BEARS QB JAY CUTLER
(on if he's looking forward to returning to Nashville)
I haven't played there in a while. We played a preseason game there, I think, last year maybe. To get back to Nashville and see some people I haven't seen in a while, it'll be a good time.
(on if he gets back to Nashville often)
We have a house down there actually, so I'm down there quite a bit in the offseason.
(on what kind of reception he expects in Nashville)
Bears fans travel pretty well, so I'm sure we'll have a few Bears fans there. I'm sure there are some Vandy fans left over.
(on the team's success so far this season)
We just have to execute better. We're winning ball games, we're getting those big plays that we need to. We're playing well in the fourth quarter. We just need to get off to a better start in the first half. We're still a young offense, so we'll figure it out.
(on the team's fourth-quarter play against the Panthers)
No one really played well the first three quarters. I didn't play my best ball, the offensive line played poorly. We had some dropped balls. We were kind of taking our turns of who was messing up. We had some turnovers, had some penalties, pretty much anything thing you can do offensively to shoot yourself in the foot, we did it. Defensively, we're playing exceptionally well, they're keeping us in games. We just have to pick it up on offense.
(on if he's a believer that good teams win even when they're not playing well)
When you're winning games, it's easy to live by that philosophy. When you're losing, it's totally different. I think good teams, great teams, find ways to win ball games like that in the fourth quarter to pull it off. That being said, offensively, we've got to play better because we're facing some tough teams down the stretch, and we're not going to be able to pull those out all the time.
(on if he sees some opportunities to put up points against the Titans defense)
I think as of late, they're playing a little bit better. I think they're protecting from the big play, they're helping their corners and their linebackers out a little bit more. We're just going to have to see how they play us. They've played every team a little bit differently. We're going to have to, the first quarter, kind of feel them out and see what kind of game it's going to be.
(on if he thought there was a chance the Titans would draft him in 2006)
I think they were pretty set on Vince (Young). I think Bud Adams was pretty much going to go with him. I went over there and threw a few times for them, but I think it was just for show, really.
(on if he had hoped that the Titans might draft him)
Yeah, I would have liked to have stayed there, but I ended up in a great situation with Mike Shanahan in Denver and then onto Chicago. It's been a fun career so far.
(on if he's taken pride in outlasting some of the other quarterbacks taken in the 2006 Draft)
I don't really think about it. The draft and drafting quarterbacks in the first round is such a crapshoot. Once you get in the NFL, there's a lot to it. It's not whether you just play well. You have to be in a good system. You have to have some guys around you. Your offensive line has to play well. It's a lot of chance and a lot of luck as well as your skill level.
(on if fatherhood is making him a happier person)
When you're winning ball games, life is always easier. I'm comfortable with where I am now with a son and with Kristin (Cavallari) and my career. Things are looking up right now. As long as we keep winning, I'm sure I'll stay in a good mood.
(on if he's seen the NFL apparel commercial he filmed)
Yeah, I think it came out alright.
(on if he likes the opportunity to show his lighter side)
I don't do it often. Some of that stuff is out of my control, and I don't really worry about it to be honest.
(on if he gets tired of hearing about his reputation)
You're asking the wrong guy. I don't work for the media.
(on if he gets tired of hearing people complain about his body language)
Things get blown out of proportion in the media. That's the world we live in these days. People like to run stories, and whatever is going to create the most attention, that's what we're going to run with. Like I said, those things are out of my control. I just come and play football every day.
(on what makes Brandon Marshall hard to defend)
He's 6-5, 230, he's a big dude. It's hard stay in his way, and he's hard to cover.
(on what kind of coverages he's seen in those situations)
We've seen every coverage under the sun involving Brandon (Marshall). Teams are really trying to take him away. They're playing brackets, they're playing over top and underneath of him. They're trying to man him up. They're trying to bump-and-run him. We've seen everything with Brandon.
(on if he picked up where he left off with Brandon Marshall in Denver)
We pretty much started right where we left off. It was relatively easy working with him again in the offseason, and by training camp rolled around, we were good.
(on how important it is for a quarterback to have a receiver that he can trust)
I know it's hard without him. I was without him for three years. He just changes games because you know you have that guy over there that if you get one-on-one coverage, he's going to win 100 percent of the time. As a defense, you have to account for that.
(on what needs to be done to cut down sacks)
We have to protect better.
(on if there's anything in particular he can do to limit sacks)
There are always times, and there are going to be a couple cases a game, where I'd like to get rid of the ball sooner. Our offense is built to get rid of the ball, and get the guys that can plays the ball in their hands as fast as possible.
(on the play of Earl Bennett and D.J. Moore)
They're playing well. D.J. (Moore) is our nickel, having an exceptional year again. He kind of flies under the radar, gets a couple picks, two, three, four, five picks a year. Earl (Bennett), he's in there every down with me. He's my rock out there. He can play all the positions. He's a smart player, he's tough. I trust him out there, and it's good to have him out there again with me. He was injured a little bit.
(on what he remembers from the win over Tennessee in 2005)
I think the last drive, I threw the ball to Earl (Bennett) four straight times. We kept dialing his number up, and he kept making plays for us.
