Bears hoping to buck trend with QB in first playoff start

The Chicago Bears are going to try to buck a trend that makes experience a premium for the postseason, particularly at the quarterback position.

First-time starting quarterbacks have not fared well in the playoffs in recent seasons and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Matt Cassel was the latest to fail in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Bears will host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in the divisional round at Soldier Field when Jay Cutler will make his first career postseason start. In fact, this is his first postseason start since high school, the last time Cutler was on a team with a winning record.

Since 2003, first-time starting quarterbacks are 5-19 in the playoffs. There are some top quarterbacks on the list who lost in their first playoff appearance: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning and Drew Brees to name a few.

The only five to win? Mark Sanchez, Joe Flacco, David Garrard, Ben Roethlisberger and Jake Delhomme.

Of course, if you go back to 2002, three of four quarterbacks making their first appearance in the playoffs won. That group included Chad Pennington, Michael Vick and Tommy Maddox. Go figure.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

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