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RISING

1. Alshon Jeffery, WR: Jeffery did a little bit of everything in the Week 4 loss in Detroit. He came up with a tough touchdown catch despite blanket coverage (he dropped a sure touchdown the play before), showed the ability to beat a defense deep with a 44-yard reception, and proved he can also be a weapon in the run game with a 27-yard end-around. With the exception of the Bears' win against the Vikings on Sept. 15, Jeffery has been a reliable target for Jay Cutler the entire season. Jeffery figures to reach 60 catches in 2013 if he continues to avoid injury -- he missed six games his rookie season. Jeffery's confidence seems to be growing every week.

2. Julius Peppers, DE: The Bears' failure to sack the quarterback is still alarming, but Peppers had his best game of the year on Sunday, by far. According to NFL statistics, Peppers finished with six tackles and the Bears' lone sack and quarterback hurry. Peppers also dropped Reggie Bush for no gain on the Lions' first offensive play from scrimmage, and overall, the defensive end appeared to be moving better than in previous weeks. With the Bears' depth on the defensive line tested due to injuries, it's vital Peppers contribute some impact plays to the defensive effort moving forward.

3. Earl Bennett, WR: Bennett's role in the offense is expanding. The wide receiver participated in 49 plays and caught a late fourth-quarter touchdown from Cutler, Bennett's second score in the past two weeks after hauling in the Week 3 game-clincher versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bennett isn't targeted often, he has seven catches on the season, but when the ball does come his way, the wideout generally makes a play. Bennett is clearly the fifth option on offense, but he is sure-handed and dependable.

FALLING

1. Jay Cutler, QB: The Bears lost to the Lions for two reasons; (1) Cutler turned the ball over four times, and (2) the defense failed to tackle Bush. Cutler will throw interceptions. That is a fact. Sunday marked the seventh time since 2009 that Cutler tossed three or more interceptions in a game. The Bears claim Cutler's mistakes were all physical, that his decision-making was sound in the 40-32 defeat. If that's the case, then all of Cutler's miscues are correctable. But these performances are always a concern with Cutler. The Bears might be able to beat a bad Minnesota team at home when the quarterback turns the ball over three times, but on the road against a quality opponent, the Bears have no shot to win if Cutler gives the ball away at such an alarming rate.

2. Entire defense: The whole group gets the nod for Bush rushing for 112 yards on 11 carries in the first half alone. The Lions seemed to have a solid gameplan for how they wanted to attack the Bears, but that does not excuse the poor tackling. Bush was making Bears defenders miss all over the field. The Bears have allowed way too many big plays on defense this season. The turnovers and defensive touchdowns are great, but this group is expected to produce better results. Even without Lovie Smith, Rod Marinelli, Brian Urlacher and now Henry Melton, there are enough Pro Bowl-caliber defensive players on the roster to prevent these kinds of breakdowns. And where is the pass rush? This all better improve in a hurry with Drew Brees coming to town on Sunday, otherwise the Bears' 3-0 head start to begin the season could evaporate over the next month.

3. Adam Podlesh, P: He had a rough afternoon at Ford Field, there is just no other way to put it. Despite punting in a controlled climate, Podlesh averaged only 40.2 yards per kick with a net average of 28.8 yards. Heading into Week 4, Podlesh had been averaging 44.6 yards per punt with a 42-yard net average. Punters will have bad games from time to time. Podlesh had a mild slump last year but finished the season exceptionally strong. The hope is he puts the Lions game behind him and bounces back against the Saints. Field position figures to be at a premium against the high-powered Saints' offense, so Podlesh pinning the Saints deep in their own territory whenever possible will be an important key to victory.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Jay Cutler lowered the boom Sunday night at Pittsburgh, and the hit was still echoing around Halas Hall on Monday.

A day after the Chicago Bears put together a convincing 40-23 victory over the Steelers, Cutler's fourth-quarter shoulder ram into Steelers safety Robert Golden was being mentioned prominently.

The moment came with 9:15 remaining in Sunday's game. On a third-and-10 play, Cutler scanned the field from the pocket before taking off on foot. He already had enough yardage for the first down, but still lowered his shoulder to send Golden backward.

"He's our leader; everybody looks to him," said wide receiver Earl Bennett, who benefited the most from Cutler's run when he finished the drive with a 17-yard touchdown catch. "He's just going out and playing hard. As you can see from that play when he needed a couple of more inches, he lowered his shoulder pad and got a couple more yards. He's one of those guys that is going to do whatever is needed for this team to win."

As coach Marc Trestman broke down all phases of Sunday's victory, Cutler's run was mentioned as prominently as all the touchdowns scored and turnovers created by the defense.

"I thought Jay played very unselfishly," Trestman said at the start of his critique of the quarterback position. "You want to come out, you want to throw the ball down the field, you want to do some things, and I think that in retrospect, as much as we wanted to do some of those things and we tried, we kept him safe and allowed him to live for another play. And certainly his effort in the fourth quarter on that run was exceptional."

Trestman seemed to reveal, though, that while it isn't ideal for his quarterback to deliver a shoulder-first hit, especially with the shoulder that is connected to his throwing arm, he is OK with his quarterback being physical if the situation warrants.

