By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

DENVER(AP) -- Heckled and harassed by a hostile crowd, Jay Cutler
silenced the jeers the best way he knew how - with his powerful
right arm.

The Chicago quarterback played the role of villain to perfection
in his return to Invesco Field, leading the Bears team to a
27-17 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.

"This isn't your everyday situation," Cutler said.

Far from it.

Cutler had a very public spat with new Broncos coach Josh
McDaniels after Cutler decided he didn't want to play for him
anymore. The rift came to a halt on April 2 when the Broncos
dealt Cutler to Chicago for Kyle Orton and a handful of picks.

Now, Cutler is more interested in putting the past behind him.

The crowd, though, wasn't about to let him forget, taunting him
the entire game.

"We knew coming into this it was going to be a hostile
environment, which was good," said Cutler, who threw for 144
yards and a touchdown. "It's good preparation for us."

The louder he was booed, the more he bore down. That's what
running back Matt Forte noticed in the huddle.

"He was calm, and kept everyone else calm," Forte said.

After Cutler led the Bears on a 12-play, 98-yard drive just
before halftime, he pumped his fist in exhilaration, almost a
"take that" sort of gesture.

So, was it?

"I think any quarterback is going to be happy with that," Cutler
said. "To go 98 yards in this league is hard."

Not to mention in a place like Denver, where the Pro Bowler once
was viewed as the next coming of Hall of Famer John Elway. It
certainly made an impression on defensive lineman Tommie Harris.

"Jay is Mr. Consistent," Harris said. "He looked good out there.
We're just fortunate to have him in our orange and blue."

Cutler's performance may make those fans deriding him Sunday
wish he was still wearing the Broncos' orange and blue.

"It went well," Cutler said of his return. "It was a little bit
weird - different locker room, different sideline. But that's
how it goes. I love where I'm at in Chicago. I think we're
heading in the right direction offensively."

Meanwhile, the Broncos are searching for answers for their
lackluster offense. They lost Orton after he cut his right index
finger on a helmet late in the second quarter.

Orton immediately looked down at his bloody finger, showed it to
the sideline and then trotted off the field. He was taken to the
locker room, his night finished.

As for how long he might be out, McDaniels wouldn't elaborate,
saying only "I'm not going to talk about that or the extent of
it yet."

The team already is missing backup Chris Simms after he sprained
his ankle in a preseason game last week at Seattle.

"I'm going to work as hard as I can," said Orton, who was 12 for
16 for 96 yards before suffering the gash on his finger. "I
don't know how long I will be out, but mentally I will be ready
to go and I think physically I will be, too."

Denver's sputtering offense only generated Matt Prater's 31-yard
field goal in the first half. The team also was plagued by
penalties (10) and turnovers (2).

With just one preseason game remaining - and the starters not
expected to see a lot of time - the Broncos are running out of
opportunities to shore up deficiencies.

"There are some things that we have got to get fixed reasonably
quickly," Orton said. "We have got to play better than we have
been."

McDaniels certainly wasn't pleased with his offense, especially
the long-yardage situations.

"Sloppy, certainly," McDaniels said.

As for Cutler's return to Denver, McDaniels summed it up
succinctly.

"It's over," he said.

But he quickly added that wasn't the focus - just a little extra
drama.

"It was a great atmosphere to play in for our football team to
try and get ready for the regular season," McDaniels said. "He
did some nice things for them and I'm sure he will have a good
year out there in Chicago."