Jay Cutler Doing More Than Enough to Win Division with Banged-Up Bears Offense

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has always had the talent to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he's always found a way to be less than the sum of his numbers.

Against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, Cutler flipped the script: Instead of Cutler's mistakes and missed opportunities holding the Bears back, his performance was better reflected by the final score than the box score stats.

Banged-up wide receiver Brandon Marshall, a week after hauling in three touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers, had just one catch for six yards. Receiving partner Alshon Jeffery was still obviously slowed by his own injury. 

Running back Matt Forte didn't run much; he gained just 33 yards on 13 carries for an awful average of 2.5 yards per attempt. Cutler's five carries for 14 yards netted a better 2.8 yards per rush. The Bears' offensive line couldn't keep Cutler clean in the face of a relentless Jets pass rush:

The defense made a couple of big plays, and the Bears may have caught a break or two from the officials, but without Cutler, it's hard to see how the Bears offense would have put up any points at all against the Jets.

The prime-time road win bumps the Bears up to 2-1, tying them with the Detroit Lions for first place in the NFC North. Two games into their brutal road slate, the Bears are as yet unscathed.

Has Cutler finally taken the next step? Can he keep making big plays in big spots without throwing terrible picks? Do the banged-up Bears have bad news for the rest of their division?

Beyond the Box Score

Cutler's stat line, per NFL.com, is underwhelming: a mediocre 60.5 percent completion rate, anemic 5.9 average yards gained per attempt and brutal 9.5 percent sack rate.

Yet he made a host of fantastic plays that don't show up in the box score. Time after time, Cutler used good pocket management and a dash of athleticism to extend plays, find open receivers, make plays and score points:

Yes, Cutler was brought down four times for a loss of 28 yards. But he was hit many more times than that, standing tall in the pocket and getting rid of the ball just before getting blown up. Best of all, when he got rid of it, it was often to a receiver on the other side of the sticks.

That's the kind of mental tenacity the Bears desperately need at quarterback.

Renaissance Man

In 2013, backup Josh McCown only threw one interception to Cutler's 12 (McCown had a 0.4 percent interception rate to Cutler's 3.4). Pro-Football-Reference.com also shows McCown with a higher completion rate, touchdown rate and average yards-per-attempt than Cutler.

The Bears let McCown walk in the offseason, but the challenge was clear: On a team that finished six points shy of the division crown in 2013, Cutler had to cut down on turnovers without cutting down on first downs or touchdowns.

Three games into the 2014 season, his 66.1 percent completion rate is on pace to be a career best. His 1.7 percent interception rate would easily be his lowest ever—and far below his 3.4 career mark. His 6.6 percent touchdown rate is his highest since his rookie season, when he started just five games for the Denver Broncos. 

Considering two of the three games the Bears have played have been prime-time road games against two stacked defenses and the third was against the upstart Buffalo Bills, these numbers are even more impressive.

At the moment, Jay Cutler is playing the best football of his life—and it couldn't have come at a better time.

The Best Is Yet to Come

Despite lower-body injuries to two of the most explosive receivers in the NFL, Marshall and Jeffery, Cutler found a way to make plays. Though he leaned heavily on Marshall in the red zone last week, he just found tight end Martellus Bennett instead:

Once Marshall and Jeffery are back at full speed—and on days when the Bears' run game will face less nasty front sevens—Cutler and the Bears offense are going to be seriously tough to stop.

Most expected the Green Bay Packers to repeat as NFC North division champions on the strength of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' arm. Coming up on the season's quarter pole, though, there's no question which quarterback is playing better ball or which offense is performing better.

Of course, the Bears are only a game ahead of the Packers and only tied with the Lions. Even more injuries in the already-depleted defensive secondary raise some questions about the Bears' ability to close the division out from here.

But the Bears won't have to wait to test themselves against the team they were supposed to be looking up at: The Packers come to Chicago in Week 4. Cutler has the chance to not only get revenge for the season-ending last-gasp loss Rodgers handed him in 2013, but also make a huge statement of his own.