I’m not going to lie. The chances of me getting away from some preexisting plans to watch the Bears fourth preseason game are not very good. I’ll give some of it a watch when I come home later in the evening but the thought of watching our parade of rookie quarterbacks horrifies me. Here’s what I will be watching for.
Who Plays, How Long. We’ll know what positions Lovie & Co. are still undecided about by the amount of playing time allotted across the field. Who is going to start opposite Orange Julius (and does it matter)? Will Danieal Manning really be starting at free safety against Detroit (sweet God)? Will the coaches want to see Chris Williams log some more playing time before the season opens (they might)?
Todd Collins. Watching Collins navigate the offense will probably be the only real football-related item to keep an eye on. I’m frequently obsessed with the backup quarterback at this time of year because it’s painful to think how bad this team will become should a defensive end roll up on the wrong part of Jay Cutler’s leg in Week Three. Collins was a solid signing and it’d be refreshing to see him play an efficient, mistake-free game and instill some confidence in the position moving forward.
The Result and its Aftermath. If the Bears lose this game, and I’m kind of hoping they do, it will be interesting to see how Lovie handles the winless preseason questions that will follow from the press. There is literally no difference between 0-4 and 1-3 in the preseason but a meaningless win will soften the confrontation between media and coach. Lovie can be pushed to testiness and I like it when that happens. Why? Because it’s an emotion. And too often the stoic approach lends an arrogance to his tone.