Chicago Bears franchise quarterback, Jay Cutler, is literally all thumbs when it comes to leading his significantly upgraded offense in 2012.  Cutler had season ending surgery after injuring his right thumb in Week 11 last year but says it is all better and is ready to return.

According to NFL.com Cutler had this to say on Monday during a diabetes awareness event at Perspectives Charter School Calumet Campus when asked about his previously injured thumb.

“It’s fine,” I really didn’t throw a lot in the offseason, rehabbed a little bit and came back and felt good.”

We’ve all heard the saying that hindsight is 20/20 vision.  The thought of knowing in the past what is known today would have often resulted in a different decision than what was previously made. If this principle were applied to the Chicago Bears the question has to be asked whether or not Lovie Smith would do things differently following the thumb injury to starting quarterback Jay Cutler as Chicago’s offense has been stagnate since.  Did Lovie cost the Bears a playoff spot by not bringing in a quarterback to replace Cutler?  Most Bears’ fans would say yes.

When Jay Cutler went down in Week 10 the Bears were 7-3 and one of the hottest teams in the NFL.  That would all change as after a big win against the San Diego Chargers, Cutler was diagnosed with a thumb injury that required surgery and would likely cost him the rest of the season.  In a press conference the following Monday Lovie Smith confirmed Cutler’s injury while talking about the Bears future.

Lovie confidently stated that the Bears would proceed “the same way – running game, play from our quarterback position, outstanding defensive plays, special teams. We’ve been in this situation before, so again, it’s unfortunate. We don’t know exactly how long Jay will be out, but while he’s out, the ship will keep moving.”

Should that moving ship have involved bringing in a quarterback?  Upon hearing the news of Cutler’s injury former Bears’ quarterback Kyle Orton asked for his release from the Denver Broncos with hopes that his former team would sign him.  The Bears did indeed put in a claim for Orton however lost out as Orton was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs who were higher on the waiver wire.

As the Bears began to struggle under Caleb Hanie rumors began to swirl.  First it was Brett Favre and then upon his release for the Minnesota Vikings it was Chicago native Donovan McNabb.  Favre was never really a viable option but the idea of McNabb was a bit intriguing despite his struggles during the past two seasons.  Nevertheless the Bears stayed the course with Caleb Hanie.

In Lovie’s defense the initial decision to ride it out with Hanie made sense.  After all, in last year’s NFC Championship game of the three Chicago quarterbacks that played, Hanie proved to be the most effective just falling short in his efforts to rally the Bears late.  Given that performance, most NFL analysts seemed to agree that the Bears were built to weather the storm without Cutler as Caleb Hanie was a viable replacement given their strong running game, solid defense, and opportunistic special teams.  All points mentioned by Lovie Smith.

Four weeks later it’s quite obvious that everyone was wrong including Coach Smith as the Bears have dropped four games straight.  To add insult to injury three of the starting quarterbacks that the Bears have lost to during that stretch were Tyler Palko, Tim Tebow, and Tarvaris Jackson.  It would be safe to assume that if the Bears had a quarterback that was capable of being somewhat productive Chicago would have won at least two of those games.  Two wins would put them in the thick of things in the NFC playoff race with Cutler’s return on the horizon.  Instead the Bears are two games behind both the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons and are on the outside looking in of an NFC wild card.  In hindsight, McNabb looks better and better with each Chicago loss.

Here’s where Lovie went wrong.  As an NFL head coach you’ve got to know and understand the capabilities and limitations of your team.  At the very instant the Cutler went out, Lovie has to be able to make an honest assessment as to whether or not the Bears can sustain with Hanie or if bringing in another quarterback is the better option.  Whether it was loyalty or ignorance Lovie made the wrong decision and unfortunately for the Bears and their fans, there are no do-over’s as that decision has indeed cost them the playoffs.

Better luck next year Bears, with or without Lovie Smith.  Until then, Bear Down!

Aaron Moon is the CEO and a Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag. An active duty Navy Chief and avid writer, Aaron is a lifelong Bears’ fan who writes about his team from a critics’ point of view. You can contact Aaron on facebook or follow him on Twitter @DA_Bear_Truth. Contact Aaron directly by emailing him at amoon@thepenaltyflagblog.com.

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Complete this sentence in one word; Mike Martz is a __________ offensive coordinator.  If you picked a word that rhymes with pity that was my thought exactly and since we are in agreement it’s all the more reason that the Chicago Bears should gladly part ways with their offensive coordinator at the end of the season.

Here’s what Martz is.  He’s an egomaniac who believes that he can turn any offense into the greatest show on turf.  He’s that guy that use to throw the red flag in the first quarter of games to challenge a five yard gain by opposition when he was the head coach of the St Louis Rams.  Martz out thinks himself at crucial points of the game throwing when he should run, running when he should throw, and calling gadget plays that often leave fans scratching their heads and opposing defenses begging for more.  Martz’ mindset stems from his ability to impose his offensive will on the opposition as offensive coordinator of the 1999 Rams. The truth of the matter is that the 99 Rams’ offense, led by Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk, made Mike Martz; not the other way around.  And since he’ll never stockpile an arsenal like that in Chicago, he serves no true purpose in the Windy City.

In a recent report NFL league sources said that Martz, whose football history began on the West Coast, might be interested in taking either the UCLA or Arizona State job.  Both were recently vacated with the firing of Rick Neuheisel and Dennis Erickson respectively.  Martz is in the final year of his contract with the Bears meaning that at season’s end, he’s free to walk.  If Martz chooses to leave the Bears should hurriedly escort him to the door and make sure he takes his playbook with him.

Those who disagree will praise Martz for fixing the Bears offensive line…Just remember he had to do it twice which means it wasn’t done right the first time.

Some would say that Martz has done wonders with Jay Cutler.  Again, slow down. The quarterback that the Bears traded for in 2009 threw for over 4500 yards his last year in Denver and has come nowhere close to that total since joining the Bears. 

Getting rid of Martz would be a step in the right direction for the Bears as it would allow Chicago to get back to playing Bear football with a ball control offense led by a solid running game. So yes the Bears would indeed be better off.

The singular drawback to a possible Martz departure would be the fact that Cutler would be changing offensive coordinators for the fourth time in the last five seasons.  However, in the long run, it’s a move that would benefit all parties involved.  Until it actually happens all that Bear fans can do is hope, and well…Bear Down!

 Aaron Moon is the CEO and a Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag. An active duty Navy Chief and avid writer, Aaron is a lifelong Bears’ fan who writes about his team from a critics’ point of view. You can contact Aaron on facebook or follow him on Twitter @DA_Bear_Truth. Contact Aaron directly by emailing him at amoon@thepenaltyflagblog.com.

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Sometimes in life, we make bad decisions.  Take the wrong job, marry the wrong person, make a bad investment and so on.  The beauty about life is that after a bad decision we have the opportunity to reset.  Change careers, get a divorce, file for bankruptcy, and start over.  When the Chicago Bears traded Kyle Orton for Jay Cutler in 2009 it was a bad decision.  This was never more evident than in the Bears 34-29 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday as Cutler, the alleged Chicago “franchise quarterback,” played the role of “game manager” completing 9 of 17 passes for an unimpressive 102 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.  Yes the Bears won, but by doing so proved that they don’t need a big name quarterback to win.  An average quarterback, solid running game, big plays on defense and special teams have always been the key to Chicago’s success. Now, with the NFL trade deadline a little over two weeks away, the Bears have the opportunity to correct their mistake by dealing Cutler.  On the surface trading Cutler may seem like a head scratcher, but taking a look at the ins and outs of a possible deal would prove that it would be a move of addition by subtraction.