Dhruv Koul shares his thoughts and observations from the Panthers-Bears game at Soldier Field, completing Week 1 of the Preseason. Follow him on Twitter @DhruvKoul to continue the conversation.
CHICAGO — Football is back! I know, it’s preseason football and we’ll largely be watching Backup Bowls over the next month. That’s the preseason for you. But there’s plenty to watch and learn in anticipation of the Chicago Bears kicking off the NFL’s 100th season by hosting Green Bay at Soldier Field. And besides, football is football, no matter what.
I tweeted this little reminder to Bears’ fans earlier today in anticipation of tonight’s matchup:
But it sure is nice to get into the swing of things again. Mainly, it’s nice to watch a game, any game, at Soldier Field after January 6th’s fateful double-doink.
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I shared my in-game thoughts and observations from the Panthers-Bears preseason game below. Follow me on Twitter to continue the conversation!
PRE-GAME
1. The first surprise of the night comes from the Bears’ PR Twitter account:
Conspicuously absent from that list? Mitch Trubisky. It seems as though the Bears’ starting quarterback will indeed get a few snaps tonight. I highly doubt he would suit up to play just to hand the ball off a few times, unless they REALLY need to work on handoff chemistry with some of the new running backs. So expect Trubisky to throw the ball a couple times. Let’s hope he avoids scrambling and unnecessary hits.
2. Other than Trubisky, apparently, I’m interested to watch some of the tight ends (Ian Bunting, Bradley Sowell), and outside linebackers, namely Kylie Fitts, Matthieu Betts, and Chuck Harris. Some of these young guys need to step up behind Khalil Mack, Leonard Floyd, and Aaron Lynch. Looking forward to seeing who emerges.
FIRST HALF
3. The Bears opened on defense (Eddy Pineiro with a touchback on the kickoff). A few observations on the first series of the 2019 season? Nick Kwiatkoski still can’t cover, Roquan Smith’s closing speed going after the QB is ridiculous, and Eddie Goldman is still a monster. Bears force a punt. Now, please, don’t let any starters see the field the rest of the night.
4. Bears’ first offensive possession featured … a lot of Mike Davis. The offensive line was without Kyle Long (replaced by Ted Larsen), and Trubisky handed off three times to the running back. Davis gained -3, 12, and 0 yards to force a three-and-out. Vanilla stuff. Let’s see if Trubisky gets a chance to throw on the next drive.
4.5. Narrator: He did not. I don’t understand the point of giving him a series if he wasn’t going to throw. Perhaps the situation never materialized? Still, interesting. Chase Daniel takes over.
5. Chase Daniel has had two miserable series’ so far. He looks like a backup. He ran into a sack on third-and-long on his first drive, and then looked completely discombobulated on his next one.
6. On the bright side, Pat O’Donnell has three very good punts so far tonight. He’s showing off his booming leg and solid hang-time. Of course, he’s probably getting more reps than Matt Nagy probably hoped tonight.
7. David Montgomery is going to be a star, folks. After the defense forced an Elijah Holyfield fumble, Daniel fed Montgomery down the field, and the rookie running back displayed excellent footwork, vision, patience, you name it. He is very good. And now, he can sit.
8. Elliott Fry!
9. Deon Bush with another great break on the ball, intercepting Will Grier this time. Bears force their second turnover of the first half. Bush has had an excellent training camp and is showing out tonight, too. He is turning into strong depth in the Bears’ secondary.
10. Elliott Fry gaining the advantage in the kicking competition. After Eddy Pineiro missed a 48 yard attempt wide left (with plenty of leg), Fry basically recreated the Cody Parkey scenario in January as the half ended. Towards the North end zone, from 43 yards out, with time running out and the opposing coach attempting an icing. Fry drilled it right down the middle.
SECOND HALF
11. While Pat O’Donnell continues to have a very good night, the Bears’ punt coverage team has struggled mightily. Granted, Panthers’ returner Terry Godwin is fast. But the struggles are profound tonight. Also, why is David Montgomery on special teams? You can’t risk injury on this stuff.
12. With the Bears’ defense’s added aggression, it’s clear that they will be susceptible to things they hadn’t been in the past. Kyle Allen and Will Grier have routinely escaped pressure and gained yards with their feet while the defense was in man coverage. It’s something they’ll have to adjust to after years of playing zone on those types of situations under Vic Fangio.
13. I’m impressed with the Panthers’ kicker, Joel Slye, tonight, too.
14. Eddy Pineiro put through his second attempt of the night, a 23 yarder after the Bears failed to score a touchdown from the Panthers’ five yard line. Redeems himself a bit there.
15. Taylor Heinicke directing a four-minute offense for the ages against the Bears’ third-string defense to close the game for the Panthers! I’m actually… kinda impressed. He made some good throws on that drive. Panthers win.
I’ll have more on this game and the Bears in general on Twitter (@DhruvKoul) throughout the week. Next week, the Bears will travel to the Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants. Chicago lost a thriller up there last season, and the Giants will visit Chicago later this season. Looking forward to seeing some of these roster battles gain intensity. Oh, and to see if Elliott Fry can maintain his advantage over Eddy Pineiro.
