Not since he caught a touchdown pass — on a throwback to the quarterback — to win the Indiana state prep championship has Jay Cutler tasted the fruits of victory as often as he has this season, his fifth in the NFL.
He was the Southeastern Conference’s offensive player of the year for a losing team at Vanderbilt.
He went to the Pro Bowl for an 8-8 Broncos team.
And much like wide ties, it became quite fashionable — in the wake of the Broncos’ trade that shipped him to the Bears in what turned out to be the first of many controversies of the Josh McDaniels era — to say that Cutler had never been a winner.
Well, he’s a division champion now. The Bears have locked up the NFC North, at 10-4, and can still earn a first- week playoff bye. There’s a big vocational step available for Cutler to take, because if he can play with some maturity, the Bears are good enough to go deep into the postseason.
And with the Broncos sitting at 3-11, staring at scorched earth around them, Cutler likely is very happy to have the chance.
Must-see game of the week
Jets at Bears 11 a.m.
The skinny: This is a quality test for two quarterbacks who have battled their own mistakes at times this season. Eight of Jay Cutler’s 13 interceptions have come in three games, including the four-interception cave-in against the Redskins, when Cutler said he didn’t see any problem in continuing to throw at DeAngelo Hall and Hall kept intercepting his passes.
The Jets’ Mark Sanchez hasn’t averaged more than 6 yards an attempt in the last four games and has just one touchdown pass in those four games combined.
The difference will be: If the Bears can keep their edge. The Mike Martz-Cutler dynamic is always worth noting since both would prefer to live on the edge at times — Martz in the team’s play-calling and Cutler in where he tries to put the ball.
The Jets have a complicated look in their scheme, with an unorthodox mix of pressure and combinations of players dropping into coverage. It can be a tough day for a quarterback, but the ones with patience and some quality protection have found some holes.
The call: Bears 23-20
Catch ’em if you can
Titans at Chiefs 11 a.m.
The Titans are a maddening team that one week looks to be an aggressive, powerful, dominating group and the next week a mistake-prone outfit that continually surrenders big plays. They are coming off a dominating week.
However, the Tennessee secondary has been far too charitable this season, and if the Chiefs can protect Matt Cassel, Kansas City should find a big play or two.
The call: Chiefs 27-21
Colts at Raiders 2 p.m.
This is one of those moments for the Raiders. Tom Cable has successfully, most of the time, gotten this team to play the way it should — with a pound-it-out look on offense — even if Al Davis has never really favored such a thing.
They’ve looked good this year; they’ve looked horrible. A win here says a lot about where they are and would keep them in the division race.
The call: Raiders 31-30
Giants at Packers 2:15 p.m.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (concussion) was cleared to play in a game the Packers desperately need to stay in the playoff race. The Giants’ own playoff chances took a hit in the fourth-quarter meltdown against Philadelphia last Sunday.
If it’s Lambeau, somebody had better block Clay Matthews. In his last 12 home games, the Packers linebacker has 11 sacks, two fumble recoveries and interception return for a touchdown.
The call: Packers 24-23
Vikings at Eagles 6:20 p.m.
With Brett Favre’s concussion, rookie Joe Webb is expected to get the start. Webb is a fantastic runner with top-tier speed — he ran 4.44 in the 40 in predraft workouts at 223 pounds — so the Vikings may have a few more wrinkles for Webb.
The Eagles, however, are the most explosive, quick-strike team in the league and have won 12 of their last 14 December games.
The call: Eagles 33-20
Quick hitters
Patriots at Bills 11 a.m.
The Patriots have won the last 14 meetings, with the last Buffalo victory coming in the 2003 season opener. The Pats lead the league in turnover margin at plus-20.
The call: Patriots 31-10
Ravens at Browns 11 a.m.
Ravens QB Joe Flacco is 5-0 in his career vs. Cleveland. The Ravens’ fortunes are tied to Ray Rice. Last week, Rice had his first 100-yard rushing game since Oct. 10, and the Ravens beat the Saints.
The call: Ravens 28-17
Redskins at Jags 11 a.m.
Safe to say the Mike Shanahan- Broncos divorce has not been a win-win situation for all involved. If the Jaguars simply play the way they’re supposed to, they’ll stay in the AFC South hunt.
The call: Jaguars 24-21
Lions at Dolphins 11 a.m.
When the Dolphins get in trouble, it’s because they turn the ball over too much — they’re minus-8 this season.
The call: Dolphins 20-16
49ers at Rams 11 a.m.
The Rams still have a shot in the quagmire of the NFC West in Steve Spagnuolo’s second year as head coach and Sam Bradford’s first as the QB. But the 49ers have won nine of the past 11 meetings.
The call: Rams 13-10
Seahawks at Bucs 2:15 p.m.
The Bucs have succeeded with their youth movement on offense. Second-year QB Josh Freeman has a TD pass in 11 consecutive games, and they are led in both rushing and receiving by rookies.
The call: Buccaneers 23-16
Chargers at Bengals 2 p.m.
The Chargers may have waited too long to crank up their usual late- season run, but if good fortune smiles on them again, they are the team few would want to face in the postseason. They’ve won 10 consecutive December road games.
The call: Chargers 35-20
