Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman allowed quarterback Jay Cutler to play all but the final possession in a 21-19 loss to the Detroit Lions before replacing him with Josh McCown. Trestman admitted on Monday that he should've pulled his starter earlier.
Marc Trestman admits Jay Cutler played too long vs. Lions
Cutler suffered an ankle injury in Week 10, but wasn’t pulled out of the lineup until the team’s final offensive possession.
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Cutler, 30, suffered a torn muscle in his groin in Week 7 and returned to the lineup in Week 10, but suffered an ankle injury in his return. After a solid first half, Cutler was noticeably hobbled in the second half as he struggled to run on his injured ankle. Trestman talked to WBBM-FM on Monday morning about his decision to keep Cutler in during the second half:
“I went through the tape closely this morning and watched Jay’s performance, and I thought he did well into the fourth quarter. But at the end of the day, if we had to do it all over again, maybe it would be one series before the two-minute drill [that Cutler comes out].”
“I thought Jay made a terrific throw to Alshon [Jeffrey] in the corner of the end zone as well and made the play that he needed to make. But maybe [I should have pulled Cutler] after that series.”
In place of Cutler, McCown led the Bears down the field, completing 6-of-9 passes for 62 yards, including a would-be game-winning touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall before an unsuccessful 2-point conversion. McCown led the Bears to a 27-20 Monday Night Football victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 9.
Cutler, who is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2013 season, completed 21-of-40 passes for 250 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
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