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Pre-Fake Game Final Thoughts

| August 22nd, 2009

I’ll be on here throughout the early part of the game tonight, providing my stirring mix of comic musings and football commentary.  Tomorrow morning I’ll be watching the recording of the game and doing some more in-depth stuff.

A few day-of things to think about…

Vaughn McClure has a pretty interesting piece about Jamar Williams’ quest for playing time among some of the best linebackers around.  With the man in the middle gaining in years, I’d start expecting to see Lovie move to something of a rotation with this corps.

David Haugh mentions in his column that he’d like to see the team get Matt Forte going.  I couldn’t disagree more.  Get Matt Forte in for a series and then off the damn field.  We know what we have in the Double Deuce and risking any type of injury in these fake games is drinking the devil’s bubbly. (Side note: I just made that phrase up.)

Watch the starting defensive lineup tonight because Brad Biggs believes “it’s possible the Bears insert Graham into the starting lineup vs. the Giants with Trumaine McBride on the other side.”  If Nathan Vasher isn’t on the field early tonight, I can imagine a scenario where Vasher isn’t on the roster come the end of the month.

And I am going to hold Lovie Smith to his word:

Smith told players in the locker room after the game last week —
and has reiterated all week — that the biggest jump is from the first
to second game in preseason. He wouldn’t say how much starters will
play, only that he’s looking for some positive momentum in the second
quarter before taking them out.

”We’re not ready to play the Packers yet,” Smith said, referring
to the regular-season opener at Green Bay on Sept. 13. ”We’ll know a
lot more this week. This week will tell us a lot.”

Tonight there are some expectations.