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The Bears Win again 31-20. Grounding the Chargers at Soldier Field

Bears win Fifth game in a row…Cutler may be out for the remainder of regular season

Suburban Journals of Chicago Photo

The Bears played the first of four consecutive games with the AFC West when they took on the potent, but stumbling San Diego Chargers. Early on it seemed this would be a low scoring affair. Both teams waited until the second quarter for their offenses to gel.

"Last week when I talked to you, I talked about the defense and how they did everything to help us win the game," Coach Lovie Smith told reporters. "Today, it was about the offense."

Jay Cutler passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third, completing 18 of 31 attempts for 286 yards and a 97.0 passer rating. Cutler scored on a 1-yard lunge, capping a drive during which he completed 4 of 4 passes for 76 yards.

"[Cutler] came out poised and controlled today," said receiver Earl Bennett. "He ran the offense to greatness. We had a great game. He was just slinging it. The offensive line did a great job keeping him clean. We were able to get a couple of big passing plays."

"Jay did a great job of getting rid of the football, moving around in the pocket," said center Roberto Garza. "I thought Edwin did a great job stepping in and allowed us to keep going and doing the things that we've been successful at.

"It's tough to go on a five-game winning streak," Smith said. "We feel good about our 7-3 record. [But] we still have a long way to go. Oakland is a good football team and they'll be up next."

The key play of the game, The Bears were driving midway through the fourth quarter when Knox slipped on a slant route, Chargers cornerback Antoine Cason  intercepted Cutler's pass and returned it 64 yards to the Chicago 16.

Jay Cutler plays defense

Cutler saved a touchdown, charging downfield to slow up Cason, who was eventually forced out of bounds by Matt Forte. Three plays later, safety Major Wright intercepted Rivers in the end zone. This very well may have been the play that Cutler injured his thumb.

"Maybe Jay's biggest play of the game came on that interception, buying time for Matt," Smith said. "Who would have thought we'd be talking about Matt Forte and Jay Cutler on a defensive play?"

"It's unusual, yes," head coach Lovie Smith said of Cutler's willingness to go after Cason on the play. "On the tackle, what do you do? It's kind of simple as that. It might have been the biggest play of the game. We don't want Jay to make a lot of tackles, but sometimes he has to. Sometimes he has to run also. That's kind of how it goes."

Cutler last missed time with  in the 2010 NFC Championship game, when a knee injury kept him out of the second half of a close loss to the Packers. Backup Caleb Hanie came in for Cutler and went 13 of 20 for 153 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. The Bears lost that game, 21-14, and Cutler was wrongly criticized by many for not playing hurt when the perception was that he possibly could.

This time, Cutler finished the game and went about business as usual; Neither Lovie Smith or Jay Cutler alluded to any injuries during post game interviews. Rumor has it that Cutler was taken to the hospital for x-rays on his thumb. We will have to wait for the Monday press conference on Monday for confirmation.

To date, Cutler is 182 for 314, with 2,319 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The injury comes at a time when the offense and Cutler were finally working on the same page. Tonight’s game was probably Cutler’s finest to date.

Suburban Journals of Chicago Photo

Turnovers win games

Major Wright now has interceptions in three consecutive games, while Corey Graham, replacing the injured D.J. Moore at nickel back—picked off a pass for the second consecutive week.. The Bears defense will have to step up now and take control, continue to take the ball away as they have the past few weeks.

Defense has been a key to many teams in their playoff run, and the Bears should be able to rise to the task.

Shut-out in the fourth quarter

The Bears offense outgained the Chargers 106-0 in the fourth quarter, rushing for 58 yards on 17 carries, a stark contrast to the previous three quarters when they gained only 35 yards on 15 attempts.

"That's what you've got to do, especially in November and December," Cutler said. "You've got to be able to finish games. You've got to be able to run the football even when the defense knows you're going to run the football, and we did a good job with that."

The Chicago Bears (7-3) are tied for second place in the NFC North with the Lions (7-3), who rallied to beat the Panthers 49-35 Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit.

Next stop for the Bears on the AFC West tour.. The Raiders in Oakland on Sunday.

The best case scenario for the Bears not to put Cutler on injured reserve. This option would allow him to be available for a playoff run. The upcoming schedule for the Bears is also weak, so all may not be as bad as it looks. Hanie has shown he can play and nearly rallied the Bears last year in the NFC Championship game.

