Cutler has conquered the Georgia Dome vs. Smitty
The Branch – Jay Cutler is thinking about re-naming the Georgia Dome, “Cutler’s Castle.”
The Falcons have a custom AirTran Airways designed plane as part of a sponsorhip program with the airline company.
Under second-year head coach Mike Smith, the Falcons are 9-1 at the Georgia Dome. Cutler has been the only quarterback to get out of the place with a victory.
Last season, before he whined and hissed his way out of Denver, Cutler tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Graham with 5:35 left to secure a 24-20 victory.
The Falcons had a shot to win, but Matt Ryan couldn’t pull of the dramatic touchdown drive in that game. He obviously had too much time.
His specialty is the 11-second thriller.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that Cutler is now the quarterback of the Chicago Bears and he’s up to his old tricks.
Granted Matt Hasselbeck wasn’t playing, but Cutler took the Bears into Seattle and beat our old pal Jim Mora and the Seattle Seahawks 25-19 on Sept. 27. Seattle probably has the best home field in the league and a notorious raucous crowd.
“Jay is doing a super job taking care of the ball and just really leading us,” Chicago coach Lovie Smith said. “Of course we feel very comfortable with him.”
Jay Cutler and Detroit Lions QB Matt Stafford are running buddies.
I guess Coach Lovie has just forgotten about the five interceptions Cutler has thrown.
The key stat to watch with Cutler is his passing rating. He’s 13-0 when recording a 100-plus passing rating. Last season, against the Falcons he had a 106.4 passer rating.
“Guys listen to you and they hear, but they want to see with their eyes,” Lovie said. “That’s what they’ve got a chance to do with Jay. He’s been here every day that you could possibly be here when our team has practiced. . . I of course, with everybody else, like what I see.”
So does Falcons cornerback Chris Houston.
“We are looking to get his best,” Houston said.
Houston has also been raving about Chicago rookie “Number 13.” That’s the fleet Johnny Knox, the fifth rounder from Abilene Christian, who has scored a touchdown in three straight games.
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, Knox is only one of five Bears rookies to score in at least three straight games. The others are Walter Payton, Willie Gault, Anthony Thomas and Matt Forte.
“They are fast and explosive,” Houston said. “At any time they can go the distance.”
THE FINAL 11 SECONDS: Here are a couple of links if you want to see those final 11 seconds against the Bears last season.
POWER POLL: In the Sporting News Today’s Power Poll on Tuesday, my buddy Clifton Brown had the Falcons ranked 10th in the league. Brown wrote “Whipping the 49ers was impressive. Matt Ryan must keep feeding Roddy White.”
YOU CAN VOTE FOR TURNER: Running back Michael Turner, who rushed for 97 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers, has been nominated for the FedEx Ground player of the week award. Fans can vote for the winner at www.nfl.com/FedEx. If Turner wins, the company will donate $1,000 to the local Safe Kids USA coalition in Atlanta. Other nominees are Cedric Benson of the Bengals and Ahmad Bradshaw of the Giants.
The donation could go towards painting crosswalks, installing signs, landscaping near sidewalks and playgrounds, installing bike racks, and developing educational programs and events to teach kids about pedestrian safety.
The voting closes at noon on Friday. The winner will be announced Friday evening on NFL.com.
Turner won the award twice last season.
Fergie at the 2005 Emmy Awards (LISA O'CONNOR/ZUMA PRESS)
IN: Singer and entertainer Fergie has an agreement to be limited ownership partner with the Miami Dolphins.
Radio guru and former ESPNer Rush Limbaugh.
OUT: Rush “The Pioneer” Limbaugh has been dropped from the prospective St. Louis Rams ownership group.
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65 comments Add your comment
Adam
October 16th, 2009
1:15 pm
“Coach Lovie Smith must have forgotten about the 5 interceptions” 4 of those were in the first game against the Packers, 3 in the first half of that game. Cutler has been great about protecting the ball since then and has posted 3 consectutive 100 plus passer ratings. The Bears are coming off a bye week; They’re going to be tough to beat.
True Falcon Fan
October 16th, 2009
1:16 pm
Hey Susan Adkins, go back to your daytime soaps and Oprah. You couldn’t recognize a football team on your best day. Do me a favor, sit back Sunday with your People magazine and watch the Falcons hunt the Bears. Can you say bear meat fondue?
AlbertInTucson
October 16th, 2009
1:20 pm
This is weak.
What an absolutely snotty piece of tripe you authored, Mr. Ledbetter.
Based on the tone of this article one would think Jay Cutler had “whined & hissed” his way out of ATLANTA instead of Denver.
I would hope this column could be viewed as your equivalent of say, Jay Cutler’s “first half against Green Bay” as opposed to representing the main body of your work.
BRAD
October 16th, 2009
2:56 pm
I believe that if the Birds had won 1 more game last year, via Roddy’s drop or Boley’s drop, they Falcons might have made the Super Bowl. The Giants were knocked out early and I would have loved our chances at home against the Cards, Eagles, or Panthers. Damn it!!!!
