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Thanks to Dane over at Windy City Gridiron, SB Nation’s Chicago Bears blog, for answering my Chiefs-Bears questions ahead of Saturday’s game.
Check out our Q&A below and check out my answers to his questions here.
1. Name one Bears offensive player we should watch out for.
WCG: I'll give you one, plus two bonuses. Running back Jeremy Langford was intended to be the heir to Matt Forte's throne and in his rookie 2015 season he did a great job when splitting time with Forte. But questions have come up about whether he can truly carry the load in Chicago full time. John Fox is known for his running back-by-committee approach to things, so it will be interesting to see how well Langford does when he gets the football.
Windy City Gridiron: 4 things I'm watching for
Two other ones to watch out for: WRs Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White. Jeffery is among the best wideouts in the league when he is healthy, but has had two consecutive seasons of debilitating injuries. This year's training camp also had some injury concerns, but so far preseason has gone okay. And Kevin White was the Bears first round draft pick in 2015, but missed his entire rookie season due to an injury that required a rod being inserted into his leg. He's supposedly 100 percent now, so keep an eye on him this weekend.
2. Name one Bears defensive player we should watch out for.
WCG: The Bears overhauled their front seven this offseason, most notably bringing in linebacker Danny Trevathan from the Denver Broncos. Trevathan was disruptive during training camp, and if the Bears let him play this week versus the Chiefs (he's been nursing a couple small ailments, and they have been very careful with him during the preseason), he should be fun to watch.
3. Which players on the roster bubble would be of the most interest to the Chiefs if cut?
WCG: Wide receiver Daniel Braverman was drafted in the seventh round this season, and has quickly found a cult following in Chicago. He's done a good job during training camp, and the Bears like him, but there's still a chance he doesn't make the final 53 man roster. If not, he could make a good slot guy for the Chiefs to complement Jeremy Maclin.
4. Remember that Bears-Chiefs game last year? That really sucked.
WCG: That was one heck of a football game, with the Chiefs clearly a better football team last season. The Bears pulled that win off for two reasons: the great coaching by John Fox, Adam Gase, and Vic Fangio (both Fox and Fangio are back for 2016), and the grit and determination by quarterback Jay Cutler. I remember thinking, 'This is what next year will look like'. Now it's next year, and we'll see how things shake out. But yes, that fourth quarter last year was insane.
5. Would you rather have Jay Cutler or roll the dice with a first round pick QB?
WCG: No brainer for 2016, and maybe even 2017: Jay Cutler. He is among the most intelligent players in the entire league, and has arm strength and athleticism that is among the best in the NFL. The problem with Cutler is that for every great game, he has two bad ones (2015 season excluded), and typically it's because he will take chances with the football that many other quarterbacks wouldn't. In the NFL, taking chances on deep passes in double coverage isn't a smart thing, and it doesn't always work out for him. But as we saw in 2015, when he maintains his composure and makes good throws, he can be a great quarterback. At some point the team will have to find a replacement, and that could come as early as 2017 due to his contract, but for now we have him one more season, and possibly in his prime.