10 ideas after the Chicago Bears had one other banner day working the soccer — the league’s top-ranked speeding offense steamrolled the Detroit Lions for 258 yards on the bottom — and nonetheless managed to lose 31-30 Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field.
It was the primary highway victory for the Lions in additional than 23 months. Of course, that earlier win got here in the identical place in opposition to the Bears on Dec. 6, 2020.
1. The Bears have been making historical past of late.
Justin Fields broke Michael Vick’s file for speeding yards in a regular-season recreation by a quarterback per week in the past, and Fields has a whopping 555 speeding yards over his final 5 video games, essentially the most in any five-game span by a quarterback within the Super Bowl period.
The Bears additionally turned the primary NFL staff to attain 29 factors or extra in three consecutive losses. They’ve scored 29 or extra in 4 straight video games general, together with an Oct. 24 victory at New England, however a immediately explosive offense isn’t sufficient to carry off the opposition. Thus they discover themselves 3-7 and seemingly unable to cease anybody.
This is a brand new predicament for a company that for thus lengthy had the id of a hard-nosed protection however seldom loved a potent offense. It’s one factor to be diced up by Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, because the protection was final week. He has electrical vast receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and there have been mismatches throughout the board for the Dolphins to use.
It’s one other factor to cough up 21 factors within the fourth quarter to the Jared Goff-led Lions, who had been with out two of their prime three vast receivers in Josh Reynolds and D.J. Chark. In equity, seven of the 21 factors got here on Jeff Okudah’s interception return for a landing, however the Lions went 91 yards in eight performs for the successful rating.
One of the sport’s defining performs was made by Tom Kennedy, an undrafted free agent from Bryant University in 2019 who has been largely a observe squad participant and entered with 12 profession receptions. Kennedy minimize throughout the center with an enormous head begin on cornerback Jaylon Johnson on a 44-yard catch and run with the Lions dealing with third-and-8 on their 42-yard line and trailing 30-24 with 3:14 remaining.
It appeared Johnson, who was listed as questionable on the harm report with an indirect harm, was not transferring at prime pace, however he declined to talk with reporters within the locker room afterward. Johnson got here out of the sport briefly late within the second quarter, and the Bears had been already down a cornerback with Kindle Vildor (ankle) out.
On Kennedy’s massive play, the Bears introduced a six-man strain from dime personnel, speeding defensive again DeAndre Houston-Carson and linebacker Nicholas Morrow. They had been in straight single-high man protection, and Johnson stopped his toes on the prime of the route. He might need been anticipating a fast sit route on the sticks, however then he misplaced Kennedy.
Instead of attempting to get better and get again to Kennedy’s hip, Johnson tried to undercut the route. He wasn’t working effectively, and that left an enormous window for Goff. Bad play in an enormous second, and when Goff has stability within the pocket — the strain didn’t get house on a stunt — he can rip it with accuracy.
It wasn’t way back the Bears had been championing the actual fact their protection had been hermetic within the second half. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams mentioned the unit can be higher after the commerce of linebacker Roquan Smith on the deadline, and that doesn’t look very prophetic. But actually, what was Williams presupposed to say, “We’re going to try to piece it together with the guys we have left”?
Reality is the Bears are struggling to get stops at vital moments. They’re not successfully speeding the passer, they’re not producing takeaways and so they’re not taking part in the run effectively, though they did a reasonably good job limiting the Lions to 95 yards on 31 makes an attempt (a 3.1 common).
Every staff with a 3-7 or related file has a bunch of points. The Bears’ present downside is a greater one to have than what they handled in recent times after they merely couldn’t attain the top zone with any consistency. There isn’t a shortcut to success for normal supervisor Ryan Poles, however it’s simpler to fully rebuild a protection whereas supplementing the offense than to need to do it the opposite approach.
That’s the place the Bears have been for years too. You regarded them and mentioned the protection is nice or excellent and will enhance in a number of areas right here or there with a few strikes. The offense, however, was overrated by too many administrations at Halas Hall and barely had sustainable energy.
Of course, this concept leans closely on Fields changing into a extra well-rounded and multidimensional quarterback. The passing recreation, when it was required, was a multitude once more in opposition to the Lions. But Fields has such an explosive potential to create massive performs. He ran for a 67-yard landing per week after his 61-yard rating in opposition to the Dolphins and carried 13 instances for 147 yards.
