Jay Cutler’s 30 Total TDs in 2014
1-10-BUF 12 (Q1, 11:39) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short middle to 83-M.Bennett for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The point of this play design for the Bears is to stretch the Bills horizontally across the field. The LB who should be covering Bennett slips, and this means an easy TD throw for Cutler. The throw to Bennett is a bit high and he has to jump for it but it gets the job done.
1-10-BUF 11 (Q3, 4:28) 6-J.Cutler pass short left to 15-B.Marshall for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
While it’s not from the goal line, this is still the classic fade route. The goal of this is for Cutler to throw a 50-50 ball and for Marshall to go up and win the ball. Since the CB slips, it’s an added bonus and makes the play easy for Marshall to make.
3-2-SF 17 (Q2, :18) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass deep left to 15-B.Marshall for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This is a play where trust between a receiver and QB comes in handy. Cutler and Marshall played together for a long time, and I think Cutler intentionally throws the ball where he does on this play. The reason is the single high safety. When Cutler throws, Marshall has inside leverage on the CB, but the safety is closing in on him. If Cutler were to lead Marshall, Brandon would have gotten blown up by the safety and maybe dropped the ball. By throwing it high and outside, Marshall has to adjust for the ball (and he does a very good job adjusting for it), but he doesn’t get lit up like he would have if Cutler had led Marshall.
3-3-SF 5 (Q4, 13:41) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short left to 15-B.Marshall for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
On this play, Cutler’s first read is the corner route, but it’s not there. Instead, Marshall does a really good job of winning position on this play and comes open enough for Cutler to get the ball to him for the TD.
1-3-SF 3 (Q4, 13:17) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 83-M.Bennett for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The classic goal line fade. Bennett wins at the point of attack while the CB falls down.
2-3-SF 3 (Q4, 7:00) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short left to 15-B.Marshall for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
I also counted this route as a fade. The CB on Marshall doesn’t look back for the ball at all which makes this an easy catch for Marshall. Cutler did a good job of putting it on the numbers.
3-7-NYJ 7 (Q1, 10:00) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 83-M.Bennett for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This is an impressive play by Cutler. No one is open on his initial reads, and he’s pressured so he has to move in the pocket. He does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield and finds a pretty small window that’s open to throw to Bennett. He throws an accurate pass that Bennett catches and takes a big hit immediately afterwards.
3-11-NYJ 13 (Q3, 11:32) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short left to 83-M.Bennett for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This is the result of a mistake by the Jets secondary. Bennett and Jeffery cross each other and the slot corner follows Jeffery to the outside, which leaves Bennett wide open in the endzone for the TD.
3-6-GB 6 (Q1, 6:35) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 15-B.Marshall for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
I didn’t mark this play down as pressure, although I easily could have. The reason I didn’t is because Cutler threw the ball at the top of his drop, and the pass rusher didn’t actually affect the throw despite hitting Cutler. The Packers’ CB fell down and Marshall had no contest for the catch (although he likely would have been able to use his size to catch it even if the CB hadn’t fallen).
2-3-GB 8 (Q2, 3:57) 6-J.Cutler pass short left to 17-A.Jeffery for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This is a pretty cool bit of deception by the Bears. They have Jeffery fake a jet sweep and also run play action to that side. The entire defense bites, and Jeffery quickly changes direction to catch the swing pass, and he has a clear path to the endzone. It’s a simple pass and Cutler hits Jeffery in stride.
1-10-CAR 10 (Q1, 4:35) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 22-M.Forte for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
The Bears have linemen release downfield and throw an inside screen pass to Forte, who isn’t touched as he runs into the endzone. Really, this should be an ineligible receiver downfield penalty for the Bears because Jordan Mills is definitely more than a yard downfield when the pass is released, but that gets missed a lot in the NFL.
3-11-CAR 25 (Q2, 10:59) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short left to 17-A.Jeffery for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
A screen to Jeffery with good downfield blocking by the WRs gets Cutler another TD pass.
2-3-ATL 3 (Q2, 6:05) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 19-J.Morgan for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Martellus Bennett (lined up at fullback) comes open early on this play, but Cutler misses him as he has his eyes on Marshall/Jeffery. Morgan runs a crossing route and gets beat up while doing it but eventually pops open and takes the pass into the endzone from a couple of yards out.
2-7-MIA 10 (Q3, 8:06) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short left to 22-M.Forte for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Forte feigns blocking and then trickles out of the backfield uncovered. Cutler hits him with the pass for an easy TD.
1-10-NE 25 (Q2, 5:40) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass deep right to 22-M.Forte for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This play looks kind of similar to the last play, except instead of checking down Forte actually turns his head like he’s going to run a checkdown route but instead keeps running with a vertical route. This fools the LB, and Forte gets behind him. Cutler delivers the ball on target for a TD. I believe the route Forte ran was by design because he did not stop to present himself for the checkdown, but instead just turned his head while he kept running.
3-7-NE 20 (Q3, 1:00) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass deep left to 83-M.Bennett for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This is an impressive throw/catch combo from Cutler/Marshall. The CB and Bennett are hand fighting all the way down the field, but the good thing is that the CB never looks at Cutler. Because of this, Cutler can throw the ball and trust his receiver to make a play. He throws the ball where Bennett can get it and Bennett does a good job of not tipping the CB off that the ball is coming his way until it’s too late to prevent the catch.
