Broncos coach Josh McDaniels took a subtle shot at Jay Cutler following Sunday night's preseason battle between Chicago and Denver. "It was a great atmosphere. This is certainly more than a six on a scale of 1 to 10," McDaniels told the Associated Press. "There's certainly a level of excitement you don't usually see in most preseason games." The comment was a shot at Cutler, who had disparaged Denver's fans recently by saying that Chicago's followers were a 9 and Denver's a 6 earlier this month. The Bears defeated the Broncos 27-17. "It's a little bit weird. Different locker room, different sideline," Cutler said. "But that's how it goes. I love where I'm at in Chicago. I think we're heading in the right direction offensively."

Jay Cutler doesn't expect to receive a warm reception when he returns to Denver for the first time since he was traded to Chicago this offseason. "Preseason game," Cutler told the Denver Post. "We can't make it more than it is." The Bears will face off against the Broncos in Denver on Sunday. "Probably poorly," Cutler said of how he would be received by fans. "That would be my first guess."

Devin Hester is ready to field punts for the Bears again. Chicago coach Lovie Smith said that Hester will field kicks in Sunday's preseason game against the Broncos. "I think it's important for us to see," Smith told the Associated Press. "This week we're playing the game like the regular season is here. You'll see most of our guys in a role that they will play during the course of the season. "I don't think that there's a reason why we would let Devin do a lot of that before now, but things change about this third game of the preseason." Hester hadn't fielded many punts prior to this week's practices. "I feel like I need to get back into the groove, but at the same time it's up to the coaches -- it's not up to me," he said. "All I can do is go by what the coaches say."

The Chicago offensive line has been greatly impressed with Jay Cutler's ability to make plays outside of the pocket. "He's great in the pocket," right guard Roberto Garza said. "Any time he feels any pressure, you can see he is aware of what's going on, and he makes our job a lot easier. We still have to keep guys off him and work just as hard to protect him, but anytime something goes down, he puts himself in the perfect situation to make a play downfield. "When the protection is a certain way, he is exactly where he is supposed to be, and we have to protect accordingly, and when something breaks down, his eyes are straight downfield. It's great." Because of Cutler's great arm strength, the rules for his receivers are different than they are playing with most other quarterbacks. Cutler's receivers don't need to come back towards the line of scrimmage. "Devin started to come back to him, which is your instinct because he's way downfield," offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "(But) then he realized who it was and said, 'I better get going again.' " By that time, Cutler's pass was already sailing over Hester's head. "They'll learn to keep it alive," Turner said. "We have scramble rules. If they're deep, go, and we talked about getting someone down the middle of the field."

Jay Cutler created controversy with his postgame comments last week about Devin Hester. Cutler insisted he didn't mean to offend anyone and there are no problems between the two. "I didn't read it," Cutler said. "I talked to Devin as soon as I was notified about it. He's fine. I'm fine. People took it out of context. He's our No. 1 receiver. He's done a heck of a job on the field and in the classroom." Cutler told reporters after the game: "Devin is more of a go-get-it guy; he is not really a back shoulder or jump-up-and-get-it (guy). You learn from it. We made some mistakes. It's the first preseason game. Luckily enough, we have some time to correct them and keep going."

Tony Dungy isn't saying the Bears need help at receiver, but he'd give Marvin Harrison an endorsement if Chicago coach Lovie Smith asked. "I think he definitely can play, and I would encourage Lovie to sign him if they had an opening," Dungy said Wednesday on the "Waddle & Silvy" show on ESPN 1000. Dungy coached Harrison for seven seasons in Indianapolis.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler criticized receiver Devin Hester following an interception in Saturday night's preseason loss to the Bills. "Devin is more of a go-get-it guy; he is not really a back shoulder or jump-up-and-get-it [guy]," Cutler said Saturday. "You learn from it. "We made some mistakes. It's the first preseason game. Luckily enough, we have some time to correct them and keep going." Hester admitted on Monday that Cutler's comments upset him initially. "But then he [Cutler] said he didn't say it," Hester said told the Associated Press. "It wasn't criticism or anything like that," the receiver added. "He was saying, you are not a 6-8 receiver. You can't go up and get everything. But we know you are the type of receiver if we throw it out there, you will go get it."

Jay Cutler said on Wednesday that he plans to offer his opinion on who makes Chicago's final roster. "Oh yeah," Cutler said, according to the Daily Herald. "I think they're definitely going to ask me. If they don't ask me, I'm going to tell them what I think because I've got to be the one throwing to them on game day, and I've got to trust them. But (offensive coordinator) Ron (Turner) and I have been on the same page since the start of training camp in what guys we wanted to see working in with me and what guys have stepped up and what direction we want to go with this group." Bears coach Lovie Smith said that players have input, but only up to a point. "Yeah, sure, all the players have influence, I mean we listen to them," the coach said. "Of course we'll listen to the quarterback, and not only the quarterback, but the rest of our team, too. We want to know how a player fits into the rest of the group. The quarterback has to feel comfortable with the receivers, so we listen to them but in the end we know who is going to make those kinds of decisions."

Jay Cutler is going to give the Bears input on personnel decisions involving the wide receivers. "If they don't ask me [my opinion], I'm going to tell them what I think," he said Wednesday. "I have to be the one throwing to them on game day. I have to trust them. But [offensive coordinator Ron Turner] and I have been on the same page since the start of training camp with what guys we wanted to see work in with me."

Tommie Harris sat out Chicago's practice on Monday and also revealed one reason why he remains a little more fragile coming out of this offseason. "This is just rest," Harris said. "I had surgery [in] March, so I didn't get a chance to do a lot of the staff that the teammates were doing. So they're far ahead of me. I'm really just starting to catch up." He admitted to being a tad frustrated by not being able to do more on-field work. Harris has been limited in practices since suffering a Grade II MCL tear in his left knee during Week 3 of the 2007 campaign. He played through the injury without missing any games that season, then was rewarded with a four-year, $40 million contract extension. Harris had his knee scoped by famed orthopedic surgeon James Andrews before the '08 season. His latest surgery was not performed by Andrews.