omac
11-23-2007, 04:20 AM
http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=4110
Bears determined to keep Broncos QB under wraps
By Larry Mayer
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Hunter Hillenmeyer hopes to run into former Vanderbilt teammate Jay Cutler (again and again) Sunday when the Bears host the Broncos at Soldier Field.
Denver’s promising second-year quarterback has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,082 yards with 11 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and an 88.9 passer rating that ranks ninth in the NFL this season.
Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer takes on former college teammate Jay Cutler Sunday at Soldier Field.
“I had two years with him [at Vanderbilt],” Hillenmeyer said. “One of them was a redshirt year. But I did watch him beat out a really good player. He was facing a guy that was going into his senior year, earned the starting job, and then since I left he has got better every year.”
The Bears (4-6) have struggled this season against quarterbacks like Cutler who can keep plays alive with their feet. The Cowboys’ Tony Romo passed for 329 yards and 2 TDs Sept. 23 in a 34-10 win at Soldier Field and the Seahawks’ Matt Hasselbeck threw for 337 yards and 2 TDs last Sunday in a 30-23 victory in Seattle.
“Once the quarterback breaks the pocket, your traditional cover rules kind of break down and you just cover whoever’s in your zone, and a lot of times that’s easier said than done,” Hillenmeyer said. “But coaches have emphasized that for a couple weeks in a row now, so hopefully we’ll be able to do that.”
In Monday night’s 34-20 win over the Tennessee Titans, Cutler completed 16 of 21 passes for 200 yards with 2 TDs, no interceptions and a career-high 137.0 passer rating.
“I think to be a great quarterback you’ve got to be a risk taker,” Hillenmeyer said. “All the best quarterbacks are willing to throw the ball into some tight spots. They’re not really afraid of interceptions.
"Obviously, you never want your quarterback to throw many picks. But he does a great job of forcing it into some good spots. He’s got a lot of confidence in his arm and he probably should because he’s got as strong an arm as anybody in the league.”
Cutler, who has rushed for 109 yards on 26 carries this season, isn’t really a scrambler.
“I’m not ready to put him in the mobile category,” said defensive end Alex Brown. “They design plays for him. They get him out of the pocket so he can make plays down the field. He has a strong arm. He takes chances with the ball. I mean, it’s a high percentage chance. There’s a high percentage that he’s going to succeed when he takes those chances.
“He’s a good young quarterback. If he keeps progressing like he is, he’ll probably end up a dominant quarterback in this league. But we hope he’s just not so dominant on Sunday.”
After finishing second in the NFL with 24 interceptions last season, the Bears have picked off just six passes in 2007, tied for the fewest in the league with the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.
“We’ve had missed opportunities, where we had chances to catch a ball,” said defensive coordinator Bob Babich. “We’ve always said, ‘Hey, catch the ones that are thrown to you and if you do that you’ll get plenty of interceptions.’ But we haven’t had as many opportunities.
"It’s something we’re working on. It’s definitely a problem that we’ve addressed.”
Unlike last weekend when the Bears pretty much knew that Hasselbeck and the Seahawks would come out throwing, the Broncos (5-5) are bound to attack in a number of different ways.
“They present a couple challenges,” Babich said. “Against different opponents and different styles of defense, they’ve done different things. They’ve shown where they can come out and pound it; line up two tight ends, two backs and pound it. And they have also shown where they can spread it and throw it.
“Cutler is a good quarterback. He also can produce with his legs and create problems with his legs, and he has an excellent arm and a good receiver in Brandon Marshall and [Brandon] Stokley is a seasoned veteran. They present some problems.”
The Broncos seemingly would be more likely to pass given that running backs Travis Henry and Selvin Young both missed practice for a second straight day Thursday with knee injuries.
But Denver's successful zone blocking scheme has helped several unheralded runners have big days, the latest being Andre Hall, who rushed for 89 yards on seven carries including a 62-yard TD Monday night against the Titans.
""It's unbelievable," said center Olin Kreutz. "It's one of the very few things that you can actually call a system run game in the NFL. I think they have two starting offensive linemen out. One of the great centers of all time, Tom Nalen, is out and their run game still works. They have free agent running backs doing it, so it's hard to say it's not a system run game. It is, and it's really impressive to watch."
Health update: Receiver Bernard Berrian (toe), cornerbacks Nate Vasher (groin) and Trumaine McBride (hip), and fullback Jason McKie (foot) all missed practice Thursday. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris (knee) was limited, while linebacker Lance Briggs (knee) practiced without restrictions.
