Bears vs. Bills: 5 biggest storylines ahead of Week 1 preseason game

The Chicago Bears will face the Buffalo Bills in their second preseason game this Saturday, where there's a lot more to watch compared to last week's Hall of Fame game.

That has to do with the fact that the starters will see action for the first time this preseason, including most notably rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. Eberflus said Williams and healthy starters will have a "range of plays" against the Bills on Saturday, but he didn't detail a general play count.

There's plenty to watch between the starters, reserves and roster-bubble players looking to make an impact, similar to quarterback Brett Rypien and wide receiver Collin Johnson did in the Hall of Fame game.

Here are the biggest storylines to watch in Saturday's preseason contest against Buffalo:

1. Caleb Williams' preseason debut

All eyes will be on the No. 1 pick as he makes his preseason debut against the Bills, which will mark Williams' first game action since last November. Williams will have his starting arsenal at his disposal, including receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, along with tight end Cole Kmet and running back D'Andre Swift, who are all expected to see some playing time as the offense looks to make strides. Eberflus previously said the aim is to get Williams 45-65 reps between the three preseason games. So we likely won't see Williams for more than a couple of series at most, but it'll be valuable reps for the rookie looking to build consistency with his offense. Good or bad, it's important not to overreact to preseason reps as Chicago will be running a vanilla offense against a Buffalo defense that won't show its cards.

2. Offensive line stability

The Bears waited until Thursday to announce that Williams would start Saturday against the Bills, and that had to do with the health of the offensive line, which has been banged up this week. While right guard Nate Davis remains week-to-week with a soft tissue injury, his replacement Ryan Bates -- also competing for the starting center job -- exited Thursday's practice with an apparent injury, so it's unsure if he'll suit it. But left tackle Braxton Jones, left guard Teven Jenkins, center Coleman Shelton and right tackle Darnell Wright should be good to go. Unfortunately, the offensive line has struggled against the defense in practice, and there's concern about the offensive line's stability -- both from health and pass protection standpoint. Saturday's game will give us a first glimpse.

3. Velus Jones at running back

Velus Jones Jr. is among a number of roster-bubble players looking to prove their worth. While he's the favorite to win the kickoff returner job, he could also prove to be valuable on offense. Eberflus told reporters earlier in the week that Jones would be working as a running back in practice, and we'll likely get a glimpse of him in action against the Bills. The Bears believe Jones can be a weapon for them at running back, where Eberflus noted his "versatility," "talent" and "skillsets." In the past, we've seen Jones take handoffs in the backfield and take off with the ball for big plays. It sounds like we could be seeing a lot more of that. With Jones competing for one of the final spots on the roster, proving to be valuable in a multitude of ways -- outside of just special teams -- would be important.

4. Who's returning punts, kickoffs?

Speaking of special teams, there are two important jobs up for grabs between punt returner and kickoff returner -- and the competition is wide open. In an interview with "Up & Adams," Eberflus revealed Rome Odunze will get a look at punt returner against Buffalo. At one point, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said Odunze, DeAndre Carter, Dante Pettis, Velus Jones Jr., Greg Stroman Jr., Tyrique Stevenson and even potentially DJ Moore were potential options at punt returner. In terms of favorites, Jones and Carter are strong contenders for those final roster spots and to serve primary return specialist roles. But we'll see who's getting opportunities -- and who makes the most of them -- come Saturday.

5. Which roster bubble players make a statement?

The starters will likely only see a series or two of action against Buffalo, which will give roster-bubble players an opportunity to shine and contend for one of the final spots -- especially after last week's weather-shortened game. In the Hall of Fame game, quarterback Brett Rypien and wide receiver Collin Johnson made the most of their opportunities. That begs the question: Which players will be the standouts this week? When looking at the roster, there's competition for spots at quarterback, receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker and defensive back. Who will make a statement on Saturday?

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Bills: 5 biggest storylines ahead of Week 1 preseason game