Tag: Jay Cutler

Aaron Rodgers reveals his favorite Bears-Packers game of all time

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers reveals his favorite game he’s played against the Bears and fans may not want to relive the experience.

Asking Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers what his favorite game has been against the Chicago Bears is like asking a child to pick their favorite candy bar to choose from. Sadly, there have been far too many standout moments for the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback in the NFL’s oldest rivalry.

Rodgers has a career record of 22-5 against the Bears in the regular season, with another victory coming in the postseason during the 2010 NFC Championship game. It’s been a one-sided affair for the last decade plus and you would think narrowing down his favorite moments would be tough, but Rodgers does in fact have a favorite game and Bears fans won’t like his answer.

Rodgers recently was a guest on the “Pardon My Take” podcast with notable Bears fan Dan “Big Cat” Katz and revealed his favorite game from the Bears-Packers rivalry is their 2013 regular-season finale to decide the division. The game was a back-and-forth slugfest before the Packers rallied back, thanks to a late touchdown pass from Rodgers to Randall Cobb to steal the win 33-28 and win the NFC North away from the Bears during Marc Trestman’s first year as head coach. Even nearly 10 years later, Rodgers still has a photographic memory of the game and he detailed why it was his favorite:

I came back from my collarbone, Randall [Cobb] came back from his knee injury and then, somehow, it was for the division. After so many things happened for us to be in it…it came down to our game. Neither team, I don’t think was great that year, but we were playing for a home playoff game.

“I start off, I throw a pick to Chris Conte on a rollout and I’m like ‘[expletive], is it really going to go like this tonight?’ Then I threw another pick to [Tim] Jennings in the second or third quarter. Then we had that weird, fluky, Pep [Julius Peppers] caused a fumble and [Miles] Boykin picks it up and nobody’s doing anything and he runs into the endzone.

Then on the last drive, we converted three fourth downs, fourth and inches on a dive play, a fourth and three to Jordy [Nelson] but that last one was pretty amazing.”

While Rodgers reveled in one of his prouder moments, in speaking to Katz, he did provide context surrounding the infamous blown coverage by Conte that allowed Cobb to score easily that gave the Packers the lead.

“You have to put it all together, people throw blame on Chris on that side, I think [Zachary] Bowman was outside as well on that play. But you guys brought seven and we blocked with six. There should have been a free guy so it really was the rush pattern that got you…I guarantee you on the defense, they were expecting the ball to come out quick. That’s why they were playing at 10 yards.

What they should have done was change the call. I knew what the check call was.”

Rodgers also admitted he was trying to throw quick but had to improvise when pressured by Peppers, leading to the touchdown. To this day, Conte still gets the business from Bears fans but Rodgers isn’t alone in his assessment. Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler defended the coverage as well in an interview last fall, saying Conte wasn’t the reason for the breakdown.

That season finale is over 10 years old and you won’t find a current Bears player who was even on the team for that moment. But if you ask a handful of Bears fans what their worst loss was they experienced, that game is bound to be near the top of the list. It’s only fitting Rodgers has it as his favorite.

Jay Cutler doesn’t want to see the Bears move out of Soldier Field

The former Bears quarterback isn’t a fan of the team potentially moving out of Chicago and into the suburbs.

The days of the Chicago Bears calling Soldier Field home aren’t over yet, but they’re likely dwindling as news continues to leak out that they’re inching closer to finalizing a deal to move to suburban Arlington Heights. 

While most fans appear to be in favor of the change in location, one prominent former Bears player doesn’t want to see the team move away from the lakefront.

Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler joined ESPN 1000’s Waddle and Silvy on Thursday afternoon and in between promoting his participation in the American Cornhole League tournament in Bedford Park, he reminisced about his time in a Bears uniform at Soldier Field and made it clear he doesn’t want them to move. “I don’t know if they’re going to move out, if they’re actually going to do that, but I hate that they’re going to be leaving the city at some point. It sucks.” Cutler said. “In the city, Soldier Field, you’re on the lake. I remember driving into the city and thinking ‘alright this is cool…’ It was just a cool atmosphere of being in the city of Chicago, in the winter playing there. It just had an atmosphere and a vibe to it.”

Cutler did admit the situation between the Bears and the stadium isn’t ideal considering they don’t own Soldier Field, it’s one of the smallest stadiums in the league, and they’re not able to make many renovations, but he still doesn’t want the the team to move into the suburbs. “They shouldn’t leave the city of Chicago,” He said emphatically.

