This much can be said about the Chicago Bears’ preseason opener … they certainly played a game of football. Not much stood out in Ben Johnson’s head coaching debut as Da Bears and the Miami Dolphins tied 24-24 Sunday at Soldier Field, with both teams sharing a mix of big plays and head-scratchers. This is to be expected in August football, though, especially in the opening and closing games. At the very least, it was good to see Chicago have an actual head coach on the sidelines. Have fun in Dallas, Flus. Remember, timeouts exist.
As expected, Chicago’s first-string players didn’t participate in the preseason opener, but many are arguing that second-year quarterback Caleb Williams should have at least played a series or two. Now that he finally has a real head coach and offensive play-caller on the sidelines, it would have been great to see Williams in action, utilizing Johnson’s offensive prowess for the first time this year.
Regardless, third-year backup QB Tyson “Secret Bagent Man” Bagent was dependable, as always, completing 13 of 19 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. The only blemish in his performance was a deflected pass that would go for the Bears’ lone turnover. Bagent was one of the few highlights for the Bears offensively, as the unit started slowly, going three-and-out on their first two possessions — just six plays in the game’s first 15 minutes.
Wide receiver Luther Burden III and the offense did eventually wake up in the second quarter, with the rookie even catching a clutch pass that eventually set up a gorgeous four-yard touchdown pass from Bagent to wide receiver Maurice Alexander. While he didn’t score, it was also great to see second-year running back Ian Wheeler return after his season-ending injury that was painfully viewed by many on last year’s Hard Knocks series. While he would cross the goal line, much to the massive applause of fans, the score was negated due to penalty.
Overall, the offense was fine in the second half, sure, but nothing really screamed, “Ben Johnson is running this offense,” as the team failed to produce any memorable splash plays. Only so much can be expected, though, when an aging Case Keenum and fourth-string QB Austin Reed are leading the way the majority of the game. The offense was functional, but Bears fans are hoping to see much more from the first-string squad when the Buffalo Bills come to Soldier Field for the starters’ dress rehearsal game.
As Bears fans have become used to for generations, the defense was the reason to watch Sunday’s game. While Johnson was the big draw for Chicago’s national attention, it was also the debut of former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen as Da Bears’ new defensive coordinator … and, man, his boys on the defensive line came to play.
Like the offense, the defense started slowly, giving up third and fourth-down conversions that allowed Miami to take off for an opening drive that lasted practically the entire first quarter. Fortunately, the goal-line stand heroics of third-year linebacker Noah Sewell saw that the game remained scoreless for at least a little longer. While fun to watch, the defense wasn’t perfect, giving up back-to-back touchdowns to the Fins, as Miami led 14-10 at the half.
The defensive line was nothing short of brilliant, with repeated sacks and pressure coming from Sewell and defensive linemen Austin Booker, Zacch Pickens, and Dominique Smith. Booker was easily the game’s star player, making Texas alum Quinn Ewers’ NFL debut a living nightmare, as the rookie QB went 5-for-18 for only 91 yards. He was also sacked twice and lost two fumbles.
It was fantastic to see the D-Line fire on all cylinders once again, but the lack of productivity elsewhere left a lot to be desired. The secondary was especially underwhelming, even dropping a sure-fire pick six that would’ve been the ultimate difference-maker and given the Bears a W in their preseason opener. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson can’t come back soon enough.
Kicker Cairo Santos went 3-for-3 on extra points in the game while nailing a 57-yard field goal to get Chicago within four of Miami before halftime. Players on special teams also showed good awareness of the NFL’s new kickoff rules, limiting touchbacks that would allow the Dolphins to begin their drives on the 35-yard line. Unfortunately, the Fish had too many big returns for comfort during the game, with three different players going for 41, 38, and 37 yards. It may be wise to touch up on kickoff coverage before moving on to both Buffalo and the regular season.
While the main critiques of the team won’t come from fans until they face the HBO-caliber Bills on Sunday, August 17, the Bears did show some promise against Miami that should hold them over until Week 2. Preseason games should always be taken with a grain of salt, but it was good to see the second and third-string players stretch their legs and make their presence known.
Austin Booker and Ian Wheeler deserve game balls for their efforts, and Ben Johnson’s presence is still a beautiful sight to behold as the Bears potentially begin one of their final seasons off Lake Michigan before breaking ground on their brand-new Arlington Heights stadium in the near future.
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