What to Watch for in Chicago Bears' Preseason Week 1 Matchup

The Chicago Bears have more riding on the first week of the preseason than most.

Given the depths of the rebuild in the Windy City, it's imperative head coach John Fox and his staff see serious runs from some of the positions under the most construction. Well-backed personnel decisions in early August tend to lead to the best possible roster by September and a solid outlook for beyond. 

This means Bears fans can expect to see plenty of faces and competition at positions such as defensive back and wideout, not to mention two key faces under center. 

Sprinkle in arguably the biggest injury news in Chicago so far this year, and the Bears have quite a bit riding on a Thursday night exhibition against the Denver Broncos. 

Below, let's narrow down the chaos and highlight a few key details fans should keep an eye on after the 8 p.m. start time on NFL Network. 

How Offensive Line Responds in the Wake of Losing Eric Kush

Nam Huh/Associated Press

The injury mentioned above is fresh, a season-ending ordeal for versatile backup guard Eric Kush. 

According to ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson, Kush tore his hamstring on Monday, ending his season and throwing what looked like a well-reinforced spot into turmoil. 

The Bears had rewarded Kush with a new contract this offseason, keeping him in town so he could again act as key depth behind multiple spots. And with both Josh Sitton and Kyle Long battling injury issues a year ago, the re-signing quietly classified as one of the offseason's best in Chicago. 

Now the task falls on Tom Compton, Cyril Richardson and perhaps rookie Jordan Morgan. Thursday specifically, the complexion of the starting lineups change as the coaching staff will likely want to keep the starters in for an extended period so they can get rookie Mitchell Trubisky some quality snaps behind the best line the roster has to offer. 

What was once a position of strength for the Bears now has the door swung wide open, with the first big test for those forced to step up coming on short notice.

Kevin White's Progress

Nam Huh/Associated Press

The preseason is young, yet Kevin White has managed to command the headlines surrounding the Bears for the most part. 

It's not the biggest surprise provided his draft status and inability to stay on the field over the past few seasons. Early returns in camp hadn't been great either, with his confidence a topic of discussion to the point that he became frustrated with reports he had even watched collegiate tape with Victor Cruz. 

However, White has started to garner more praise as camp continues, such as this note from CBSChicago.com's Chris Emma: "Kevin White has been crisp with his routes in camp. More importantly, he doesn't look hesitant going for the football. Some positive signs."

The next step, of course, is getting White on the field in a live-game scenario to see how he's running the routes and dealing with contact, not to mention simply catching the football. 

Though brief, Denver's vaunted defense will provide an interesting test. White has a chance to shine, giving him a chance to prove he's a better option than Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright and Victor Cruz behind Cameron Meredith.

The Overall Battle at Receiver

Nam Huh/Associated Press

Speaking of those names at wideout, something will have to give sooner or later on the depth chart. 

After Meredith, the Bears will look to put the best possible combination of talent or best rotations in place to help along one of Mike Glennon or Trubisky, if not both. Wheaton and Wright were the big-name adds at the position over the offseason, with the veteran Cruz falling a bit behind later. 

But look how fast something like this can change. 

Here's Fox on Cruz recently, according to Emma: "I've been impressed with him. He's got a great feel for the game."

Sounds like preseason coachspeak, but Cruz's experience on winners and downright skill won't have a hard time shining in camp among a bunch of unknowns. White has the injury history, as does Wheaton, and Wright's best seasons have been sporadic when he actually gets on the field. 

It sets up quite a showdown for the wideouts on the roster starting this week. And behind the mentioned names, the Bears still have guys such as Rueben Randle, Deonte Thompson and Daniel Braverman fighting for a spot on the back end of the roster. 

Perhaps the biggest positional battle to watch on Thursday, it's critical to keep a close eye on the guys catching the passes from the new quarterbacks.

Eddie Jackson's Pursuit of a Starting Role

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Chicago Bears defensive back Eddie Jackson catches a ball during NFL football practice Tuesday, May 23, 2017, in Lake Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

It wouldn't come as much of a surprise to see the biggest takeaway around the Bears after the first preseason game is the talent of rookie safety Eddie Jackson. 

Jackson, finally healthy after falling to the Bears in the fourth round due to injury concerns, has been all over the place so far as a pro—taking snaps at different spots in the defensive backfield and going back to return kicks. 

The Alabama product has made a point to show critics he's working on one of his bigger perceived issues, tackling. 

"That was something that a lot of people were second-guessing," Jackson said, per Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. "I've got to be real physical and that's something I've really been working [on] day-in and day-out at practice—especially since pads came on. Everyone's been taking notice."

Jackson's sheer speed and range to cover deep will catch the eye of fans Thursday. How well he holds up (and wraps up), and if he makes any big plays, will decide if he will eat into the snaps the coaching staff plans to give to Adrian Amos next to Quintin Demps.

Which Tight Ends Seize Starting Roles

Nam Huh/Associated Press

The release of Chicago's depth chart ahead of the encounter with the Buccaneers was a bit of a ho-hum affair. 

The exception might have been tight end, where free-agent add Dion Sims sat ahead of both veteran Zach Miller and rookie Adam Shaheen. 

Then again, it might've been a reaffirmation of many thinking along these lines—Miller has had problems staying healthy over the years and Sims turned some heads in Miami last season with his budding skillset as a weapon through the air. 

Meaning, Miller could firmly be on the roster bubble moving forward because the Bears aren't letting go of Shaheen. Speaking of the rookie, he's flashed in camp and could force himself into the starting position with a solid showing during preseason games. 

Perhaps quietly, tight end is one of the best positions on the Chicago roster. The battle for jobs outright, both in terms of chances and even getting to stay in town, really kicks into gear Thursday night.

All Things Under Center

Nam Huh/Associated Press

It won't come as much of a surprise, but the battle between Trubisky and Glennon tops the list of things to watch for now. 

Of course, the Bears don't want anyone thinking the rookie has a chance, hence the mentioned depth chart going as far as listing Trubisky in third behind both Glennon and Mark Sanchez. 

Conventional wisdom suggests the Bears might follow this order on the depth chart come Thursday night. One has to wonder, though, how wise of a move it would be considering trotting out Trubisky behind Sanchez means the rookie gets put in an unfavorable position with other backups perhaps near the end of the roster. 

Either way, there isn't a thing the Bears can do if Trubisky flashes on the field as he's done in camp with a strong arm and a mobile base.

It seems the plan all along has been to start Glennon no matter what and put Trubisky in a pressure-free environment, but such an approach goes out the window if the rookie starts putting up big numbers and giving the coaching staff ambitions of putting marks in the win columns. 

However, fans don't need to be sold on the idea of watching a top-two pick and potential future of the franchise suit up. The storyline writes itself, though the rookie can perhaps do a bit of erasing to the plan himself and grab the pencil if he plays well enough. 

All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.