Chicago Bears: 5 Reasons to Take Jay Cutler over Aaron Rodgers

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been in the NFL for six years now. Packers signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, seven years.

In his six years, Cutler has made the playoffs only once. While Rodgers, on the other hand, has made it twice in his three years as the definitive starter.

Rodgers also has a Super Bowl Championship and Super Bowl MVP.

So how in the good name of football could anyone justify having Jay Cutler run their offense instead of Aaron Rodgers.

Well, hold on. Let's see.

Mike Martz

Don't get me wrong here, Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is remarkable at his job.

Let's face it though, he's no Mike Martz.

The conductor and orchestrator of the "Greatest Show on Turf" revived a grocery store clerk and former Arena League drop out into a Super Bowl winning MVP.

Remember him? His name was Kurt Warner.

In just one year as Jay Cutler's offensive coordinator, Cutler's interceptions decreased by 10 picks and his QB rating increased in similar fashion.

Anyone with common sense can see that those numbers are likely to improve even more this year, especially with the addition of a former Martz project, Roy Williams.

Arm Strength

Have you ever seen Jay Cutler throw the ball down field?

I'm assuming yes, but if not, that ball has some zip.

It's no question that Jay Cutler has a stronger pure arm than Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately, that is sometimes what gets him in trouble.

This is how I look at it.

Coupled with Martz's offensive scheme that primarily focuses on down the field movement, Cutler's arm strength can finally become a dangerous asset for the Bears.

Primarily on arm strength: Jay Cutler > Aaron Rodgers.

Chicago's Running Game

With the addition of Marion Barber the Bears possess one of the more dangerous tandem running games in the NFC.

Far exceeding the run offense of the Packers.

Also, in the first preseason game for the Bears the offensive line's run blocking looked very good. Hopefully a promising sign for the run offense this year.

If the Bears can maintain a consistent run offense with Forte and Barber this season it can alleviate some serious pressure off of Jay Cutler to have to do everything himself.

If the Bears are lucky, this transition can open up down the field targets for Roy Williams and Johnny Knox and in turn improving Jay Cutler as a top-tier quarterback in the NFL.

Supporting Casts

I'm going to try and attack this aspect from this angle.

It's clear that Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have a far superior supporting cast than the Bears put on the field.

So with the pure talent that Jay Cutler has as a quarterback why haven't the Bears done the same.

I mean, look at the numbers that Cutler put up when he had a Pro Bowl caliber wide receiver in Brandon Marshall. He threw for 4,500 yards in 2008 and made the Pro Bowl.

Cutler is currently under contract for five years and $50 million, so it's about time that Chicago starts putting weapons around him to extract his true talent.

Adding Roy Williams, Sam Hurd, Gabe Carimi and Marion Barber is a pretty good start.

Because when Jay Cutler is on, boy is he something to watch.

Chip on the Shoulder vs. Super Bowl Hangover

Here is a little bit of wishful thinking that carries a tad bit of weight.

Is it really possible for Rodgers and the Packers to still be riding a high from last year's Super Bowl victory? And could that high be a precursor for a possible let down from their shot caller?

I think it's definitely possible. I mean, look at what happened to New Orleans and Drew Brees after their emotional Super Bowl victory two years ago. The team posted a worse record and Brees threw a career high in interceptions (22).

On the other hand, everyone remembers Jay Cutler's distasteful exit from last year's NFC Championship and the plethora of negative criticism that ensued.

Cutler is out to prove something to everyone this year. He's going to come out with a fire and drive that we're used to seeing from an elite quarterback.

Jay Cutler is enough of a prideful person to come out and know that his butt is on the line with the fans in Chicago.

He's going to prove this season that he was worth the picks, money and players expended to obtain him.

Just watch.