Jay Cutler is Carrying the Denver Broncos To the Playoffs

Jay Cutler never gets the kind of credit that is given to Peyton Manning or Drew Brees.

All Denver asks from Cutler is to do more for his team than the top quarterbacks of this NFL generation.

In the history of the Broncos, has the team put more reliance on a single player than the burden the Denver coaching staff puts on Cutler?

Has Manning ever been required to throw 600 passes in a season, as it appears Cutler will have to do for the Broncos to make the playoffs? Nope.

Not to suggest Cutler deserves to represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl more than Philip Rivers of the mighty 6-8 San Diego Chargers, but how has Philip been doing trying to carry that team?

One example: On the second snap of a dozen-play, 95-yard drive that ended in the winning touchdown against Kansas City, Cutler dropped back to his own end zone and found himself dead in the crosshairs of the Chiefs' pass rush. After ducking the sprinting lineman, Cutler fired the ball for a 17-yard completion to tight end Tony Scheffler.

Why was Jay passing in that situation instead of handing the ball off? How many running backs have gone down this season?

Not to suggest that Cutler has overcome instability in his offensive backfield, but there are contestants who last longer on "Deal or No Deal" than all the Denver backs that have hobbled off the field.

Since 1960, the Broncos have never made do with a leading rusher who ran for fewer than 347 yards in a season. Until now.

While receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, offensive lineman Ryan Clady and Chris Kuper have been key to Denver's playoff run, everybody on this team comes behind Cutler.

If the Broncos win this weekend, they will secure their first AFC West championship in three years, and the first of Cutler's young career. He has carried them this far, so there's no reason to think that he won't be able to carry them farther than just that.

Through all this though, there is one man who has stood out for the Broncos this season, above the rest, and that man is number six, Mr. Jay Cutler.

Good luck on Sunday!