The Bears’ all-time leading passer might appreciate his old home, but he didn’t exactly have a stellar career on the lakefront. He went 28-26 during his tenure with the Bears at Soldier Field, including the postseason from 2009-2016. But like many fans, he enjoys the tradition of football on the lakefront, including the notion of “Bear Weather” and playing in the elements. “It’s homefield! Leave it open.” Cutler said when asked about a new stadium potentially having a retractable roof in the winter.

Cutler may not get his wish as the Bears continue to do work on the Arlington International Racecourse land they purchased last fall, but they aren’t expected to make a final decision until 2023 at the earliest.

How one radio interview planted the seeds for the Brandon Marshall trade 10 years ago

The Bears traded for WR Brandon Marshall 10 years ago. See how one radio interview might’ve played a part in the blockbuster move.

Former NFL wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad once said that Chicago is “where receivers go to die.” Muhammad said this on his way out of town after playing with the Chicago Bears for three seasons in the mid 2000s.

For a while, it seemed he was right as the Bears failed to have any receiver post a 1,000-yard or Pro-Bowl season since 2002. But that changed 10 years ago when the Bears made a daring move to trade for arguably the most talented receiver they’ve ever had in Brandon Marshall.

Marshall was acquired from the Miami Dolphins for a pair of third-round draft picks. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2006 and quickly became one of the best young pass catchers in the league. He was dealt to Miami where he spent two seasons before being traded to the Bears.

It was the first significant move from former general manager Phil Emery, who in his first year, sought to fix a glaring need on the offense and reunite Marshall with his former quarterback Jay Cutler.

Though Marshall was only a Bear for three seasons from 2012-2014 and seemingly had issues with multiple players in the locker room during his time in Chicago, he was unstoppable on the field. Marshall caught 279 passes for 3,524 yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons, while earning two Pro Bowl nominations as well as making first-team All-Pro in 2012. It was a trade that immediately improved the Bears’ passing attack and offense as a whole.

While the marriage was short lived, many applauded Emery for his execution of the trade and his willingness to improve the offense. But as one Chicago sports radio producer reveals, this trade probably wouldn’t have happened if a chance interview didn’t take place just weeks before the deal.

Randy Merkin, an executive producer for WMVP ESPN 1000 recently authored a book titled Behind the Glass: Stories from a Sports Radio Producer. The book details many of his bookings as a radio producer with dozens of athletes and iconic figures, from George Steinbrenner and Charles Barkley, to Dabo Swinney and Peyton Manning.

One of his guests that he details in the book is Marshall. Merkin recalls contacting Marshall at the Pro Bowl hotel in Honolulu, HI, prior to the game taking place in February of 2012 to see if he would come on the radio station for a few minutes.

A few weeks prior, Marshall was tweeting with Cutler during the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints playoff game, reminiscing about their old playing days with the Denver Broncos.

“These young duos are the old us,” Marshall tweeted at Cutler while watching players like a young Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

“Please. We can run circles around these guys,” Cutler responded.

The game was a shootout and the tweets had Bears fans salivating over the possibilities of Cutler and Marshall together again.

Merkin took note of the exchange and saw it as the perfect opportunity to get him on Chicago radio to ask him about how he felt about possibly reuniting with Cutler. Merkin details how the interview went down with the Waddle and Silvy show:

I put Brandon on with Silvy [Marc Silverman] and JD [Jeff Dickerson], who was filling in for [Tom] Waddle that day. The guys did a great job and Brandon Marshall is an outstanding interview. The guys had a great conversation when Silvy asked him about his tweets with Jay Cutler. Silvy said ‘Brandon, why don’t you get the band back together!’ He seemed intrigued!

Just over a month later, we get breaking news. Brandon Marshall was now a Chicago Bear!! Holy cow! We figured we were going to the Super Bowl. Over the next couple of years, we started The Jay Cutler Show, It was a huge success and always had a giant crowd. One week, Brandon was filling for Jay. During the show, he told Waddle and Silvy that our interview with him at the Pro Bowl was the impetus for his asking to be traded to the Bears. He wasn’t kidding! It was a very cool moment for us.

Reading that Marshall landing with the Bears all started with a radio interview was surprising to say the least. We caught up with Merkin, who elaborated on the story and detailed how everything went into motion following the interview.

“Brandon started filling in for the Jay Cutler Show and it kind of became the Brandon Show after Jay split,” Merkin told Bears Wire. “One time, Marshall randomly said, ‘you know, when I came on with you guys at the Pro Bowl, I was a Dolphin. You guys were the reason that I reached out to Jay and said, we got to get this done. I have to come back. I have to come to Chicago and play with you.’

