DENVER — Jay Cutler got the last laugh.
The Pro Bowl passer, who forced a blockbuster trade out of Denver last spring and became the Chicago Bears' first franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman, returned to Invesco Field on Sunday night and led his new team to a 27-17 preseason victory over the Broncos.
Cutler disregarded the thousands of hecklers, including Broncos pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil, leading Chicago on three scoring drives, capped by a 12-play, 98-yard drive just before halftime that gave the Bears a 17-3 lead.
"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."
Not so in Denver.
The adversary he left behind, Broncos rookie head coach Josh McDaniels, had a distressing home debut, as did Denver's new quarterback, Kyle Orton, who gashed his right index finger to cut short a middling performance against his former team.
Cutler threw for 144 yards and a score in a 15-for-21 performance before calling it a night at halftime and basking in the glow of his successful return to Invesco Field, where just eight months ago he was a beloved figure, the heir apparent to Hall of Famer John Elway.
While fans came to jeer him, they also saw why they'll miss this immensely talented young quarterback.
"I thought it was going to be like this," Cutler said. "They got good fans here. A lot of boos - they got pretty loud there at one point. It was what we kind of prepared for."
At one point on the Bears' 98-yard touchdown drive, the jeers turned to cheers when Dumervil blew past left tackle Orlando Pace for a third time and put a hit on Cutler after he had released the ball. The personal foul gave the Bears (2-1) a first down at the Denver 14, but the riled-up crowd didn't care.
Two plays later, Cutler threw a 6-yard pass to running back Matt Forte in the end zone.
Some of the night's catcalls were directed at 33-year-old McDaniels, Mike Shanahan's replacement who now finds himself in a bitter feud with star receiver Brandon Marshall, whom he suspended for insubordination last week.
McDaniels had a rift with Cutler in the off-season, leading to the trade, after Cutler learned McDaniels had talked to the New England about acquiring quarterback Matt Cassel.
Orton was 12 for 16 for 96 yards, but in a half-dozen drives, he only led the Broncos (0-3) toa single field goal, not the kind of home debut he was anticipating after getting off to a rocky start in Denver.
With Orton's backup, Chris Simms, sidelined by a high ankle sprain that could keep him out another month, the Broncos had to turn to rookie Tom Brandstater, who went 8 for 10 for 110 yards and an interception on a tipped pass.
Peyton Hillis (Conway, Arkansas Razorbacks) and Darius Walker had touchdown runs for Denver in the second half, and Adrian Peterson had a 12-yard run for Chicago.
Chicago ..................... 3 14 0 10 - 27
Denver....................... 3 0 7 7 - 17
First Quarter Den-FG Prater 31, 5:39.
Chi-FG Gould 40, :10.
Second Quarter Chi-Forte 1 run (Gould kick), 8:12.
Chi-Forte 6 pass from Cutler (Gould kick), :13.
Third Quarter Den-Hillis 2 run (Prater kick), 5:21.
Fourth Quarter Chi-Peterson 12 run (Gould kick), 10:49.
Den-Walker 1 run (Prater kick), 5:46.
Chi-FG Gould 25, :10.
Attendance-73,519.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING-Chicago, Peterson 12-68, Forte 9-21, Wolfe 3-12, Jones 3-11, Hanie 1-2. Denver, Walker 10-38, Buckhalter 9-37, Hillis 7-24, Brandstater 1-0, Royal 1-(minus 6).
PASSING-Chicago, Cutler 15-21-0-144, Basanez 2-2-0-51, Hanie 4-8-0-48, Forte 0-1-0-0. Denver, Brandstater 8-12-1-110, Orton 12-16-0-96.
RECEIVING-Chicago, Forte 4-11, Olsen 3-47, Hester 3-24, Clark 2-30, Bennett 2-24, Aromashodu 2-8, Knox 1-43, Gaines 1-26, Iglesias 1-25, Rideau 1-4, Wolfe 1-1. Denver, Royal 5-44, McKinley 4-75, Hillis 2-21, Scheffler 2-12, Buckhalter 2-6, Lloyd 1-16, Quinn 1-16, Jackson 1-8, Stokley 1-8, Walker 1-0.
Exhibition schedule THURSDAY'S GAMES Philadelphia 33, Jacksonville 32 St. Louis 24, Cincinnati 21 Miami 10, Tampa Bay 6 FRIDAY'S GAMES New England 27, Washington 24 Green Bay 44, Arizona 37 SATURDAY'S GAMES Detroit 18, Indianapolis 17 New Orleans 45, Oakland 7 Pittsburgh 17, Buffalo 0 Cleveland 23, Tennessee 17 Atlanta 27, San Diego 24 NY Jets 27, NY Giants 25 San Francisco 20, Dallas 13 Seattle 14, Kansas City 10 Baltimore 17, Carolina 13 SUNDAY'S GAME Chicago at Denver, 8 p.m.
TODAY'S GAME All times Central Minnesota at Houston, 7 p.m.
Sports, Pages 20 on 08/31/2009