Bear down Chicago Bears….

Packers continue their dominance, Beat Bears 27-17

It looked like a continuation of the so called epic Championship game played here last January.

The Bears did show a different look this game, but not how they played. The Bears wore their Orange alternate home Jersey early this year.  

The Chicago Bears usually wear this Jersey near Halloween, but this year, The Bears will have their "Bye" week during the scary weekend.

Maybe the Bears figured the color change would throw off their hated rival from the north….Not today or any day, would these Packers be fooled.

The Packers are the team we thought they would be.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 297 yards, including three touchdown passes to Jermichael Finley, and the Packers shut down Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears in a 27-17 victory Sunday.

Rodgers led the Pack, completing 28 of 38 passes in another sharp performance from a quarterback who sees a difference in himself this season.

"More comfortable, definitely," he said. "Going through the postseason like that and feeling good about the way I played, other than maybe the second half here, it gives you a lot of confidence going into the season."

Head Coach Mike McCarthy could hardly agree more. "He had a lot of success as a player, he won a world championship last year," he said. "I think that would give everybody more confidence once they are involved in that. He has a very good handle week in week out of the plan, how the defense is playing. He is a very good player, he definitely is on path to be recognized as a great player when his career finishes."

The field was scary at times, just like the Bears offense.

On one play, the official made a strange call.. “There is a dangerous situation on the field. What it turned out to be was a staple holding the new turf together. Good thing the caught it before anybody was seriously hurt.

Why would they change the sod just prior to one of the most important games of the season? The Chicago Park district and the Bears should finally stop all of the sod issues and install field turf. Problem solved.

Hello Mr. Urlacher...

If there is one constant bright spot for the Bears, it’s Brian Urlacher. He has not skipped a beat in the first three games, even after the tragic loss of his mother earlier this month.  Urlacher seems to bring out the worst in every great quarterback he has faced this season.

Urlacher was there to intercept Rodgers,  his first interception of the season. Urlacher picked him off with the Packers leading 27-17 in the fourth quarter. But again the Bears inept offense  could not do anything with this gift.

The Bears have much work to do, The running game was in hibernation.

Cutler struggled in a big way and the running game was again nonexistent as Chicago dropped its second straight after an impressive win over Atlanta.

The Bears continue searching for an offensive identity and are  now two games back of the defending Super Bowl champion Packers and the surprising Lions in the NFC North.

A  week  after  there  were  just  12  rushes and 11 running plays called in a thrashing at New Orleans, the Bears had 12 rushes and called only nine running plays. They managed only 13 yards rushing, the fewest in franchise history since 1960, and 12 more than they had on Oct. 26, 1952, against the Los Angeles Rams. The 12 carries tied for the second-fewest ever.

Have you seen this game plan before? "I don't audible," said quarterback Jay Cutler, who added to the running totals with three scrambles for 11 yards. "You're going to have to ask someone else about that. I don't do the game plan."

Can it work?

"We are 0-2 doing this," Cutler said. "So, it's not looking very good."

The Bears managed just 13 yards rushing — and with only 12 attempts, they matched their second-fewest for the second straight game. Against New Orleans last week, they called 52 pass plays and handed off 11 times, with a scramble by Cutler bringing the run total to 12.

Forte carried nine times for 2 yards. He was stopped in the backfield for a loss on six of the carries behind the makeshift offensive line that Jerry Angelo said he went to all lengths to upgrade.

"We took a step back," Forte said. "When we first came out the first week, I felt like we made a couple strides forward in where we are going. Last week, I think we took a little step back and this week we took a major step back."

"We didn't run the ball because we weren't able to," said Forte, who was limited to 80 yards on Seven receptions. "We just played bad out there.

Still much to improve? For the Bears, yes. The Packers seem just fine.

"I think we have the potential to get better, and I don't know how many wins that means or the playoffs or whatever, but I just think we can play better football," he said. "The standard we've set around Green Bay is excellence, so until we're at that point, there's going to be a lot of hard work during the week." Rodgers said.

A Spectacular Play… almost..

The Bears had a chance to make a game of it  when Knox and Hester orchestrated a brilliant play designed by special teams coordinator Dave Toub.

Johnny Knox lined up to jam a gunner at the line and then sprinted back. He fielded Tim Masthay's punt in the corner while Hester pretended to be catching the ball on the other side of the field. Green Bay's coverage team converged on Hester while Knox had an easy 89-yard run for a touchdown. But hold everything, the great play was wiped out by a holding call against Graham way away from the play. If the touchdown had counted, the Bears would have been an onside kick and a field goal away from overtime.

