Chicago has experienced its fair share of gutwrenching injuries over the past decade. Most point to Derrick Rose tragically tearing his ACL back in 2012 as the worst of the worst. However, most Bears fans will agree that a year earlier when Jay Cutler broke the thumb on his throwing hand was just as crippling. For one, the team was on a roll. By winning that game where he got hurt, they’d reeled off five-straight victories and were 7-3.
Cutler was playing like an MVP and that night was one of his best games of the season. He accounted for three touchdowns and led the way to a 31-20 triumph over the San Diego Chargers. Then after it was over, word began to spread the QB had broken his thumb. It occurred on a play in the 4th quarter. He tried throwing a slant to Johnny Knox but the receiver fell down, allowing CB Antoine Cason to intercept it. Cutler chased him to the sideline and tried to make the tackle.
As he did so, he took a spill to the ground and his right hand landed awkwardly. He finished the game, but the damage was already done. Cutler missed the rest of the year, and the Bears offense collapse and dragged the team down with them to an 8-8 finish. It remains a traumatic chapter in the decline of the most recent era of success in franchise history.
That fateful Jay Cutler play never should’ve happened
One person who hasn’t forgotten that moment is Earl Bennett. The former Bears receiver recounted that game for ProStyle media recently. As it turns out, the play they ran that resulted in the interception was one the entire offense hated. Johnny Knox, as great as he was with other routes, was not good at running slants. Especially against Cover 2 man coverage. This didn’t stop offensive coordinator Mike Martz from calling it anyway.
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“They wanted us to still run a slant with cover 2 man. This is hard because the defender is heavy inside and his job is not to let you cross his face. I know it sounds like you have to just work them more at the line of scrimmage, but that does not work. They sit and wait. Therefore, sometimes Johnny would run the slant behind them and it cost us big time. Especially during the 2011 season against the San Diego Chargers.
We were riding a 4-game win streak and our hopes were high. Martz called his slant concept and we run it. Oh snap, its two man. We had worked crossing the defender’s face, but as I mentioned, that is nearly possible. Johnny tried, but was unsuccessful so as he tried to go behind him. Jay threw the ball and it was intercepted. Jay chases the corner back Antoine Cason down and tackles him. He finished the game, but was later diagnosed with a fractured thumb. Done for the season.”
Bennett is still angry about that. Not just because Martz was too stubborn to allow an audible for that situation but also Cutler for throwing the ball at all and Knox for not fighting harder to prevent the interception. It was a collective failure by the entire unit that ended up costing the Bears their season.
