Bears Preseason Game One
Published by Nathan Venegas on August 17, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Bears’ first preseason game is past us and with it some questions have been answered and many need to be reminded that this is just the preseason; it’s designed for teams to iron out the finer details.
No matter how much a team practices, nothing simulates an actual game. Jay Cutler showed off his arm but also showed that it’ll take some time to into rhythm with the Bears receivers, particularly Devin Hester.
A perfect example is the ball that was picked in the first half. Now both Hester and Cutler have differing opinions on this but once Cutler gets used to Hester’s speed he’ll learn to overthrow Hester and let him run after it.
Listed at 5’11” Hester won’t win many jump balls but again this is why there’s a preseason—to work out the kinks, so at this time there’s no reason to panic.
One thing to keep in mind is the absence of Matt Forte and Greg Olsen from the lineup. Minus two of the Bears biggest offensive weapons gave Jay Cutler very little to work with.
I’m not even going to listen to the Monday morning radio shows because I don’t want to hear a bunch of shock jocks talk about how Caleb Hanie looked better than Cutler against the Bills. While Hanie posted bigger numbers I highly doubt anyone with a brain would opt to start Hanie over Jay Cutler Week One.
I think Hanie has been working hard and will be the No. 2 QB and clipboard holder but he’s never taken a snap in the regular season and has only played against second and third stringers. Leading your team’s third stringers over the other teams third stringers doesn’t mean you’re ready to start in the NFL.
The offensive line was very impressive. Orlando Pace looked pretty good in the half dozen or so snaps he played. The competition between Josh Beekman and Frank Omiyale should only make the line better.
Chris Williams looked to be in top form and finally getting into the swing of things after missing most of training camp last season.
Kevin Jones looked healthy, keep your fingers crossed, and if the line can hold up for Forte and a healthy Jones can stay healthy during the season Jay Cutler’s job is going to be much easier than anticipated.
Moving on to some of the brighter spots of the game I’ll start with Al Afalava. He seemed to be the only one in the secondary with some pop in his step. Hopefully he can take over for Mike Brown being that difference maker over the middle.
With Daniel Manning and Charles Tillman banged up we’ll need some reserves to step up and make plays. Create turnovers and you’re almost sure of a roster spot.
The pass rush looked sluggish, the same way it looked last season. They registered a couple sacks but if it wasn’t a sack the Bills QB was able to sit in the pocket and find the open man downfield. Something serious needs to be done about this BEFORE the regular season.
Add a pass rush to last season’s team and the Bears would have made the playoffs.
All in all it was a typical preseason opener, some things worked and some things still need work. But it’s safe to say that there’s plenty of time to line up all the pieces and have a positive season.
