The NFL preseason is a necessary evil. And you could ignore the somethings that didn’t fit your thinking. The Bears won the game 27-10. However, there were some impressions to be drawn. Jimmy Clausen played most of the game Thursday and like Cutler did not have the ball wind up in Dolphin hands.
Advertisement
There were also some concerns.
The Good: Among the impressive players for the Chicago Bears’ first-team defense was outside linebacker Jared Allen.
It was apparent on several occasions. This can be attributed to their age at certain positions, as well as the overall uncertainty of playing in a new scheme. Tannehill had plenty of time to throw and running lanes were open for Lamar Miller.
Safety Brock Vereen had a rough night as he allowed the Landry touchdown and Tannehill picked on him often on the opening drive. On a third and two in his own territory, Tannehill evaded the rush easily and gained four yards, getting a key first down which kept the Dolphins from punting deep in their own territory. He threw an interception while completing only 5 of 16 passes.
Techniques and assignments can be cleaned up. To download NFL Game Pass, visit the Apple Store or Google Play Store. However, the overall lack of speed can’t be solved.
Although Cutler deserves the brunt of the blame, the Bears offensive line wasn’t exactly praiseworthy.
That nasty attitude on defense has been missing since former Bears Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher were in their prime.
So there’s that. Tripp had an injury issue early last season, was having a good camp and may now have to deal with this setback.
“I’m not anxious about that”, Mills told WGN Radio when asked about his job security. Any Miami Dolphins football beats that, even if it’s not exactly for real. It’s his 79th new offensive coordinator since he’s gotten to the Bears. That continued Thursday night. He’s still not ready to play in a game, and he could miss the start of the regular season.
Outside of the sloppy showing by the starters, there were some strong individual performances. “You have to play the full 60 minutes no matter who’s out there”.
On Wednesday, the Bears released their first depth chart of the season.
Cornerback Bobby McCain had three of those penalties.
“What we’re gonna do this year is put fear in the other team’s offense with everybody flying to the ball and being very aggressive”, McPhee said.
Sutton may not fit the physical profile of a 3-4 defensive end, but his quickness on the edge and burst to close led to several flash plays. He had less time than Tannehill but his accuracy was way off. It was encouraging to see him operate the offense with confidence. On his sack, he used excellent technique with his hands to swipe and rip to gain the edge, then finished the play. His quarterback rating for the evening was 139.6.
The top three backs on the night were Carey, Perry and starter Jacquizz Rodgers.
Advertisement
OLB Sam Acho – Acho’s roster spot isn’t quite guaranteed, but he certainly helped himself against the Dolphins. He was blocked on what turned into a 21-yard run right up the gut by the Bears. That’s pretty sucky! Undrafted newcomer Andrew Franks is known for swinging a big leg but tends to kick hot and cold – not exactly a trait you are looking for in an NFL-caliber kicker. The team would gain 17 yards on six plays, but would again have to punt the ball back to the Bears.
