one diabetes. If his blood sugar falls too low, he can break into a cold sweat, among other serious symptoms, and completely lose his composure in the game.

As Andrea Kramer reported during the final minutes of the game, Cutler had been struggling to control his blood sugar during the game due to the heat.

The Pro Bowl, at about 80 degrees was the hottest game that he has played in his career.

Cutler was clearly not as effective as he normally is, and it is highly possible it had something to do with his blood sugar.

Hot temperatures often make blood sugar levels more difficult to control because they increase rates of dehydration.

Since Cutler was unaware of his condition when he was drafted, he can consider himself very lucky that the Broncos, a cold-weather team drafted him. If he was forced to play in Miami heat, for example, his career may have been completely different.

In Denver, Cutler does not have to deal with extreme heat, as the Mile High City's average temperature during football season (September-December) is about 45 degrees, getting slightly colder in the winter months.

Overall though, Denver fans should not be overly concerned about the sub-par performance, and all signs point to Cutler being a top-five, if not the best quarterback in the NFL next season.