“And that started the whole wheels in motion. Jay went to the Bears brass and said let’s get this done. Let’s get Brandon here. So yeah, I think we played a small part. You know, they still have to make the trade of course, but it helped.”

There’s a significant chance that if Merkin doesn’t make the call to the Pro Bowl hotel back in early 2012, or if Marshall never answered the phone, that trade would have never taken place. Of course, both teams could have had interest regardless, but it seems like that one interview sparked both players to push for a deal. The result was one of the most dominating stretches by a Bears offensive player in team history, even if it was brief.

Perhaps the next football interview that Merkin books has major ramifications for the Bears, too. The executive producer continues to work at ESPN 1000 during the middays, still working his magic to bring the best guests to the radio.

Behind the Glass: Stories from a Sports Radio Producer is available for purchase online.

Anthony ‘Spice’ Adams talks Charmin, his playing days, Eddie Goldman, and the taunting rules

We talked with Anthony “Spice” Adams about his playing days, thoughts on the Bears defense, the new NFL rules, and his work with Charmin.

There aren’t many former Chicago Bears players who have become more recognizable after their playing days concluded than Anthony “Spice” Adams.

The former defensive tackle who spent nine years in the NFL, including five with the Bears, has become an internet sensation and energetic television host. He’s created countless social media videos and characters since retiring from the NFL, but continues to stay involved with the Bears as co-host of “Inside the Bears” with Lauren Screeden.

We had the opportunity to talk with Adams about his playing days, his thoughts on this year’s defense, the new NFL rules, and the work he’s doing with Charmin and their new Forever Roll.

Throwback Thursday: Bears dismantle Steelers in prime time

On this edition of Throwback Thursday, the Bears defeated the Steelers 40-23 to start season 3-0 in 2013.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history.

September 22, 2013: Bears defeat Steelers 40-23 to start season 3-0

The Chicago Bears travel to the Steel City this week to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in prime time. The last time the Bears faced the Steelers on the road was eight years ago, which also happened to be a night game. It was three weeks into the short-lived Marc Trestman era, but the Bears were riding high. They had started 2-0 and were looking for their first road win of the year.

Like their season, Chicago got off to a hot start. They scored a field goal on their opening possession, then got the ball right back when they stripped-sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the Steelers’ opening drive. The fumble led to a touchdown by Matt Forte to make it 10-0. The star running back then kept the points coming, ripping off a 55-yard run to set backup Michael Bush for a rushing touchdown of his own. The Bears were up 17-0 at the end of the first quarter and this one looked like it was already over. The Bears defense wanted to make sure of it.

Though they fell off significantly during much of Trestman’s tenure, the Bears defense still had some juice early on. Roethlisberger was beaten up by the front seven, getting sacked three times on the day, two of which came from linebacker D.J. Williams. Turnovers also continued to be a problem as the future Hall of Fame quarterback threw a pick six to safety Major Wright in the second quarter, giving the Bears a 24-3 lead. But the Steelers weren’t going away quietly.

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Roethlisberger relied on emerging superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown to get points and he delivered. Brown caught nine passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns, his best performance of his career at that time, to pull Pittsburgh within seven points. The Bears lead narrowed to 27-20 late in the third quarter, but they wouldn’t let it get closer than that.

For much of the night, Jay Cutler was dinking and dunking the ball for short gains while relying on the running game. In the fourth quarter, however, he decided to let loose – both in the air and on the ground. Cutler began completing deeper passes to his wide receivers while also gaining yards on the ground. On a third down, he scrambled for 13 yards, capped off with a hard hit he put on the defender to move the chains. The drive ended with an impressive touchdown toe-tapping catch by Earl Bennett to extend the lead.

Not to be outdone by the offense, the defense had one final trick up their sleeve. Lance Briggs casually stripped Roethlisberger for another fumble, this one picked up by Julius Peppers, who ran his way into the endzone for the score. It was the finishing touch on a dominant 41-23 victory for the 3-0 Bears. The win was also arguably the most complete victory of the Trestman era, with offense and defense both playing at a high level.

Can the Bears find similar success when they make their return to Pittsburgh on Monday night? We’ll find out soon enough when both teams square off in primetime yet again.

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Jay Cutler says ‘it’s absurd’ to blame Bears’ loss to Packers in 2013 on Chris Conte

Jay Cutler explains why Chris Conte wasn’t to blame for the Bears’ loss to the Packers in 2013.

Over the last decade in Chicago Bears football, there have plenty of low moments and plays on the field that make every fan cringe when brought to light. Arguably the most infamous moment that took place during the regular season, over the last decade is the ending of the Bears-Packers season finale in 2013.