Bears determined to keep Broncos QB under wraps
By Larry Mayer
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Hunter Hillenmeyer hopes to run into former Vanderbilt teammate Jay Cutler (again and again) Sunday when the Bears host the Broncos at Soldier Field.
Denver’s promising second-year quarterback has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,082 yards with 11 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and an 88.9 passer rating that ranks ninth in the NFL this season.
Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer takes on former college teammate Jay Cutler Sunday at Soldier Field.
“I had two years with him [at Vanderbilt],” Hillenmeyer said. “One of them was a redshirt year. But I did watch him beat out a really good player. He was facing a guy that was going into his senior year, earned the starting job, and then since I left he has got better every year.”
The Bears (4-6) have struggled this season against quarterbacks like Cutler who can keep plays alive with their feet. The Cowboys’ Tony Romo passed for 329 yards and 2 TDs Sept. 23 in a 34-10 win at Soldier Field and the Seahawks’ Matt Hasselbeck threw for 337 yards and 2 TDs last Sunday in a 30-23 victory in Seattle.
“Once the quarterback breaks the pocket, your traditional cover rules kind of break down and you just cover whoever’s in your zone, and a lot of times that’s easier said than done,” Hillenmeyer said. “But coaches have emphasized that for a couple weeks in a row now, so hopefully we’ll be able to do that.”
In Monday night’s 34-20 win over the Tennessee Titans, Cutler completed 16 of 21 passes for 200 yards with 2 TDs, no interceptions and a career-high 137.0 passer rating.
“I think to be a great quarterback you’ve got to be a risk taker,” Hillenmeyer said. “All the best quarterbacks are willing to throw the ball into some tight spots. They’re not really afraid of interceptions.
"Obviously, you never want your quarterback to throw many picks. But he does a great job of forcing it into some good spots. He’s got a lot of confidence in his arm and he probably should because he’s got as strong an arm as anybody in the league.”
Cutler, who has rushed for 109 yards on 26 carries this season, isn’t really a scrambler.
“I’m not ready to put him in the mobile category,” said defensive end Alex Brown. “They design plays for him. They get him out of the pocket so he can make plays down the field. He has a strong arm. He takes chances with the ball. I mean, it’s a high percentage chance. There’s a high percentage that he’s going to succeed when he takes those chances.
“He’s a good young quarterback. If he keeps progressing like he is, he’ll probably end up a dominant quarterback in this league. But we hope he’s just not so dominant on Sunday.”
After finishing second in the NFL with 24 interceptions last season, the Bears have picked off just six passes in 2007, tied for the fewest in the league with the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.
“We’ve had missed opportunities, where we had chances to catch a ball,” said defensive coordinator Bob Babich. “We’ve always said, ‘Hey, catch the ones that are thrown to you and if you do that you’ll get plenty of interceptions.’ But we haven’t had as many opportunities.
"It’s something we’re working on. It’s definitely a problem that we’ve addressed.”
Unlike last weekend when the Bears pretty much knew that Hasselbeck and the Seahawks would come out throwing, the Broncos (5-5) are bound to attack in a number of different ways.
“They present a couple challenges,” Babich said. “Against different opponents and different styles of defense, they’ve done different things. They’ve shown where they can come out and pound it; line up two tight ends, two backs and pound it. And they have also shown where they can spread it and throw it.
“Cutler is a good quarterback. He also can produce with his legs and create problems with his legs, and he has an excellent arm and a good receiver in Brandon Marshall and [Brandon] Stokley is a seasoned veteran. They present some problems.”
The Broncos seemingly would be more likely to pass given that running backs Travis Henry and Selvin Young both missed practice for a second straight day Thursday with knee injuries.
But Denver's successful zone blocking scheme has helped several unheralded runners have big days, the latest being Andre Hall, who rushed for 89 yards on seven carries including a 62-yard TD Monday night against the Titans.
""It's unbelievable," said center Olin Kreutz. "It's one of the very few things that you can actually call a system run game in the NFL. I think they have two starting offensive linemen out. One of the great centers of all time, Tom Nalen, is out and their run game still works. They have free agent running backs doing it, so it's hard to say it's not a system run game. It is, and it's really impressive to watch."
Health update: Receiver Bernard Berrian (toe), cornerbacks Nate Vasher (groin) and Trumaine McBride (hip), and fullback Jason McKie (foot) all missed practice Thursday. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris (knee) was limited, while linebacker Lance Briggs (knee) practiced without restrictions.