Bears Blitz

Published by Bear Heiser on December 18, 2014
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears fans called for the backup quarterback, and that’s exactly what they’re going to get Sunday when the Detroit Lions roll into town.

Only 11 months after signing a seven-year, $126 million contract extension with Chicago, Jay Cutler reportedly will ride the bench for the remainder of the season.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that it will be Jimmy Clausen who starts Sunday at quarterback for the Bears. Chris Mortensen of ESPN furthered Schefter’s report with news that Clausen was informed this morning of the change.

This is the second major leak that has come from Halas Hall in the past 10 days. The first leak came from offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer, who admitted to being the source behind the “buyer’s remorse” report filed by NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

Moving Cutler to the bench is not all that surprising—this very idea was floated here Tuesday. What is surprising, though, is the timing of the news, as head coach Marc Trestman addressed the media just a few hours before Schefter broke the news. Predictably, the coach was vague when answering questions about changes being made, via ChicagoBears.com:

I think it’s always on an individual basis, on how we go about doing things. We always talk about those things at halftime, at all positions. What can we do to do better? We make decisions at the time that are in the best interests of the team, and that’s how we go about it.

If you are to believe Trestman, then starting Clausen must be “in the best interests of the team.” That’s somewhat hard to believe, since Clausen will have one fewer day this week to practice with the Bears coming off a Monday night game.

A change at quarterback right now only is good for the team’s long-term interests, as it protects Cutler from injury or further straining his relationship with teammates and fans.

There is “genuine disbelief” inside the locker room over the way Cutler’s benching has been handled given the way Kromer was “slapped on the wrist” after outing himself as the leak, according to ESPN Chicago’s Jeff Dickerson. 

The accountability Trestman has been preaching all season finally is playing out before our very eyes.

Now the Clausen era begins. Can you feel the excitement?

“Everyone says if it doesn’t kill you it only makes you stronger,” Clausen told ChicagoFootball.com back in September. “So going through trials and tribulations like I did in Carolina only made me a better player, a better person in the long run. It’s what has gotten me to this point today.”

If Clausen thinks the “trials and tribulations” he’s faced have been tough, just wait until he throws his second interception before halftime at Soldier Field for an underachieving team that just benched its starting quarterback.

It’s not going to get any easier for Mr. Clausen.

The 2010 second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers hasn’t started a game since Week 17 of his rookie season, making Sunday’s start a very interesting one—from a crash-and-burn perspective.

Clausen almost exclusively crashed and burned in his 10 starts for the Panthers in 2010. He led Carolina to a 1-9 record, threw three touchdowns against nine interceptions and posted an NFL-worst Total QBR of 11.0, according to ESPN Stats and Information. In the nine seasons since ESPN has been tracking QBR, Clausen’s 11.0 is the lowest season-ending total for any quarterback.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall inside Detroit’s defensive meetings.

Ndamukong Suh has got to be champing at the bit right about now just waiting for Sunday to arrive. For good reason, too. The resurgent Lions allow the fewest points per game (17) of any team in the league and the fewest rush yards per game (63.8), which is good for the Bears because they don’t run the ball anyway.

When the Bears lost 34-17 to the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, Trestman called 51 pass plays to just seven run plays, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Cutler threw two interceptions and was sacked three times. Of Cutler’s 48 pass attempts against the Lions, 29 of them were thrown no farther than nine yards downfield.

Barring a drastic change in philosophy, Clausen should expect more of that same strategy. There’s no reason to believe Trestman suddenly will decide to commit to the run.

No way, no how; although it would tremendously benefit his new quarterback.

Clausen has been on the field this season for 26 snaps, according to PFF, completing 3-of-9 passes for 42 uncompelling yards.

You have to go back to the preseason to find game action where he actually looked like a professional quarterback, when he threw for 280 yards on 24-of-37 passing with two touchdowns and one interception.

But that’s the preseason. We’re now in the waning moments of the regular season, when teams are fighting tooth and nail to lock down a spot in the postseason.

Clausen is about to be in over his head—on an island, so to speak.

The problems that lie within the Bears offense are so deep that a new quarterback—sadly—won’t be able to repair them. Bleacher Report’s Matt Bowen is on point with his take on this quarterback change:

Chicago is a defeated football team. Playing spoiler clearly didn’t matter last week against the New Orleans Saints, and it’s unlikely to matter Sunday against the Lions.

Vacation season is almost here, folks. Expecting anything more at this point would be silly.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com