Cutler not expecting a hero's welcome in Denver

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler isn't expecting a hero's welcome when he returns to Denver to play the Broncos, the city and team he spurned back in April.

How does he think he'll be received?

"Probably poorly," he said. "That would be my first guess."

He won't need a second guess.

Broncos fans have burned his jersey and bad-mouthed him since he helped orchestrate a trade after finding out that new coach Josh McDaniels wanted Matt Cassel as his quarterback. Cutler has moved on, even if a lot of Broncos fans haven't.

"I'm not the first player to get traded to a different team," he said. "I'm not going to be the last. So that's their business, that doesn't concern me."

Cutler went so far as to say that Sunday night's nationally televised third preseason game holds no special significance for him, even though no one's buying that.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "It doesn't count for anything. We just want to go out there and play well, execute our offense. It's a preseason game. We can't make it more than it is. We just have to prepare ourselves and get ready for a tough team."

Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton, whom the Bears traded along with two No. 1 draft picks and a No. 2 for Cutler, also was politically correct when he talked to the Chicago media on a conference call about playing against his former teammates.

"I certainly want to go out and play well, and I look forward to it," Orton said. "It's a great defense that we're facing. I certainly know that from having to practice against these guys for four years, so this is going to be a good test for myself and for this offense."

Orton admitted he was shocked by the trade.

"I certainly didn't expect it," he said. "I wasn't paying attention to the whole (Cutler) matter. But I didn't feel sorry for myself. It looked like an opportunity that I certainly could take advantage of."

Orton suffered through a disastrous preseason opener, throwing 3 interceptions with a passer rating of 32.6. He was booed with gusto during an ineffective scrimmage at the Broncos' Invesco Field.

"I feel bad for Kyle," Cutler said, "(but) I think he's going to pull through in the long run. Offensively they've got a lot of good players. They've got a great offensive line, they've got good receivers, and Josh McDaniels, he's an offensive mind, he puts guys in spots to make plays, so I think they're going to be fine."

Orton bounced back last week against the Seahawks to complete 18 of 26 passes for 182 yards, 1 TD and 1 pick for a passer rating of 85.7. Cutler rebounded from a mediocre opener to complete 8 of 13 passes for 121 yards, a TD and a passer rating of 117.8. Cutler says it's only natural to compare his numbers to Orton's, but he said he won't pay much attention to stats on Sunday.

"I'm not really going to look into it," Cutler said. "I wish him the best, I wish the Broncos the best. But we're going to go out there and play hard and attack them offensively and defensively, and hopefully come out with a win."

If Cutler bumps into ex-teammates, fine; if not, that's fine, too.

"I'll see them on the field before the game and after the game and wish them the best of luck," said Cutler, who was asked if he would seek out Broncos players.

"Not at all," he said. "I have to take care of my business and then, if I run into people, we'll deal with it then."

Cutler doubts he'll run into anyone from Broncos management.

"I don't think they want to talk to me," he said.

When Cutler was asked what, if anything, he missed about Denver, he said: "Nothing. I'm here right now."