Bears vs Chargers: Top 5 Things to Watch

Jul 26, 2013; Bourbonnais, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) huddles with his teammates during training camp at Olivet Nazarene University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Bears take on the San Diego Chargers in the second preseason game of the 2013 season.  Marc Trestman will make his Soldier Field debut as head coach as will a number of new faces.  As with any exhibition game, it’s not the result that will matter, but there is still a lot we can learn.  Here are my Top 5 things to watch.

5. Brandon Marshall

Marshall skipped the Week 1 game against the Panthers, so he’ll break a sweat for the first time tonight.  It’s not so much watching Marshall, because we all know he’s a beast who can carry the Bears offense, but it’s watching how the offense and Jay Cutler operate with Marshall on the field.

There should be a big focus on trying to spread the ball around and not relying entirely on Marshall, so watch to see if Cutler reverts to his security blanket during the first quarter when he and Marshall are supposed to see action.

4. D-Line

The defensive line battles should be heating up.  Henry Melton is still sidelined with a concussion, so it should be interesting to see if Nate Collins can build on a nice performance vs the Panthers.

Corey Wootton practiced this week, so we should get a look at how the battle between him and Shea McClellin  is shaping up.  Rookie Zach Minter had a nice debut and with some depth questions along the line, he’s one of the youngsters to watch.