Rodgers took notice.. "That was the most incredible play I've ever seen," Rodgers said.

A few bright spots, for the Bears.

Jay Cutler took some shots down field, including a 32-yard touchdown strike to Kellen Davis to bring the Bears within 10 with 11:46 to play, but Martz's offense was out of sync.

The Bears converted only 3 of 12 third downs and didn't get it right against a defense that Panthers rookie Cam Newton had a field day with  a week earlier. Two passes targeted for Roy Williams were picked off by safety Morgan Burnett.

Coach Smith, as always, sounds like a broken record. "Offensively, we had opportunities," Smith said. Sure we had opportunities, but what the Bears need to do is fix their offensive line as soon as possible, or this season will be a long one and over before it started.

Maybe the Panthers are just what the Bears need to turn things around..if they can stop Cam Newton. The Packers barely did.

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Bears Beat the Browns to end Pre-season 24-14.. Now let the real games begin

Even though the majority of the Bears starters sat on the bench, The second team did very well, giving some confidence heading into the regular season.

No Urlacher, no Briggs, not even Matt Forte played a down tonight. But it was the Cleveland Browns, not the New England Patriots, so what good reason would there be to play them?  None. Smith made the right call Thursday night… keep them fresh for when the games count on September 11^th.

It’s a better bet than the lottery that the Bears will play the Browns in the Pre-season.  2011 marked the 8^th straight time the Bears closed out the Pre Season against the Browns.

Ready in Prime time.

Sure it was a prime time game, sort of, and the Bears were ready for the task. Cleveland on the other hand, seemed to be asleep.

Early going, the Browns were living up to the nickname “The mistake by the lake” The Bears defense forced the Browns to 3 and out on their first four possessions. Sure, it was the Bears back-ups in of defense, but they still looked not ready for prime-time. The Bears on the other hand were.

“I thought the defense played well early on,” Lovie Smith said. “We kept a lot of guys out of the game, of course, like we normally do for a preseason game. I can’t say there are a whole lot of negatives tonight.”

Up to the task.

Caleb Hanie was sharp. He completed 7 of 10 passes for 83 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Knox on a corner route, to help stake the Bears to a 10-0 lead. It was a nice end to a preseason that had a rough start after he was called out by offensive coordinator Mike Martz. "It was just good to have a strong game," Hanie said. "(Preseason) has been up and down. I don't try to judge those things. I go and do my work and worry about what I can control."

Knowing where he stands.

Hanie knows he will be the number two quarterback as he was last year. For him it was getting ready for the shortened pre-season and not about confidence, but hard work. "It wasn't that important," he said. "I know what confidence they have in me, and all I can do is keep working hard and keep that confidence going."

Chester who?

Yes, Chester Taylor is still a Bear and he played well when he had the ball. Taylor had  27 yards on 10 carries with a nice 9-yard burst around left end.

Taylor’s presence was probably due more to the injury of Marion Barber. Barber sat out with a calf injury, and third running back Kahlil Bell left with an ankle injury in the second half. Look for the Bears to keep Taylor, especially after the injury to Bell.

Last chance for some players to shine, and a few made the most of  their chance.

Rookie Dane Sanzenbacher made his presence known with four receptions for 50 yards and had a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown that was called back by penalty. His impressive performance more than likely secured him a spot as the Bears sixth wide receiver.

"Everybody has had to scrap their way onto a team since you were coming into college," Sanzenbacher said. "It's going to be a fight to get in and a fight to stay in. It would be awesome. It's something you dream about."

Notre Dame product  Robert Hughes dominated the second half of the game, rushing for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Even with that impressive display and power, he still considered a long shot to make this Bears team.

“This last preseason game, you want to take advantage of your opportunities,” Smith said. “Robert did that. We’re all talking about him right now. He’s worked hard each day in practice. He blends in, a good guy in the locker room. He was a good player in college. Again, he made the most of an opportunity.”

“There are some tough cuts coming up,” Smith said. “They don’t let us keep everyone.”

“It’s good to finish up with a win,” said coach Lovie Smith. “Of course, you want to get a win because you’re keeping score and all that good stuff. We wanted to see some things. We wanted Caleb Hanie to play with the No. 1 line and have the opportunity to do some good things, which he was able to do. Great pass on the touchdown to Johnny Knox.”

