The Chicago Bears opened their preseason schedule over the weekend with a big win. Everything went as planned and the new additions showed their worth.
We have NFL football again! The Chicago Bears began their preseason schedule this past weekend by beating the Tennessee Titans 23-17. After all the talk during training camp, we finally got to see what the new-look roster could do.
While it is only one preseason game, things could not have gone any better. The offense displayed fireworks with big plays. The defense, after a slow start, completely dominated. Additionally, kicker Cairo Santos showed the accuracy that made him a big part of the scoring.
What we saw on Saturday was something we have not seen in quite some time. Everyone was waiting to see what the offense looked like, now infused with a lot of talent.
The offense certainly came through. All eyes were on the duo of Justin Fields and D.J. Moore. We heard stories throughout OTAs, veteran minicamp, and training camp about how they quickly formed chemistry. Well, we only saw the two attempt just one play together.
It was a magical welcome for Moore.
Fields threw a wide receiver screen. Moore got it and made people miss. He then sped away from the defenders on his way to a 62-yard touchdown. The fireworks began.
It was exactly what the fans wanted to see. These two could be a deadly partnership this season.
The fireworks were not finished yet, however. On the next series, Fields scrambled out of the pocket. Last season, he would have tucked the ball and run. This time, however, he went to his right and dropped the pass off to running back Khalil Herbert. He took it 56 yards for another touchdown.
Fields ran just a handful of plays. He finished 3-3 for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. No, he won’t be doing that all season. However, we got a glimpse of how good this offense could be.
Fields was not the only quarterback to play well. Nathan Peterman made a few nice plays as well. He was 4-6 for 58 yards.
Fourth-string quarterback Tyson Bagent also looked good. He did mop-up duty. He went 4-5 for 37 yards. Bagent and Peterman are battling for the third-string quarterback.
The only concern was P.J. Walker. He struggled a bit after he replaced Fields. The thought with Walker is that he is a similar player to Fields so if he had to step in he could seamlessly run the offense.
Walker only went 4-8 for 19 yards and an interception, though. He did not look comfortable. As with Fields, this is just the first game.
The running backs were impressive
The running backs also had a big day. In addition to the big touchdown, Herbert added 15 yards in limited play.
Rookie Roschon Johnson was impressive. He had some good runs and looked decisive in his running. He rushed for 44 yards.
Travis Homer also made an impression. He had 25 rushing yards. He is fighting for the last running back spot with Trestan Ebner. His way to the roster was supposed to be catching passes from the backfield. With his good running on Saturday, that bodes well for him winning a roster spot.
The defense dominated
The Chicago Bears defense also struggled last season. The unit could not stop the run and could not pressure the quarterback. That is a recipe for disaster.
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At the start of the game, things looked like we’d see more of the same. The Titans marched down the field and scored pretty easily.
After that, however, the Bears made the Titans work hard for every yard. Chicago had 8 sacks and forced 4 turnovers in the game. Additionally, they shut Tennessee out in the second half. They even had a goal-line stand late in the game that sealed the win.
The new players had a great debut
We saw a lot of the new guys make a big impact on the game. In addition to Moore and Johnson, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had a big game. He was all over the field, usually finding himself around the ball, making some nice hits and had a couple of opportunities to make interceptions. He looked as good as safety Jaquan Brisker did when he made his rookie debut last preseason.
Safety Adrian Colbert had a hard hit that forced a fumble. He also recovered the ball. Colbert, who is in his sixth season, threw his name into the roster hat.
Zacch Pickens and Gervon Dexter did a good job of plugging up the middle of the line. This is what general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus wanted to happen. Poles invested a lot in strengthening the interior of the defensive line. If they do that, then the defensive ends could operate with more space and get into the backfield.
That is what happened. Pickens also had a fumble recovery.
Gipson played like a madman
In the days running up to the game, the Chicago Bears raised a lot of eyebrows. They released their first depth chart and there was a big shock.
Last season’s starting defensive end, Trevis Gipson, was listed as the fourth-string defensive end. That means he is considered to be a bubble player.
The team had high hopes for Gipson so it was a surprise to see that he could be a cut candidate.
It was certainly a shock for Gipson as well. He took out his anger on the Titans.
If the Bears wanted to light a fire under Gipson with that depth chart, it worked. He hounded whoever was the quarterback in a Titans uniform. At the end of the game, he had five tackles and one sack. He played the game like he was possessed.
Gipson showed that he could be a big asset for the defense. He had a down year last season, though. If he continues to play the way he did against the Titans then he will once again be a big part of the defense.
Santos was perfect
After last season, there were some whispers about Cairo Santos. He missed some key extra points and had a game in which he did not want to attempt a field goal.
The Bears ended up bringing in Andre Szmyt to give Santos some competition. The team did not really feel Santos was in any real danger. However, like with Gipson, perhaps an emotional kick could get his competitive spirit going.
That strategy also worked. Santos has had an incredible training camp. He did so well that just a couple of days before the game they cut Szmyt.
Santos celebrated by doing all of the scoring in the second half of the game. He hit field goals of 28, 29, and 49 yards. Even on the 49-yard kick, he had enough leg to go a lot further.
It is important for Santos to be on top of his game. Last season, the Chicago Bears were in eight games that were decided by one score. They lost seven of them. With the talent infusion on the roster, the Bears likely find themselves in close games again. In those games, Santos could play a big part in a successful season. He started out well.