"We've always talked about it," Trestman said. "You look at the tape and he had probably crossed the first down by about a couple of yards. He wasn't sure. I think he would have probably slid if he was sure, but in talking to him, he wasn't sure and that's why he decided to let himself go and do what he did."

It didn't seem to be a coincidence that after Cutler's play, the Bears scored two more touchdowns in just over five minutes on the clock.

"It was an exceptional run and another part of Jay that we're seeing," Trestman said. "It was a very important play in a very important time of the game."

Bennett said the Cutler run fired up the team.

"Yeah, but I kind of winced a little bit too," Bennett said. "'Hey man, slide!' But he's a hard player, and I know that each and every week he will give his all."

PITTSBURGH -- Here are Five Things We Learned in the Chicago Bears' 40-23 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers:

1. Jay Cutler converted on third down: Cutler's final numbers were pedestrian, but he delivered in the fourth quarter when the Steelers had cut the Bears' lead to just four points. With the Bears leading 27-23 with roughly 10 and a half minutes to play, Cutler began to move the offense down the field as he converted on three critical third-down plays. On the first third down, Cutler ran for 13 yards and lowered the boom on a Pittsburgh safety at the point of contact to ensure he moved the chains. Cutler then connected with Brandon Marshall for a 41-yard catch on third and 12, his longest completion of the night. Cutler finished off the drive, and the Steelers for that matter, when he hit Earl Bennett in the back corner of the end zone for a 17-yard score on third-and-5. Cutler and the offense in general had their share of problems at Heinz Field against a feisty Steelers defense. But for the third straight week, Cutler was at his best when it mattered most.

2. The other Bennett is a playmaker: Earl Bennett accepted a pay cut a couple of weeks ago because he and his agent understood his worth in the current marketplace and made the difficult, and correct, decision. Bennett can earn back the $1 million he lost if he reaches a certain number of receptions. After missing the majority of the preseason due to a concussion, Bennett entered the regular season as the No. 3 wide receiver, but probably the fifth option on offense behind Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett. For the fifth option, the Bears felt Bennett's salary was high, which is why they made the move. It had nothing to do with his performance when healthy. Bennett's 17-yard touchdown is highlight-reel material. He has great hands, excellent body control and can make plays. For a No. 3 slot wide receiver, the Bears could do a ton worse than Bennett. And probably not a whole lot better.

3. Stability is emerging at MLB: Three games into the regular season and D.J. Williams resembled the player who started 115 regular-season games for the Denver Broncos. Williams was around the ball the entire night against the Steelers, finishing with four tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble, according to the official NFL stats distributed after the game in the press box. Linebacker has been a real strength for the Bears. Lance Briggs and James Anderson hit the ground running in Week 1, and while it took Williams a little longer to shake off the rust after a serious preseason calf injury, he is now making the athletic, impact plays the Bears envisioned he would when they signed him in free agency to replace Brian Urlacher. Most would agree the Bears made the right call to start Williams and keep rookie Jon Bostic on special teams for the short term.

4. Julius Peppers made an impact: Peppers is still without a sack, but he was better on Sunday night. The veteran defensive end got close to making a few plays in the backfield but was unable to wrap up and finish. However, he did finish in the fourth quarter when he returned a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown, his fourth career defensive score and first since 2009. After watching Peppers on Sunday night, there is reason for optimism that he can be a factor moving forward. Unfortunately, it appears Henry Melton will not be in a position to help the Bears in 2013 after he sustained a serious left knee injury that required the Pro Bower to leave the locker room on crutches. The good news is that reserve defensive tackle Nate Collins has been extremely productive and should help ease the loss of Melton. But with one impact player down, the Bears need Peppers more than ever to step up on the defensive line. The Bears sacked Ben Roethlisberger three times in Week 3, however, all three sacks were recorded by linebackers. That needs to change.

5. Don't worry, Pittsburgh: Let's not mince words: Pittsburgh's offensive line is awful, especially after center Maurkice Pouncey suffered a season-ending knee injury. But fear not Steelers nation, an offensive line can be fixed in one offseason. Look at the Bears. Their offensive line was a running joke in Chicago for years until general manager Phil Emery addressed the problem in the offseason when he signed veteran free agents Jermon Bushrod and Matt Slauson and drafted Kyle Long and Jordan Mills. The Bears' offensive line is now considered a strength, not a weakness. I'm not saying every team will be as fortunate as the Bears were to hit on their free agents and draft picks, but at least the situation isn't hopeless for Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH -- Rookie right guard Kyle Long described Jay Cutler as “reptilian” and “cold blooded” Sunday night in the aftermath of the quarterback’s clutch play in leading the Chicago Bears to a 40-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the background, rookie right tackle Jordan Mills whispered: “He’s Mr. Fourth Quarter.”

“He has that ability, when everybody’s nerves are kind of on edge and people have that heightened sense of whatever, Jay’s just cool, just flatline out there,” Long said. “In the huddle, on the sideline, in practice, Jay is a cool cat."

He just caught fire at precisely the right moments Sunday at Heinz Field.

Aided by a defense that produced five turnovers and a couple of touchdowns, Cutler slammed the door on a potential Steelers comeback early in the fourth quarter with three game-clinching plays.

