Kickoff Is Here: Bears News And Notes
By Rob Winn in News on Sep 5, 2013 8:20PM
It begins. In 17 short weeks we'll know if the Jay Cutler experience was a bust or if he'll be around to throw touchdowns and insult strangers for years to come. We'll find out if hiring a coach from the CFL was genius or ridiculously stupid. To start the year, the Bears face a tough opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals. Anyone that has watched HBO's Hard Knocks knows this team is focused on a Super Bowl run. Their stout defensive line will be teeing off on the rookies manning the right side of the Bears offensive line. They also feature a talented offense who are looking to prove they're among the NFL elite. Here is what is coming out of Halas Hall as final preparations are under way.
Brandon Marshall Drama
The drama surrounding Brandon Marshall has died down, for now. He was excused from team activities for four days last week to have his hip evaluated after offseason surgery. He practiced all week and appears to be ready to play Sunday. Only time will tell if the drama between Marshall, the coaching staff and the front office was a small blip or part of a larger problem. The Bears will need Marshall to play at a high level if they have any chance of improving on offense.
Jon Bostic is starting... on the bench?
D.J. Williams was signed in the offseason to replace Brian Urlacher as middle linebacker, but was quickly sidelined with a calf injury early in camp and has sat out ever since. Rookie Jon Bostic stepped in and took all of the starting reps during the preseason games. After several highlight reel plays, it looked like he was destined to be the regular season starter. But now that Williams is healthy, the Bears surprisingly put Williams back at the top of the depth chart. Even if Williams does start, look for Bostic to still get plenty of playing time. Williams will not be in regular season form and might get winded on a hot day. Bostic will get his chances to earn more playing time as the season progresses.
No injuries in sight.
Not a single Bear appeared on the injury report Wednesday, which is a rarity for an NFL team. Marc Trestman was able to avoid the injury bug that usually plagues new head coaches. Other than losing a few players for the year early in training camp, the Bears enter the season with a fully healthy roster. That includes wide receiver Earl Bennett and defensive tackle Henry Melton who have returned from concussions and should play against the Bengals.
Buckle up, this should be a season for the record books—good or bad.