BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- One game into the preseason and already Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has had to smooth things out with one of his wide receivers.
Cutler commented to reporters about wide receiver Devin Hester's failure to break up an interception on a pass that fell short Saturday night following the team's 27-20 preseason loss to Buffalo. His remark seemed to rub some people the wrong way.
"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.
The Bills' Leodis McKelvin intercepted the pass.
Hester admitted Monday that Cutler's comment upset him at first.
"But then he [Cutler] said he didn't say it," Hester said.
"It wasn't criticism or anything like that," Hester said. "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."
Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said Cutler should have checked down to a shorter receiver route when he had to slide up in the pocket on the play rather than put the ball up for grabs.
Turner said occasionally he might need to talk to Cutler about being critical of teammates, but not every time.
"We don't want to temper that too much," Turner said. "Jay is an emotional guy and he's a fiery guy and he's a fiery competitor. That's why he's an elite quarterback."