Having gained some momentum on a 44-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham that cut their deficit to 27-23, the Steelers looked to shut down Cutler and make their move to avoid starting 0-3. And it appeared the Steelers would be able to do so. On the Bears' final two drives of the third quarter, Cutler hit on 3 of 6 passes for 8 yards in addition to absorbing a sack for a 6-yard loss.

Through the first two quarters, Cutler had completed 12 of 18 for 75 yards for a passer rating of 75.0 and a sack in the face of seemingly constant Pittsburgh pressure.

“This could have been a very frustrating night,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “There were some people in his face. He had to scramble. But we knew going in that it wasn’t going to be simple. It wasn’t going to be clean on every play, and we tried to give him the quick stuff and get it out of his hands. At times, we took some [seven-step drops] and it made it tough. The pressure was coming, and it was coming from different places each and every time.”

But Cutler stepped into the thick of it and delivered when the Bears needed it most. With 9:15 remaining in the game, on third-and-10 from the Chicago 26, Cutler scrambled 13 yards and nearly ran over safety Robert Golden to gain extra yardage. Three plays later, he fired a 41-yard completion to Brandon Marshall.

“Really, it’s all Jay,” Marshall said. “Jay threw a 50-yard back-shoulder [throw]. I’ve never seen that happen before. The guy’s arm is amazing. Jay put it in the right place.”

Cutler did it again three plays later when he found Earl Bennett for a 17-yard touchdown with 5:48 remaining. The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass, but Chicago successfully challenged to get the call reversed. Bennett’s score capped a nine-play, 74-yard drive, and with the extra point Chicago had a 34-23 advantage.

The drive essentially extinguished Pittsburgh’s chances for a comeback, while notching another outing in which the Bears received strong play from Cutler with the game on the line. Prior to Sunday’s contest, Cutler had led the Bears to consecutive come-from-behind victories over Cincinnati and Minnesota.

This time -- despite the Bears building a 24-3 lead in the second quarter -- Cutler found himself trying to hold off a comeback on the road that started with Ben Roelthisberger’s 33-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown just before intermission.

Cutler admitted it was difficult to remain patient with the Steelers starting to rally. But by doing so, he finished the game having completed 67 percent of his passes, with no turnovers and a passer rating of 90.8.

“It’s not something I’m used to,” Cutler said. “We have been practicing ball security a lot. We were sitting pretty good early on and we didn’t want to give them anything easy, especially when they started getting a little momentum. We didn’t want to force the ball. We didn’t want to give them positioning in our territory. We just wanted to be patient, and we caught man [coverage] there that last play, and we were able to get a big one to Earl.”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Here is the first installment of the Chicago Bears’ Friday mailbag.

Lee Holland of Norfolk, Va., writes: What’s it going to take for Alshon Jeffery to get more involved in the offense?

Jeff Dickerson: Jeffery didn’t have his best game last week (one catch for five yards, two rushes for 30 yards), but he’s been targeted 13 times through two games. So Jeffery has been involved in the offense, it’s just that Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett have accumulated better statistics heading into Week 3. Jeffery’s time will come. Bears head coach Marc Trestman is likely telling the second-year wideout to stay patient. Jeffery proved to everybody in the preseason that he is reliable weapon in the passing game. Give it some time.

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Bob from Chicago writes: Is Jay Cutler a $20 million a season QB? What options do the Bears have at QB if they don’t believe Cutler is worth that money?

Dickerson: Bob, Cutler is off to a strong start, but it’s only Week 3. The smart move is to wait until later in the year to determine whether or not Cutler is the kind of quarterback the Bears want to invest that heavily in. If Cutler continues to shake off his mistakes and lead the Bears to victories and to the playoffs, then all his money concerns (not that he really has any) will be taken care of. But I don’t feel comfortable writing the ‘Jay Cutler is a new guy’ narrative after two games. The true test will come when the Bears face real adversity. How will Cutler respond? As for Plan B; the Bears really don’t have one. I assume if they decide to not re-sign or franchise Cutler, they would search for his replacement via the draft while also signing a veteran quarterback in free agency. The Bears want to make it work with Cutler, however. That is how the scenario would play out in a perfect world.

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Frank from PA writes: Don’t you think the Bears will be hurt without a legitimate No. 2 receiver as they continue to play tougher teams on their schedule?

Dickerson: Yes, the Bears need a dependable No. 2 wide receiver. But I believe the Bears have two on the roster: Jeffery and Earl Bennett. If Cutler ever gets into a situation where he can’t connect with Marshall, Martellus Bennett or Matt Forte out of the backfield, Jeffery and Earl Bennett are more than capable of catching the football in tough situations. Earl Bennett, especially, has shown that he has great hands. Not good, great. The drawback with those two players has been their inability to stay healthy. But if both are active every week, the Bears should have enough at wide receiver to get them through the season with great success.

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Deryll Ringger from Decatur, IN, writes: Why does Devin Hester let the ball hit the ground when fielding punts instead of saving 20 yards by catching the ball before it hits the ground?

Dickerson: Fair question, Deryll. For all of Hester’s brilliance on kickoff returns (249 yards) last week against Minnesota, he does still have occasional lapses in judgment when determining when to field punts or let them drop. Now, I think Hester’s decision making has improved since last season, but he’ll never be perfect. I guess Bears’ fans will just have to live it. Hester is still capable of busting long returns, and I believe the 76 and 80 yard kickoff returns he busted off versus the Vikings made up for his indecision on punt return.

