Chicago Bears: 8 Things to Take Away from Their Win Against the Buffalo Bills

The Bears won their first preseason game of the year after going winless in the preseason last year. The Bears of course went on to the NFC Championship Game last year and I always remind people, the Bears were 1-3 in the preseason in 1985; we all know how that turned out. That is why I never get too excited over preseason success.

As usual, there were some bright spots and some not so bright ones. Here are eight key things to take away from the first preseason contest.

The Uh-O Line

The offensive line still has a ways to go before they can get to a level that will keep Cutler upright, provide adequate running opportunities and give the offense balance

In Cutler's one series, he was under duress for two of the plays. Caleb Hanie and Nathan Enderle dealt with similar situations during their playing time.

If we are ever going to be able to fairly judge Cutler and Mike Martz's system, the offensive line must improve.

Deep Backfield

The running back position is a major strength of the Bears. Considering Matt Forte didn't play, the Bears looked strong with Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell.

Chester Taylor seems like the odd man out here. He doesn't have much, if any, trade value, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bears leave him behind when the regular season starts.

The Bears seem to have so much depth at running back, they could almost absorb a Forte holdout, though, it wouldn't be smart in the long run.

Hanie's Got Our Back

Caleb Hanie is a strong backup. Even though Hanie has struggled in practice, and he was a bit shaky in his possessions after the touchdown drive, I believe in him as a backup.

Considering the way the offensive line looks, he may be pressed into action if the line can't keep the Madden ambulance cart off the field for Cutler.

He shows good poise, the ability to make plays with his legs and decent arm strength. The Bears could avoid complete collapse if he has to start a few games.

Stout Up Front

The defensive line looks beastly.  It was perhaps the most impressive unit of the night. Starting with Amobi Okoye and Henry Melton. Okoye had a sack and was very active and comfortable in the Bears' scheme.

Melton continued to make plays, as he has since he has been a Bear. If you combine these performances with what you expect to get from Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije, then the line could be among the best in the league.

It will hurt the overall depth that fat Marcus Harrison and Corey Wooten were hurt, and the Wooten injury did not look good. Still, the Bears have Vernon Gholston, who was active on Saturday night, and tons of depth on the front four.  

Harrison is expendable now; he has had ample time to get himself in the proper condition. The Bears have too many options to continue to wait for him.

Finally...Mr. Wright

Healthy and placed as a starter, Major Wright looked awesome Saturday night. He made several plays and didn't seem to worry about injury.

If this is the type of play the Bears can expect from him, it will go a long way in solidifying the free safety position in a way it hasn't been since Mike Brown's healthy days.

Corners Set...Not so Sure

Though Tim Jennings looked decent on Saturday, mind you, this was against the Bills, who with Lee Evans gone, don't have a receiver who could really test Jennings. I fear that against elite-speed receivers, Jennings will still be exposed.

This is why I was hopeful they could sign Kelvin Hayden, but he didn't appear to be healthy enough to invest in. Jennings does play with tremendous heart, but that only gets you so far.

Let's face it, Bears fans, Zackary Bowman will never be healthy. Some guys are like that; they have the mind and athleticism to play the game, but for some reason they just can't stay healthy.

Bowman definitely seems to fit that description because he was hurt again Saturday. We will see what the severity of the injury is on Monday.

Still Good as Gould

I know he was 1-for-3, but I am not worried about the kicking situation. Robbie Gould demonstrated some leg strength many of us didn't know he possessed, narrowly missing a 56-yard attempt at the end of the first half.

It was wide right but had the distance to make it from 60 yards. Even though he missed it, it should give the Bears confidence to look to him on long attempts in the regular season and hopefully the playoffs.

Podlesh Poo-Poo

Adam Podlesh didn't make us forget about Brad Maynard in his first preseason Bears action. Bears fans, 32 yards per punt will not excite anyone, or help the defense.

As good as the Bears' defense is shaping up, it would be a shame not to take advantage of that with the best punting game possible.