After staggering through a dismal 80-yard, one interception passing performance in the first half of yesterday's 21-14 NFC Championship game loss to the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was removed in the third quarter because of an undetermined knee injury.
But after seeing a relatively unemotional Cutler standing on the sideline following the injury, fans were left wondering just how bad it really was.
According to Bears head coach Lovie Smith, Cutler was removed from the game by team doctors who felt the injury was severe enough to prevent their starting quarterback from performing his usual duties.
Cutler concurred in the locker room post-game saying, "We gave it a go that first series [of the second half] but I couldn't really plant and throw so they kind of pulled me." He would later add that he wanted to keep playing.
It's hard to read Cutler. His attitude sometimes comes across as aloof, maybe even flippant. That's just how he is. But his statement sounded sincere.
Nevertheless, Cutler's toughness is going to be a topic of discussion this off-season. His teammates were quick to defend their quarterback, but just about everyone else is left wondering just what kind of intestinal fortitude this guy has.
Even if it was the decision of team doctors to give backup quarterback Todd Collins (and then third-stringer Caleb Hanie) the call, as an organization, the Chicago Bears have to be concerned about not only the durability of their franchise quarterback, but more importantly, his grit.
Every player has a different pain threshold and I'm not going to say Cutler has no heart. I don't know the extent of his injury. I don't know exactly what went down at Soldier Field yesterday. But in last year's NFC Championship game, Vikings QB Brett Favre (who might be an inappropriate, otherworldly example) was beaten to a pulp by the New Orleans Saints defense, yet he continued to play despite being hobbled by several huge hits. Pictures of his injuries following the loss were gruesome.
Cutler should have at least found a pair of crutches to make the whole thing look worse than it did. When you're playing for the right to go to the Super Bowl, you want to have to be dragged off the field before you call it a day, not standing on the sidelines.
One thing's for sure, to avoid a backlash bigger than the one that has already started in Chicago, Cutler's MRI today better reveal significant damage to his bum knee.
Shiri Appleby Kelly Hu Michelle Rodriguez Mena Suvari Georgina Grenville
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