The Bear’s Den, August 12, 2021

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS

Christian Jones eager to help Bears’ defense get back on top - Chicago Sun-Times - An unselfish team player with the Bears from 2014-17, Jones is back after three seasons with the Lions. “We’ve got a lot of playmakers on defense. We can go as far as we want to. It’s kind of a special thing.”

Bears have a plan for rookie Justin Fields — but it’s not fool-proof - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears have had three visitors to Halas Hall this week who prove there’s no one right way to develop a rookie quarterback.

QB Andy Dalton doesn’t need this preseason game, and that’s good for the Bears - Chicago Sun-Times - Unlike Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles, Dalton really is good to go. That allows Matt Nagy to concentrate on getting Justin Fields the snaps he needs.

Andy Dalton: What we heard from Chicago Bears QB - Chicago Tribune - Chicago Bears quarterback Andy Dalton said efficiency and getting back into the flow of the game are his priorities as he sees his first preseason action Saturday against the Miami Dolphins.

Column: When will Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields be ready to start? - Chicago Tribune - Matt Nagy is as excited as the Chicago Bears fanbase about the debut of rookie quarterback Justin Fields in the preseason opener Saturday against the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field. The game only will amplify the question everyone has been asking for months: Is there a path for Fields to be the starter when the regular season kicks off?

Dolphins-Bears joint practice notes: Khalil Mack’s sacks, Jaylen Waddle’s impressive catches and more – The Athletic - The Bears and Dolphins defenses dominated, but rookies Justin Fields (Bears) and receiver Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins) still made good plays.

Can Khalil Herbert unseat Damien Williams as David Montgomery’s backup? - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears rookie RB Khalil Herbert can’t be overlooked as a candidate to be the Bears’ top backup running back in 2021.

Bears’ Eddie Goldman still on COVID-19 list, Matt Nagy not worried - RSN - The Bears have activated all the other players who were on the reserve/COVID-19 list except for their star nose tackle.

Chicago Bears joint practice with Miami Dolphins provides litmus test - Training camp - Quick Hits - The Bears welcomed the Miami Dolphins to Halas Hall Wednesday for the first of two joint practices in advance of Saturday’s preseason opener at Soldier Field.

Eddie Jackson ‘excited’ to get back to practice - ChicagoBears.com - Now fully healthy, safety Eddie Jackson was thrilled to rejoin his Bears teammates on the practice field after sitting out the first 13 days of training camp, saying: “I’m happy to be back, excited, just ready to compete.”

Training Camp Diary: Addressing Three Fallacies When it Comes to Starting Justin Fields in LA - Da Bears Blog - Fallacy #1. The Soft Landing Spot

Bears star WR Allen Robinson sidelined with hamstring issue - 670 The Score - Bears star receiver Allen Robinson was held out of a joint practice with the Dolphins on Wednesday with a hamstring issue, and it’s unclear how long he will be sidelined.

POLISH SAUSAGE

NFL tells Texans they can't close training camp early in order to ban reporters - ProFootballTalk - The Texans tried to pull a fast one, informing reporters who cover the team they would end training camp early, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports. The intent was obvious: By switching to regular-season mode Thursday, two days before the preseason opener, the Texans planned to ban media from watching practice.

Deshaun Watson lands at fourth-string on Texans' quarterback depth chart - ProFootballTalk - We knew his status, but there’s still something jarring about seeing it in writing.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Packers: Nobody cares.

Vikings: Nobody cares.

Lions: Nobody cares.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Bears vs Dolphins joint practice recap Day 1 - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears open their preseason slate on Saturday at noon (CT) against the Miami Dolphins, so the Dolphins flew in early this week to get in some joint practices against the Bears at Halas...

Salo: Is Chicago Really That Bad on NFL Sundays? - Windy City Gridiron - Say it ain’t so... Chicago is the worst city to take in an NFL game?

Wiltfong: Matt Nagy on Justin Fields’ readiness, Teven Jenkins’ injury and more - Windy City Gridiron - Earlier this morning Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy was a guest on Chicago’s 670 The Score with Mike Mulligan and David Haugh, and he discussed several topics about his team.

Berckes & Snyder's Bears Over Beers: The Secondary is a Primary Concern - Windy City Gridiron - Jeff and EJ discuss changes in the secondary and what to expect in Sean Desai’s defense on this episode

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, Rule of 3 with R. Schmitz, Danny Meehan, and Brandon Robinson, and the occasional T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; EJ also co-hosts The Bootleg Football Podcast with Brett Kollmann; R. Schmitz has a film breakdown show on YouTube titled Run Pass Opinion; Will Robinson II has his WhiskeyRanger YouTube channel, and Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Jack R Salo; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Schmitz; Robert Zeglinski; Bill Zimmerman; Like us on Facebook.