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Frank from Canada writes: If Julius Peppers continues to be nonexistent while cashing the biggest check on the team, do you expect him to be on the team in 2014?

Dickerson: Obviously, Peppers needs to produce for the Bears to keep him around beyond 2013, but the veteran defensive end has time to turn it around. If Peppers goes off and has a monster night versus the Steelers, some concerns should fade away. However, it’s way too early to determine whether or not the Bears want to carry the $18,183,333 cap charge or pay the $14 million in salary to Peppers in 2014. Even though the Bears are expected to have ample salary-cap space next year, Peppers does have an expensive contract, especially for an older player. But if Peppers starts to light it up and finishes with his standard 11.0 sacks, then maybe it would be worth it. Another factor is the development of Shea McClellin, Corey Wootton and Cornelius Washington. If the Bears feel good enough about the younger players stepping up into larger roles, Peppers could become expendable. But just like with Cutler, Bears general manager Phil Emery has plenty of time before he has to make that call.

Here are five things to watch Sunday when the Chicago Bears host the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field:

Faster start from the offense: The Bears started off slowly in Week 1 because Marc Trestman wanted to first see whether the offensive line could adequately protect Cutler, before potentially exposing him to punishment. So after the protection proved sufficient in the first two quarters, Trestman decided to open up the offense, and the results were near immediate. After putting up 97 yards of offense in the first half, the Bears racked up 226 more in quarters Nos. 3 and 4.

The Bears will go into this game looking to open things up offensively from the onset.

“Early in the game especially against a front like [Cincinnati’s] there’s a little bit of uncertainty about what’s going to happen,” Cutler said. “We had two new guys on the right side, four new guys in general. As we progressed through the game I got more comfortable. Marc [Trestman] got more comfortable calling plays and being able to trust them. Even looking at the film on Monday there were times whenever I was moving around or I could have stepped up and I didn’t. That’s just gaining trust in those guys and not only throughout a game, but throughout a season I’m going to get more and more trust with them.”

More pressure from the front four: Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton fired the ball quickly at the end of his drops, but Minnesota will be looking to connect on more home run balls than the Bengals, in part, because the Vikings expect the Bears to be overly focused on stopping Adrian Peterson. The Vikings will give the Bears a big dosage of Peterson, and then look to get the ball deep off play-action to Jerome Simpson or Greg Jennings. But for those types of plays to work, Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder will have to hold onto the ball for a while to let the routes develop.

“They live off of play-action,” Bears safety Chris Conte said. “Their running game is what gets them going, and we really just have to be prepared for [Ponder] on the move. He’s really good outside the pocket. So boots and play-action really is the big thing against them.”

That means players such as defensive end Julius Peppers and defensive tackle Henry Melton might be poised to nab their first sacks of the season.

“We’ve got to generate the pass rush with [the] four [down] linemen,” defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said.

More production from the rushing attack: Rookie right tackle Jordan Mills put together a strong NFL debut, as did veteran left guard Matt Slauson, but the rest of the offensive line -- which played fairly well -- needs to step up its game a notch.

Matt Forte finished the season opener with 60 yards on 19 attempts, and as a team the Bears rushed for 81 yards, averaging 2.9 yards per attempt. Obviously, that’s not good enough.

“We thought we would run the ball better [in the opener]; we didn’t,” Trestman said. “We didn’t run the ball as effectively as we’d like to be able to.”

Will secondary targets step up if Brandon Marshall is neutralized? They’ll certainly have to, but it appears the Bears are equipped to handle the Vikings taking away Marshall. In the opener, Cutler targeted three receivers (Alshon Jeffery, Forte and Martellus Bennett) other than Marshall at least six times, which is promising considering last season, the quarterback completed more than five passes to only one other receiver not named Marshall in a game (Forte).

With another week of practice under his belt, Earl Bennett might wind up playing a more prominent role in the offense. Trestman said Bennett is ready after catching one pass in the opener. It’s also important to note the chemistry Bennett shares with Cutler.

“Oh he’s caught up,” Trestman said of Bennett. “He’s had catches in practice, and been one of the targets in practice and that bodes well for us.”

Devin Hester on returns: Of Hester’s 19 touchdowns on kickoff or punt returns, four have come against the Minnesota Vikings. So he’s victimized Minnesota more than any other team in the NFL, with his last touchdown coming on a 98-yard kickoff return on Oct. 16, 2011.

“The first kickoff return (against Cincinnati last week), obviously, he gets it out to the 31. I blinked my eyes, and all of the sudden, I was like, ‘Wow, he’s at the 31,’” special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis said. “So he’s still got the speed, no question. Hopefully we’ll get more opportunities with the guys we’re playing.”

So if Hester is poised to finally break a TD return, the Vikings would seem to be the mostly likely opponent to do it against.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman announced Friday that receiver Earl Bennett, linebacker D.J. Williams and defensive tackle Henry Melton will play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, but declined to say how much.

