The Chicago Bears had lots of fun on Sunday, crushing the Carolina Panthers 36-10. Caleb Williams threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Roschon Johnson rushed for two touchdowns. Austin Booker had a sack. Gervon Dexter had a sack and four QB hits. It was pure domination. In the waning minutes of the 4th quarter, head coach Matt Eberflus felt comfortable enough to pull his defense off the field and put in the backups. Fittingly, they ended things with Booker’s sack on quarterback Bryce Young.
However, Eberflus quietly made an important roster move amidst the good times. Nobody noticed at the time, but rookie 3rd round pick Kiran Amegadjie got onto the field for the first time. He logged nine snaps in total. Five were on field goal and extra point blocking duty. Three were the final Tyson Bagent kneel-downs. He also got to block on a Johnson run play that went for three yards. While not much, it was a vital step in Amegadjie’s developmental process.
Matt Eberflus continues to show he has common sense.
It would’ve been common to just leave the rookies to their own devices. He has bigger fish to fry as the head coach. Eberflus doesn’t think that way. Nothing teaches a young player more about the NFL than live reps. However, rather than force-feeding them by throwing them into the deep water, the Bears have given guys like Booker and Amegadjie occasional reps to help them acclimate to this level’s speed and intensity. It is especially important for the latter because he comes from the Ivy League, where the level of competition was much lower.
The fact that Amegadjie was suited up and on the field is exciting news for the Bears. It means he’s healthy and practiced well enough to earn the opportunities. Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles have high hopes for him. His size, power, and athleticism are a rare combination. The key was always whether he could learn the intricate hand techniques and footwork to handle NFL pass rushers. This was the next step in that process. Don’t be surprised to see the Bears continue this approach.
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Yeah, I fully expected Kiran to stand up as the ball was snapped, “ROAR LIKE A LION” and knock the entire defensive line down out of fear. Come on, the guy has 0 experience, but when called on he played hard and let’s face it…most of the Bears O-Line has suffered the same fate as Amagadejie this year with tons more experience against NFL competition. And I’m sure it’s not the last time we’ll see him. Who are you crapping TGena? Are the standards a little skewed, maybe? The game is under control; he’s in on a run play where… Read more »
@ Dr. M. There is more to the story. I got the car back safely which was a miracle given the traffic, the heat, road construction, and inter-racial road rage. When I came to his place, he paid me a compliment and then gave me the keys to my new 1968 Ford Mustang with less than 200 miles on it. Of course, I thanked him for the car, and he asked me to work for him during the summer. Even though he supported the war, he did not want me to go to Vietnam.
@Dr. Sallie: Actually, that explains a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Well, that was a merely sneaky and very slight performance as practice for a mouse. But better than nothing though to demonstrate Kiran’s progress and get TGena off Poles’ back. What will it be in the next game that I shall be watching even with binoculars as Kiran comes on to the field of play? A vital second step? Want to know a personal vital first step after your drivers’ license was restored after two years at age 18? I thought so. Have your Sicilian uncle-in-law force you to drive a brand new, top of the line, white Cadillac with… Read more »
Poor Gena. She’s so hurt that Poles kicks ass. Keep up your whining bltch. 🙂