Now that I've gotten a chance to watch and digest the game from Saturday, here is what I saw as it relates to what I wanted to see before the game started:
For those of you who also wrote in the "10 Things Thread", you can cut and paste what you saw.
1) Will LaMarr Houston or Matt Shaughnessy be able to draw a double team?
Houston was doubled a lot and had trouble getting free, although he was causing ruckus and letting others, Wimbley, get free for sacks. Houston put together some great tape, beyond the numbers.
As for Schaughnessy, he had a great stop behind the line, but I didn't notice much double teaming.
2) Will Nnamdi be playing the Bear's #1 Receiver?
Nnamdi didn't play and it made me wonder if Al's scholarships are returning.
3) Will Sampson Satele get pushed around again?
Satele was a beast until he got hurt. On the next play after he left, Chris Morris snapped a shotgun three feet wide to Jason Campbell which was recovered by the Bears deep in Oakland territory and was too easily converted into a touchdown.
I am hoping that Satele recovers quickly because I don't like the thought of a rookie center learning a new position and League at the same time or Chris Morris being severely average.
4) Will Jason Campbell continue to see Murphy and Z. Miller as his top 2 targets?
This is absolutely the case. Murphy is stepping up while DHB and Chaz keep fading into an abyss.
5) Will Rolando McClain make his first difference making play?
McClain didn't make an explosive game changing play, in fact, he may have been taught an over-pursuit lesson when he put his head down and left a gap wide open
6) Will the first team establish the run in the first possession?
The first possession was exactly what I envision the Oakland Raider's 2010 Offense to look like. Bush was a work horse early in the drive and then Campbell used his two favorite targets, Murphy and Miller to get to the 2 yard line before the running the ball in himself from 1 yard out.
7) Who will have a better day, Cartwright or Bennett?
You would have to say that Bennett has the edge if it is a running back competition, but Rock may get thenod because of his ability to return kicks. If we see Bennett returning kicks next week then he may just have the edge.
Bennett did run for a 4.3 yard average on 15 carries and looks to be a good back-up for Bush.
8) Will Travis Goethel continue to impress?
Goethel was the man again. He defended a pass and had a tackle. Not bad for a 6th Rounder that I saw as special teams fodder on Draft Day.
9) Will a rookie DB assert himself?
Take your pick here. Ware was very good except for the TD that he gave up, but, McFadden made a couple of really nice plays and Stevie Brown made his second pick in as many weeks.
10) What positions and how much time will Veldheer and Campbell play?
Interestingly, Campbell went the entire first half. He looked to "mark", walk through, some plays at the end, as if he were practicing, but, to me he looked fantastic.
Jared Veldheer looks to be the Offensive Line Surprise of 2010. This rookie from a DII school may be starting somewhere along the line when the season starts.
Well, that's what I saw...What did you see?