Game 1 of the preseason is in the books for the Chicago Bears and after falling behind early, they scored 19 unanswered points to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 19-14. The Bears saw flash plays from starters such as quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver Darnell Mooney, but were saved by their reserves.
Backup quarterback Trevor Siemian threw two touchdowns in the second half to bring the Bears back and the defense came alive to create turnovers and stifle the Chiefs’ second and third strings to steal the opener of the coach’s debut- leader Matt Eberflus, albeit in a meaningless match.
Dissecting a preseason game is a little different than the regular season, but here’s what we took away from Saturday’s game.
1 Justin Fields Looked A Little Too Relaxed At Times
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My overall impression of Fields was that he looked very comfortable in the pocket through his three sets of work. Maybe a little too comfortable at times, though. Fields went 4-for-7 for 48 yards that day, notably connecting with Mooney and wide receiver Tajae Sharpe on big plays, but seemed a hair slow to react to certain situations.
For one thing, Fields didn’t see guard Michael Schofield get blown to the right guard, resulting in a sack. He was also a bit slow to set up a screen pass to Khalil Herbert which resulted in a battered pass on his second series that led to a punt. It wasn’t the end of the world and maybe it’s a net plus that he looked very comfortable while playing in a new attack. However, you may need to make some minor changes to speed up the process.
2 Jaquan Brisker is going to have an immediate impact on defense
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Rookie safety Jaquan Brisker was already my favorite to make an immediate impact at the start of the season and I may have to double down on that prediction. Brisker followed up his rave reviews from camp with an impressive performance against the Chiefs’ offense. He would come out from the line of scrimmage to drop the ball carrier for a loss, as well as steal from the secondary to break up passes.
Brisker was built for the solid point of safety and the Bears are already having fun with his versatility, lining him up all over the field to make a play. -not just be one of the Bears’ top draft picks of the year, he could ultimately become one of the top steals in the 2022 NFL Draft.
3 Braxton Jones looks like a veteran at left tackle
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Let’s stick with the rookies and sing the praises of fifth-round pick Braxton Jones, who looked like a savvy veteran in his first game as the pros. Jones held up well against Frank Clark and the Chiefs starting defensive line, containing his man and even going past multiple defenders in the zone blocking pattern to buy Fields time in the pocket or create running space.
Jones received rave reviews at camp and those were justified after seeing what he can do in a live game. He looks extremely comfortable and barring an injury, it would be a shock if he wasn’t the starting left tackle in week one. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a good start for the rookie. General manager Ryan Poles may have found a steal with Jones in the fifth round of this year’s draft.
4 Teven Jenkins should shoot the right guard
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From one young offensive lineman to another, tackle Teven Jenkins finally managed to get reps in a live game, albeit with the reserves. After his tumultuous offseason where he fell through the depth chart, dealt with injuries and heard his name popping up in trade talks, Jenkins was finally able to show what he can do on the football pitch and it was certainly sometimes a mixed bag.
The former second-round pick started slow, picking up a penalty and was beaten by a defender who nearly led to a sack in his first two series. But as the game wore on, Jenkins settled in and started mauling defenders like fans had seen during his days at Oklahoma State. Given that the Bears haven’t resolved their right guard issues with Schofield having a tough game, why not give Jenkins a chance at that position? He could be a perfect fit at guard given his style of play and it’s a chance to resurrect his career. Either way, he’s better than the third strings he plays against and deserves to at least move up the depth chart.
5 Trenton Gill won’t be a problem for the punter
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Bettors are people too and it looks like the Bears have found a good one in this year’s NFL Draft. Rookie Trenton Gill saw plenty of work in Saturday’s game, kicking seven times for an average of 42.6 yards. He pinned the Chiefs just outside their goal line a few times and should have had at least one more if the cover team could have stopped the ball from bouncing in the end zone.
Punting at Soldier Field is no easy task, even in the summer months. Kickers and punters often talk about the unique wind tunnels and pitch conditions that make kicking more difficult than at other stadiums. Gill had no issues and that will be invaluable when fall and winter arrive later this year.
6 LB Jack Sanborn could do more than just earn a roster spot
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
It wasn’t just the Bears’ rookie draft class making noise during the game. Undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn was arguably the MVP on defense and helped spark the team’s comeback win with his stellar play. Sanborn, a local Lake Zurich product, led the team with seven tackles, all solo, including one for a loss and had an interception and fumble recovery that led to 10 total points on the day .
Sanborn was talked about in the locker room after the game, with Fields even saying he deserved the ball for what he did. The team has rallied around him and while it’s a great pre-season story, it could mean a whole lot more than just him fighting for a spot on the roster. Sanborn looked instinctive and comfortable in the new defense. He buys what Eberflus preaches and has that take-home mentality. Sanborn may be playing for a roster spot right now, but with another solid showing and the uncertainty at linebacker, he might have a chance to play real game time early in the season. the regular season.
7 Soldier Field Is A Shame
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Perhaps the biggest advantage of Saturday’s game had nothing to do with the play on the pitch, but rather the pitch itself. As players, members of the media and fans made their way to Soldier Field during the pregame festivities, everyone pointed out the many divots and sandboxes on the field. For a stadium that hosts the charter NFL franchise, it was an absolute embarrassment and, more importantly, dangerous for the players.
There are about as many reasons the Bears want to build their own stadium as there are seats at Soldier Field, but one of the biggest is the ability to control the turf. The Chicago Park District manages the land, and it’s rarely in pristine condition, even in favorable weather. But having the pitch as battered as for a game in August is unacceptable. Even NFLPA president and free agent center JC Tretter spoke out against the field, saying the league needs to step up and do better in assessing playing conditions.
The City of Chicago recently tried to entice the Bears with fancy renders of a Soldier Field upgrade, but nowhere on those renders is the turf in question. These problems have been going on for years and they never seem to get better.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the Bears should focus more on winning than building a new stadium in Arlington Heights. Maybe the Bears would win more if they had a field that didn’t slow players down or make them more susceptible to injury. Thankfully, that won’t be an issue any longer when the Bears finalize their deal to move to Arlington Heights. It’s just a matter of time.
