Report: Some Bears Teammates Think Jimmy Clausen 'Will Light It Up'
(CBS) Here's a fun subplot in the saga of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler's benching.
Apparently, some Bears offensive players have expressed a belief that quarterback Jimmy Clausen will "light it up" Sunday when he starts against the Lions because, well, he'll run the system as it's meant to be, according to NFL.com reporter Michael Silver.
What I just said on @nflnetwork : Bears offensive players believe Clausen will 'light it up,' simply because he'll run offense as prescribed
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) December 18, 2014
Also: Cutler has been looking great in practice but 'seeing ghosts' once he steps over the white lines...
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) December 18, 2014
On the surface, Clausen lighting it up would seem preposterous. Detroit has the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense, and when Clausen last started for Carolina in 2010, he went 1-9 with a 3:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 58.4 passer rating.
What's more noteworthy in all this is the Bears players' take on Cutler. Essentially, some of them believe Cutler's been so inconsistent and ignorant within the offensive schemes that a statistically terrible backup quarterback will perform significantly better. Perhaps it's only a couple players expressing that belief, but Silver is a highly respected and connected reporter who in another tweet indicated he has "15 sources" on the totality of the drama that is the Bears. So the point remains that the sentiment regarding Cutler is there.
Silver also reported Thursday morning that it was coach Marc Trestman's decision to bench Cutler, not general manager Phil Emery's.
Click here to listen to Tribune reporter and 670 The Score contributor Brad Biggs' breakdown of what this all means for Cutler.