It’s jarring to see the lowly Lions are available and transfer up and down the sector and never have points within the pink zone, however Poles could make some main offseason strikes to start plugging the various holes on protection whereas additionally attempting to shore up issues round Fields. The Bears might be flush with greater than $100 million in salary-cap area, and the loss moved them to No. 6 within the projected draft order by tankathon.com. At least two groups forward of the Bears — the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers — may very well be trying to find a quarterback.
So perhaps those that need to see the offense proceed to place up factors in thrilling video games that finally finish in a Bears defeat to reinforce draft positioning are comfortable. I do know there’s a section of the fan base that thinks this fashion. But it’s irritating for these concerned and lots of watching to see the protection seem so inept.
That’s additionally a troublesome needle to string constantly — dropping high-scoring video games — however the Bears have proven a sudden knack for it these days.
2. For the second consecutive week, when the Bears needed to throw the ball on the finish of the sport, they had been unable to take action.
Justin Fields was 2 of 6 for 13 yards within the fourth quarter. The Bears known as 10 move performs, together with Jeff Okudah’s pick-six on a ball that ought to have been thrown at tight finish Cole Kmet’s toes or sailed over the bench on the sideline. There had been two sacks, a scramble that went for 1 yard and an incompletion negated by a defensive holding penalty.
That’s not not like what occurred per week in the past within the 35-32 loss to the Dolphins. The Bears known as 12 move performs on their last two possessions and Fields was 2 of 6 for 4 yards, scrambling 4 instances for 31 yards with two sacks.
Okudah’s pick-six got here on a decent finish display screen on second-and-18. The Lions bought strain with a twist in the course of the road, however Aidan Hutchinson actually made this play by sniffing out the display screen. He recognized it and didn’t rush, blowing up the play.
“It was honestly a crazy moment,” Okudah mentioned. “On the sideline we were saying: ‘We’ve got to get a turnover. One of you guys has got to be the guy to change the course of this game.’ I took a lot of pride in creating that play for our defense.”
The offense wasn’t in a horrible spot on the finish. The Bears took over on their 20-yard line with 2:17 remaining and three timeouts. Forty-five yards would have put them in vary for a Cairo Santos field-goal try and win the sport.
Fields ran for five yards round the suitable facet on the primary snap, after which Okudah virtually picked him off once more when he tried a shot down the suitable sideline to vast receiver Chase Claypool. The defensive holding penalty produced a primary down, adopted by an errant throw to Kmet, who misplaced his footing after which was faraway from the sport. Then got here the 2 sacks, together with one by Julian Okwara on fourth down that successfully ended the sport.
Hutchinson transformed pace to energy on the primary sack of the ultimate possession, beating proper deal with Riley Reiff. On the ultimate play, on fourth-and-8, the Lions had been taking part in Cover-1 Robber. The Bears had a dig route that was lined up, and Claypool wasn’t open on a comeback. The solely different possibility was Darnell Mooney on a fade route. He wasn’t open both. The Lions took away the center of the sector with Byron Pringle on the dig route, and the Bears didn’t have a man-beater route.
Fields wanted to get the ball out on fourth down, and his best choice was most likely the fade to Mooney. He has a take a shot if he can’t escape the pocket.
Fields accomplished 12 of 20 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, each to Kmet, together with a 50-yarder when the Lions blew the protection and left the tight finish free. The offense totaled 408 yards, and anytime a staff is in that vary, there are numerous positives. But when the Bears needed to transfer the ball and time was of the essence, they couldn’t get something completed passing.
“I know on that last (possession) they were sending a lot of blitzes because they knew he was going to run outside the pocket,” Mooney mentioned. “There was numerous males in his face. Then they’ve sporadically bought completely different defenders popping out going to a special man. It will get a bit troublesome.
“We definitely are going to have to do that (throw the ball effectively) in the fourth quarter, whichever team you are, regardless of how good or bad your rushing attack is. You have to be able to throw the ball at the end of the game.”
The passing recreation is a significant work in progress, and enchancment gained’t occur in a single day. The Bears did some cool stuff with tendency breakers just like the route Kmet ran on his 50-yard landing, which led to a whole breakdown by the Lions. Perhaps there might be tangible enchancment over the ultimate seven video games.
“We’re putting up 30 points a game, so just finish when we get those late-game drives,” Fields mentioned. “Keep growing. Like we talked about earlier, late-game drives, that situation with two-minute, just got to finish, put up points and just execute. That’s the next step for our offense.”
Fields has had success with some schemed alternatives, and after they have hit, it has led to some massive performs. Mooney had receptions of twenty-two and 16 yards, the second of which was a low throw. Better ball placement and which may have gone for 26 or extra.
