RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Chicago Bears kicked off the preseason with a bang, defeating the Cleveland Browns, 34-10, after a slow start. The Bears were down 10 points before scoring 34 unanswered points for the commanding win.
While quarterback Caleb Williams and most of the starters didn't play, there was still plenty to watch as players battled for starting jobs and roster spots. The offense got off to a slow start in the first half -- where they trailed 10-0 before tying things at halftime. But they turned it up in the second half with 24 points. Some of training camp's biggest standouts once again showed out in live game action while other players made strong statements.
There's plenty to discuss from this game, including some standout performances from Jamree Kromah, Kaden Davis and Beanie Bishop, as well as ongoing position battles. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts on Chicago's preseason win vs. Cleveland.
Alyssa Barbieri
This wasn't the sexiest preseason game given most of the starters didn't see the field, but it did provide the perfect opportunity to players competing for jobs and roster spots to rise to the occasion. Things got off to a slow start for the offense -- which was the name of the game last season -- to the point where they trailed 10-0. They responded with 34 unanswered points en route to a dominating effort. But the defense also rose to the occasion, allowing just 10 points in the first half before pitching a shutout. Browns quarterbacks had no answer for Chicago's defense.
Some of the training camp standouts carried that momentum into the preseason, where wide receiver Kaden Davis and running back Salvon Ahmed provided several offensive highlights. Defensive end Jamree Kromah had a monster outing with two sacks, and he showed he might bring something to the Bears' pass rush. Elsewhere, newcomer Beanie Bishop had a multi-interception outing, Maurice Alexander scored Chicago's first preseason touchdown and Ruben Hyppolite II had a solid showing.
Ben Johnson was in mid-season form calling the shots from the sideline, but he also continued the tradition of giving his assistant coaches opportunities. Wide receivers coach and assistant head coach Antwaan Randle-El called plays in the second half, once again showing how Johnson cultivates and develops his coaching staff. Just like last preseason when offensive coordinator Declan Doyle got the chance. Now, he's calling plays for the Baltimore Ravens.
Brendan Sugrue
Truth be told, I came into this year’s Bears preseason opener with very little hype. Usually this is where we’re seeing new quarterbacks for the first time or wondering how a new head coach is going to set the tone that will finally turn things around in the regular season. Thankfully, we’ve seen all that, and it’s just a matter of getting to that Week 1 matchup now. But it’s still good to see the charter franchise play in any sort of game, and we did learn a few things.
We learned Ben Johnson has all the confidence in the world with his offense by sitting every starter. The same can’t be said for the defense, who saw many starters take the field and struggled to stop Cleveland’s first-team offense early on. At least the second and third stringers stepped up and didn’t allow a point after the first quarter while making defensive backs coach Al Harris proud with three takeaways (his goal was two). That takeaway mentality stays no matter what type of game the Bears play.
The Bears' offense was humming for most of the day and showed they’re deep at a few positions. Case Keenum was sharp while throwing to practice squad players, Kaden Davis was everywhere in the first half, and Salvon Ahmed took a big step forward in trying to win the RB3 job.
There were other notable individual performances such as veteran defensive linemen Jamree Kromah and James Lynch wreaking havoc on the Browns’ offensive line, but there was also a key position battle taking place at left tackle between Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills. Amegadjie seemed to win this round as easily as Wills struggled in limited snaps, causing a bad sack and consistently losing his reps. We’ll see how the Bears move forward.
And finally, it’s great to see Johnson continuing to elevate his assistants by allowing Antwaan Randle El to call plays in the second half. It not only helps prepare him for the next step in coaching, but it also helps him get a new perspective for the upcoming season. If all goes as planned, Randle El will be someone’s offensive coordinator next season. Or maybe even their head coach.
Vinnie Parise
The Chicago Bears put together a nice effort in their win over the Cleveland Browns in preseason game one. There were some sloppy moments, but they showed that they are developing good habits and effort. That philosophy will help them win, especially if the starters live by that play style when the games begin for real.
On offense, the Bears have tons of weapons. Depth pieces played in this game, and their starters are preparing to jump in over the next couple of weeks. Ben Johnson, Antwaan Randle El, and all of the coaches have a strategy in place that appears to be destined for tons of points.
The defense is perceived to be the weakness of the team, but that may be just because of unknown commodities. Rookies and veterans alike had a good start with their performances in this game, but there is a long way to go before proving they can handle that type of play against top-flight resistance.
Bears practice is hard as it is. It’s only going to get worse with the Cincinnati Bengals on the other side for joint practices. With the film they have from the win over the Browns, they can work on a plan to build on that in the second exhibition game.
Ariana Pensy
Ben Johnson said ahead of this game that he wants the Bears to be the highest-scoring offense in NFL history, that he wanted to have blowouts and that he wanted to have ...
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