Antrel Rolle: Jay Cutler 'Understands And Feels Like His Team Needs Him'
(CBS) In his first year in Chicago, Bears safety Antrel Rolle has a firm belief that quarterback Jay Cutler's continued steady play has been the catalyst for the team's performance surpassing expectations.
And while the new coaching staff has done its job, the credit for Cutler's stellar play should all go to Cutler, Rolle said.
"It all starts with Jay," Rolle said Tuesday in an interview with the Spiegel and Goff Show. "You can have any coach you want to have, have any kind of quarterback coach you want to have, it doesn't matter who you want to have around you. If it's not in the individual, it's not going to be there. That's No. 1. Second of all, I feel like Jay -- and this is just me speaking from outside looking in -- I felt like Jay understands and feels like his team needs him and is going to back him up no matter what, like 200 percent. Like I told you before, it doesn't matter who an individual is, it doesn't matter how much money they make, it doesn't matter how old they are, everyone wants to know that somebody's got their back."
Does that mean the much-maligned and previously turnover-prone Cutler hasn't always felt that?
"I don't know," Rolle said. "I haven't been here. I haven't been here, so I can't really speak on that. But I just know this year and the atmosphere we have here and just the camaraderie of our team, he knows this team has his back 200 percent. Win, lose or draw, we're not going to point any fingers.
"Jay's our leader. He's our guy. He's the rock of this team. We're only going to go as far as he takes us. Right now, I feel he's playing unbelievable ball. I feel like he's playing the way he's supposed to play, and I feel like he's only going to get better."
Cutler has a quarterback rating of 95.3 this season, which is nearly 10 points better than his career average. He's thrown for 2,045 yards and 13 touchdowns against five interceptions.
Listen to Rolle's full interview on the Spiegel and Goff Show below.