Two hours before kickoff, the CBS analyst Phil Simms was venting. He can't believe the scrutiny Jay Cutler has been under since his clunker of a debut with the Bears last Sunday at Green Bay.

Simms is here at Soldier Field to broadcast the game on Ch. 2 with Jim Nantz, the network's No. 1 crew. After watching tape of Cutler's four-interception performance during the week, Simms knew the Bears' new quarterback would come under fire. He's surprised at the level of criticism, which included Mike Martz and Jim Mora Sr. this past week firing on Cutler for his demeanor in a postgame press conference.

"Sure, I can believe it,'' Simms said. ``It's the reality of the NFL now. It might be a little higher here in Chicago right now, or a little more of a subject because you're reminded every day in this city about the history of quarterbacks. But really it is just commonplace now for NFL quarterbacks. Hate 'em from Day 1 if they don't win and throw all touchdowns and no interceptions.

"The critical comments, the overanalyzation of everything, Week 1, there is no other way to describe it except that it is out of control. That's all I can say. All I am reading is body language, `I can see this,' or `I can see that,' 'I can just tell.' I'm telling you, I wish I could go on and do the game today and do commentary on that because it is absurd.''

Simms doesn't see this being an issue for Cutler moving forward, but he also wasn't predicting an easy road this afternoon against the Super Bowl champions.

"The players don't listen don't listen to all the talk radio, read all the articles and watch ESPN around the clock where we have 40 guys analyzing every throw Jay Cutler makes,'' Simms said. "If I have to hear one more time, `Oh, you don't throw across the field.' That's another cliche that needs to be blown up because Jay Cutler has thrown across his body 300 times already in his career and he has hit about 100 big plays out of it. Is he going to make mistakes? Sure.

Plenty of football action already today, so we'll dive right into Four Down Territory.

Q: So I hear the Dallas Cowboys want Terrell Owens out of town. Either they cut him or trade him. I've heard speculation they could take as little as a third-round draft pick for him. Give me the odds of the Bears being players for his services.

James T., Charleston, Ill.

A: First, the Cowboys and Jerry Jones have to arrive at the conclusion that they're better off without T.O. than they are putting up with his antics and self-destructive behavior. Based on how Roy Williams played after Dallas paid a high ransom to get him from Detroit, that might be a tough decision to make. But Owens has become an unbelievably divisive force there, proof that problems ran much deeper than his run-ins with former wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator Todd Haley. That was the vibe you used to get, that T.O. didn't get along with Haley, which was dead on. Haley exited for Arizona in 2007 and T.O. has been at odds with everyone else since. What Jones is witnessing is the window of opportunity slowly closing on his team. He's moving into a shiny new $1 billion building and nothing sells quite like winning.

Popular opinion is growing that Owens will not be back in Dallas. Peter King weighed in on the issue Monday, writing "I think everyone doing free-agent lists should add one name in pencil: Terrell Owens. I'll bet you a month's worth of lattes he'll be free in six weeks." He's not the only national writer thinking that way. In fact, there are more who consider T.O. a goner than think he'll play with a star on the side of his helmet in 2009.

TAMPA--Given the opportunity to suggest the Bears would be a good landing spot for his son Chris Simms, CBS analyst Phil Simms passed Wednesday afternoon.

Maybe it was the line he draws between being a commentator and a proud papa, but Simms was hardly excited about the possibility.

"I was told earlier today that there had been some talk [the Bears being a match for the free-agent quarterback] but I did not know that,'' Simms said. "If it's in Chicago, good. Wherever it is.''

While it's not a definite, there is a good chance the Bears will venture out into free agency and look for a quarterback with some experience to bring in. If they don't, it will be a sign of confidence in Caleb Hanie taking the next step. Simms, who the Bears had interest in last spring, and Pittsburgh backup Byron Leftwich are two candidates.

"You're asking the wrong guy," Simms said after announcing end-of-season awards for New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson. "I'm not what people say or think. When [my son] played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I couldn't have told you 10 people on the team. I know the league inside and out, but I don't get involved. I don't want to know.''