You can’t have a perfect season if you take an “L” during the preseason.
And to this point, the Chicago Bears haven’t done that yet.
Two up, two down for Chicago’s football team in the preseason. A 27-11 win against the Seattle Seahawks on a short week and after a flight out west is nothing to sneeze at — even if it was just an exhibition game.
I mean, if ESPN’s broadcasters can brush aside the Seahawks’ sloppiness for playing on a short week, shouldn’t the Bears be commended for being on their P’s and Q’s while also playing on a short week (and on the road, no less).
Ah, well, nevertheless. Let’s dig into some highlights before turning in.
It wasn’t a touchdown, but Luke Getsy’s first scoring drive with the first-team offense was a thing of beauty. A mixed bag of plays. Usage of Justin Fields’ athleticism to create plays downfield. Deploying the tight end in space where he can move the chains. And it all culminated in a Cairo Santos field goal. Points on the first drive – no matter how they come – are always welcome in this house.
The highlight of the 10-play drive was the Bears’ flawless execution of a tight end screen:
Bonus points to Cole Kmet for shaking a tackle. More of that, please!
Save for seeing Khari Blasingame’s arm in a cast, my notes don’t include any injuries to Bears starters. If that is still the case by the time we wake up tomorrow morning, then that might be a more important development than Chicago pulling out a preseason win. Let’s keep those fingers crossed.
Spin zone: Blasingame’s injury gives the Bears an opportunity to give fullback/tight end hybrid Jake Tonges a longer look than he would’ve otherwise gotten this summer:
Here are some things that never go out of style: An all-black outfit, Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much” playing at a cookout, Chicago’s summer neighborhood festivals, and the Bears return game making splash plays:
I’m not sure how much these defense and special teams units can help offset issues on the offense. But I know that it’ll take a team effort to put the offense in advantageous spots. And that means more returns like the ones we saw on Thursday night from Velus Jones Jr. and Nsimba Webster.
It’s not just the returns, either. Five successful kicks in five chances for Cairo Santos was like chicken soup for my football soul. Four of Trenton Gill’s punts getting downed inside the 20 is making me think we’ll forget about Chicago’s former punter defecting to Green Bay.
How can you not love Darnell Mooney’s energy?
Mooney’s challenge will likely fall on deaf ears. The Bears will still have doubters. And that’s fine. You can’t change a tiger’s stripes and call it a zebra. Just like you can’t change opinions that already seem set in stone. But you know who can change the existing narratives? Players wearing Bears uniforms. That’s who. Frankly, that Mooney is keeping receipts is a nice reminder that players *DO* care and that not all of ’em are here to cash weekly checks. I hope Mooney isn’t the only one caring enough about what others are saying to the point where he is using it to fuel his improvement. Heck, I hope it rubs off on younger players who have something to prove. Let Mooney lead, and let’s see who follows.
We’re going to meme the heck out of this:
What was worse: Fourth-quarter sloppiness from the Bears that allowed the Seahawks to mount a fake rally OR Pete Carroll calling timeouts in the waning moments of a game his team had no chance of winning? Carroll should be dunked in a clogged toilet for that bit of ridiculousness.
Carroll used an onside kick play in the preseason because he’ll be long retired by the time he uses it in a game of consequence for the Seahawks. Change my mind.
A fun fact that is actually fun, via The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain:
Here’s a collection of players who were a part of that 24-0 Bears win against the Bears: David Foles was quarterbacking for Chicago. Marc Mariani was catching passes. Terrell Pryor, a former Ohio State quarterback, was trying to make the Browns as a receiver. Jay Cutler didn’t play. Neither did an injured Johnny Manziel. Alshon Jeffery (calf) and Kevin White (shin) were unavailable due to their respective injuries. John Fox didn’t have any answers. (ESPN/AP)
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