Bears vs. Texans: 5 biggest storylines ahead of Hall of Fame Game

Consider this article as your virtual pinch, because you’re not dreaming. The Bears are playing football today. Chicago was selected to play in the NFL’s Hall of Fame game against the Houston Texans to commemorate the two team’s respective legends who will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s not just a day of celebration for the Bears, however: they’ll be using the occasion to prepare their team for the coming NFL year.

While the starters won’t be dressing for the game, there’s still plenty to get excited about. We have a couple different position battles that are just waiting for a player to take charge, new offensive and defensive coordinators who will be using the game as a test ground for their schemes, and budding rookies who have the chance to demonstrate the talent that caused them to get drafted in the first place.

The starters not playing doesn’t matter. The fact that it’s a preseason game doesn’t matter. Your Chicago Bears play football tonight. Let’s get excited and break down the five biggest storylines going into the Hall of Fame game.

1. How refined will the team look in their first preseason game?

The Bears have the benefit of playing in one extra preseason game this year, giving them additional time to work through their early woes as they prepare for the imminent regular season. The team was at the center of a hectic offseason that included a major shakeup in coaching staff, several key players being acquired in the offseason and, of course, an impressive 2024 NFL draft class that is headlined by rookie phenom Caleb Williams, who is slated to be the club's next franchise quarterback.

With so many pieces being added and removed, the fans can’t help but wonder how much of the big picture they will see on Thursday. The Bears have already announced that the starters won’t be participating, so the spotlight will be on the backups. Even so, it’ll be intriguing to see how well the rest of the roster can execute on the gridiron. Some early struggles should be expected, but the real test will be how the players will work through their initial hardship and if they’ll be able to consistently contribute as the game goes on. It won’t be just the guys in pads who will be diligently working on their craft; the coaches on the sideline will be working out kinks in their respective schemes.

While the Hall of Fame isn’t the dress rehearsal that’s the immediate prelude to the regular season, it's certainly a rehearsal. All aspects of the team will be under the microscope Thursday, and the lessons they learn will help the team in the long run.

2. First look at offensive and defensive coordinator’s schemes

The aura of the stars on both sides of the ball – quarterback Caleb Williams, receiver DJ Moore, cornerback Jaylon Johnson etc. – draws the most eyes, but there are several overlooked aspects of the Bears that are worth discussing. One such hidden intrigue is Chicago’s new offensive and defensive coordinators, Shane Waldron and Eric Washington, respectively. The two playcallers were brought in this offseason to rectify the previous regimes failings in that role, and they’ll both be introducing new schemes that should work in the Bears’ favor.

It’s widely known that playcalls in the preseason are simplified, so we likely won’t be seeing flea flickers on offense and disguised blitzes that sends lineman into coverage on defense. The value for the players, coaches and even the viewer will be earned by evaluating how well the players understand their new roles on each side of the ball. The process involves seeing if the players are lining up in their correct spot, playing their assignment right, and properly adjusting based on what their opponent is doing. This allows Washington and Waldron to tweak their schemes, noting what his unit has to work on in the next week.

It goes without saying that subtle shifts and motions won’t be as interesting as touchdowns and interceptions, but the coordinator’s roles on the team are integral to reaching those ends. Be on the lookout for how the offense and defense start the game and how they adjust their alignments as game goes on.

3. Will the offensive line hold up?

With all the flashiness of the playmakers on offense and defense, it’s easy to forget the big guys who make sure every offensive play works the way it's supposed to. The offensive line will be under the magnifying glass on Thursday, and not for the best reasons. The group has been a major sorepoint for the team through the first couple weeks of training camp, as it’s clear the defense far exceeds what they’re able to handle. Their struggles can be attributed to several things, including little familiarity with Waldron’s system, the new scheme, first-time Bears getting adjusted to their roles, and more. The excuses won’t save them when the games count, so they’ll need to use the preseason to grow more capable in their roles.

The starting five will miss out on much-needed reps in the Hall of Fame game, but that gives their backups plentiful opportunity to prove that they're ready to play. Second string blockers Larry Borom and Ja’Tyre Carter have already proven their value as versatile lineman in crucial regular season games, so a solid showing should be expected out of them. Centers Coleman Shelton and Doug Kramer Jr., as well as rookie tackle Kiran Amegadjie will have the most to benefit from extended playing time, as the two centers are battling for the starting center spot that’s currently held by Ryan Bates and the rookie can quickly move up the depth chart with a couple solid preseason games under his belt.

It’ll be hard to pull your eyes away from the absolutely lasers backup quarterback Tyson Bagent with undoubtedly be firing Thursday night, but try to keep an eye on the battles happening in the trenches. Which offensive lineman are winning or losing those battles will be an early indicator of who will be higher or lower on the depth chart following the game.

4. Who will win the day between Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson?

The arrival of elusive running back D’Andre Swift has turned heads away from fellow ‘backs Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, who are set to back up Swift in the coming year. The shakeup to the running hierarchy has set up an interesting situation for the two running backs, as they’re not guaranteed to receive sizable workloads on Sundays. It’s believed that Chicago will scrap their running-by-commitee approach from last year and give the vast majority of touches to Swift; however, I don’t believe that to be true. Herbert and Johnson have too much talent to warm the seats for Swift, and Waldron gives the impression that he’s much too resourceful a coordinator to waste their abilities. No, a one-two punch ground game is very much in play. The real question is which ball carrier down the depth chart will be the thunder to Swift’s lightning.

Thursday’s game will give both Herbert and Johnson their first crack at exhibiting the full scale of their skills. Big plays will help, of course – it’s hard for coaches not to notice a highlight reel run that involves broken tackles and ending with a touchdown – but the fundamentals will be king. They’ll be scrutinized on their alignments, execution of assignments, ball security, pass blocking, receiving, running, and more. If Herbert and Johnson aren’t interested in playing special teams or getting comfortable at the end of the bench, they need to bounce back from their disappointing outing last year and perform this preseason.

5. Will one of the pass rushers make an impact?

This is going to be a fun one. The defensive ends will have one of the more straightforward duties Thursday night: contain the run and get after the quarterback. With how ineffective the position has been outside of anyone named Montez Sweat, however, that could prove to be difficult. The second pass-rushing position looks to be an open competition by all accounts, so any of the backups could quickly find themselves in the good graces of coaches following a solid performance.

Several contenders should be getting their shot, including rookie Austin Booker, Khalild Kareem, Dominique Robinson, Jacob Martin and others. The one pass-rushing specialist that has really got the fan’s attention is the aforementioned Booker, who pops off the tape with his quick reflexes and excellent pursuit of ball carriers. He’s got all of the tools to crack that starting spot wide open; he simply needs to harness that talent and leave it on the field. The defensive ends will be asked to stay disciplined, react to what’s happening in an instant, be disruptive and, most importantly, get after the quarterback. Who found success in that mission will be evident following the game.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Texans: 5 biggest storylines ahead of Hall of Fame Game