5 things that bear watching

There are five things I’m anxious to see in tonight’s preseason opener:

How well the Jay Cutler-Greg Olsen collaboration works against a team in different uniforms. Olsen has been one of Cutler’s favorite targets all through training camp, especially on longer routes that the tight end rarely got a chance to run last season. We already know Olsen can get open against the Bears’ secondary, but it will be interesting to see how well he does against the Bills.

The early involvement of wide receiver Earl Bennett in the passing game. The Bears are anxious to prove that he has made huge strides since his rookie season last year, when he failed to catch a pass, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him as the primary receiver several times.

A better pass rush. New assistant head coach/defensive line coach Rod Marinelli has made getting to the quarterback a priority since minicamp and OTA practices. Now it’s time to see if old dogs like Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye have learned any new tricks and if Mark Anderson can bounce back from a horrible 2008 season.

Is sixth-round rookie safety Al Afalava for real? Because of Danieal Manning’s hamstring injury, Afalava was fast-tracked into a starting job, at least temporarily. Coaches have raved about his maturity and football instincts. And he comes with the reputation of being a big hitter.

Continuity on the offensive line: Left tackle Orlando Pace and right tackle Chris Williams are new starters, and it may take some time for the line to jell. But this group is expected to be superior to last year’s patchwork unit, and it will have to be in order for Cutler to maximize his talents.