Trestman said the team would meet later Friday to “make final decisions” on how to distribute repetitions among the trio, which all recently returned from injuries. The Bears completed the week leading into Sunday without a single player listed on the injury report.

“We’ll make some decisions on how much and who will start at the end of the day,” Trestman said. “So I’m not ready to make a commitment there to who will be the first linebacker, or the first wide receiver to go out on the field. But we’ll certainly know by the end of the day. I just want to talk to our coaches one more time about that.”

All indications are that Bennett will play sparingly as the third receiver, while Williams and Melton are expected to start. Bennett and Melton were recently cleared after suffering concussions, while Williams returned to the practice field on Monday after missing virtually the entire preseason due to a calf injury.

“I think Earl will play this game,” Trestman said. “I don’t know how much, but he’ll play and certainly continue to play more as he works himself into things. How much he plays will just be relative to how he feels out there and what his conditioning level is. He’s very confident he can go the distance. We’ll watch him closely and see.”

Because of William’s injury, the Bears played the entire preseason with rookie Jonathan Bostic at middle linebacker. But all week, Bostic and Williams have rotated with the starters, according to a source.

Similar to Bennett’s situation, there’s concern as to whether Williams can play an entire four quarters after missing so much of the preseason.

“I think he’s in good condition,” Trestman said. “I don’t know if he’s in great condition. I don’t know if we’ll know until we see whether he can take a significant amount of action. We’ll see how things go on Sunday. I believe he’ll play. How much will be relative to game-like conditions, where it’s physical out there, and we’re running sideline to sideline.”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- A league source confirmed Friday that Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett recently took a $1 million pay cut to reduce his 2013 base salary from $2.25 million to $1.25 million, but the source added that Bennett can earn the money back if he reaches a certain amount of receptions this season.

The move opens up an additional $1 million worth of salary-cap space for the club.

Brian McIntyre first reported the news.

Bennett inked a four-year extension with the Bears in 2011 that included a $6 million signing bonus and $8.5 million worth of total guarantees.

The veteran receiver returned to practice this week after missing the majority of the preseason with a concussion he suffered on Aug. 3. Bennett said Thursday that he expects to be active for the Bears' regular-season opener Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Selected by the Bears in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft, Bennett has 153 career catches for 2,034 yards and eight touchdowns in his past 53 games after not catching a pass his rookie year. He set a career high with 109 receiving yards in the Bears’ 2012 regular-season finale in Detroit.

The Bears have now freed up $3 million worth of salary-cap space in the past week after the team restructured the contract of defensive end Julius Peppers, which equated to a $2 million savings.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett said Thursday that he expects to be active for the regular-season opener versus the Bengals at Soldier Field, despite missing all four preseason games because of a concussion he suffered Aug. 3 at practice.

The slot receiver received medical clearance to return to practice at the beginning of the week and participated fully on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the league’s official injury report.

“I’m feeling good and I’m excited about this weekend,” Bennett said. “My plans are to play this weekend. We’re on course right now.”

Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer later confirmed that Bennett does indeed have a role in the Week 1 game plan.

“Earl Bennett will be working in,” Kromer said. “He’s not one of the two starters, obviously, but he’ll be working in and getting his reps, and we’ll see how he does. If he does well, he’ll play more; if he doesn’t, we’ll see who else we can get.”

The Bears took an extremely cautious approach with Bennett during his recovery, but the receiver tried his best to keep himself immersed in the offense, even though he had to deal with certain limitations because of his sensitivity to light.

“I couldn't look at my iPad, but I kind of snuck a look at it from time to time to stay abreast of what was going into the offense,” Bennett said. “But when I got out here, I had to understand a couple of the tweaks they were doing on the field that I wasn’t able to see.”

When healthy, Bennett has proved to be a productive contributor on offense throughout his five-year NFL career, with his best season coming in 2009 when he set career highs of 54 receptions and 717 yards. However, Bennett sustained a pair of serious injuries the last two years that led to his sitting out nine regular-season contests in that span of time.

However, Bennett has enjoyed success when active. Following a five-week absence in 2011 because of a lacerated liver, Bennett caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in a Bears road victory in Philadelphia on "Monday Night Football." Last season, after being forced to miss two straight games due to a concussion, Bennett topped the team with five receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown in the regular-season finale versus the Detroit Lions.

That's the type of impact Bennett believes he can have in new coach Marc Trestman’s offense.

“This is a wide receiver-friendly offense,” Bennett said. “You never know who is going to get the ball and we have multiple formations. There are multiple guys that can come into the game, and we can move around and all these guys can make plays. I’m just looking forward to the game. I know the coaches are going to create a lot of mismatches to give guys opportunities to make plays.”

Two strong defensive teams led by highly scrutinized quarterbacks in Jay Cutler and Andy Dalton set the scene for what should be a hotly-contested matchup between what are expected to be ascending clubs.

Marc Trestman makes his debut as an NFL head coach at Soldier Field on Sunday, leading a Bears team with plenty of roster turnover on offense, including a totally revamped line expected to better protect Cutler as he operates the club’s new scheme. That group will be tested by a Bengals defensive line, led by Geno Atkins, that accounted for 43 of the team’s franchise-record 51 sacks in 2012, and also paved the way for the defense to finish the season ranked No. 6 for fewest yards allowed.

