Seen and Herd: Preseason Week Two | Buffalo Bills Vs Chicago Bears

Oh, how great it felt to be back in Ralph Wilson Stadium. Well kind of. On a really hot night, the Bills faced off against the Chicago Bears, and believe it or not, played well.

Let's jump right into the analysis, my favorite part.

The Bears took the field with their new gunslinger at the helm, Jay Cutler.

This was a big debut. Cutler is the man who is supposed to put an end to the quarterback curse in the Windy City.

Ignoring the hype surrounding his first start in a Bears' uniform, the Bills didn't fold under the pressure that the former Vanderbilt standout often brings to opposing defenses.

I'm not going to say the pass rush wreaked havoc, but the pocket certainly collapsed on more than one occasion, leading to Leodis McKelvin's interception in the first quarter. 

Beside the semi-disruptive pass rush, the secondary stood out to me ( I attended the game, so take my word for it ). The depth was apparent, although Bryan Scott and Drayton Florence suffered knee sprains. Yet even without them, they proved the secondary is by far the deepest facet of the team. 

Cutler looked more nervous in the pocket than I've ever seen him, and the interior defensive line held up much better against the run, in comparison to last week's tilt against the Titans. 

The run game for Buffalo, for the second straight week, was unimpressive, but Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson displayed their ultra-aggressive running style to fight for each yard. The line needs to improve a great deal on those vital first and second down running plays.

We all heard about Trent Edwards' 10-for-10 evening, but he did check down to Lynch three times. Included in his perfect night, Edwards hit Lee Evans five times, and found Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish, while looking cozy in the No-Huddle against a minimal pass rush. He never came close to passing for a touchdown during his only end zone trip. On 3rd and long, a dive play was called. A little odd.

Andy Levitre didn't seem to get owned like he did against Tennessee, and as a whole, the offensive line looked much more like a cohesive unit, although it's obvious there's more gelling to be had. 

As mentioned, the defensed performed well. Really want to hammer that home. Anytime you force five turnovers, things are looking up. Ellis Lankster stole the show with his two picks, and nearly grabbed a third in the second half. He's a lock for the final roster. Wouldn't be shocked to see him rotating at the nickel spot, but then again if he doesn't see the field this season during any meaningful play, I wouldn't be surprised either—you've gotta love the kids' effort. 

Chris Ellis and Copeland Bryan were active on the outside, and contributed sacks on consecutive plays. Yes, believe it or not, the Bills' finished off two straight sacks. The starting linebackers didn't see much field-time, but Nic Harris and Alvin Bowen demonstrated their athleticism, and made the coaches fully aware that in the case of the untimely injury, the drop-off in production won't be substantial. 

Harris tipped a third down and goal attempt, and was a fixture on almost every run play, wrapping up the Bears' running backs with ease. 

Bowen got smacked on a side-block during the 2nd half on a sweep play, was shaken up, but stayed on the field. Tough guy.

As far as the back-ups go, basically the real reason why one should attend a preseason game, they faired well. Justin Jenkins, Felton Huggins, and C.J. Hawtorne cemented themselves as practice squad players, and that's in a worst case scenario.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo's biggest worry thus far to Bills' fans, showed the smarts he displayed at Harvard extended further than the classroom. 

He completed 13 passes for 146 yards and lofted a beautiful fade to rookie Shawn Nelson for a score. His ball had more zip and he too, like Edwards, was comfortable operating out of the No-Huddle offense. 

The pass rush showed signs of hope, the secondary flexed their muscles with four interceptions, while the offense clicked working out of the No-Huddle. 

If the progression from the first game to the second game continues throughout the preseason, the Bills' faithful have an exciting season to look forward to. 

Next Edition, next Sunday following the Bills match-up against the Green Bay Packers.

What did you guys/girls think? Much better? Worse? Loved being back at home? Fire away below....