Falcons4Ever
October 16th, 2009
2:57 pm
JOHN ABRAHAM HAS A MESSAGE FOR ALL ATLANTA FALCON FANS FOR THIS SUNDAY’S GAME – LISTEN TO IT HERE!!!!
http://www.atlantafalcons.com/media_library/Videos/Sponsors/2009/Defend_the_Dome_10-16-09.aspx
DaBack9
October 16th, 2009
3:04 pm
The Falcons are a bunch of pigeons and the Bears will put them out of their misery come Sunday night, for all the nation to witness..
Go Bears!!!
SWAT Native
October 16th, 2009
4:27 pm
Maybe it’s just me, but that picture of Cutler makes him look like the most arrogant jerk.
SWAT Native
October 16th, 2009
4:29 pm
…I can’t wait to see him on his back Sunday night.
"Charles", The Original
October 16th, 2009
10:29 pm
Last year, the Atlanta Falcons surprised the NFL by consistently winning football games in spite of four turnovers. This year will determine if there are football teams in the NFL able to take the Atlanta Falcons’ ‘adversity test’, four turnovers or more, and prevail? So far, the Falcons opponents have failed. The Miami Dolphins faltered, 19-7 Carolina Panthers flunked, 28-20, and the San Francisco 49ers flunked-out, 45-10. The New England Patriots abstained until a later date, February 7, 2010, Land Shark Stadium, Super Bowl XLIV. And the next tests takers were and are standing in line are the “Bad News” Bears.
Georgia Dome again, the Falcons can’t wait to get in the Dome again. The life they love is simply winning for their fans. They can’t wait to get in the Dome again. Georgia Dome again, going’ places that they’ve never been, doing things that fans will never see again. They can’t wait to get in the Dome again.
Georgia Dome again, like a band of Champions prepared on Sunday and we’re the best of friends, trusting that the games keep turning our way, and our way. “When you are out there and you’re in that rhythm, sometimes it feels like whatever (offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey) calls is going to work,” said QB Matt Ryan. “We had some of that today.”
Keeps turning our way, and our way, just like a band of Champions prepared on Sunday and we’re the best of friends, trusting that the games are turning our way, and our way. “We have a lot of weapons on offense. We just weren’t clicking like we wanted to, like we expected it to and like it was during the off-season and preseason. But we finally got it done. Hopefully, we can keep it going”, said RB Michael Turner.
Georgia Dome again, like a band of Champions prepared on Sunday and we’re the best of friends, trusting that the games keep turning our way, and our way. “Our back was against the wall. We didn’t play as well the last time out. We felt we had a lot to prove. We were ready to play some football”, said LB Mike Peterson.
Keeps turning our way, and our way, in the Dome again, just can’t wait to get in the Dome again. The life we love is simply winning for our fans. We can’t wait to get in the Dome again. And we’re the best of friends, trusting that momentum is going our way, and our way. …“We had a good week of practice and we came up with a good game plan. And the guys were excited to be out there and excited to make plays and get after things. It was fun out there today…, said DE Kroy Biermann.
Georgia Dome again, like a band of Champions prepared on Sunday and we’re the best of friends, trusting that the games keep turning our way, and our way. “There is Bad News awaiting the Chicago Bears at the Georgia Dome. And that Bad news is in the persons of the Atlanta Falcons. I can see the adversity test being administered to the Chicago Bears, and it’s evident early on that another one will bite the dust in the Georgia Dome. The Bears will fall miserably in defeat”, said “Charles”, The Original.
Keeps turning our way, and our way, and we’re the best of friends, trusting that the games are going our way, and our way. Georgia Dome again, just can’t wait to get in the Dome again. The life we live is simply winning for our fans. We can’t wait to get in the Dome again. We can’t wait to get in the Dome again. We can’t wait to get in the Dome again.
Final score: The Atlanta Falcons 38, and the Chicago Bears 25.
TwoTone
October 17th, 2009
10:39 pm
Dec 6th 2009……………..
The Great Mike Vick Returns Home
“The Day of Rekoning”.
You “rekon” he’ll go 1-3 for 1 yard again?
And that idiot “one heart beat” Barry. Can we get rid of him and “Jock Supporter”?
By “Not Impressed”
“Elite qbs win on the road. Stop blaming Roddy, he dropped the same passes thrown by Vick.”
Well now you went and proved that Vick was no elite qb. He lost to Philly both times he went to the playoffs. Now he plays for Philly. “Can’t beat ‘em, then join ‘em?”
Yall are both the worlds biggest jackasses!
richbrave
October 18th, 2009
10:38 am
Is EL SID doing any good for the birds? RICHMOND continues cleaning house and taking names without him.
Navigator
October 18th, 2009
2:49 pm
You have to be smart when you play Cutler. The defense has to lull him into believing there’s an opening and jump the play. Use his big ego against himself.
Sautee
October 18th, 2009
7:40 pm
Wonder just what “Bad News” and all his other personas thought of Tony Dungy saying “Matt Ryan is a young Peyton Manning” ?????
TwoTone
October 19th, 2009
12:07 am
Wonder just what “Bad News” and all his other personas thought of Tony Dungy saying “Matt Ryan is a young Peyton Manning” ?????
THEY WILL CALL TONY DUNGY AN UNCLE TOM BECAUSE THAT IS THE KIND OF IDIOTIC MORONS THEY ARE
Lil Larry
October 19th, 2009
8:35 am
Cutler conquered the Ga Dome vs Smitty…Not!