For much of Saturday afternoon, the Chicago Bears played uninspiring football in their 41-15 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. The starting offense struggled to get anything going, sans one big play from quarterback Andy Dalton. Meanwhile, Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky got the revenge he was seeking against the Bears defense, putting on a show for his former team as he got the start for Buffalo.
The second half was better for both sides of the ball as rookie quarterback Justin Fields looked great in sports with his arm and his legs, but also struggled due to the lack of protection on the offensive line. The defense, meanwhile, was able to create a few turnovers against the Buffalo reserves after getting gashed in the first half.
All in all, though, it wasn’t a pretty day on the lakefront and with just one preseason game left, the Bears have a lot of questions to answer in a short amount of time. Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s preseason game.
Justin Fields needs to start the next preseason game
AP Photo/David Banks
I’m sure people want me to go a step further and say Fields should start Week 1 over Dalton. But Matt Nagy continues to hold firm when it comes to Dalton starting against the Los Angeles Rams in a few weeks. He wants to see the veteran quarterback in the regular season, and it doesn’t sound like he’s changing his mind anytime soon, no matter how Justin Fields plays. So, let’s compromise, shall we? If Nagy is staunch on giving Dalton reps in the regular season, why play him in the preseason at all? Shouldn’t Fields get the start next week against the Tennessee Titans and get time with the starters? He’s been playing with reserves over the last few games and deserves a shot to throw to guys like Allen Robinson, Darnell Mooney, and Jimmy Graham, if they wind up playing. Fields had an up-and-down day, primarily thanks to the lack of protection he had in the pocket. His receivers didn’t help him out either, though, as passes were dropped too many times. Give him some run with the top unit and use that in their evaluation. If Nagy is specifically looking for regular season action from Dalton, then this is a no-brainer.
Mitchell Trubisky’s strong play says more about the Bears defense than him
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Trubisky was the storyline of the week and he and the Bills came out wanting to prove a point. The former Bear was 20 for 28, throwing for 221 yards and one score. He admittedly looked solid in his return to Soldier Field and while I don’t take anything away from his performance, his success was more about the Bears defense in my opinion. When watching Trubisky play on Saturday, Bears fans should have seen a familiar sight. He was throwing to his first read on nearly every single play, holding the ball for just a second or two before releasing it, and keeping many of the throws short with simple slant patterns. The designed gameplan fit right into his wheelhouse. So why couldn’t the Bears defense stop him and the Bills offense? For much of the afternoon, the lack of effort on defense was concerning. Guys weren’t tackling well, letting players bounce off of them, and quite a few looked like they just didn’t want to be out there. Though a handful of starters were out, that’s no excuse. These players are trying to make the team still. Some of the backups aren’t guaranteed roster spots, and that’s the effort you come out with? Defensive coordinator Sean Desai has been lauded for his acumen from quite a few players this camp. Can he teach players how they should wrap up a ball carrier though? Let’s pray the coaching staff gets this under control because preseason or not, you should come prepared to at least stop a running back or receiver.
Special teams is a major concern
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If the defense was bad, then special teams was much worse. Aside from punter Pat O’Donnell, the entire unit was putrid in both punt and kickoff coverage. The Bills averaged 29.4 yards per punt return, their most yards coming on a 79-yard score by Marquez Stevenson in the third quarter. When guys were able to get free, the Bears seemingly had no interest in tackling them. Even O’Donnell gave up on the touchdown run. Like I said with the preseason, making an effort to bring down the ball carrier shouldn’t be reserved for the regular season. In fact, special teams is going to rely on the bubble players to make in impact when the regular season begins. Why is it so many of these fringe players don’t seem to want to make a play? Whether this issue is on special teams coordinator Chris Tabor or Nagy, the Bears need to flush out this unit quickly. Cordarrelle Patterson isn’t walking through that door and the Bears already said goodbye to their former special teams captain in Sherrick McManis. This needs to be fixed soon.
Khyiris Tonga is going to be an impact player this year
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Let’s take a break from all the negativity to appreciate some of the bright sides from Saturday’s blowout loss, starting with the play of rookie nose tackle Khyiris Tonga. The seventh-round draft pick has been a pleasant surprise during camp and the preseason and has been getting extended looks with the starters as Eddie Goldman continues to ramp up his playing time. With the extra reps, Tonga did not disappoint. Tonga registered two total tackles and two quarterback hits, but it was the plays that didn’t show up on the stat sheet that made me take notice. The behemoth lineman was consistently blowing up the Bills’ offensive line up the middle, forcing them into uncomfortable situations in both their run and pass game. He always seemed to be around the action as well, making his presence known. At 25 years old, Tonga is one of the older rookies but that could be why he’s having success, especially for someone coming in as a seventh-round pick. The best part is, though, that he seems to have a smile on his face every time he’s on the field. He’s earned not only a spot on the 53-man roster, but a chance to become a rotational player as well.
Lachavious Simmons isn’t an answer at right tackle
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I could easily do another takeaway on the concern of Elijah Wilkinson at the left tackle position, but at least rookie Larry Borom showed some promise when he relieved the veteran. The same cannot be said for second-year tackle Lachavious Simmons. Simmons, playing the entire game at the right tackle position, was a liability for much of the afternoon. He was bullied by the Bills defensive line and let up sacks to both Dalton and Fields. With current starter Germain Ifedi still sidelined by a hip flexor for the last few weeks, the Bears are struggling to find someone who can fill in at that spot until he returns. Perhaps with Jason Peters coming in and the emergence of Borom, Wilkinson could slide back over to the right side. Though he was just as bad today, he did have a solid performance against the Dolphins last week. Simmons, meanwhile, just doesn’t have what it takes to be a quality NFL tackle at this point in his career. The seventh-round pick in 2020 shouldn’t be relied upon at such a crucial position.
Rodney Adams has earned a spot on this team
AP Photo/David Banks
The bright spots were hard to come by for the Bears on Saturday, but wide receiver Rodney Adams was certainly one of them. Adams continued to impress this preseason, following up his performance last weekend against the Dolphins with an even better one against the Bills. The receiver caught three passes for 89 yards, including his highlight grab over Bills cornerback Siran Neal for a 73-yard score. Adams now has seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. The story keeps getting better for Adams, however, as he explained how his daughter was born the night before and he drove to Soldier Field from the hospital. The new father has had quite the few days, but showed up on the football field when it mattered most. Now, he seemingly has the inside track for one of the final receiver spots. Competing with players such as Chris Lacy, Jon’Vea Johnson, and Javon Wims, Adams has done more in camp and the preseason than any of them. He has built a rapport with both Dalton and Fields and simply continues to make plays when they matter most. He’s not perfect, but he’s good enough to make the team and I expect that to happen no matter what happens in the final preseason game. [listicle id=478576] [listicle id=478560] [listicle id=478600]
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