Pre-Season Progress Report: Bears vs Chargers

The Bears won their pre-season game on Thursday night, but in pre-season it's not about if you win. It's how you play the game. Let's go back to grade school and write up progress reports for the Bears. There are areas of development and areas of concern. Get out your No. 2 pencils and don't forget to get your report signed by your parents.

Areas of progress: 

Matt Forte's running: Did you see how he hit the hole Jermon Bushrod opened for him? This is the Matt Forte we've come to expect. He had 74 yards on eight carries.

An overwhelming defensive line: Henry Melton and Julius Peppers didn't play, and the Bears still sacked Philip Rivers three times. Shea McClellin, Corey Wootton and Nate Collins got in on the act.

Rookies showing off: Jon Bostic separated Mike Willie from the ball with a vicious hit. Kyle Long showed a mean streak on the line Bears fans haven't seen since Olin Kreutz was around.

Robbie Gould is just fine: He left last season with a hamstring injury, but Gould showed he was perfectly healthy and in mid-season form. He went 4-for-4, even knocking in a 48-yarder.

Areas of concern: 

First series: Last week, Cutler's first series ended in an interception. This week, it was two sacks and a fumble. After that, the offense was above average. Cutler's the football equivalent of a fighter who needs to be punched in the face to get going. The problem? The Bears can't always recover from that ugly start.

Targeting Issue: Jay Cutler tossed five passes Thursday night and every single one of them targeted Brandon Marshall, including a pass that resulted in an interception. Cutler is going to have to spread it around if the Bears hope to succeed this season.

Down to Two: Bears third string QB Matt Blanchard fractured a knuckle with 8:03 left in the thrid quarter. Now the Bears are down to just two QBs, Jay Cutler and Josh McCown.

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