Meet Jay Cutler, Mr. Fourth Quarter
1-10-CHI 34 (3:08) (Shotgun) J.Cutler pass incomplete short middle to A.Jeffery. (This is the one that bounced off the umpire’s head)
2-10-CHI 34 (3:04) (Shotgun) J.Cutler pass short middle to M.Forte to CHI 40 for 6 yards (J.Sanford).
3-4-CHI 40 (2:28) (Shotgun) J.Cutler pass short middle to B.Marshall to MIN 48 for 12 yards (H.Smith).
Two-Minute Warning
1-10-MIN 48 (2:00) (Shotgun) J.Cutler pass short right to M.Forte to 50 for -2 yards (B.Robison).
2-12-50 (1:32) (No Huddle, Shotgun) J.Cutler pass short right to A.Jeffery to MIN 39 for 11 yards (C.Greenway).
The Replay Assistant challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld.
3-1-MIN 39 (1:08) (Shotgun) J.Cutler pass short left to B.Marshall to MIN 29 for 10 yards (H.Smith).
1-10-MIN 29 (:49) (No Huddle, Shotgun) J.Cutler pass incomplete deep right to A.Jeffery (X.Rhodes).
PENALTY on CHI-J.Bushrod, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at MIN 29 – No Play.
1-20-MIN 39 (:43) (Shotgun) J.Cutler pass short left to M.Bennett to MIN 16 for 23 yards (E.Henderson).
1-10-MIN 16 (:22) (No Huddle) J.Cutler spiked the ball to stop the clock.
2-10-MIN 16 (:21) (Shotgun) J.Cutler pass incomplete deep right to A.Jeffery.
3-10-MIN 16 (:16) (Shotgun) J.Cutler pass short left to M.Bennett for 16 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
If you exclude the spike of the ball to stop the clock, Jay went 7 out of 9 inside of 3 minutes to march the Bears back and steal a game they had no business winning. There were opportune times for Cutler to lose his cool. The first pass of the drive buzzed off the umpire’s head for an incomplete pass.
The holding penalty on Bushrod could have been a major setback too, but not for Cutler. Not today at least. Cutler marched his team down in a driving rain, on a sloppy field in a game the Bears didn’t deserve to win. He overcame three turnovers of his own and became Mr. Fourth Quarter. It’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?