Glendale, Ariz. – Rookie quarterbacks can be pushed, poked, coddled and forgiven.
They don’t arrive as legit, NFL-quality quarterbacks, however, until they truly arrive.
John Elway didn’t come into his own until the 15th game of his rookie season, when he engineered the first of his 47 fourth-quarter comebacks.
Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005, needed a full season and 13 1/2 games into his second before he became an NFL-caliber talent for the San Francisco 49ers.
For the next case study, there is Jay Cutler. It took him three games to convince the Broncos he’s not only their quarterback of the future, but their QB for the here and now.
In leading the Broncos to a skid-stopping 37-20 victory against the Arizona Cardinals here Sunday afternoon, Cutler showed he has a big enough arm to win a game when it was needed most.
Observers with other rooting interests might point out Cutler has but one NFL win. To which Broncoland might say: So?
Ladies and gentleman, the Broncos have themselves a quarterback.
“He was slinging that ball around, man,” Broncos defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said. “Just like any rookie he’s going to have some mistakes, but he’s playing like a six-year, seven-year vet back there because he’s so composed.”
One win changed everything for the Broncos. Entering this game, they were on the outside of the AFC playoff standings, hoping to play their way back in. But this win, along with losses by Jacksonville and Kansas City, moved the Broncos to the No. 6, and final, playoff spot with two games to go.
And if Indianapolis beats the Cincinnati Bengals tonight, the Broncos would be in control of the AFC’s No. 5 spot.
“It can change that quick,” said Domonique “Slash” Foxworth, who after starting the past two games as the Broncos’ strong safety moved back to cornerback where he started ahead of the injured Darrent Williams. “Now, the talk will be how Jay Cutler is the second coming of John Elway and our defense is back to where it was at the beginning of the season. That’s how it is in the NFL.”
The Broncos move forward knowing they have the makings of a big-time quarterback. In the well-hyped matchup of first-round rookie quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Cutler, it was no contest. Although Leinart has two superb receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, Leinart primarily threw short, safety-valve passes.
And his passes weren’t always safe. After boldly saying last week he would not be afraid to throw at Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, Leinart threw two passes that Bailey intercepted.
Leinart finished with a 51.4 passer rating. Cutler became the third rookie in NFL history to throw at least two touchdown passes in his first three starts, finishing this one with a 101.7 rating. The other rookies who accomplished this quick-starting feat were Charlie Conerly in 1948 and Dan Marino in 1983.
Still, think it’s too early to get carried away about Cutler?
“I had a lot of confidence coming into this game,” said Cutler, who completed 21-of-31 for 261 yards with one interception against the two touchdowns. “I felt a lot more comfortable this week, this being my third start and just playing more football and getting comfortable under center. Once we hit that big one, we got a lot of confidence on our side of the ball.”
From the time the offense ran through its game plan on Wednesday, Cutler knew the first three plays: Tatum Bell run right, Bell to the right again, and on the third play, fake to Bell, roll to the left and throw the bomb. It was all Cutler could do to not burst out of his skin as the week went along.
“We were going to do it again if it didn’t work,” Cutler said.
The first two plays went well as Bell picked up the first down, leaving the ball at the Broncos’ 46. On the third play, Cutler rolled left, stopped, planted and heaved. Although Cutler was clobbered just after he delivered the pass, the ball sailed until Javon Walker raced under it, catching it a half step into the end zone.
Funny, but Walker had not caught a touchdown pass in his past four games. The Broncos lost them all.
“It’s been our thing all year – slow starting,” Broncos tight end Stephen Alexander said. “We talk about it every single day. The first thing anybody says on game day, ‘We’ve got to start fast!’ It’s huge because it affects your whole mind-set. You take an early lead, it takes the pressure off. You don’t have to force to make something happen.”
Cutler’s performance took pressure off so many Broncos, including Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. He was second-guessed for replacing Jake Plummer with Cutler three games ago, especially after the Broncos lost the first two.
But one win provided ample evidence that in Cutler, the Broncos have a throwing weapon they have missed since Elway retired.
