The Chicago Bears finally broke through for their first preseason victory of 2019. Most will remember the game itself for the moment that Andrew Luck decided to retire, but the Bears don’t have time to dwell on such things. They have one game to go before things get serious. In that time they must whittle down their roster from 90 to 43. Head coach Matt Nagy and his staff have some big decisions to make.
Thankfully this game provided much-needed clarity at a number of positions. Including the three Nagy referenced as being big areas of focus: tight end, inside linebacker, and cornerback. There were also some revelations along the offensive line and the edge rusher position. Here are the biggest winners and losers from the action.
Chicago Bears losers:
Chase Daniel
Yes he’s the primary backup and likely going to make the team. That doesn’t make it a good thing. For the third-straight week, Daniel looked completely overmatched in his preseason outing. He went just 3-of-9 for 21 yards and took multiple sacks. Most of which could’ve been avoided had he not held the ball too long. The Bears may trust his connection with Mitch Trubisky, but they are in trouble if they have to look to him for any length of time on the field.
Cornelius Lucas
The Bears tackle position is in a bad way. Their depth has taken a number of hits lately with Rashaad Coward and now T.J. Clemmings suffering bad injuries. Cornelius Lucas has helped matters with his bad play the past two weeks, having constantly been beaten for sacks. He is clearly inadequate for the position. It would not be a surprise if he’s cut and the team goes hunting for help elsewhere.
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Kylie Fitts
The former 6th round pick hasn’t stood out much this preseason. He was rendered invisible in the first half against the Colts. He finally managed a nice pressure on the QB in the second but it should’ve been called a roughing the passer penalty due to a hand to the face. Fitts just doesn’t have the necessary strength to take on NFL tackles. He may end up on the practice squad again but that’s all he deserves.
Michael Joseph
Cornerback is a big battle that continues on the Bears roster. Joseph needed a big play to help his case for making the final 53. He came painfully close to one. Unfortunately it slipped through his fingers when he couldn’t bring in a near-diving interception in the second half. This was made even worse by a bad missed tackle in the first that led to a touchdown for Indianapolis. His odds aren’t looking good.
Winners:
Ryan Nall
Running back has become a tough position for the Bears to sort out. They not only have talent at the top but now even the backups are making plays. Nall was their offensive spark in Indy. After gaining just five yards through most of the first two quarterbacks, he delivered a 69-yard run to get things going. He also should’ve had a touchdown. Sadly it was wiped out by a holding penalty. The guy is big and more versatile than he gets credit for.
Nick Kwiatkoski
If anybody needed a big performance in this game to stave off the vultures, it was Kwiatkoski. He had some rough moments against the Panthers and Giants. Thankfully he delivered a timely good performance with a sack and a nice tipped pass that led to an interception by Deon Bush. Kwiatkoski is a good downhill linebacker and special teams presence. His job should be secure for one more year.
James Vaughters
It seems the Bears defense needs a little more Canadian flavor. Vaughters has taken big advantage of the teams’ concerning depth situation at outside linebacker. After getting a strip-sack last week against the Giants, he delivered another against the Colts. This one being returned for a touchdown. It’s clear this guy has a knack for getting to the quarterback. Given the injury concerns around Aaron Lynch, this only helps his odds of cracking the roster.
Eddy Pineiro
Nobody was happier about the Bears’ 27-17 win than Pineiro. That’s because he had his best performance of the summer, and the timing couldn’t be better. After outlasting Elliott Fry in the kicker battle since July, Pineiro knew this game could make or break his chances of locking up the job. He responded by going 5-of-5 including a 58-yard bomb during the action. That was the sort of game the Chicago Bears brass were looking for. Barring a monumental meltdown next week, the job is his.