With just 46 seconds left in the game and the Packers season on the line with a 4th-and-8, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers avoided the pressure and heaved a deep pass to wide receiver Randall Cobb, who had gotten by safety Chris Conte for the go-ahead score, sending the Packers to the playoffs with a 33-28 victory.

The Bears were left at home after the shocking loss and Conte became public enemy No. 1 in the days that ensued, receiving hate messages and even death threats via social media. But according to former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, Conte wasn’t at fault for the score.

Speaking with fellow teammate and former Bears tight end Zach Miller on Cutler’s podcast Uncut with Jay Cutler, the two former players went through Miller’s journey to the Bears, starting when he was signed in 2013 prior to that regular-season finale.

The infamous play came up in conversation and Cutler decided to explain it and why he believes Conte shouldn’t be blamed:

“We had a zero blitz and Aaron [Rodgers] scooted left and hit Randall Cobb, which the safety [Chris] Conte got absolutely blistered for that. For anyone watching, you call zero blitz, everyone is coming and you’re literally just man-to-man, no one behind, no safety coverage, nothing. And technically you’re bringing more than the offense can block so someone is free, someone should get home. That’s what you dialed up for.

“To pin it on Chris was absolutely absurd. It should be ‘one thousand one, one thousand two, one thou-‘ and the ball’s out. It has to be gone or you’re sacked. It’s nobody’s fault, Aaron is an unbelievable player and he’s seen zero a million times like a lot of us have. He’s athletic so he got out of it and it just happened.”

Cutler, who threw two touchdowns and one interception in that game, likely won’t change many Bears fan’s minds as Conte is still one of the most disliked players in recent memory. But the former quarterback does his best to defend his former teammate and shine some light on what happened during that play. Keep in mind Rodgers was nearly sacked by former All-Pro defensive end Julius Peppers, which would have ended the game.

Does Cutler have a point? Or do you still blame Conte entirely for the loss all these years later? Watch for yourself, at your own risk of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXq8C5sbRzU

 

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Throwback Thursday: Bears opened 2013 season with comeback win over Bengals

Back in 2013, the Bears rallied from behind to defeat the Bengals in the first game of the Marc Trestman era.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

September 8th, 2013: Bears defeat Bengals in first game of the Marc Trestman era

The Cincinnati Bengals are set to make their first trip back to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears since the 2013 season opener. Back then, Andy Dalton (now the Bears quarterback) was considered the franchise savior with the Bengals entering his third season. Meanwhile on the Bears sideline, Jay Cutler was entering his first season with “offensive guru” Marc Trestman as head coach, looking to create an offensive powerhouse for the first time in franchise history.

Chicago wound up striking first, thanks to a Dalton interception to cornerback Charles Tillman. The Bears responded with a touchdown to new tight end Martellus Bennett for the early 7-0 lead, but the Bengals fought back. Superstar wide receiver A.J. Green torched Tillman and the Bears secondary for two unanswered touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead. Chicago did narrow the gap to 14-10 thanks to a field goal from Robbie Gould near the end of the first half, but still trailed the AFC North foe.

Cincinnati expanded their lead again, though, in the third quarter thanks to another long reception from Green, setting up running back Benjarvus Green-Ellis for a short touchdown run to make the score 21-10. Down 11 points, the Bears turned to their biggest playmakers for help.

First, running back Matt Forte punched the ball in the endzone late in the third quarter to once again trim the lead to 4 points. Then, All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall bullied the Bengals defensive backs, eventually catching a 19-yard pass from Cutler to take back the lead.

After an unsuccessful rebuttal from Dalton, the Bears chewed over six minutes on their final drive to preserve the lead and hang on to start the season 1-0. Up until last year’s victory against the Detroit Lions, this was the last season opener the Bears had won.

Now with Dalton on the opposite sidelines, will he be able to find the Bears’ big playmakers for substaintal gains like he did back then? Or will we see another safe gameplan from the coaching staff. The Bears and Bengals kickoff at noon CT on FOX.

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Danny Trevathan switched his jersey to No. 6 and Bears fans had Jay Cutler jokes

Bears LB Danny Trevathan changed his jersey number to No. 6, and Jay Cutler fans were not happy.

This offseason, the NFL passed a rule proposed by the Chiefs that allowed tight ends and wide receivers to wear any number from 1-49 and 80-89, defensive backs 1-49 and linebackers 1-59 and 90-99.

