Forgive the extremely abbreviated posting, but I'm in the midst of a crazy nerd-filled weekend at Chicago Comic-Con and simply don't have the requisite time to fully flesh out a preseason game with the Raiders. Never fear though, I will be live-tweeting the game and posting a recap for all of you. Now let's get to a few of the things I'm looking for during Saturday night's contest.
-Jay-Mart: Part 2
Okay, so nobody quite expected Jay Cutler to be pulled after only eight plays. This time around Cutler should play into the second quarter, giving fans a slightly clearer picture of what this offense will look like when the regular season rolls around. All of Mike Martz's bells and whistles won't be on display, but the basics of the system should come into view.
-Devin Aromashodu
Aromashodu had a solid game last week against the Chargers with 4 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. This week pay attention to the chemistry between he and Cutler on passing plays. We all know Jay lobbied for Devin to play last season, so let's watch if D.A. takes a few receptions away from Johnny Knox as Cutler's go-to guy.
-Pass protect!
We need to keep Jay upright for 16 games this year or we'll have no chance at getting into the playoffs of even a winning record. That means Olin Kreutz and the rest of that reassembled offensive line have to start gelling fast. With all of the deep drops in Martz's scheme, the line needs to get on track.
-Safeties: Do we have any?
Major Wright won't be playing because of recent finger surgery. Crag Steltz will be out as well. We'll see if Danieal Manning plays or not. In any case, the Bears are very thin at the safety spot, which will cause some issues as they sort out the starters for opening day. If Wright isn't playing, how can he be promoted?
-Back-up QB: Really?
Yep, we're talking about the back-up quarterback. Caleb Hanie will be out with a shoulder injury for the next few weeks, so former Kansas City QB Matt Gutierrez was signed on to take some practice reps and see the field in garbage time. This will mean sixth-round rookie Dan LeFevour will get snaps with the second team and see better competition. He looked very raw last week. Keep an eye on Mike Martz's pet quarterback project.
That's all for tonight everyone! Again, I won't analyze our opponent, since teams rarely gameplan during the preseason. If they don't, why should we analysts? Bear Down and Happy Jay Cutler Day!
Keywords: Chicago Bears, Devin Aromashodu, Jay Cutler, Jay-Mart, Joe Anello, Johnny Knox, Major Wright, Mike Martz, NFL, Oakland Raiders
