Bears Preseason Game Two
Published by Nathan Venegas on August 23, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
That’s a bit more like it.
Jay Cutler looked like a Pro Bowl quarterback against a solid Giants defense, spreading the ball around to all his weapons from Forte and Hester to Dez Clark and Aromashodu.
His ability to evade pressure and still make good throws is a skill not many NFL quarterbacks have. E
Evading pressure doesn’t mean you have to be as mobile as Vick or McNabb as long as you can sense the pressure and step away from it while still able to hit a target down field.
Speaking of hitting a receiver down-field, the arm of Cutler was on display showing distance, accuracy and even a little luck.
Couple that with some good decision making such as running with the ball when there’s no one open and throwing the ball away to avoid a big loss, and few could argue he’s not starting to look comfortable in the Windy City.
Hester and Cutler still aren’t quite in rhythm, but there is no reason to panic as its still preseason.
When they do connect I think it’s clear that they have the ability to hook up for several long-ball touchdowns.
Matt Forte was back in the lineup after missing the first preseason game and looked like he hasn’t missed a beat since his incredible rookie season.
He ran the ball well and shook off a few tacklers in the few carries he got, No. 22 also broke one for a long TD run.
Watching the Giants defense bite on run fakes was a thing of beauty, Cutler may have had better receivers in Denver, but here he’s got a legit running game.
A pair of fumbles by Garrett Wolfe and Kevin Jones was a little unsettling but even they looked pretty good.
Jones has proven to be a good runner, when healthy and Wolfe seems hell-bent on being apart of the running game this season as the 3rd down back.
The competition along the offensive line looks like it has elevated each players game.
Open running lanes and a solid passing pocket gives Bears fans reason to hope.
The secondary looked pretty good, but the loss of Plaxico Burres means the Giants no longer have a go-to guy which makes it easier to cover the pass.
Still they seemed more aggressive this game with some nice tackles and even a batted ball.
However the lack of a few key starters means that we won’t know what to expect of the defensive backfield until the season begins.
The defensive line looked pretty good, but I believe they can push their games a little more. Eli Manning had some time to pass on a few occasions and Brandon Jacobs was hard to take down (though that’s a tough task for most NFL defenses) but it’s a step in the right direction.
Though I have to say the line looks better on the whole in the fundamental areas; push off the line and pursuit of the play.
This unit will have to play better to assist the banged up corners and safeties.
Another area which we can’t be too sure of until the regular season starts is Special Teams. Dave Toub has molded one of the best all-around units in the NFL the past few seasons and there really isn’t much reason to believe this year will be any different.
With Daniel Manning nursing injury and Hester focusing on creating chemistry with Cutler the Special Seams unit hasn’t really impressed in this preseason thus far.
All in all I think even the “shockiest” of shock jocks will have trouble feeling anything but positive about the Bears performance.
