Bears Lose to Bills in First Preseason Game

The Chicago Bears got their 2009 preseason underway with a 27-20 defeat by the Buffalo Bills. The one thing that everyone greatly anticipated was the play of Bears’ new quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler, who was acquired via trade during the off-season, wasn’t completely in harmony with the offense. Only completing five out of 10 passes for 64 yards, no touchdowns and one interception, the Pro Bowl quarterback looked as if he could have used some more work with the first team offense in training camp. However, one reason why the offense struggled could be that running back Matt Forte, and tight end Greg Olsen didn’t play. Forte was Chicago’s most productive player on offense last year, and Olsen has become Cutler’s favorite target during training camp practices.

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As for the defense, no touchdowns were given up by the first string, but a lack of pressure on the quarterback resulted in Buffalo’s Trent Edwards to complete all ten of his pass attempts. Although the Bears did generate two sacks, only one of them came from the defensive line, which was by defensive end Alex Brown. Just like the offense, the lack of production from the defensive line may have been because of the absence of all-pro defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who didn’t play due to injury. Once Harris is back on the field, we will finally see if the defensive line has bought into what Bears’ new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli has taught them this past off-season. The standout player on the defensive side was safety Craig Steltz, who had a forced fumble and an interception that set up a Chicago touchdown.

Overall, a complete improvement can’t be expected just from one preseason game. Many key players have yet to hit the field, and neither the offense nor the defense will give us a true indication of where the team is until all of the Bears’ best players are ready to play. Hopefully for Chicago, Harris, Forte, Olsen, and other key players will suit up for the next preseason game when the Bears host the New York Giants.

By Clyde Speller
ProFootball-fans.com Chicago Bears Correspondent