1. Which Tommie Harris will the Bears get: the Pro Bowl dominator he was before surgery to reattach his hamstring, or a tentative, less disruptive defensive tackle?
Harris shook off the rust during seven plays in the preseason finale and resembled the player the Bears remember. If he returns to form, or even close, the defense will emerge as one of the NFL’s best, and the pass rush up the middle so necessary to the Cover-2 will be there.
2. Is Cedric Benson really a top-tier running back, as the Bears believe?
The Bears unloaded reliable Thomas Jones to the Jets, which became inevitable the day they selected Benson with the No. 4 pick of the 2005 draft. Now Benson has to justify that decision by showing he is more than a straight-line runner with average speed who struggles outside. He also must stay healthy running as hard as he does. Because the Bears junked the two-back approach they spent last season promoting, Benson’s realistic goals should include at least 1,300 yards rushing.
3. Will the NFL’s oldest offensive line hold up and still perform at a top level at this advanced stage of the linemen’s careers?
Their collective experience is why nobody at Halas Hall overreacted to a ho-hum preseason running the football. The Bears’ five starting linemen know when to flip the switch, and it hasn’t happened yet. Jones was a big help picking up blitzes on passing downs, so that could add to the burden of a group that must stay healthy to avoid big problems.
4. Can the Bears’ starting safety tandem of Mike Brown and Adam Archuleta consistently use their savvy and skill to compensate for a lack of speed that makes them susceptible to big plays?
Archuleta looks like his old self making plays in front of him but still has to prove he can get off the hash mark and defend passes downfield. Brown’s biggest question every season is health, and it will be until he finishes 16 games. There is pressure on both to prevent big plays because Danieal Manning enjoyed a terrific preseason.
5. Can Devin Hester possibly live up to the expectations surrounding his second NFL season and the addition of wide receiver to his responsibilities?
Be realistic. Hester can still be one of the league’s most dangerous weapons on special teams without matching his historic output of 2006. Teams will kick away from him, and while his numbers might be down, watch how his presence affects field position, which is especially important to a defensive-minded team. On offense, as long he doesn’t block, he offers a variety of ways to stretch the field.
