The Chicago Bears are sooooo done with the preseason:
Bears safety Eddie Jackson says the starters are “all-in” preparing for Green Bay. There have been no illusions this week about what the priority is for the first-team.
— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) August 27, 2019
All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson confirmed that Bears starters are full swing in preparing for the team’s regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers.
This isn’t surprising, but I appreciate the honesty. After all, it was just last week when quarterback Mitch Trubisky admitted he had already started taking time to prepare for Packers week. So if you needed any more confirmation about what the Bears’ priorities were this preseason, there you have it.
Now, you’re probably thinking that it has to be a challenge to prepare a team for two distinctly different events. It’s OK, because I was thinking it, too. But don’t worry, because the Bears have taken measures to get players ready for the preseason finale and the regular-season lid-lifter.
Chris Emma of 670 The Score reports the Bears have split up their practice teams ahead of Thursday’s preseason finale. Chicago’s first-string offense and defense are working inside at the Walter Payton Center at Halas Hall with a focus on preparing for the Packers, while the second-team and reserve units are practicing outside and preparing for the Titans. Is it unconventional? Sure is. But this isn’t the first time Matt Nagy has stepped outside the box when it came to preparation and I doubt it will be his last.
Splitting the units might look odd to the naked eye, but it’s sensible. On one field, the Bears can take the appropriate measures ahead of the all-important rivalry game (you know, the one that counts in the standings). And on another field, the team can properly evaluate the talent that will make up the depth on the bottom half of the roster. What might be unorthodox at first blush seems logical for a team that has some tough decisions to make come roster cut-down day, but won’t get a full week of preparation.