A cause for concern

The biggest problem for the Bears may be the injuries that knocked running back Kahlil Bell (ankle) and safeties Craig Steltz (hip) and Chris Conte (concussion) out of the game. “I don’t know how long those guys will be out,” Smith said. “All three of them seem like they’re doing OK right now. We do have a bit of time before we play the Falcons [in the Sept. 11 regular-season opener]."

Bears will trim the roster from 79 to 53 and form at least the beginning of a practice squad this weekend.



President Obama makes the most of the Packer's visit to the White House

Last week was full of news.. the most noteable was when the defending Super Bowl Champs paid a vist to the Oval Office.

President Obama had probably the most fun he has had in quite some time this past Friday.. Even if the longtime Bears fan did have to welcome the Green Bay Packers to the White House.

“I’m just going to come out and say it,” Obama said, chuckling. “This hurts a little bit.” The president involked the name of legendary Bears coach Mike Ditka, and somewhat sadly, acknowledged that the Packers advanced to the Super Bowl with a win over ..da Bears.

“This is a hard thing for a Bears fan to do,” Obama said at the White House ceremony. “It doesn’t hurt as much as the NFC Championship game hurt – but it still hurts – you guys coming to my house to rub it in. What are you going to do – go to Ditka’s house next?”

The President also got to poke fun at congressional Republicans, likening the recently settled NFL dispute to the debt ceiling standoff.

“Like every football fan, I was thrilled to have the lockout ended.” Obama said. “Nobody likes long, frustrating negotiations… with rigid opposition, taking it to the brink.”

Obama also talked about the Packers star defensive back Charles Woodson, who mocked the president for deciding against the attending Super Bowl after the Packers dispatched the Bears.

“After the Packers beat the Bears, Charles addressed the team – everybody on ESPN saw it: I saw it while I was working out in the morning – and Charles said ‘If the President doesn’t want to come to watch us at the Super Bowl, then we’re going to him.”

The Green Bay Packers earned the White House trip by defeating the Pittsburg Steelers in the Super Bowl. Indeed, Woodson attending and spoke on behalf of the Team. Noting that the team is publicly owned.

Woodson presented Obama with a single share of Packers stock, inspiring more Bear-Packer banter.

“What I’m thinking is I think we should initiate a trade to send (quarterback Aaron) Rodgers  down to the Bears,” Obama said.

“A minority owner, thank you,”  Woodson quickly interjected.

Congratulating the Packers, Obama added: “Enjoy it while it lasts.” Because Bears fans have two dates circled on our calendars..” he added.  “September 25^th and Sunday Night Football on Christmas Day.”

“And,” the president added, “if you guys are on a roll by then, just keep in mind that there’s only one person here who can ground all planes in and out of Green Bay – if he has to.”





Bears clip the Falcons wings, Beat Atlanta 30-12 on an emotional day In the NFL and America.

Game Photos By Scott Krause

The day seemed similar to that fateful day ten years ago.. Bright sunshine, very few clouds and warm temperatures.. But this day was about honoring our heroes and those that protect us from the events that changed our lives forever.

Security was higher today than it ever has been.. due to the recent threats that our government agencies received during the week.  The presence of this extra security was both intimidating, yet reassuring.  Nothing would happen today.

The NFL  does a great job when it comes to honoring heroes, and today was nothing short of spectacular. The pre game ceremonies were synced in all stadiums at noon. Robert DeNiro gave a short tribute on the video screen and  a live simulcast of the trumpeter performing “Taps” .. And a minute of silence followed.

Chicago heroes, Police and firefighters rolled a larger American flag across the field .. Players and coaches from both sides also lent a hand to help.. Unity for a few moments. 

Then  a resounding rendition of the national anthem done by  Jim Cornelison  fired up the crowd… ”USA… USA..”  And everyone was ready for some football.

9/11 reminders were everywhere today at Soldier Field.. There were large 9/11 ribbons at the 25-yard lines on both ends of the field. Even a special coin was used today for the coin toss. The coin used for the pregame toss had the same ribbon on one side with a Bears “C” on the other

The home team Bears would win that coin toss.

One team would be ready and confident on this most special day, the other would wonder what went wrong.

The importance of Confidence

Going  into the season opener, there seemed to be a lack of confidence among some of the newest Bears players. Today, was a big step in the right direction.

