If you thought Chicago Bears head coach John Fox was going to change lanes and toss the team’s quarterback depth chart out the window after one preseason game, then think again.
OK, so Mike Ditka disagrees. But this is Fox’s team until it isn’t, and he’ll make the decisions based on what he believes is best for the team – and Mitch Trubisky’s development and future.
Beyond squashing a quarterback controversy before one could even begin, Fox offered up his thoughts on a variety of things in his postgame press conference with the assembled media at Soldier Field. You can check it out in its entirety here, or check out the embedded video below.
Here are the highlights:
I hate giving out letter grades for preseason games, but it’s safe to say Fox was pleased with the overall happenings of Thursday’s game. Final score aside, Fox praised the defense for weathering the storm caused by an offense that produced two turnovers in its first three possessions. “I think we played pretty well until late in the fourth quarter,” Fox said, making note of the 14-point outburst by the Broncos’ third-string offense. Fox noted the team only had 10 guys on the field on the 47-yard touchdown catch on 3rd-and-long by Isaiah McKenzie. If you’ll recall, NFL rules permit 11 players on the field. So someone missed out and it cost the Bears. However, Fox didn’t have an explanation for what happened on De’Angelo Henderson’s game-winning 41-yard touchdown run, which also came on a 3rd-and-long. All things considered, the defense played well despite a pair of major late-game gaffes.
The good news for those players who didn’t play as well as expected, there is still time to right those wrongs. “I don’t think we’re going to pick the football team or pick the depth chart after one preseason game,” Fox said. “There’s corrections we need to do. We’ll look at it, evaluate the tape and march forward.”
While some things didn’t go as planned, others did – including one major key that set Trubisky on the path to success. You might have noticed, but No. 2 quarterback Mark Sanchez didn’t get much burn in Thursday’s loss. He threw just four passes and was nowhere to be seen when the Bears entered the two-minute drill prior to the end of the first half. Instead, it was Trubisky taking snaps (even some under center!) and leading the team to a touchdown drive. According to Fox, it was all part of the plan. “That was by design,” Fox said of the move to insert Trubisky into the two-minute offense. “That if it worked out that we had a two minute drive we would put Mitch in.” Mission accomplished.
Fox said he liked the command Trubisky displayed, but warned that “it wasn’t all perfect” adding the coaches would dissect more film and make more corrections to tighten things up for their Week 2 matchup.
Speaking of perfection, Glennon’s evening was far from it. But Fox isn’t worried about the quarterback currently sitting atop the depth chart. Fox made note of how few plays the first unit ran on Thursday, with the number of plays skewing more toward the second and third-string squads. As for how he felt about his Glennon, Fox said he wasn’t worried about his confidence after a shaky start. “Not at all,” Fox quipped.
Quarterbacks weren’t the only thing on Fox’s mind. The third-year Bears head coach lauded the running game, which received a pretty nice boost from fourth-round rookie running back Tarik Cohen. “Tarik has flashed quite a bit at camp,” Fox said. “We’ve seen a lot of what he’s capable of, and most people saw that tonight.”
If you didn’t see it, you missed out. Cohen ran seven times for 38 yards, and that 5.6 yards per average clip is nothing to sneeze at either. The North Carolina A&T product ran strong and made moves between the tackles, which he’ll need to do in order to be a more well-rounded back. He wasn’t targeted at all out of the backfield in the passing game, but there was really no reason to unload the entire playbook in the first preseason game. It leaves something for the imagination.
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
I was rounding up this morning's set of Bears Bullets when I saw this note from the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer on rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze sitting out Saturday's practice with hamstring tightness and I knew I had to...
It's Mother's Day today. And while my mother passed away in 2017, I try to use this day to remember and honor her memory. Do something nice for the moms in your life today. You only get one. Chicago Bears...
I'm off to Springfield to play the role of Uncle Lu this weekend, so we'll have an abridged version of Bears Bullets today. Caleb Williams survived his first practice as Chicago Bears QB1. And all was right with the football...
There will be no punter hold out this summer. Tory Taylor is officially locked in: https://twitter.com/chicagobears/status/1789283410294321438?s=46&t=9_XcB6r0ywNyv4WuAOFkLA The Chicago Bears announced Tory Taylor’s signing on Saturday morning. And in doing so, made him the first of the team’s five 2024 NFL...
Caleb Williams might've gone first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it looks like Bo Nix will be the the first of the first-round quarterbacks to sign their NFL contract. Nix, who the Denver Broncos selected with the 12th...
It's never too early to share Chicago Bears highlights. And while I realize it is probably a stretch to call these "highlights" but I'm not going to turn down an opportunity to share Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze clips when...
The Lions are making an extension for quarterback Jared Goff a "high priority." The Cardinals, Texans, and Giants added wide receivers this week. More in today's NFL Notes. Lions Making Jared Goff Extension a "High Priority" Two weeks after securing...
The first Caleb Williams minicamp press conference is in the books, and without a glitch. Whew! Limiting the drama this season is atop of my Chicago Bears 2024 wishlist. Caleb Williams had some interesting things to say in his first...
I've written about this a few times since EA Sports first announced the return of the long-awaited College Football Video game. And while part of me is keeping my hopes tempered until that game is actually downloaded onto my XBOX...
I am going to preface this by saying there isn't a reason to freak out over news that Kiran Amegadjie will miss the Chicago Bears upcoming rookie minicamp practices. And there is definitely no reason to be alarmed about a...
At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Nikola Jokic needing two trifectas to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Nikola Jokic's Three-Pointer Prop...
At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Denver Nuggets versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Michael Porter Jr. needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Michael Porter Jr.'s...
At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets, with Anthony Edwards needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Anthony Edwards' Three-Pointer Prop...
Jamal Murray needs to make two 3-pointers to beat his over/under when the Denver Nuggets face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at 8:00 PM ET, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs.Jamal Murray's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...
At 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, in Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets, with Karl-Anthony Towns needing two treys to beat his 3-pointer prop.Karl-Anthony Towns' Three-Pointer Prop...
Player prop betting options for Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic and others are available in the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets matchup at Target Center on Sunday (starting at 8:00 PM ET).How to Watch Timberwolves vs. NuggetsDate: Sunday, May 12, 2024Time: 8:00 PM...
I'll just presume he was sending this one out for mom. And I'll also presume that the knee is indeed feeling good. Home run number nine on the season for Christopher Morel: https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1789713524052087082
I was rounding up this morning's set of Bears Bullets when I saw this note from the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer on rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze sitting out Saturday's practice with hamstring tightness and I knew I had to...
No surprises here, as the decision to start Kyle Hendricks this afternoon against the Pirates was made yesterday, but the news has officially hit the wire, and here it is. Kyle Hendricks Activated Kyle Hendricks is returning from his short...
The Atlanta Braves (24-12) visit the New York Mets (18-20) at 7:10 PM ET Sunday for a sluggers' duel between two of the best home-run hitters in baseball. Marcell Ozuna has racked up 12 homers this season (No. 1 in...
NEWSLETTER
