Chicago Bears starters are anticipated to see their most prolonged preseason enjoying time once they tackle the Cleveland Browns at 6 p.m. Saturday FirstEnergy Stadium.
Here are 4 storylines to look at within the ultimate preseason matchup earlier than the opener.
1. Roquan Smith in motion
This would be the preseason debut of linebacker Roquan Smith after he missed the primary two video games whereas conducting a “hold-in” amid stalled contract negotiations. Smith attended conferences and practices however didn’t take part on the sphere.
After figuring out he would play out the ultimate yr of his rookie contract slightly than proceed negotiations, Smith returned to apply Saturday and had per week to ramp up. The sport will probably be an opportunity to get extra snug in reside motion with some new teammates, together with center linebacker Nicholas Morrow.
Smith’s teammates clearly had been fired as much as get him again on the sphere.
“It’s like a missing piece to the puzzle,” security Eddie Jackson stated. “Now you’ve got all your pieces, everybody’s here, it’s like, ‘All right, let’s go.’ I’m not saying we weren’t like that at first — it’s always next-man-up mentality — but just to have a guy like that back, one of our leaders, one of the (corner)stones of our defense, to have him back in the lineup is exciting and we’re ready to do some fun things.”
2. Justin Fields’ ultimate tuneup
The Bears quarterback returns to the positioning of his first profession begin and is anticipated to play till halftime.
Fields’ earlier journey to Cleveland didn’t present the happiest of reminiscences because the Browns racked up 15 quarterback hits and 9 sacks in Week 3 of 2021. The Bears had 1 internet passing yard and misplaced 26-6.
But this outing comes amid a recent begin for Fields, who will look to get extra work in underneath a brand new teaching employees, additional develop chemistry with the receivers who’re wholesome and construct confidence after totaling simply 27 snaps within the first two preseason video games.
Fields accomplished 9 of 14 passes for 87 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in 4 drives towards the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks. He was sacked twice and ran twice for 11 yards.
“Just poise, execution, running the offense, having command, presence out there, him doing his thing,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus stated of what he needs to see from Fields. “He’s a young player. This is a big-game experience for him … and he’s excited about it.”
3. Roster battles
Before final week, Teven Jenkins final performed proper guard his redshirt freshman season at Oklahoma State. When the Bears moved him to the place from proper sort out Aug. 15, he had solely two practices earlier than beginning towards the Seahawks. So the second-year offensive lineman feels a bit extra snug heading into this outing after 5 extra practices on the place.
Jenkins stated Saturday’s sport is about “seizing opportunity” as one in all a number of gamers seeking to solidify both a beginning place or a roster spot. For Jenkins, incomes that spot can be the fruits of a wild month that included rumors the Bears had been seeking to commerce him.
“I just sit there and do like an internal search of myself, and say, ‘This is my career. This is my life right here,’ ” Jenkins stated. “I have to take a hold of it the way I have to and better myself and not let the outside noise affect me.”
Among the opposite gamers to look at are offensive tackles Braxton Jones and Larry Borom and cornerback Kindle Vildor, who didn’t play within the first two preseason video games and might attempt to improve the belief of coaches as a starter reverse Jaylon Johnson.
And with a number of vast receivers lacking apply this week due to harm — N’Keal Harry, Byron Pringle, Velus Jones Jr. and Tajae Sharpe — the wholesome receivers may have ample alternatives to make their circumstances. Behind Darnell Mooney and Equanimeous St. Brown, these gamers are Dante Pettis, Isaiah Coulter, Nsimba Webster, Kevin Shaa and Chris Finke.
4. Browns quarterbacks
The Browns introduced quarterback Deshaun Watson wouldn’t play within the ultimate two preseason video games, so whereas he has practiced with the staff in coaching camp, he received’t be within the sport towards the Bears.
The NFL handed Watson an 11-game suspension, a $5 million superb and necessary counseling after greater than two dozen girls accused Watson of sexual misconduct throughout therapeutic massage remedy periods. The suspension begins Aug. 30 and can enable him to return for the Browns’ Dec. 4 sport towards Watson’s former staff, the Houston Texans.
After joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles final week, the Browns rested most of their starters in Sunday’s sport between the groups. So Jacoby Brissett, Watson’s alternative through the suspension, has but to play in a preseason sport.
That will change Saturday after Browns coach Kevin Stefanski introduced Thursday that his starters, together with Brissett, will play a to-be-determined quantity of snaps within the sport. In his six-year NFL profession, Brissett has been a fill-in starter for Jimmy Garoppolo, Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, Tua Tagovailoa and now Watson.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com