“Big confidence booster for us as a football team. We knew what we can do offensively. We knew what we can do defensively. But to put it together, especially against a good football team in Atlanta, shows what kind of football team we have.” Said Roy Williams.

Williams caught four passes for 55 yards in his Bears debut before leaving with a groin injury in the fourth quarter.

Jay Cutler has arrived.

Jay Cutler wasted no time on Sunday to erase those bad memories from the Championship Game loss against the Packers.  He left that game with a knee injury and was heavily  criticized for his lack of leadership and being a team player. Not today, This is the Jay Cutler that everyone was waiting for.

Cutler was on target with 22 of 32 passes and was intercepted only once.

He was sacked five times Sunday, but had a 107.8 quarterback rating, but remained tough.  Cutler is 23-0 when his quarterback rating is above 100.

Cutler remained humble.. “We still have to play up to the defense’s level,” Cutler said. “They’re still carrying us.”

Player of the game.. Mr Urlacher.

“It’s a good start,” Urlacher said. “We’ve got a ways to go. We made some mistakes, me included. Our offense played great today. I know they’re going to say they didn’t do this and that, but they kept us on the sideline for the most part.

One would wonder what mistakes Urlacher was referring to?

Urlacher’s interception at the Chicago 29 on a pass intended for Tony Gonzalez and Matt Forte’s big touchdown three plays later—when he caught the screen pass and bounced off Sean Weatherspoon were the two key plays as the Bears built a 16-3 halftime lead.

Urlacher said he was surprised Ryan threw that ill-fated pass.

Ryan said he should have just thrown it away, and on the fumble, he just didn’t protect the ball.

“Brian (Urlacher)  made a good play, full extension,” he said. “He made a nice catch. I probably shouldn’t have thrown it there. I definitely shouldn’t have thrown it there. But that’s one of those situations where you need to throw the football away. You have to make a good decision and get the ball out of your hands with somebody in your face. Just a poor decision there, and on the fumble, you just got to protect the football better in the pocket, that’s as simple as it is.”

Ryan completed 31 of 47 passes for 319 yards for Atlanta, but he also had those two costly turnovers.

Michael Turner ran for 100 yards, including a 53-yarder, but it was hardly what you would expect from a player of his caliber.

Disappointment, Very un “Falcon Like”

After having the best record in the NFC last year, The Falcons looked like they had their minds someplace else. But it is only one game, and the first game. Still a bit of a disappointment .

“Disappointed, not discouraged,” Atlanta coach Mike Smith said. “It’s a long season, it’s Week 1. We will work to get this fixed and we will get it fixed.”

The Falcons will head home to face the Eagles. For the Bears, an even harder task at hand.. The New Orleans Saints and then back home to face the Super Bowl Champion Packers.

If today is any indication, These teams better prepare well for these Chicago Bears.

 

Bears hold on to beat Buffalo.  Start the new season on a winning note.. 10-3

It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win.

The Bears started 2011 as they finished last year…But again, this is only the first Pre-season game.

Shades of 2010

Jay Cutler only played one series, but it sure did look like last year. Sacked a league-leading 52 times a year ago, there wasn’t much he could do Saturday with the Buffalo defense rushing him. All Cutler managed behind a revamped line that no longer includes departed center Olin Kreutz was a shovel pass to Matt Forte on the Bears’ second play from scrimmage for no gain He did manage to escape for a 10 yard run, the longest of the first quarter.

Then he got sacked by Marcell Dareus on a third down at the 35 before Chicago punted. Exit Jay Cutler.

And he escaped without injury and attacks on his toughness. Unlike his previous appearance at Soldier Field—the NFC championship loss to Green Bay in January

“They were good. They were fine,” Cutler said. “It took a little bit to get settled down. Some of those young guys are still jelling a little bit.”

The Bears offensive starters were gone after only one series, the linemen staying put for the first half. On the defensive side, the first stringers lasted two series, while the Buffalo lifted their starters on both sides after two series.

There were a few bright spots for the Bears…

Marion Barber made a good impression, running for 45 yards and leading the Bears to a second-quarter touchdown. He carried six times for 37 yards on that drive, setting up a 4-yard run by backup quarterback Caleb Hanie.

Hanie got a rude welcome on the previous possession when he was sacked on consecutive plays by Merriman. That forced Chicago to punt after an impressive punt return by Johnny Knox.

