BEARS - PRESEASON GAME 2 THOUGHTS

Here are some of my thoughts on Game 2...

I thought the Defense and Special Teams were great in this game. We ended up losing the game, but the defense was it's opportunistic self in this one. They were pressuring the qb, stopping the run, forcing turnovers, and scoring TD's like we were used to seeing. We all know the Defense is going to have to carry us if we want to make it to the playoffs, and this game reminded us all of how it is going to be this year. With the offense struggling to score points, the Defense and Special teams took care of that for us with some timely plays.

The Good:

- Caleb Hanie - He was poised and led scoring drives again in this game. There is just something about this kid that seems special. Yes I know he is killing third team defenses, so calm down! All I'm saying is that from watching him play, he seems like he can play QB in the NFL at a consistent level. It will be nice to see him get a lot of tick in Game 4. I'm really hoping we can keep him on the team.

- Earl Bennett - last week I said he looked slow and lost out there returning, but he proved me wrong. He had a sweet punt return for a TD in this one, and it was great to see. He did drop another catch, which was a little disappointing, but at least we know he can help this team on the Special Teams end. Hopefully he can settle down a little and also develop as a WR.

- Marcus Harrison - This rookie continues to play well. He has a great motor and he had a great push from the tackle position. He is definitely looking like he will be getting a lot of playing time this year.

- Kellen Davis - I told you guys after game 1 to keep your eyes on this kid, and he was at it again. He was our best player on offense today I think. He made some amazing grabs, especially his touchdown grab which he yanked out of the air with one hand. The guy is a beast and I definitely think he is going to be a great Red Zone target.

- Darrell McClover - This kid was all over the field from a blocked punt to getting pressure on the QB

- Israel Idonije - He started in place of Tommie Harris and was great in this one. He had a great sack, deflected a pass, and had some other great stops that he made. He is definitely proving his worth and showing that he isn't just another Special Teams player. The Bears have also said that he can play both End and Tackle. That versatility will definitely get him some more tick this year.

Bad...

- Mark Bradley - Yes he did block a punt, but anyone could have blocked that punt. He was drafted to be a WR and has been on this team for years now. I am not trying to hate on the guy, but he needs to go out there and prove to the Bears and us the fans that he can be a WR in this league. I still have not seen him make a catch in ages, so I wonder if he is going to make this roster.

- The OLine - they were terrible vs the Seahawks and their first team defense. Wrex was about to be carted away if the assault lasted any longer out there. Let's see if they can bounce back in this one.

- Orton/Wrex - Still have not seen anything from the QB position. Now that Orton has been named the starter, let's see if he can get something going in this next game.

Game 3 will give us a better feel of what this season is destined to be. In this game, the starters will play for 3 quarters, so let's see if they can go out and play solid football. I'm looking for a great performance by our Defense and our Special Teams, and hopefully a good showing by our offense. I am definitely going to try to get tickets to go the game, but let's see if that happens.

Things I'm looking forward to seeing in game 3...

- Orton - Orton must be relieved that the Bears named him the starter. Now he needs to go out and perform and prove to his critics that he is yes indeed a QB1 in the NFL. We need to see a much better performance from him, than he had in his first two games.

Matt Forte - We will finally get to see more of Forte tomorrow. We did not get to see too much of Forte in game 2 because of the Bears qb circus that was going on. Look for them to commit to the run in game 3, and for us to get a better look at what Forte can do.

- The offensive line - They got torn up vs Seattle, let's see if they can have a bounce back game here. Without this Oline, Orton, Forte, and the offense will sputter.

- Kevin Jones - They say he will get some touches in this game, so it will be nice to finally get a chance to see Jones healthy and running again.

- Dusty D - HE IS FINALLY HEALTHY!!! Knock on wood. He will get his first significant time back on the field tomorrow, so let's see how he does.

- Robbie Gould - He is usually as good as Gould, but he missed a game winner last week. Just want to make sure he is fine mentally, so it will be nice to see him knock a few in.

- The first team defense - They were back to being opportunistic last weekend, but they were far from dominant and perfect. Vasher got beat deep, Briggs missed tackles, and Urlacher was beaten to the edge to just name a few of their mistakes. Hopefully they can dominate like they are expected to vs a pretty mediocre Niners team.