Emma: Bears' Jay Cutler, Adam Gase Understand The Pressure Broncos' Brock Osweiler Faces
By Chris Emma--
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- Nearly nine years ago, Jay Cutler stepped onto the field for his first NFL start. Then a rookie selected in the first round of the 2006 draft by the Broncos, he was trusted to replace Jake Plummer, a Pro Bowl quarterback the season before.
It was a primetime game in December, and Cutler faced high expectations in leading a Denver team touted as a playoff contender.
"You know there's pressure there," Cutler said. "You're so worried about doing your job right, things are swirling around you. As a rookie, you don't really know how to play NFL football yet.
"You just try to mix in some completions and try to win the game."
Cutler finished the game 10-for-21 with a pair of touchdowns and pair of interceptions, as the Broncos fell at home to the Seahawks, 21-10. Denver finished 9-7 and narrowly missed out on a playoff spot, losing the second wild card to division rival Kansas City because of a tiebreaker.
A divorce between Cutler and the Broncos led the quarterback to the Bears in 2009, and he hasn't faced his former team since then, missing the 2011 matchup with an injury. Cutler will be on the opposite sideline staring a similar situation to his rookie debut, because it will be Brock Osweiler starting for Denver.
A fourth-year player out of Arizona State, Oswiler ill make his first NFL start in place of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who's out with a foot injury. The size of the challenge will seem greater because of the man he's replacing.
"You're not going to fill those shoes," Cutler said of Osweiler's first start. "It's going to be impossible."
Because of the situation, the Bears will be ready to attack Osweiler with pressure Sunday. It will be a hostile environment at Soldier Field, on a cold Chicago afternoon.
Of course, the Bears can relate to Osweiler in many ways. Coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase brought Osweiler to Denver during the 2012 draft, prior to Manning's first season with the franchise. They have a feeling for Osweiler's abilities and makeup, though are left largely in the dark when it comes to how new Broncos coach Gary Kubiak will fit schemes around the quarterback.
Gase compared Osweiler's situation as Manning's understudy to that of Aaron Rodgers, when the Packers quarterback was a backup to Brett Favre. A noted quarterbacks guru, Gase understands the pressure that comes with making an NFL debut at quarterback.
"Most of the time, just getting that first series out of your system and getting in a rhythm," Gase said. "It's probably been a while since he's started. It's been since college for him, really, in a regular-season game. I'm sure he's just going to try to find his rhythm as quickly as possible."
While the Broncos are 7-2 on the season, they remain an unknown for Sunday's game because Osweiler is simply a wild card. How he will react and work within his first NFL start is uncertain for the Bears.
"There's a book on every player in this league," Fox said. "Obviously, his book isn't really thick, because there hasn't been a lot of playing time."
When Fox and Gase brought Osweiler to the Broncos, they saw an intelligent quarterback who's athletic in his 6-foot-8, 240-pound frame. He boasts a strong arm and the ability to change a game. On tape, Osweiler appears to be the real deal.
But it'll be a greater challenge for Osweiler when he makes his first NFL start.
"Now that Brock has an opportunity here, I'm sure he's been waiting for it," Gase said. "I'm sure he's ready to go."