In addition to feeding the electric Andre Ellington the majority of their carries (something they did not do last season to the chagrin of pretty much everyone), they’re spreading out targets to Michael Floyd (11 catches for 252 yards), Larry Fitzgerald (10 catches for 107 yards), and explosive rookie John Brown (nine catches for 109 yards and three touchdowns).
Even with a backup quarterback in Drew Stanton filling in for Carson Palmer, they don’t seem to have altered (greatly) their willingness to chuck the ball deep.
Against San Francisco in particular, this was apparent.
Below: protection does its job, including a nice blitz pickup by running back Stepfan Taylor (No. 30), and Stanton goes confidently in the direction of his dreams.
The most notable name on that list is Bell, the Pittsburgh Steelers running back who was arrested in late August. Bell was also charged with marijuana possession during that arrest, which could still result in a one-game suspension regardless of the DUI case.
Josh Gordon pled guilty to DUI charges last week in an attempt to avoid additional punishment, though Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Gordon could still be suspended for that arrest based on his history of substance-abuse violations.
“Jay has a good feel for who can make plays for him,” Shanahan said. “He has a good feel for the talent around him and even the talent around the league. He is going to get the ball to the places it should go with both of those things in mind. He has vision and anticipation. A lot of guys with strong arms don’t have those two things. They just wait for people to get open and try to win with their strong arm. Jay’s vision and anticipation set him apart.”
Cutler did not let his Type 1 diabetes, discovered in 2008, deter him. His quest for a Super Bowl for the Bears — he is signed through 2020 — is passionate. His get-away-from-me attitude with the public is real. His lean-on-me attitude with his teammates is real.