The Chicago Bears aren’t ready for primetime. But to be fair, no one is truly ready for it all on August 2. And yet, here we are. For the first time in the 2018 calendar year, the Bears are set to take the field for a meaningful(ish) game.
Yes, I absolutely realize that most (if not all) the Bears starters are going to be sitting this one out. And the starters who do manage to find their way onto the playing field in Canton will probably be limited to a handful of snaps. But that doesn’t make this (or any other preseason game) totally meaningless.
The way I see it, when one player sits, another gets the opportunity to make an impression. All it takes is one play to catch the eye of the head coach, an assistant, a rival front office executive, or anyone in the football world. No one ever truly knows when their break will come, so I expect some players (even if it’s someone on the bottom of the roster) to try and make a name for themselves in front of a nationally televised audience.
Game Info
Chicago Bears (2017: 5-11, 4th NFC North) vs. Baltimore Ravens (9-7, 2nd AFC North) – NBC-TV, WBBM-AM 780, FM 105.9
Site: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium; Canton, Ohio
Referee and crew: Walt Coleman (referee), Jeff Rice (umpire), Jerry Bergman (down judge), Mark Stewart (line judge), Greg Gautreaux (field judge), Jabir Walker (side judge), Gret Yette (back judge)
Odds: Ravens -2, Over/Under 35.0, via Bovada.lv
Game Thread
Your game thread is down in the comments, so let’s have some good, clean (safe-for-work) fun. And hopefully, we can keep the good times rolling throughout the preseason and into the regular season.
Coaches
Bears Matt Nagy (making his preseason head coaching debut) vs. Ravens John Harbaugh (94-66)
Projected Week 1 Starting Quarterbacks
Bears: Mitch Trubisky: 2,193 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 59.4 completion percentage, 77.5 quarterback rating (12 games in 2017)
versus
Ravens: Joe Flacco: 3,141 yards, 18 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 64.1 completion percentage, 80.4 passer rating (16 games in 2017)