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Film Room: How Jay Cutler has become one of the NFL's best deep passers

Dennis Wierzbicki / USA TODAY Sports

Another series has passed and Jay Cutler is back on the bench. He's reviewing the sheet-protected film shots of the previous series from the black binder with an assistant coach. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall is closely seated next to him, looking at his gloves. The Metrodome is roaring.

"Just take shots and let me jump," Marshall shouts over his left shoulder.

Cutler lifts his head and cranes his neck to look at Marshall.

"43-inch vertical. Might as well use it," Marshall adds.

Cutler stares at Marshall with his mouth gaping.

"43, now, huh?"

Cutler and Marshall have always been close. When Cutler was drafted in the first round in 2006, Marshall was not far behind. That same year, he was drafted in the fourth round. Neither played significantly during their rookie seasons. By their sophomore years, both became full-time starters and full-time harassments to defenses.

Ever since then, they’ve had a bond. Although both would be later traded to different teams, they would meet again in Chicago in 2012.

They’ve both realized their true potential since reconnecting. Marshall is a physical receiver who has become a consistent weapon and deep threat for Cutler, who became one of the best deep passers in 2013.

Cutler completed 45.6 percent of his deep shots last season, tied for fifth-best, according to Pro Football Focus. The throws came on from different platforms and different routes; scrambling, rolling out, off the back foot and under pressure. 

Corner and go routes were the most frequent when Cutler went deep. The Bears called them against any coverage they saw; one-deep or two-deep. It didn’t matter.

The Cincinnati Bengals were in a two-deep set when Cutler was under center in the fourth quarter of their Week 1 matchup last season. Marshall was in the slot, where he ran 43.8 percent of his routes last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Cutler faked a handoff at the snap and stared down the middle while Marshall ate up a seven-yard cushion vertically. The safety turned his back to the sideline and watched Cutler, who shifted his eyes from the middle to the far left where Marshall ran. When Marshall cut off of his inside foot, he ran toward the pylon and spun the safety around.

With a clean pocket to work from, Cutler flicked his wrist for a high-arching pass that Marshall trapped with extended arms for the score.

Most of Cutler’s deep shots, whether go or corner routes, are thrown between four-to-five yards from the sideline and above the receiver’s head. This isn’t by mistake. He knows his receivers are taller (Marshall is 6-foot-4 and Alshon Jeffery is 6-foot-3) than most cornerbacks defending them. His receivers are also stronger than the cornerbacks attempting to box them out. 

Additionally, they’re quick. Marshall is a tall receiver, but he cuts quicker than his size indicates. He’s light on his feet and has great short area quickness, allowing him to make sharp cuts as easily as round cuts. Combined with his vertical, he’s nearly impossible to defend.

Late in the first quarter in Week 17, Cutler stood in shotgun set while Marshall was isolated to his left in one-on-one coverage. The Green Bay Packers cornerback was rolled up to the line of scrimmage in what appeared to be press coverage. But when the play began, the cornerback bailed and the defense shifted to a one-deep shell.

Marshall released outside while the cornerback shuffled his feet to the inside. Eight yards later, Marshall stutter-stepped and exploded downfield, racing the cornerback down the sideline.

Cutler, meanwhile, took a three-step drop and hitch-stepped up the pocket to fire off a fastball through the Wisconsin winter. The ball never slowed despite the snow. Its density adjusted to the speed of Cutler’s throw.

Downfield, the cornerback jumped early and a yard in front of Marshall, who jumped and reached back to his shoulder to trap the football above his head with extended arms.

Going into 2014, Cutler will continue to attack defenses deep. He’s a risk-taker by nature and fully confident in his arm strength to deliver passes to his receivers, who win jump-balls with their height and physicality.

If Week 1 of the preseason is any indication, defenses will be in for a long season against Cutler’s deep shots. He attempted three deep passes on only 13 pass attempts. That put his deep attempts percentage at 23.1, more than the second-best 16.1 percent he had last season, per Pro Football Focus.

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