Chicago Bears Preseason 2017: 5 Storylines vs Cardinals

Here are five storylines to watch for the Chicago Bears coming into their second NFL Preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.

After a Preseason Week 1 loss to the Denver Broncos, the Chicago Bears look to get their first 2017 preseason win against the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 19.

Everyone will be interested to see what Mitchell Trubisky will do for an encore and how/if Mike Glennon will bounce-back, but there are also 88 other players still on the roster. With that being said, here are five non-quarterback storylines to keep an eye on:

How will the offensive line perform?

The Bears starting offensive line did Mike Glennon no favors against the Broncos. Glennon was pressured on his interception, and Jordan Howard found running room hard to find. With Kyle Long unlikely to play again, Tom Compton should start at left guard. Compton played pretty well Week 1, showing versatility to play both guard and tackle. Charles Leno Jr. had a rough preseason start and must show improvement this week.

Can Tarik Cohen do it again?

Cohen was very impressive last week, showing the explosion and shiftiness that made the Bears draft him in the fourth-round. He figures to be the Bears primary third-down back, but another strong performance could force the team to give him an expanded role.

What will the safeties look like?

With the exception of one Eddie Jackson play, the Bears safeties had a relatively uneventful first preseason game. Arizona’s head coach Bruce Arians loves the deep pass, meaning the safeties figure to get tested early and often. Adrian Amos and Jackson are still competing for a starting spot, but others like Chris Prosinski, Deandre Houston-Carson, and Deiondre’ Hall are just playing for a roster spot. This game might go far in the Bears final decision process.

How will the kicking competition look?

With Roberto Aguayo now on the roster, the Bears have a full-blown kicker competition. Connor Barth was fine in Week 1, but can he do it again on the road? Aguayo has talent, but his confidence is sorely lacking. This battle figures to come down to the final preseason game, but seeing how the Bears handle it (and how each player responds) will be fascinating.

Next: NFL Preseason Week 2: Players looking to stay hot

Who will be the surprise star?

Every NFL preseason game has it — the third or fourth-string player who sees extended playing time and puts up terrific numbers. The Bears had a few last week (Deonte Thompson’s five receptions and 64 yards, Benny Cunningham’s 66 total yards, and John Timu’s six tackles and one sack), so who will it be this week? It could be anyone, but a couple of names to keep an eye on are wide receiver Tanner Gentry and linebacker Christian Jones.

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