Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman defended his decision to keep an obviously banged-up Jay Cutler on the field until the final drive of Sunday's 21-19 loss to the Detroit Lions.
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"I didn't want to take him out unless he felt he couldn't do the job," Trestman said after the game, per a team transcript. "He had, I thought, a very courageous performance throughout."
Cutler came in on the tail end of a healing groin injury. He left with more bumps, bruises and a left ankle injury.
More importantly, he struggled to move in the pocket, making him a sitting duck. While he made several great throws when given time, under duress he short-hopped more than a few key passes.
Trestman, after watching the film, half-admitted Monday he should have pulled Cutler earlier.
"I thought he did well into the fourth quarter," Trestman said on WBBM-AM, per ESPN.com. "But at the end of the day, if we had to do it all over again, maybe it would be one series before the 2-minute drill."
A quick glance at some local headlines indicates the populace believes it should have been sooner:
As we mentioned on the "Around The League Podcast," Trestman showed loyalty, perhaps to a fault. It's arguable Josh McCown provided a better chance to win the game for the Bears.
Perhaps the biggest critique of Trestman will be that he appeared to leave the decision up to Cutler as to whether he felt well enough to keep playing. It's admirable to value his player's input. However, with a winnable game at hand, it's on the coach to make the best decision for his team, not for the quarterback.
Trestman made his, sticking with Cutler. We'll see if he comes to regret it.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped every Week 10 game. Click here to listen and subscribe.
