The Chicago Bears are presumably grateful that Thursday night's game was meaningless, as they brutally lost their preseason opener 31-3 to the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field. Right from the beginning, the Broncos appeared to be the more prepared team, never trailing in an utterly disappointing effort by Chicago.
After rain delays knocked Jay Cutler and Matt Forte out of the starting lineup, things just went straight downhill from there. The Bears managed to end Peyton Manning's first and only drive of the game with an interception, but they quickly returned the favor with a Michael Bush fumble that ultimately led to the game's first score.
The offense didn't really work on any level on Thursday, reminding fans of the unfortunate performances that unit had late last season. With just 132 total yards and as many turnovers as points, it's easy to imagine new offensive coordinator Mike Tice trying to figure out exactly what so wrong against the Broncos.
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