“It doesn’t take a genius out there to figure out that this guy is very composed, makes all his throws and plays with a lot of confidence,” Shanahan said.
As an NFL quarterback, it appears Cutler has arrived.
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.
EXTRA POINTS
Broncos reporter Bill Williamson breaks down Denver’s 37-20 victory over the Cardinals at Arizona:
TURNING POINT: Smith’s TD catch
Rookie quarterback Jay Cutler hit veteran wide receiver Rod Smith in the corner of the end zone for a 10-
yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give the Broncos a 23-10 lead.
“We really came together today,” Smith said. “We made big plays when we had to.”
CRAZY PLAY OF THE DAY: Caught in traffic
Watch the bouncing ball. Arizona wideout Anquan Boldin tried to snare a deflected Matt Leinart pass, going between Broncos defensive backs Domonique Foxworth and John Lynch. The ball was knocked down by Foxworth. Boldin was knocked down by Foxworth and Lynch.
“We were aggressive all game,” Foxworth said.
HIT OF THE DAY: Paying the price
On the second play of the second quarter, Broncos tight end Nate Jackson made a big catch at the Arizona 3-yard line. But Jackson paid for it. He got hit high and low by Arizona linebacker Orlando Huff and safety Robert Griffith. Huff brought down Jackson by his legs, and Griffith chopped Jackson down at the chest. Jackson held on, setting up a field goal by Jason Elam to give Denver a 13-0 lead.
BESTS: Thing of beauty
Play: Beautiful is the only way to describe it. On Denver’s third offensive play of the game, Jay Cutler hit Javon Walker for a 54-yard touchdown pass. It was a perfectly executed rollout pass by Cutler, who helped give Denver a quick 7-0 lead.
Quarterback: Cutler outplayed Matt Leinart much of the game. Leinart, a former Southern California star, was chosen one pick ahead of Cutler (Vanderbilt) in the April draft. Cutler had the edge Sunday.
Return: Quincy Morgan had a 64-yard kickoff return in the third quarter, the longest kick return for the Broncos in three years.
WORSTS: Don’t pick on Bailey
Pass: Matt Leinart tried to challenge Champ Bailey early. It didn’t work. Bailey’s interception set up a field goal by Jason Elam that gave Denver a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
Time of possession: The Cardinals had the ball only three minutes, 36 seconds in the first quarter.
Penalty: Early in the third quarter, Neil Rackers cut Arizona’s deficit to 16-13 with a 40-yard field goal. But an Arizona holding penalty erased it. Rackers then missed from 50 yards.
REPORT CARD
Offense
B: This offense is clicking. New quarterback Jay Cutler belongs. He had an outstanding game, completing 9-of-10 passes in the second quarter. The offense has scored 77 points in Cutler’s three starts, and they’re moving the ball. Cutler’s 54-yard touchdown pass to receiver Javon Walker in the first quarter was a thing of beauty. Denver’s running game was effective when it had to be; rookie Mike Bell scored two short-yardage touchdowns.
Defense
B: The defense was challenged by players and coaches during the week. It responded well. Denver, after a porous stretch of games, shut down Arizona on Sunday. The Cardinals scored two touchdowns – one on defense and the other in garbage time. Big receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin were irrelevant, for the most part, and running back Edgerrin James was a nonfactor.
Special teams
A: Yes, an “A” for the Broncos’ special teams. Wow! They did it. Returner Quincy Morgan, who retook the job from rookie Brian Clark, had a big day. He made a 64-yard kickoff return, the longest for Denver in three years. Punt returner David Kircus added a 16-yard return, and kicker Jason Elam booted three field goals.
Coaching
A: Early last week, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan set the tone by calmly telling his players they were in charge of getting themselves out of this mess. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer essentially said the same thing. While the coaches let the players know where they stood, they also were aggressive with the game plan on both sides of the ball.
Overall
A: The four-game losing streak is not forgotten, but it is over. The Broncos washed away the stink of the streak with a solid victory and will be in the playoffs if they win their final two games, both at home. The Broncos can hardly ask for a better opportunity.
– Bill Williamson
