Could Cutler learn something from Rex?

It would probably be considered putting it lightly to say that was not what Bears fans expected from the first appearance of their new franchise quarterback. In fact, if not for Kyle Orton’s own disastrous – three interception – debut with the Broncos there might have been a few twinges of regret.

But for all the disappointment surrounding the overall up and down nature of Jay Cutler’s first 14 snaps as the Chicago Bears quarterback, two days later all the attention is focused on one particular snap, one particular throw, and one particular comment after the game.

Watching Jay Cutler step up in the pocket and heave an ill-fated pass down the left sideline that landed in the hands of Buffalo corner Leodis McKelvin instead of Devin Hester probably made more than a few fans flashback to their Rex Grossman nightmares.

Then hearing Cutler after the game classify Devin Hester as more of a “go-get-it guy” and not a “back shoulder, or jump up and get it” guy gave me a flashback to Rex Grossman standing on Soldier Field after being dismantled by the Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve and admitting he wasn’t prepared for the game.

A word to the wise Jay: wing and a prayer, 50-50 deep passes and a little too much candor and honesty in your post-game interviews are probably not the path to success as a Bears quarterback.

Trust me on this.

In the end though, more might never have been made over a single preseason interception.

A strong-armed, aggressive quarterback tried to make a big play in a game that essentially means nothing and yet the world seems to be coming to an end. In this quarterback starved town that is the inevitable burden of being labeled “the franchise”.

Was the pass a poor decision? Yes. But considering how little preseason generally equates to regular season success fans should probably take a deep breath and relax. It was a small step in a long process and should only cause worry when it becomes a pattern instead of an anomaly.

Even worse has been the reaction to Cutler’s comments after the game. Ever searching for scandal and the signs of discontent a simple observation was turned into throwing a teammate under the bus.

What was so untrue about Cutler’s comments? I don’t foresee the 5’11” Hester leaping high over cornerbacks to pull in spectacular downfield grabs, do you? Hester is a guy who’s going to get behind defenders and beat them on quickness and what I read from Cutler was simply that observation.

Members of the media and fans are often hypocrites when it comes to their cries for players to answer questions with and display candor, honesty and personality. This is exactly why they don’t.

When a simple answer to a question gets blown this out of proportion it’s a wonder why every Bears player doesn’t adhere to the Lovie Smith guide to dealing with the press.

For so many reasons Jay Cutler’s first go-around as starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears was a learning experience. Perhaps just most surprising is that the person he probably needs to learn the most from is Rex Grossman and not repeating his mistakes.