Chicago’s defense in 2012 was even better, finishing fifth in net defense, third in scoring defense (17.3 points per game) and No. 2 in turnover differential while leading the NFL in interceptions (24) and total takeaways (44).

While home-field advantage can be key for teams, it's certainly been a factor in this series. The Bengals hold a 4-1 road record against the Bears and own a 6-3 series lead, which includes victories in their last outings (2005 and 2009).

Chicago hasn’t beaten the Bengals since 2001.

ESPN.com’s Matt Williamson and Bears team reporter Michael C. Wright discuss the matchup.

Wright: The Bears hope they fixed the offensive line with a combination of scheme (shorter drops for Cutler), beefed up protection with Jermon Bushrod at left tackle and a pair of draft picks in Kyle Long (first round) and Jordan Mills (fifth) at right guard and right tackle, and another weapon for Cutler to find down the middle of the field when he’s in trouble. But the inexperience of Long and Mills will be question marks against Cincinnati’s active defensive line.

It seems Cincinnati’s defense is built around Atkins, but how much of a factor are guys like Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson?

Williamson: Atkins is the foundation of the defense for sure and everyone thrives off his presence, but the Bengals have a lot invested in the defensive line now in terms of finances and draft picks. This is an extremely deep and talented group that makes the entire defense go. Dunlap might be a little underrated and Johnson a little overrated, but they form an impressive pair of defensive end. These three players, along with the rest of Cincinnati’s defensive front, will prove a very steep challenge for Chicago’s rebuilt offensive line in Week 1.

What can the Bengals’ defense expect from this new Trestman offense?

Wright: The Bears will utilize zone blocking in the running game, which should allow Matt Forte to pick his own holes. That should open up the passing game, where the Bears will use West Coast philosophies such as shorter routes and drops for Cutler so he can get rid of the ball quickly. Look for the Bears to also try to use Earl Bennett down the seams to exploit potential matchup problems, especially on traditional running downs where the Bengals might be using base personnel.

Speaking of the Bengals, they’ve made the playoffs in three of the last four years, but really haven’t made much noise. What are the expectations for this team now?

Williamson: Expectations must go up. They had yet another high-quality offseason and this team has an exceptional young core of players on both sides of the ball. They clearly play in a tough division, but going one-and-done in the playoffs yet again will not be considered a successful season in Cincinnati. I fear they will only go as far as their quarterback will take them. But Bengals fans have a lot to be excited about.

Do you think this Bears defense can defend A.J. Green?

Wright: They should be able to keep him from dominating the game. It’s likely the Bears match Charles Tillman up against Green, but if the receiver winds up in front of Tim Jennings, the team is confident he can get the job done, too. The Bears typically don’t double or shade coverage against players such as Detroit’s Calvin Johnson, so don’t count on seeing the Bears try that against Green. Cincinnati’s tight ends could be an issue now that they’ve got two good ones in Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert.

With such a talented supporting cast, do you see Dalton as just a guy surrounded by weapons, or a blossoming young quarterback?

Williamson: He shows signs of blossoming into a solid young quarterback, and has been especially adept in the red zone, which is very noteworthy for a young quarterback. But I think he is more of the former. He is a limited passer who lacks great tools, and isn’t as accurate or on time with his throws as you would like for someone with his limitations. The Bengals knew this and landed two very “Dalton-friendly” receivers for him in Eifert and Giovani Bernard. Eifert should develop into an exceptional target in the middle of the field as well as the red zone, while Bernard provides an easy dump-off option for Dalton. With all the Bengals’ resources over the past two offseasons, it really surprises me that Cincinnati didn’t do more to challenge Dalton or greatly improve its backup quarterback spot.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Given the numerous headlines generated by concussions, and the recent settlement reached by the NFL and its former players, it was interesting to hear Chicago Bears receiver Earl Bennett and defensive tackle Henry Melton discuss recovery from their latest setbacks.

Both suffered concussions, and recently were cleared by the team to return to the field. Neither seemed too concerned about the long-term effects concussions might have on their lives after football.

In describing their symptoms, both talked about a lingering headache that took a while to subside.

“Yeah, [the symptoms] were lingering a bit longer than usual, than I expected. But those things, you just have to wait them out and let them clear,” Bennett said. “I’ve been symptom-free for a couple days now. It’s a little bit scary seeing the past players, and they just had the settlement. It’s kind of concerning, but at the same time, when I signed up for this game, I knew what I was signing up for. The technology nowadays is a lot better than it was back then.”

Bennett suffered a concussion on Aug. 3 during a night practice at Soldier Field, when he was clocked by safety Chris Conte. The day before, during a red zone drill at training camp, Conte delivered a hard blow to Bennett, and the receiver was slow to get up off the turf.

Let’s not forget Bennett missed two games recovering from a concussion suffered last December against the Seattle Seahawks.

Asked whether he was concerned about the latest concussion, Bennett said: “I just wanted to make sure that everything was alright. I saw several specialists, and they reassured me that everything’s alright. I’ll be fine.”

For Bennett to say the symptoms from the latest concussion “were lingering a bit longer than usual,” seems a little concerning, as does the fact he “had trouble sleeping for a while” after the injury.

