Bob Glauber's NFL hot reads: Will Jay Cutler claim another head coach?
Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler looks to pass against the Jets during a game at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 22, 2014. Credit: Getty Images / Al Bello
Will Cutler claim another coach?
With the Bears' season imploding after back-to-back losses in which they've allowed more than 50 points, coach Marc Trestman is on the hot seat. If he's fired at the end of the season, it would mean that quarterback Jay Cutler will have gone through yet another head coach.
In Denver, Mike Shanahan was fired after Cutler's third season with the Broncos. Cutler didn't get along with Shanahan's successor, Josh McDaniels, and wound up being traded to the Bears in 2009. McDaniels got the boot after just two seasons, and though you can't blame Cutler directly, his inability to coexist with Shanahan didn't help.
Lovie Smith was fired after Cutler's fourth season with the Bears.
Looks like we're seeing the second coming of Jeff George, another talented first-round quarterback who also left a trail of coaches in his wake.
Stat of the week
The Chiefs are 6-3 and just a game off the AFC West lead, but they're succeeding in unconventional fashion. Consider: The Chiefs haven't had a single touchdown from their wide receivers all season. Not one. Every other team has at least three touchdowns by a wide receiver.
How are they doing it? Well, coach Andy Reid has been quite a resourceful play-caller, with his running backs accounting for 17 touchdowns and his tight ends six.
Some Giants, Jets on uptick
The Jets and Giants are a combined 5-14 so far, but at least there are some encouraging numbers for individual players. According to the highly regarded Profootballfocus.com, which tracks players through an assortment of statistical categories, left tackle Will Beatty has been the most improved Giant, going from a score of minus 11.7 last year to a plus 10.1 this year. Last season, he allowed a sack on every 32 pass blocks; this year, it's one in every 47.
Jets linebacker Demario Davis has shown the greatest individual improvement from last season to this season of any player on the team. His tackling efficiency has gone from a score of 7.7 last year -- fifth worst among 40 qualifying inside linebackers -- to 21.7 this year. His missed tackles have gone from 14 last year to just three this year.
Unfortunately for the Jets, a player no longer with the team has shown the most improvement with his new club: cornerback Antonio Cromartie. When quarterbacks threw toward Cromartie last year, they had a rating of 100.7. This year, with the 8-1 Cardinals, it's just 55.6.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
