Starter Struggles in Preseason Opener Show Bears Still Have Room for Improvement
Published by Matt Eurich on August 14, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears had not played at Soldier Field since losing to the Detroit Lions in Week 16 last December, but they came away with a 27-10 victory at home against the Miami Dolphins Thursday night to open the preseason.
Chicago’s starters played sparingly on Thursday night, but both the offensive and defensive first teams struggled in their limited snaps against the Dolphins. Despite coming away with a victory, the Bears proved they still have room for improvement on both sides of the football.
On offense, the Bears gained a total of 357 yards on 68 plays. On defense, the Bears allowed 343 total yards. The Dolphins threw for 241 yards and rushed for 102 yards, but they turned the ball over four times.
Chicago’s reserve units had a strong second half, but the first-team offense and first-team defense struggled in the first half.
First-Team Offense Struggled to Get into Rhythm
The Bears were without starting wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White, as well as running back Matt Forte, and the offense struggled to get into a rhythm without them.
Chicago sat Forte, and White did not play because of a lingering shin injury, but Jeffery’s removal from the lineup came as a bit of a surprise, according to Chicago Bears radio network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman:
Head coach John Fox explained Jeffery’s absence after the game, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:
With Jeffery, White and Forte out of the lineup, the Bears began the game with Eddie Royal, Marquess Wilson and Marc Mariani at wide receiver, while veteran Jacquizz Rodgers got the start at running back.
Right tackle Jordan Mills was called for a false start on the team’s first play from scrimmage, and after a one-yard run from Rodgers, quarterback Jay Cutler threw two incompletions, and the team was forced to punt.
Mills struggled in pass protection on the team’s second possession on offense, and Cutler was sacked hard by Miami outside linebacker Cameron Wake. Rodgers picked up 26 yards on the ground in the final three plays of the quarter, and the majority of Chicago’s first-team offense stayed on the field for the start of the second quarter.
Rookie running back Jeremy Langford replaced Rodgers on offense early in the second quarter, and after a couple of incomplete throws from Cutler, the veteran quarterback hit Royal for a 13-yard gain. Chicago lined up to go for it on fourth down, but center Will Montgomery was flagged for a false start. The Bears eventually settled for a 48-yard field-goal attempt from kicker Robbie Gould.
Chicago’s offense struggled to get into a rhythm during its first drive of the game, but the offensive line was able to open up some holes in the running game on the team’s second possession. Guard Kyle Long looked like he was already in midseason form going up against defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, but Mills proved he is still a liability on the outside at right tackle.
Cutler did a nice job of working through his progressions during the offense’s second possession, and on the night he completed four of his seven passing attempts for 47 yards. He connected with Royal twice for 19 yards, but he overthrew the veteran receiver in the second quarter when Royal ran one route while Cutler was expecting him to run another, according to CBSChicago.com’s Dan Durkin.
Cutler’s longest completion of the game was a 17-yard throw to tight end Martellus Bennett late in the first quarter.
The first-team offense looked stale at times, and the group also struggled with penalties. In two possessions, the offense was called for two false start penalties and an illegal formation penalty, and a holding call against left tackle Jermon Bushrod was offset by a Miami hold late in the first quarter.
Despite the offense’s struggles, Fox was not too concerned with the group’s performance, per Zaidman:
Without guys like Jeffery, White and Forte in the lineup, it took some time for Chicago’s offense to get into a rhythm. The offensive line showed improvement during the team’s second possession, and both Rodgers and Langford flashed in the running game. The keys for Chicago’s offense moving forward will be eliminating penalties and getting off to a fast start.
White will likely not play in the preseason, per CSNChicago.com’s John Mullin, but as long as Jeffery and Forte make it back into the lineup in the next couple of weeks, the offense should be able to find a rhythm before the regular season starts.
First-Team Defense Struggled Against the Pass
The Bears debuted their new 3-4 defense on Thursday night, but the first-team unit looked a lot like last year’s defense at times during the first quarter.
The Dolphins received the opening kickoff and promptly moved the football down the field against Chicago’s new defense. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed six of his seven pass attempts for 56 yards, and he hit wide receiver Jarvis Landry in the end zone from two yards out to give the Dolphins a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.
On Tannehill‘s touchdown toss, Landry came in motion from the right side of the formation, and strong safety Brock Vereen failed to slide down to cover the young receiver on the play, per Bleacher Report’s Matt Bowen:
Both Vereen and cornerback Kyle Fuller struggled in coverage, while the front seven struggled to put pressure on the quarterback.
Former defensive end-turned-outside linebacker Jared Allen was one of the first-team defense’s few bright spots. He did not add much in terms of a pass rush, but he looked comfortable dropping in coverage and nearly came away with an interception early in the first quarter, per Durkin:
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had a generic game plan against the Dolphins, but the first-team defense failed to come away with a defining play during Miami’s 14-play opening drive. The majority of Chicago’s starters on defense came off after Miami’s first possession, but inside linebackers Shea McClellin and Christian Jones both remained on the field for another possession.
Many starting spots on defense are up for grabs this preseason in Chicago, and guys like defensive lineman Will Sutton, cornerback Sherrick McManis and outside linebacker Sam Acho all flashed with the second-team defense Thursday night.
It is hard to get a good idea of what Chicago’s offense or defense is going to look like in the regular season after its first preseason game of the year, but the starters’ struggles on both sides of the football Thursday night proved the team still has a ways to go if it wants to improve off its disappointing 5-11 2014 season.
Statistical information courtesy of ESPN.com.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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