It's hard to give Cutler a break

(AP Photo)

Jay Cutler hasn't given anybody reason to give him the benefit of the doubt. He is often cold and terse in interviews with the media, always overconfident and outspoken about his quarterbacking abilities, and usually sports the demeanor of a pissed off teenager during games. Because of that, it's no surprise that the Bears' QB has been caught in a firestorm of controversy after missing the second half of Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

The assumptions that Cutler "gave up" and "quit" on his team aren't a big stretch when we look at the QB's personality and track record. Despite that, we have also seen him take repetitive ass-beatings this season, as he was sacked more than anyone else in the NFL. Time after time he would get up, albeit with a scowl on his face and twitching of an elbow, get back under center, and drop back to fire another pass.

His teammates, coaches, and general manager all stick up for him, so why don't we buy into what they're saying? Shouldn't they know more about their quarterback than the rest of us? You would think that if someone in the Bears' locker room thought Cutler wussed out or gave up in Sunday's game, they would've said it. After all, it's professional sports, and guys don't hesitate to speak unprofessionally about teammates. Instead, we haven't heard a dissenting opinion, as the entire Bears organization has been nothing but supportive of their quarterback, going to great lengths in speaking about his admirable toughness.

Regardless of what those closest to him say, it's very hard for us, in the peanut gallery, to let the guy off the hook. We don't see what goes on behind closed doors in Halas Hall or in the locker room. What we saw on Sunday was him standing emotionless on the sideline for the second half, as opposed to being on crutches, or even just sitting getting some kind of treatment on his injured knee. There he was, disconnected from his team and rather than coaching up his replacement, Caleb Hanie, he was having an isolated pity party on Cutler Island.

Should we cut the guy a break? Definitely. He had sprained his MCL, which was most likely very painful, and quite frankly, Hanie at full strength was a better option than an ineffective and injured Cutler.

Will people cut the guy a break? The general consensus to that question is probably not. Cutler's public image isn't great, and because of that, he can't get through this situation without first going through a gauntlet of criticism. Fair or not,  Jay is now forced to sleep in the bed that he's made for himself.

On another note...should a left knee injury really effect Cutler's ability? We all know that he only throws off his back (right) foot.