Preseason games usually leave football fans wanting more, but it’s fair to say Chicago Bears fans are happy with what they saw from their team as they put a bow on the offseason. The Bears defeated the Cleveland Browns 21-20 but it’s what the starting offense showed that has people talking.
Quarterback Justin Fields was masterful in his return to Cleveland, completing 14-of-16 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns. His quarterback rating was 146.9, just shy of perfection. The Bears jumped out to a 21-0 lead and held it until the final seconds after the Browns reserves made a late comeback that fell short.
This game was a dress rehearsal for head coach Matt Eberflus and it appears his team is ready for opening day in two weeks. He should have a lot to be happy about when looking at the tape because there was a lot to takeaway from this game. Speaking of takeaways, here are ours from Saturday’s preseason finale.
1. Justin Fields started a new chapter with his play
There’s plenty to say about Fields’ play on Saturday, whether it was his ability to progress through his reads, his accuracy, mobility, etc. But let’s start out with the fact that he balled out in the building where he was figuratively left to die.
It’s been 11 months since Fields made his regular season debut at FirstEnergy Stadium, where he was sacked nine times thanks to a gameplan drawn in crayon by former coach Matt Nagy. It was football malpractice and ensured Fields would fall flat on his face when taking his first step. The game was the beginning of an up-and-down rookie season and I’m glad Fields had the chance to go back and right those wrongs, even if it’s just preseason.
By all accounts, Fields has incredible mental toughness and can shake off bad plays and poor games. But he was mad about his debut last year and what happened to him while under center. The fact he could go back into that stadium and ball out like he did shows his mentality, while also indicating the start of a new chapter in his career. Last year was already history under Nagy, but now it’s buried with that performance. It’s time for a new chapter and Fields looks ready to write a thriller.
2. The offense continues to get better each week
One thing we wanted to see this preseason was for the offense to show growth. Everything is still coming together for first-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and installing a new system takes time. But over the course of three preseason games, we have seen things open up and more and more and the results have been promising.
Against the Kansas City Chiefs, the first-team offense looked clunky and were unable to score any points in two series. Facing the Seattle Seahawks on short rest, things looked better with more creative plays that resulted with a field goal on one series. Now against the Browns, it all came together with three of four series resulting in touchdowns that featured hard runs, rollouts, and deep patterns to move the chains.
Getsy gave the offense more to work with during this “dress rehearsal” and they responded with 21 points. With no major injuries sustained and players getting healthy, everything is coming together just in time for the regular season.
3. David Montgomery will thrive in this offense
The Bears were without a few offensive weapons on Saturday, but they also had one of them make their preseason debut. Running back David Montgomery returned to the field after dealing with an undisclosed injury and showed why he’s still the right man to lead the team in rushing attempts.
Montgomery didn’t have the best statistical day, rushing nine times for 28 yards, but he had multiple angry runs and should have had bigger gains if not for a poorly timed penalty. Khalil Herbert filled in for Montgomery adequately over the last two weeks, but it’s clear the former Iowa State Cyclone still has the edge and shouldn’t be discounted heading into the season.
Reports have indicated the Bears want to see Montgomery work in their system before committing to him with a contract extension. It’s pretty clear the offense moves well with him involved so perhaps this is the start of not only a productive year from Montgomery, but a new contract as well.
4. Despite his day, Dante Pettis still doesn't make the team
My bold predictions are bleeding over into my takeaways. That’s what happens in the preseason though. Wide receiver Dante Pettis had himself a day on Saturday, catching three passes for 37 yards and a nice touchdown where he shook his defender in the end zone. It was an impressive performance for the veteran, but sadly I still don’t think it gets him a roster spot.
Prior to Saturday, Pettis had done very little in both camp and preseason. He had one catch coming into this game and it feels as if it’s too little, too late at this point. The Bears will have other receivers such as Byron Pringle and Velus Jones Jr. returning, as well as running back and returner Trestan Ebner to take back Pettis’ reps. They could also choose to upgrade the position when rosters are finalized and other players are released.
No one is taking away what Pettis did on Saturday and he was a second-round pick in 2018 for a reason. I just believe he needed to do more during the entirety of camp to warrant a roster spot.
5. Equanimeous St. Brown's ball security issues are a concern
Wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown finally got involved in the passing game this preseason, catching a pass from Fields for 18 yards where he was wide open. But as he was going out of bounds, the ball popped out and thankfully was recovered by the Bears.
Normally, something like this would be brushed off but if you have been paying attention during training camp, you know St. Brown has had issues hanging onto the ball after contact. It was notable in practice and during Family Fest at Soldier Field. Now it showed up in a preseason game and it’s time to be at least a little concerned.
With so many receivers dealing with injuries, St. Brown has a great chance to separate himself as one of Fields’ go-to guys. He’s a tall receiver with a large catch radius and could be a matchup nightmare. But if these fumbles keep occurring, his targets will dry up.
6. CB Kindle Vildor was impressive
Most Bears fans remember cornerback Kindle Vildor getting cooked in coverage last season and assumed his days were numbered. The team drafted rookie Kyler Gordon and brought in a few free agents this offseason that effectively told Vildor they’re going in a different direction. The third-year player out of Georgia Southern isn’t listening, however, and quietly had a very nice preseason finale.
Vildor recorded four total tackles, three of which were solo, and had one tackle for loss. He also had a pass defensed in the endzone to save a touchdown. His coverage skills looked improved for the most part, but Vildor’s value comes with his tackling. He blew up a screen pass in the backfield and rarely has an issue bringing his guy down for a tackle.
It would still be somewhat of a surprise if Vildor is starting when the season begins in two weeks, but his play makes you feel much better about the cornerback depth. Perhaps he may even thrive under defensive coordinator Alan Williams, but fans will settle for the improvement they have seen this preseason.
7. Roquan's unavailability could be a problem going forward
One player fans were excited to see make his preseason debut was linebacker Roquan Smith. A contract dispute kept him off the field for nearly all of training camp and the previous two preseason games, but that was resolved last weekend and Smith made his return to practice. The expectation was that he would play against the Browns, but missed due to some tightness he experienced during warmups, according to general manager Ryan Poles.
Normally, this is a nonstory and we wouldn’t be remotely concerned about Smith’s availability for week one. But he’s still getting up to speed on the field and missed nearly a month of practices. Sure, he’s been in the linebacker room studying and getting the calls down, but is his body in football shape yet? That’s highly doubtful. We have seen players holdout and come back just prior to the season and experience soft tissue injuries that nag throughout the season. He even had tightness during his rookie season where he held out then as well.
I don’t expect Smith’s availability for week one to be impacted, but he’s at a greater risk for injury as he works to get his body back into football shape. I’m excited to see him play once again, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t holding my breath for the first few weeks.
