Normally calm and reserved, Bears coach Lovie Smith sounded off Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meeting's coaches breakfast on the speculation over quarterback Jay Cutler's injury during Chicago's loss to the Green Bay Packers in January's NFC Championship Game. "I don’t think any player should have to go through that because it wasn’t warranted at all," Smith told the Chicago Sun-Times. "He was injured; he couldn’t play. It’s an insult for us to answer the questions on whether he’s tough." Cutler left the game after one series in the second half due to a Grade II sprain of a knee ligament. That Cutler left the game under his own power helped spark the firestorm of pundits and fans questioning the quarterback's toughness that followed. Smith would have none of it, pointing to the league-high 52 sacks Cutler absorbed and that the quarterback tried to return to the game after halftime. "In the old days of football, I was told you never laid down on the football field," Smith said. "If you can walk off, don't let the opponent see that you’re injured. So when you're a legitimate tough guy, you know what you do? When you’re hurt, you find a way to walk off, not letting anyone see that you’re hurt." Smith said, "Cutler did that." But Smith wasn't finished, taking issue with the Fox network for their portrayal of Cutler during the NFC title game and wondering why the Packers' Charles Woodson and Donald Driver weren't held to the same standard during the Super Bowl. "To me, for the network to choose those pictures, it's wrong, too," Smith said. "On the sideline, you can portray a player whatever way you like. You can look at any player that’s injured and pick a snapshot of him, and he’s not going to be (excited or animated). "(Woodson) walked off, and he was standing on the sideline," Smith said. "Donald Driver walked off, and he stood on the sideline. But we’re not questioning them." Source: NFL.com
Maybe because you could actually SEE driver and woodsen get hurt...and they actually ACTED hurt on the side lines.. There was no real evidence of cutler getting hurt and he just looked like he was pouting on the sideline. Lovie is a snitch as much as cutler is :)
Dude, it was PROVEN he was injured. Than Drew Brees talked about the injury and how hard it is to play on. Why the heck are people still bashing Cutler...he wanted to win that game, don't act like he didn't. HE IS NOT LEBRON JAMES!
Im just saying..it was a sprain...philip rivers played a whole game on a TEAR..and i hate to say it but favre would have stayed in..
Drew Brees stayed in half the season with the same injury apparently. I agree it's not the most serious injury that could have happened, however dif. people have dif. pain thresholds. ALSO the Bears played better WITHOUT him so...
