After months of questions about why Andy Dalton is starting at quarterback for the Chicago Bears instead of rookie Justin Fields, we finally can try to find some answers on the field when the Bears take on the Los Angeles Rams in the season opener at SoFi Stadium on Sunday night.
Dalton enters his 11th NFL season trying to show the Bears were right to entrust him to guide the offense while Fields develops on the sideline. For the veteran, it’s more about proving he can execute the offense the way coach Matt Nagy needs him to than trying to hold off Fields.
“That’s the worst thing you can do is look over your shoulder,” Dalton said Wednesday. “Understanding that is key. We’re talking about tuning out the stuff you don’t need to focus on and knowing where you need to put your time and effort. That’s just where I’m at. You don’t worry about all the other stuff.”
The Bears defense also has plenty to prove in its first game under new defensive coordinator Sean Desai. The Bears enter with plenty of unknowns within their own group and about how the Rams offense will look with Matthew Stafford at quarterback.
Desai, who has been with the Bears for eight seasons as a defensive quality control coach and safeties coach, is excited about the chess match with Rams coach Sean McVay.
“I’ve got some good practice at chess because I play with my kids, so that’s been a benefit for me,” he said. “But that’s always part of the game, right? Whether you’re a position coach and you’re helping the coordinator and the play-caller seeing what you’re seeing in the game. And now as a play-caller, you’ve got to continually stay on top of it. … We’re going to test it out on game day, but I think a strength of mine is to be able to see the game up top.”
Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman is out for the Week 1 game. He missed three practices late in the week with a knee injury.
Listed as questionable were Bears outside linebackers Khalil Mack (groin) and Robert Quinn (back), safeties Tashaun Gipson (back), Eddie Jackson (wrist) and Deon Bush (shoulder), wide receiver Darnell Mooney, long snapper Patrick Scales (ankle) and inside linebacker Joel Iyiebuniwe.
For the Rams, only wide receiver Ben Skowronek was listed as doubtful with a forearm injury.