







Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is known for a facial expression so sour that it's launched a website with a gallery of Photoshopped images of him smoking a cigarette. He has such a bad reputation that ESPN's Tom Jackson ripped him Sunday for not speaking to Soldier Field workers on his way into the stadium. He's known for calling off an engagement to a reality star and mother of his child only weeks after popping the question. He's even known for an episode of "South Park," when cartoon fans of his tell him "You kinda suck."

Cutler should also be known as something else:

An NFL MVP candidate.

Football fans and media are dying to hand this season's award to Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning after his inspiring comeback from multiple neck surgeries. But if "valuable" is the key word in the bestowing of this honor, Cutler should win it.

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The Bears' eighth win, a decisive 28-10 victory over the division rival Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, is only a tiny slice of the evidence. Chicago was horrendous last Monday with Cutler out with a concussion, getting crushed in San Francisco, 32-7. Sunday, with Cutler back, the game was nearly as lopsided in the other direction. That's been the case with the Bears since Cutler arrived in 2009. Chicago is 31-19 with him starting, while his backups are 2-6 (with a 43.0 passer rating). Take out Cutler's dreadful '09 season, and his impact is more pronounced, with the Bears 24-10 with him under center. Last year, the team was on its way to the playoffs with Cutler and finished out of the postseason after he got hurt. This season, the Cutler-led Bears have only lost to the Packers and Texans – two of the best teams in football.

Cutler is, of course, partially to blame for being underrated. He's a notorious grouch and grump, appearing annoyed even in good situations. He looks like a spoiled athlete, which is about the worst thing you can be in American sports (other than a cheater). So the memorable moments from this particular Sunday will include him entering his workplace, head down, ignoring everyone, while cameras rolled. And then there was the stiff-arm he threw before tossing the ball at a Vikings defender and earning an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

"I was just trying to toss him the ball," Cutler said afterward with a laugh. Funny line, but it was only more evidence for those who long ago dismissed Cutler as a punk. "Unsportsmanlike" is a pleasant term for Cutler compared to other labels that have been slapped on him.

But his demeanor shouldn't impact his MVP candidacy. Cutler is playing behind a porous offensive line and supported by a star-caliber running back in Matt Forte who just got hurt again and a single star receiver in Brandon Marshall (talented targets Alshon Jeffery and Johnny Knox are injured). The play-calling in Chicago hasn't exactly been inspired, and it wouldn't matter anyway, as it seems every Bears play ends up broken after two seconds.

And yet the team is inching toward a division title. Only the Atlanta Falcons (10-1) and Texans (10-1) have more wins, and the talent differential between Chicago and those teams on offense is glaring.

[More: Sprinklers go off on field during Seahawks-Dolphins game]

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