Chicago Bears Preseason Week 2 Matchup Preview

At a glance, the Chicago Bears seem on an upswing heading into their second preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. 

To paint in broad strokes, Chicago lost its preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, yet it got big performances from a rookie class headlined by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, didn't suffer any major injuries and had re-made positions such as wide receiver flex newfound depth. 

Saturday's 10 p.m. ET showdown in Arizona gives the Chicago defense another major stress test against one of the league's best running backs. For the quarterbacks, a hostile environment and defensive stalwarts like Patrick Peterson will look to exploit the budding unit. 

Granted, starters won't play overly long on Saturday night. But it's another important milestone for a team looking for improvement across the board—and after the quarterback play a week ago, most fans likely won't mind staying up late to catch the action. 

Given the circumstances, let's break down the key points to know heading into Saturday. 

Prince Amukamara Headlines Injury List

Uncredited/Associated Press

The Bears left the loss against the Broncos in great shape—especially for a team that suffered so many injuries a year ago, rightfully making fans nervous heading into these meaningless games. 

Then the season-ending injury to guard Eric Kush happened. The Bears could recover from it and hope it was the worst to occur before Saturday. 

The injury bug had other plans. 

Monday, cornerback Prince Amukamara left the practice field with an injury, according to CBSChicago.com's Chris Emma. The day prior, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune had reported wideout Markus Wheaton suffered a broken finger. 

The problems aren't hard to see here. Chicago's coaching staff wants Wheaton to provide some deep speed for the offense. Amukamara, at least so far, has looked like the best cornerback on the roster after signing during free agency. 

Given Chicago's secretive nature about injuries, it's hard to know how these items and any further issues will change the plan for Saturday's game. But seeing three recognizable names on the shelf already is an issue to watch. 

Detail to Watch: Offensive Line Chemistry

Nam Huh/Associated Press

Chicago's offensive line did a solid job a week ago with Von Miller and the Broncos in town, only permitting one sack and helping the offense rush for an average of 4.8 yards per carry. 

Drama, though, highlighted Chicago's early week action in training camp.

According to Emma, veteran guard Kyle Long got himself kicked out of practice after two skirmishes with teammates—with head coach John Fox saying the following: "There's a certain standard here, something we weren't really pleased with."

These things happen, of course, but the issue throws a spotlight on the offensive line at a time it probably didn't want the attention. It's more notable than it should be considering Long is the locker room leader and arguably the face of the franchise during this major rebuild. 

So while it seems like a regular preseason occurrence, keep an eye on how well all levels of the offensive line perform on Saturday, also keeping in mind the coaching staff has toyed recently with the idea of moving the starting guards around the unit. 

New Face to Watch: Roberto Aguayo

Frank Victores/Associated Press

General manager Ryan Pace and the Bears sure don't shy away from a value move with potential upside. 

Sunday, the Bears swooped in after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released former second-round pick Roberto Aguayo and inked him to a deal, moving wideout Reuben Randle to injured reserve to make room, according to ESPN's Field Yates.

Aguayo busted hard as a rookie last year, hardly converting on 70 percent of his kicks and missing two extra points. In Tampa Bay's preseason opener, he missed a field goal and another extra point. 

Still, the Bears saw it fit to bring the sophomore aboard and give Connor Barth some competition. If anything, the move brings out the best in Barth and otherwise gives the Bears the best possible kicker heading into the season. 

And who knows, Aguayo is far from done in the NFL if the Bears can help alter his form. Sometimes all a kicker needs is a change of scenery to work problems out. If Chicago can start this process on Saturday, it'll be a big achievement in hindsight. 

Player to Watch: Kyle Fuller

G-Jun Yam/Associated Press

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller (23) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Denver Broncos, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/G-Jun Yam)

Cornerback Kyle Fuller looks like one of the most important players in Chicago right now.

After missing all of last year and seeing his fifth-year option declined, not to mention additions like Amukamara and Marcus Cooper after the front office pursued Stephon Gilmore and others, it's safe to say few players face the pressure Fuller does.  

It doesn't help that Biggs recently wrote about rumors hinting at Fuller being a trade candidate.  

Of course, the severity of the injury suffered by Amukamara could change the outlook here in a hurry. And, as Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune pointed out, he's looked quite strong in practice recently: "But on Sunday, Fuller was aggressive on plays that were in front of him. Matched up against Kevin White in man-to-man on the left side of the defense, Fuller batted down a slant and then a comeback route on consecutive snaps."

Thanks to all the noise and his absence, it's easy to forget Fuller looked great at times during his rookie year. If he can rediscover that form, the Bears might already have a top corner on the depth chart.

But the pressure is on—and being asked to slow a wideout corps featuring names like Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown is perhaps the biggest stress test Fuller will face this summer.  

Matchup to Watch: Bears Defense vs. Arizona RBs

G-Jun Yam/Associated Press

Chicago Bears outside linebacker Leonard Floyd (94) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Denver Broncos, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/G-Jun Yam)

It sounds so simple to say an entire defense is something to watch, right?  

But this is the preseason we're talking about and a roster that just went through one of the biggest makeovers in the league while also getting a handful of guys back from injuries means starting from scratch during exhibitions is a necessity.  

Case in point—on a game-tying touchdown by the Broncos in an eventual loss, the Bears managed to only have 10 players on the field, a detail confirmed by Campbell. 

The Bears still have plenty of the finer details to work out on Saturday while dealing with a guy by the name of David Johnson, who did his best Le'Veon Bell impression a year ago. The defensive line is still seeing what it can get out of second-year player Jonathan Bullard, the linebackers are still seeing monster performances from Leonard Floyd and the secondary continues to deal with a wide range of topics, from figuring out starting cornerbacks to working in a guy like rookie safety Eddie Jackson. 

Though it may not be the longest stress test, few offenses can ask a defense to do more in a short period of time than Arizona's unit. 

Biggest Storyline: The Battle Under Center

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Surprise, right?

After one week of the preseason, the national attention seems to have discovered a team called the Bears and fired up a debate as to whether Fox and the front office should start the rookie Trubisky or the veteran Mike Glennon. 

It's a fair conversation to have. Trubisky looks like the better quarterback on film, in large part because he's more physically impressive and can move well with his feet. Going 18-of-25 with 166 yards and a touchdown while rushing three times for 38 yards in the loss to the Broncos helps. 

Well, so does Glennon's debut—an interception that went back for a touchdown. 

Even after a strong performance, the same conversation surrounding Trubisky persists. The plan had been to start a veteran for a year and let the rookie learn. It's a pressure-free way of going about things and something we don't see often from teams anymore. 

But if Trubisky continues to look good and Glennon struggles with consistency, at some point one player looks better when it comes to giving the team the best chance to win games. 

The preseason contest in Arizona couldn't come at a better time given the defense's ability to fluster quarterbacks. Not that fans wouldn't be watching already—but don't blink with either guy under center. 

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