Cutler's calm catching

Teammates gaining confidence in QB as he grows up quickly

Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News

Published December 26, 2006 at midnight

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The snow was falling. The wind was whipping. The fans were frenzied. The players were pumped. The playoff stakes were high.

And through it all, Jay Cutler remained calm.

Even after an interception on his very first pass Sunday, the Broncos rookie quarterback looked like he'd fallen out of bed and hadn't yet wiped his eyes while staring down the Cincinnati Bengals.

"It happens," he said with a shrug of the shoulders after leading his team to a 24-23 victory that set up a one-win-and-in postseason scenario this weekend. "I should have known better. As soon as I let it go I knew it was a pick, but I bounced back and we had some good touchdown drives later on."

That attitude helps explain why Cutler's been able to weather his first month on the job as a starting NFL player for Denver (9-6).

He keeps pushing forward, keeps getting better. Not only that, he keeps himself on an even keel throughout while taking those steps.

Cutler didn't throw another interception against the Bengals after his early error while completing 12-of-23 passes for 179 yards and touchdown strikes to tight end Tony Scheffler and receiver Javon Walker.

He's now gone four straight games with two scoring passes, becoming the first rookie in league history with multiple touchdown throws in each of his first four games played and only the second player of any experience level to do so (Washington's Mark Rypien in 1998 was the other).

Cutler also joined Miami's Dan Marino as the only first-year players to throw at least two touchdown passes in each of his first four starts.

"It's not a surprise to us because we see him every day," said Walker, who caught a long scoring pass for the second straight week with a 39-yarder Sunday. "I think just the more comfortable he gets in the offense and being out there more, he's going to become one of the best out there. And obviously it's exciting. Now do it again next week."

A victory at home Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers (6-9) would assure the Broncos of the No. 5 seed as a wild card with a possible visit to New England for a postseason rematch with the Patriots among the possibilities.

That scenario, or any playoff talk, seemed unlikely only a few weeks ago with the change behind center from Jake Plummer.

There were the expected growing pains after the move away from the veteran to the rookie. Cutler lost his debut to the Seattle Seahawks, then played better in another defeat to the San Diego Chargers that dropped Denver to 7-6.

But since then, the rookie has settled in nicely, and the rest of the team has followed suit.

His 57.1 percent completion rate right now is the best for any rookie in team history with a minimum of 50 pass attempts.

"I think we're doing some things that play to his strengths," receiver Rod Smith said.

Attacking downfield is one of them. On a 99-yard drive against the Bengals that will likely stand as one of the season's signature moments, Cutler lofted a perfect 25-yard strike to Scheffler to give the Broncos breathing room. He fired another 18-yard bullet to David Kircus on the drive, then showed touch on a quick-hitter to Walker, who made a deft open-field run for a 17-yard gain.

"He's taking what he did in college and taken it to the next level and doing the same types of things," Smith said. "Every game I've seen him get better, just with his whole mannerisms and everything, getting everybody in and out of the huddle, the whole tempo. . . . On that drive, we were in a certain rhythm and when we're in that rhythm, he's in that rhythm."

Cutler credited his steady growth to gaining in confidence and comfort level the more he plays.

"Everyone's starting to feel me out, and I'm feeling out the coaches," he said. "Hopefully we can only get better from here."

Cutler needs 229 yards passing against the 49ers to give him 1,000 for the season. He'd join Plummer as only the seventh Denver tandem to post that figure in a season.

Given the rookie's personality, it's an accomplishment he'll likely brush off as quickly as he did Dexter Jackson's interception on the first play from scrimmage Sunday.

That mistake came, in part, because Cutler trusted his arm strength to get the ball into a tight area to Scheffler. But it was that same arm strength on the goal line that resulted in Scheffler's touchdown. The extra zip on that ball prevented another interception on a 1-yard toss.

"When it was on the line, he made some big-time plays," coach Mike Shanahan said.

Tight end Stephen Alexander listed one of Cutler's strengths as having the vision to see his situation for what it really is: a game that's meant to be fun.

Combined with Cutler's physical tools, it's a potentially potent mixture.

"He's definitely taken things and put things on his shoulders and played extremely well," Alexander said, crediting the QB's supporting cast for its role in the rookie's rapid growth, as well. "It's pretty unbelievable what he'd done so far. I'm sure he'll tell you there are things he can get better at and things we can get better at as an offense. But his maturity is fairly unbelievable."

Smith pointed to Cutler having to know not only what the entire offense is doing but the defense as well, along with simply making the play calls, as explanations for the rookie's icy approach.

But all one really has to know is this: "He's a quarterback," Smith said. "They're all kind of quirky anyway."

rasizerl@RockyMountainNews.com

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