New Bears QB Jay Cutler was unimpressive by most standards in his preseason debut against Buffalo Saturday night, but by Chicago’s historical standards he was amazing. Cutler’s 30.8 percent passer rating now ranks him second all-time among Bears quarterbacks. Only Jeff Blake’s 40.9 percent rating ranks higher.
The Bears have famously never had a superstar quarterback, or even a moderately consistent mediocre one. Therefore expectations for Cutler are high, yet the bar set by the franchise’s previous QBs is very, very low. In fact, Blake’s 40.9 rating came in 2005 when he played in only three games and threw nine total passes.
“Sure it wasn’t a great game,” said Cutler after a 27-20 loss to the Bills. “I guess by only throwing one interception it was a success by Bears’ standards. I look forward to setting the franchise record when my rating approaches room temperature.”
By Brad Zibung, founder and editor-in-chief