Bears safety Eddie Jackson took advantage of that rule earlier in the offseason, switching from No. 39 to No. 4, his number at Alabama.

Now, linebacker Danny Trevathan is the latest Bears player to change his jersey number with the league’s new rules, trading in his No. 59 for No. 6.

The last well-known player associated with No. 6 was former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who has been a bit of a cultural icon since his retirement.

So with Trevathan making the switch to No. 6, some fans weren’t exactly pleased.

Jay Cutler joins Twitter and Bears fans couldn’t be happier

Former Bears QB Jay Cutler joined Twitter back in June and finally sent out his first tweet on Monday. Fans couldn’t be happier.

It’s finally happened. Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has joined Twitter. After a few years of Instagram posts, Cutler will now put his words into 280-characters or less.

Cutler, who started 102 games for the Bears, sent out his first tweet on Monday night. Fans were unsure if this was a hoax or not until the former quarterback was verified by Twitter.

And there was plenty of reaction from fans on Twitter.

Former Bears QB Jay Cutler weighs in on the decision to start or sit rookie Justin Fields

There are arguments to be made on both sides regarding if Justin Fields should start Week 1 for the Bears. Here are Jay Cutler’s thoughts.

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The conversation surrounding Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields and whether or not he should be the Week 1 starter continues to be a point of discussion amongst football fans and analysts alike.

Would it be more beneficial for Fields to sit behind veteran Andy Dalton for an extended period of time to learn what it takes to be an NFL quarterback? Or does it make more sense for Fields to start immediately if he shows he’s more than ready to lead an NFL offense?

There are arguments to be made on both sides, despite the fact the Bears are still two months away from beginning training camp, let alone playing in a preseason game. But someone who was once in a very similar position as Fields and is very familiar with playing the position in Chicago decided to share what he thinks of the team’s quarterback situation and how he would approach the dilemma.

Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler joined ESPN 1000’s Waddle and Silvy on Tuesday afternoon and was asked if he thought Fields should start or sit. In a surprise to some, Cutler erred on the side of caution:

“I wouldn’t play the kid [Fields] to start. That’s what I would do, I would let him watch. I think it’s just a tough spot to put someone out there, especially in Chicago and I think Andy [Dalton] is more than serviceable. I think they can win games with Andy and kind of float the ship along until the kid is ready.”

Cutler is most remembered for his many years spent in Chicago where he became the Bears’ all-time leading passer, but he began his career with the Denver Broncos when he was drafted 11th overall in the 2006 NFL draft. He wound up not playing right away and sat behind veteran Jake Plummer for the first 11 games of the season his rookie year before supplanting him as the  starter in early December of 2006.

When discussing Fields, who coincidentally was also the 11th overall pick when the Bears traded up to select him, Cutler reflected back on his own journey and admitted that sitting to start his career benefitted him in the long run.

“I didn’t feel equipped to play Week 1 just because mentally, I wasn’t taking the reps. It’s different for me, I need the reps, I need to see it. I didn’t take the reps so I wasn’t ready to play. But I also think it benefitted me tremendously of watching it, seeing the ups and downs, see us lose games, see us win games. And Jake [Plummer] was a consummate pro. He was fabulous with me and just seeing how he handled life as an NFL quarterback those first 10-12 weeks was insanely valuable for me. Whenever I stepped in, he supported the hell out of me and helped me, answered questions and was there.

“Everyone is different, I’ve always just been on the side of ‘what’s 10 games, what’s a season’ in the grand scheme of this kid’s career. If you believe he’s the guy, then get everything set up so when he’s in there, he’s supported and he can make things happen the way he should instead of battling through all this stuff and seeing ghosts five years from now.”

Cutler’s situation with Plummer was somewhat similar, but also different, when compared to Fields and Dalton. Plummer wasn’t a world-beater at the position, but had just led the Broncos to 13-3 record and played in the AFC Championship game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005. He also was named to his first Pro Bowl that season as well. The Broncos clearly felt comfortable riding with Plummer while Cutler studied under him to start the 2006 season.

The Bears don’t have that same history with Dalton, who was signed in free agency back in March and was assured he would be the starter come week one. Bears head coach Matt Nagy doubled down on that assurance after the selection of Fields. But neither Fields or Dalton has taken a snap as a Bear, however does Dalton have 10 years of experience in the league playing for the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys.

Though he said everyone is different and you truly never know when someone is ready to play quarterback in the NFL, Cutler felt strong about how he was brought along in Denver and believes the Bears would be wise to do something similar with Fields. We’ll see if that continues to be the plan, or if Nagy is forced to roll with the rookie earlier than he’d like.

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