Melton described his concussion as “just a headache that kind of wouldn’t go away,” adding that his “neck was a little sore. I got hit. It knocked me out a little bit. I’m back.” The defensive tackle also said the concussion he suffered in the preseason opener at Carolina was the first of his career.

Melton considers the modern-day NFL much more aware of the potential effects of concussions than it was in the past, which leads to a more extensive recovery process for players who suffer concussions.

“The protocol is really in-depth,” Melton said. “You’ve got to see multiple people. There are a lot of people that had their hand in making sure I was 100 percent.”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton and receiver Earl Bennett both described their concussions as headaches that wouldn’t go away. But now that they’ve dissipated and the protocol has been satisfied, the duo has been cleared for Sunday’s Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“I know we have a huge season ahead of us, and not really knowing when I was going to start feeling better exactly, it was a little nerve-wracking,” Melton said. “But finally, the clouds cleared.”

Melton and Bennett took part in Monday’s workout, as did all of the club’s other previously injured players such as offensive tackle Jonathan Scott (knee), linebacker D.J. Williams (calf), and long snapper Patrick Mannelly (ribs).

Bennett suffered a concussion on Aug. 3 during a practice at Soldier Field, which forced him to sit out the entire preseason and every practice since. Bennett’s inactivity has led to concerns about his conditioning. Although Bennett plans to play Sunday against the Bengals, Bears coach Marc Trestman said that “it might not be plausible for him to play” because of the conditioning concerns.

“We’ll see how he looks during the course of the week. He ran well today. He was involved in reps. Obviously he hasn’t had the practice time or the conditioning level right now. So it’s plausible [that Bennett won’t play]. I don’t want to say unlikely because I don’t know how the week’s going to go,” Trestman said. “But it’s plausible he could be out on Sunday. It’s possible that he could be up. We’ll just see how the rest of the week goes. We’ve got another day off. He’s got three days of work ahead. We’ll see how all that fits together come Sunday.”

If Bennett doesn’t play, it’s likely that rookie Marquess Wilson or Joe Anderson would line up as the third receiver.

“Actually, I’m pretty good conditioning-wise,” Bennett said. “I’ve been up here running -- shoulder pads, helmets -- the past few days, just making sure that I’m in great shape. I’m very eager. I’m excited to be back. Excited to get back to work, and continue to work hard. Like I said, my plan is to play this week, so I look forward to this game.”

Melton does, too. Melton suffered his concussion in the preseason opener at Carolina on Aug. 9.

“They’ve been working me pretty hard all through the weekend, trying to get me back,” Melton said. “I’m feeling good. I went out there and ran a little bit.”

Scott, meanwhile, has been recovering from a minor procedure on his right knee, but practiced Monday for the first time since training camp in what he called a “limited” workout. A reserve offensive tackle, Scott said his expectation is to play against the Bengals if needed.

“Physically and emotionally I’ve been dying to be out here with this team and get after it,” Scott said. “I’m just happy to be in the position to play again.”

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton is expected to be medically cleared next week from a concussion and be ready for the regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8.

Melton, who suffered the concussion on Aug. 9, wore a helmet and participated in the individual open portion of practice on Wednesday, but he is remains off-limits to the media, per NFL rules.

"All indications are he is progressing that way (to be cleared by next week), yes," Bears coach Marc Trestman said. "When Monday shows up I don't know what the doctors are going to say, but the indications are if not by Monday then by Wednesday."

However, Trestman isn't exactly sure what kind of physical shape Melton will be in after missing the last couple of weeks.

"It's a question mark," Trestman said, "He's still getting himself back into shape and he's got four or five more days to do that. We're working with him to get him up to speed. His number of reps could change due to his conditioning level a week from Sunday (versus the Bengals), but we've got some time."

Wide receiver Earl Bennett (concussion) continues to be listed as day-to-day, but Bennett ran routes and caught passes on a side practice field on Wednesday. Bennett has been sidelined since Aug. 2.

"Earl came out and ran today," Trestman said. "He was out here earlier and had a helmet and shoulder pads and was out here running around. He caught some balls out here in practice. He is still day-to-day, but it's encouraging. He's been released to work and begin his re-conditioning process. So that's a good sign."

In other injury news, cornerback Zack Bowman (hamstring), linebacker J.T. Thomas (hamstring), offensive tackle Jonathan Scott (knee) and defensive tackle Corvey Irvin (ankle) all sat out practice on Wednesday.

Bowman's hamstring injury isn't believed to be serious.

Also, linebacker D.J. Williams did limited work at practice as he continues to recover from a serious calf injury.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Middle linebacker D.J. Williams returned to practice on Tuesday for the first time since suffering a July 31 right calf injury, but the club’s plan for him moving forward is murky with the starters not expected to play Thursday in the preseason finale and the regular-season opener nearly two weeks away.

Williams didn’t participate fully in practice.

“But he’s getting more work,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said.

Williams took part Monday in pre-practice stretching, and has also spent some time running. But Trestman said Monday that Williams’ conditioning could be an issue for the opener. So there’s a chance the team could opt to hold out Williams in favor of rookie second-round pick Jon Bostic, who has filled in as the starting middle linebacker.

