CHARLOTTE -- One after another, the Denver running backs have fallen, six of them lost to injury 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 today at Bank of America Stadium, it will 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 it'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.
"Obviously, the line has done a great job for me all year," Cutler said.
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," Denver coach Mike Shanahan said. "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 developed a remarkable chemistry.
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