Cutler, offensive line lead Broncos
December 13
Charlotte Observer
"One after another, the Denver running backs have fallen, six of them lost to injury by now. Through it all, the Broncos have persevered, in large part because of two factors, quarterback Jay Cutler and the offensive line he plays behind.
When Denver plays the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, they'll be relying on a running back who was selling cell phones earlier this season (Tatum Bell) and a former practice squad member (South Carolina's Cory Boyd).
But they'll also have Cutler and those tough offensive linemen.
Start with the latter bunch first, because neither the passing game nor the ground attack have a chance without quality blocking from the guys up front.
"Obviously, the line has done a great job for me all year," Cutler said.
And that might be an understatement. Cutler has not been sacked in the past three games, and the Broncos have allowed eight all season. In comparison, Carolina's solid line has allowed 19.
The Denver offensive line was hit hard before the season, when a knee injury put starting center Tom Nalen out for the season. Veteran Casey Wiegmann took his place, and no one in this revamped starting five - Wiegmann, guards Ben Hamilton and Chris Kuper and tackles Ryan Harris and Ryan Clady - has missed a snap in Denver's 8-5 start.
Clady, a 6-foot-6, 325-pound rookie playing the difficult left side, has been a revelation.
"He's been tested from the first preseason game (facing Houston's Mario Williams) all the way through," Cutler told Denver media this week. "He's passed all the tests. I'm very comfortable back there with him taking over the blindside against anybody in the league right now."
That anybody will be the Panthers' Julius Peppers on Sunday. But Clady is already building a reputation.
"Ryan Clady definitely deserves (Pro Bowl) consideration," Cutler said. "We knew he was going to be good. You just don't expect a rookie to be able to step in there and play at that level right away."
The line's quality play has helped Cutler - in his third NFL season after starring at Vanderbilt - establish himself as a fine pro.
He has thrown for 3,679 yards this season, third-highest in the league. His 89.2 passer rating compares with 81.1 for the Panthers' Jake Delhomme.
"Just being a quarterback in the NFL is a growing process, and it doesn't happen overnight," said Denver coach Mike Shanahan. "You learn a lot of different things on and off the football field like how to handle the press, how to deal with being really good and really bad.
"It is a growing process that quarterbacks have to go through."
Cutler is helped by a receiving corps that features Brandon Marshall (83 receptions, six touchdowns) and Eddie Royal (69 and five). Marshall and Cutler have already developed a remarkable chemistry.
Like Cutler, Marshall is a Denver draftee in his third season.
"I think we hit the ground running as soon a
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