“I couldn’t answer that question,” Trestman said when asked whether Williams would be ready for the opener. “Each and every day he gets a little better, and we’ll know a lot more at the beginning of next week. He’s got four or five days before our first day of practice on Monday. So we’ll see how it is at that point in time. I can’t answer the question other than there’s improvement there. Talking to him, he’s certainly positive that he can be ready. Players are always that way. They are, and they should be. We’ll see. I’m encouraged, but we don’t know at this time.”

The Bears signed Williams to a one-year contract in March worth $900,000 as the replacement at middle linebacker for Brian Urlacher, and drafted Bostic as the future at the position.

But Williams’ calf injury pushed Bostic into the starting spot, and the rookie has turned heads with big hits and game-changing plays such as his interception return for a touchdown in the exhibition opener at Carolina.

Still, Trestman wasn’t ready on Monday to declare Bostic the starter.

“Well, I am not going to use that term ‘starting middle linebacker,’” Trestman said. “(Bostic) has started in the last couple games, and I think he has continued to grow and get better, and shown he can be a very good player in this league. He is fitting in and if he happens to be the guy who is that guy on Game 1 or Game 2 or whatever it is, I think he can grow into the position and be a more than sufficient middle linebacker in this league.”

With Williams still technically a starter, it’s unlikely the Bears would place him in harm’s way by giving him snaps Thursday against the Cleveland Browns. Given that Williams has missed virtually all of training camp and the preseason, he won’t have any way to compete with Bostic for the starting job.

Perhaps Williams’ long track record in the NFL is sufficient enough for the staff. Before joining the Bears, Williams played in 127 games for the Denver Broncos with 115 starts and has posted 886 tackles (673 solo) to go with 20.5 sacks, two interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and seven recoveries. Throughout his career, Williams has posted five 100-tackle seasons.

“There’s always competition. It’s compete to play, compete to stay,” Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. “So there’s nothing ever set in stone. You’re only as good as your next play. That’s what we preach to the guys. So every time out is important. Every practice is important, every meeting, every rep that we take in a game. It all means something.”

In other injury news, the Bears practiced Tuesday without offensive tackle Jonathan Scott (knee), defensive tackle Corvey Irvin (ankle), cornerback Zack Bowman (hamstring), and running back Harvey Unga (undisclosed).

The team also held out defensive tackle Henry Melton and receiver Earl Bennett, who continue to go through the concussion protocol. Melton and Bennett took part in pre-practice stretches with teammates, and they’re also working on physical conditioning.

Trestman believed that Tuesday marked the first time Bennett had run since suffering the concussion.

“Earl and Henry both got running in today,” he said.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears returned to the field to resume workouts Monday, but continued to hold out defensive tackle Henry Melton and receiver Earl Bennett as the duo works through the steps of the concussion protocol to return to the field.

Melton and Bennett attended the session inside the Walter Payton Center during the portion of practice open to the media, but it appears neither has been cleared to return to activity. Considering the starters aren’t likely to play much, if any, during the preseason finale against Cleveland on Thursday, there’s no rush for Melton and Bennett to return to the field.

“Henry is into (the) running (phase of the concussion protocol). Earl is day-to-day. I know (Bennett) was with some of the medical people this morning, I haven’t checked," Trestman said. "Henry ran today. He’s going to run tomorrow and Wednesday and pick up that running significantly. That’s where he is at this point."

The Bears have already begun preparations for the regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8, and the week leading into that outing would seem to be the target date for Melton and Bennett to rejoin the team for workouts.

As the club’s franchise player, Melton has already solidified his status as a starter. Bennett, meanwhile, is competing with Joe Anderson, Eric Weems, Terrence Toliver and rookie Marquess Wilson for one of the receiver spots behind Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. Bennett hasn’t practiced with the team since suffering the concussion on Aug. 3 at Soldier Field after a hard hit from safety Chris Conte.

Melton suffered his concussion in the first game of the preseason at Carolina.

In other injury news, the team held out quarterback Matt Blanchard (hand), linebacker D.J. Williams (calf), offensive tackle Jonathan Scott (knee), defensive tackle (Corvey Irvin) (ankle), cornerback Zack Bowman (hamstring) and linebacker J.T. Thomas (hamstring).

The projected starter at middle linebacker, Williams hasn't yet played in a preseason game, but he's into the running phase of his rehabilitation.

"If you saw him at the (Oakland) game, he was out working at the game," Trestman said. "He's day-to-day, but we'll see where it goes. We're optimistic he's gonna be close (to fully healthy by opening day). It's still day-to-day, but there is progress."

With Williams out of action, rookie second-round pick Jonathan Bostic has filled in at middle linebacker and put together some solid performances throughout the preseason. Still, Trestman wasn't ready to declare Bostic the starter in the middle.

"I am not going to use that term "starting middle linebacker,"" Trestman said. "He has started in the last couple games, and I think he has continued to grow and get better, and (has) shown he can be a very good player in this league. I think he's getting better. He is fitting in. If he happens to be the guy who is that guy Game 1 or Game 2, or whatever it is, I think he can grow into the position and be a more than sufficient middle linebacker in this league."

In other news, fullback Harvey Unga (ribs), defensive end Cheta Ozougwu (hamstring), and long snapper Patrick Mannelly returned to the practice field Monday after missing last week’s game at Oakland.