Caleb Hanie already has thrown three touchdowns in a game in the stadium he will visit Sunday.
He has earned a victory over a longtime rival there.
Getting his first NFL victory on that field as a starting quarterback would make a nice addition to his résumé.
“I’m excited coming back,” Hanie said. “It’ll be fun, and hopefully we can get a win.”
Hanie, a former Colorado State quarterback, will return to what is now Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday as the Bears’ quarterback who’s trying to keep the team in the playoff hunt until Jay Cutler can return from a fractured thumb. And for a guy who captured a little of the Windy City’s imagination in January when he came off the bench to throw for 153 yards and two touchdowns in roughly a quarter’s worth of work in the NFC championship game, it has been a bumpy ride this time around.
He has thrown six interceptions combined in back-to-back losses to Oakland and Kansas City, and Bears coach Lovie Smith has said neither Hanie nor his team made “progress” in Sunday’s 10-3 loss to the Chiefs.
“That’s my job to get those corrected,” Hanie said. “Just because I’ve had some interceptions the last two games, that doesn’t mean that’s the type of quarterback I am.”
The Bears were 7-3 when Cutler fractured his right thumb trying to make a tackle during an interception return in a Nov. 20 victory over the Chargers — and Chicago was in prime position in the NFC’s wild-card race.
But with the consecutive losses and the Bears’ quarterback situation — they are sticking with Hanie and their other quarterbacks, rather than acquiring a veteran such as Donovan McNabb — Hanie has been the target for plenty of criticism as the team tries to stay in the postseason race.
“Last week I didn’t see progress from Caleb or our football team,” Smith said. “We still have faith in Caleb.”
“I try to tell family not to read it, good and bad,” Hanie said. “I’ve got to focus on what I can do in this offense and get better.”
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
