The Chicago Bears will conduct two joint practices with the Colts in Indianapolis on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of their preseason game on Saturday.
It’s something head coach Matt Eberflus has wanted to do since arriving in Chicago last year. There’s an argument to be made that the Bears will get more out of joint practices than the preseason game, at least as far as the starters are concerned. We likely won’t see much of the starters on Saturday during the game, but in a controlled setting like joint practices, we should.
Here are some things we’ll be watching during Chicago’s pair of joint practices against Indianapolis:
Who practices?
When head coach Matt Eberflus last met with the media on Monday, he said the team hadn’t yet made a decision about who would practice during the week in Indianapolis. But it’s safe to assume those who are healthy should see the field.
“It depends on where their injury is, but most of them we would like to go with us if they can,” said head coach Matt Eberflus.
All eyes will be on right guard Nate Davis, who has yet to practice in pads this summer. He’s missed eight practices during training camp, but he did participate in limited fashion on Monday. Which means we could get the starting offensive line in pads for the first time this summer.
Elsewhere, Chicago has a slew of injuries, including linebacker, Tremaine Edmunds, safety Jaquan Brisker, wide receiver Chase Claypool, defensive end DeMarcus Walker, offensive lineman Lucas Patrick and cornerback Terell Smith. Barring a change in their status, it’s safe to assume they won’t see the field.
Bears passing game vs. Colts defense
The Bears offense is coming off an impressive, albeit limited, outing against the Titans in their preseason opener, and they’ll be looking to carry that momentum into this week against the Colts.
All eyes are on Chicago’s passing offense, which has had its moments this summer — most notably the connection between quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver DJ Moore. Now, we’ll see if they can keep that connection going against the Colts secondary.
“We’re going to learn a lot about the team,” said wide receiver DJ Moore. “How strong we are together on the road and, especially for training camp, it’s dog days. So when we go out there, it’s going to be two dog days back-to-back, and we’re going to see how good we are.”
Bears defense vs. Colts offense
The Bears defense remains shorthanded without key starters, including linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, defensive end DeMarcus Walker and safety Jaquan Brisker. That hasn’t stopped them from making plays during practice, whether that’s bringing pressure on Fields, blowing up run plays or making plays in the secondary.
Now, they’ll get their first crack at the Colts offense, where all eyes will be on the defensive line’s ability to generate a pass rush and the secondary to contain the likes of Michael Pittman and co.
Chicago will also face rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who presents a challenge with an impressive skillset. The good news is the Bears defense has experience practicing against an athletic, mobile quarterback having gone against Fields this summer.
Battle in the trenches
The Bears will finally get to go against another team in practice this summer, which should give us a good look at players in the trenches, including rookie right tackle Darnell Wright.
These joint practices should test Wright, who isn’t familiar with Colts defensive ends like he is teammates Rasheem Green, Terrell Lewis and Dominique Robinson, who he’s been battling all summer.
“I know what Cody Whitehair is going to do, he knows what I’m going to do,” Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings said. “So, it just keeps you thinking. Now, I’m going against a guy I don’t know nothing about him. I haven’t watched any film, and he hasn’t watched any film on me.”
Joint practices tend to be the breeding ground for some fights among opposite teams, so it’ll be interesting to monitor.
“It’s definitely a very emotional sport, especially when you put everything into it,” Davis said. “So you have to toe that line, know when to bring yourself back a little bit.”
Roster evaluation
One of the benefits of joint practices is they provide an extension of the preseason game that succeeds them. They’re additional reps against another team to help general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff evaluate the talent on the roster as roster cutdowns are just a couple of weeks away.
There’s plenty on the line heading into these final two weeks of the preseason, whether it’s roster spots or starting jobs. For Eberflus, it’s all about getting the right matchups to help in that evaluation.
“That’s a big benefit all the way around,” Eberflus said. “You get to do one-on-ones in the red zone. You get to do one-on-ones in the field. You get the pass rush, the pass protection.”