Go Johnny Go..

When Johnny Knox lost his starting job to newcomer Roy Williams for the exhibition opener against the Bills, Knox vowed to do whatever it took to regain his role. And he did.

"Been a while since I've been back there. It felt kind of weird at first,'' Knox said. "Once I got going, it felt pretty good.''

Devin Hester sure took notice. "It was a great return," Hester said. "We know Johnny is great returner. He has showed us that since Day One. He is capable of taking it the house any time."

And he almost did. Knox was asked why he didn't on this play.

"I tripped on the 50-yard line,'' he joked. "You didn't see it?''

Offensively, Knox caught one pass for 11 yards on a quick slant from Hanie, running a perfect route.

Knox entered Saturday's game fresh off controversy as talked swirled of him desiring a trade. He said he never had any intentions to ask for a trade and vowed to be a Bear for life.

"I didn't pay attention to what was going on,'' Knox said. "I know what I have to do is handle my business on the field, and that's what I came to do.''

On the first five combined drop backs for Cutler, and backup Caleb Hanie, there were three sacks, and Cutler was flushed out of the pocket on a scramble. The starting line settled down then, playing the entire first half as offensive coordinator. Mike Martz said the team would need to seek rhythm.

The Bears had only 78 total yards at halftime and when they got rolling with help from some hard running by new back Marion Barber, and the Bills starters on the sideline. A fourth sack came just before halftime.

Lovie Smith knows where the problem is, it’s the same as we saw last season “Too much pressure on the quarterback,” Smith said. “We have to tighten that up a little bit. But besides that offensively I thought we accomplished what we wanted to the first game. We have so far to go.” Time to fix it.

On defensive side of the ball, Amobi Okoye made an immediate impression with two sacks and teammate  Henry Melton made some plays early. Second-year safety Major Wright was also part of the stout play.

This Bears defense could be significantly better on the inside  line this season , now that they've moved past the Tommie Harris era.

"We need to get better," middle linebacker Brain Urlacher said. "That's all there is to it. We're a defensive team and we'll get better every week.

"After a long layoff it's fun to get back out there and play football again."

Running back Kahlil Bell also ran well with a 27-yard run in the fourth quarter, helping set up a 45-yard field goal by Robbie Gould with 5:52 remaining. Bell finished with 73 yards on 13 carries. Gould missed two field goals, including a 34-yarder. That was all the scoring for this game.

Shawne Merriman impressive for Buffalo

Buffalo head coach Chan Gailey was quick to praise Merriman on his return to form.

“The understatement of the evening I thought Merriman was impressive on his return,” he said.

They never got the spark they were seeking from Merriman late last season because the three-time Pro Bowler injured his Achilles’ tendon about 15 minutes into his first practice with Buffalo after being waived by San Diego. He missed the rest of the season.

“I’m still getting a feel for the game again, so going out there and making certain moves, getting back in football shape is going to be a long process, but you are never going to take the athleticism and the ability to go out and want make plays for somebody,” Merriman said. “I’ve been away for a year and half still just getting into the groove of things.”

The Bears will not travel for the next two games, heading to the Meadowlands to play the NY Giants and then to Tennessee to take on the Titans before returning home for a final pre season tune-up against Cleveland on Thursday September 1^st.



Bears battle the Bills, first test of the season for the New Look Bears Offense

The 2010 NFC North Champion Chicago Bears (0-0) will open their 2011 NFL preseason slate when they host the Buffalo Bills (0-0) at Soldier Field on Saturday, August 13.

Chicago is 14-15 in preseason contests under head coach Lovie Smith, including a .500 or better mark in fi ve of his seven seasons. Overall, the Bears own an all-time preseason mark of 223-161-8.

At the start of the preseason, the Bears added eight new veteran faces on offense (RB Marion Barber, WR Sam Hurd, TE Matt Spaeth, C Chris Spencer and WR Roy Williams), defense (DL Vernon Gholston and DT Amobi Okoye) and special teams (P Adam Podlesh), building on their third division crown under Smith since 2004, most in the NFC North during that span.

Chicago has won 11 of the 14 all-time preseason meetings with the Bills dating back to a 23-16 victory in 1969. Buffalo won the last such meeting in 2009, 27-20, at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY.

Following Saturday’s contest, the Bears will travel to New York to take on the Giants to start a string of three preseason games in 11 days.