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Pre-season scores don’t matter. Right? Can we also pretend that preseason offensive line play doesn’t matter and preseason tackling (or lack there of) doesn’t matter? Cool cool. Bears are still Super Bowl bound.
After two pre-season games, I’m officially worried about the Bears running game
The starting offense has failed to move the ball on the ground and its led to bounty of 3 and outs for the Bears 1st team offenders. Obviously, this has something to do with the numerous injuries to offensive line starters, but now that we know Tevin Jenkins isn’t coming back for season start, the Bears tackle position is starting to look like it won’t magically work out. The starting tackles in this game were Elijah Wilkonson, a career backup whose best play has been at guard, and Lachavious “Pig” Simmons, who has an awesome name and a cooler nickname and is playing better than expected for a 2020 7th round pick, but that’s not entirely reassuring. It’s never a good thing when you are eagerly awaiting the return of... Germaine Ifedi?
About that pass protection...
It looked okay in the first game, partly due to half of the game being played by the effortlessly evasive Justin Fields. It did not look great this game. Dalton isn’t known for his ability to extend plays, but he was forced to extend his way to throw-away territory on multiple snaps and then extend his knees to the ground for a sack to seal the end of the Bears 4th fruitless drive. Good news is, the pass protection magically got better when the Bears “1st team” O line stayed in against the Bills second team defense.d
Devin Singletary embarrassed the Bears run D
He snuck through the middle for a big run on his first play, then proceeded to make Bears miss tackles on each of the Bills first two “touchdown” drives. His only saving grace was dropping a 2 point conversion on a pleasantly accurate toss from Trubisky.
It’s nice to see Biscuit slinging gravy in Soldier Field again
Is it possible to put a beef patty in a biscuit bun? Because Trubisky finished the first half on pace to drop a 60 burger on the Bears glorified defense. I have nothing bad to say about Mitchel Trubisky. Unless you think saying he hasn’t proved he deserves to be an NFL starter is bad. If Biscuit is the Bears’ ex, he’s the partner you projected everything you wanted onto when you first met him, then continued to disappoint you because he was never what you wanted to be. It looks like the Bill see and appreciate him for what he is, and I think everyone’s in a better place. Trubisky has always been able to deliver against uncomplicated defenses, and today was no exception. The former 2nd overall pick (too soon?) led the Bills to four straight touchdowns to start the game. I’m sure it was a nice feeling for the one-time devourer of Bear fan dreams.
New Jake Kumerow just dropped
The ball. If Aaron Rodgers had his way, Kumerow would be 2nd on the Packers receiver depth chart and dropping balls in Soldier Field on games that I actually care about. I never thought I’d say this, but I wish Rodgers had gotten his way on this one.
UPDATE: Kumerow caught a touchdown after I wrote this. I stand by my take and will assume that was just too well thrown a ball by Biscuit to be dropped.
UPDATE^2: Kumerow came up big with a 3rd and 1 drop on the next drive. My original take has been redeemed.
Andrew gets his first first down!
Just three drives into the second pre-season game, Bears QB1 Andrew “Andy” Dalton finally moved the ball down the field for a first down, and then another a fumble by Damien Williams after what would have been another 1st down conversion. Dalton hasn’t been particularly bad: the offense has failed to execute and Dalton has failed to elevate those around him. Honestly, is either a surprise?
How many syllables are in Jeremiah Attaochu’s last name?
I thought it was four, but about half of announcers think it’s three. Figure it out people. We’re not talking about Iyiegbuniwe here.
UPDATE: Adam Amin had no trouble pronouncing Iyiegbuniwe’s name later in the broadcast. The man is a pro. Does anyone remember which way he pronounced Attaochu?
In case you haven’t heard the memo, you don’t need a good running game for play action to work
After two runs for embarrassing yardage in the first two Bears drives, the Bears started the third drive with a successful play action pass to Jesse James for 12 yards. As we learned from the leak touchdown last week, James can see his fake plays well. He may have a chance to make a Thomas Jones-esque post football career in acting if he keeps this up.
I’m going to assume it’s only the Bears pre-season defensive scheme that’s comically vulnerable to slants
Because it’s too early in the year to cry about football. Right?
Does anyone else miss tackles?
I miss watching the Bears tackle ball-carriers on the first attempt. The Bears defense also misses tackles. Does anyone else miss tackles? I’ll tell you one thing: I definitely miss offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr. That tackle did not miss games.
Rodney Adams, Pre-season hero
So far, he’s been the only skill-position player to stand out, and he’s done it both games. Today, he took what had been a pathetic Bears offensive effort and plucked it’s deflated wobbling ball out of a Buffalo defender’s hands, and ran it the whole field for a touchdown to re-energize a despondent Soldier Field. WR3?
No, for real. Is he going to be the Bears WR3? Because he looks like WR1 without Robinson or Mooney out there.
Wait. The Bills poached Trubisky AND Tanner Gentry
Has anyone checked to see if the Bills GM is an overzealous Bears fan still holding on to the 2017 preseason?
Xavier Crawford not looking too bad
Both Kindle Vildor and Duke Shelly had decent but not great games. Crawford was obviously playing against later-team offenses, but he stood out to me as a playmaker who was frequently in the right position and actually capable of making a tackle.
Justin Fields’ first play was a 3 yard gain
And he was already on pace to blow Dalton’s ANY/A out of the water (math not pictured).
When Justin Fields Scrambles
Yards are gained and polar bears end up pregnant. The world needs him to help offset global warming to keep the polar bear population from becoming endangered.
UDFA Sam Kamara has a knack for getting into the backfield
Could this be just like the time I drafted Alvin Kamara with a late pick in my fantasy draft his rookie season and then dropped him to pick up Tarik Cohen and never regretted it? Maybe by the end of next game he will overtake Charles Snowden as the most promising 2021 UDFA pass rusher on the Bears roster?
I predict an uptick in Larry Borom 1st team snaps
He played well against the 2nd/3rd team and the Bears 1st team o line left much to be desired. If I’m wrong, I will pretend I never predicted this, so it’s a no lose proposition for me.
Better rookie season: Khalil Herbert or Justin Herbert?
We’ll have to wait to see.
We almost got to see the Fields to Jon’Vea Johnson connection
All the beat brats kept mentioning this in practice, but we didn’t see it in the first preseason game. Johnson high-pointed the ball, and then controlled it with great agility as the grass fruitlessly nudged it around in his fall to the ground. Anyone who cares about fairness and human decency would have ruled it a catch.
Justin Fields had one suboptimal throw
The Rodney Adams 4th and goal throw was too high. Everything else he did was perfect. If you have a different opinion, this conversation is over.
Bears average yards to go on third down is greater than 10?
Oooooof.
It’s possible the Bears don’t deserve Justin Fields. I don’t care. He’s ours and we will hold on to his tail with both hands if he tries to squirm away.