So a lot needs to be proper for the passing recreation to click on, and Fields has an extended option to go as a pocket passer. But the constant speeding assault — the Bears are averaging 201.7 yards, 33.6 greater than the second-ranked Baltimore Ravens — offers the offense a base from which to increase.
“We’ve just got to execute in those (late-game) moments,” coach Matt Eberflus mentioned. “Whatever that might be. It could be protection, it could be route depths, all those things that come into play in the passing game, but we’ll have to look at it with a critical eye.”
3. It was fascinating to see offensive coordinator Luke Getsy name a read-option for Justin Fields on the primary play.
Fields faked the handoff to David Montgomery and rapidly darted across the left facet for a 28-yard achieve, immediately transferring the Bears into Detroit territory on a drive that ended with a 33-yard subject aim by Cairo Santos. The play put defensive finish Julian Okwara in battle and he tried to play Montgomery and Fields, and he’s not athletic sufficient to try this.
It’s virtually as if Getsy needed to get a really feel from the soar for a way the Lions deliberate to defend Fields. They did an honest job of corralling Fields within the pocket on passing performs — he didn’t kill them with scrambles — however, boy, did he gash them on designed keepers. The 67-yard landing run within the fourth quarter was one other read-option, and Fields appeared to knock Lions security DeShon Elliott out of the sport (concussion protocol) on the finish of a 1-yard landing run late within the second quarter.
The 67-yard landing was a read-option with a twist. The Bears had 13 personnel (one working again, three tight ends and one receiver) for the third-and-2 play. It was zone blocking and so they wrapped Cole Kmet, who got here in movement. That influenced cornerback Mike Hughes, who needed to play Kmet as a potential display screen goal on a run-pass possibility. That pulled Hughes from the play and opened an enormous lane for Fields. Tight finish Trevan Wesco bought an awesome block, rookie security Kerby Joseph took a horrible angle and Fields was gone.
“In terms of defending him in the pass game and in the pocket and him scrambling, I thought we did a pretty good job,” Lions defensive finish Aidan Hutchinson mentioned.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone confronted Fields as soon as final season and mentioned the distinction is beautiful.
“The play design, what they’re telling him to do, what he’s able to do as far as being a scrambler, his ability to get off arm tackles, his speed — it’s a lot,” Anzalone mentioned. “He’s exhausting to convey down while you do get to him within the backfield.
“Last week (against the Dolphins), it looked like he was scrambling around and there were less designed runs. We had a plan and it unfortunately didn’t go the way we wanted. He’s special. He’s hard to bring down.”
I requested Anzalone, a six-year veteran, how he compares the rising Fields with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, a former league MVP.
“The thing about Lamar is he’s probably a little more elusive as far as he’ll juke you out,” Anzalone mentioned. “But Fields is fast and physical. His lower half is so strong. It’s insane. He’s a stud.”
I couldn’t inform if Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah, who performed with Fields at Ohio State, was joking when he mentioned Fields is quicker now than he was in school.
“I didn’t realize how fast he’s gotten since college,” mentioned Okudah, whom Fields outran on the 67-yard landing. “He is a quick man now. I don’t even suppose he used to run in school. Now, he has some good pace.
“It’s tough. The way they block it up, there’s not a lot of one-on-one opportunities to tackle him. You’ve got to beat a block and then make a play on a guy that is really elusive. So they’re doing a really good job. We’re going to watch the tape and next time we play them we’re going to have definitely more answers.”
The 258 speeding yards put the Bears in uncommon firm. They are the tenth staff to hurry for 200 or extra yards in 5 consecutive video games, in keeping with Pro Football Reference, and the primary for the reason that 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bears beforehand achieved the feat in 1956. The file for consecutive video games with 200-plus speeding yards is seven, achieved by three groups: the 1972 Steelers, 1948 San Francisco 49ers and 1947 New York Yankees.
This yr’s Bears are the exception among the many 10 groups to have rushed for 200-plus yards in at the very least 5 straight video games. They are 1-4 in these video games. The different 9 groups went a mixed 48-4-2 throughout their streaks. The distinction? I don’t know so much about these particular groups, however I do know the Bears aren’t doing an entire lot proper aside from working the heck out of the soccer.
4. Former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt gave Luke Getsy his third teaching job again in 2010.
Wannstedt employed Getsy as a graduate assistant on a University of Pittsburgh workers that additionally included Bears working backs coach David Walker. Wannstedt, who coached Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko at Pitt, has been excited to see how the offense would unfold for the reason that spring.
“I kind of jumped on the table for Luke and Andrew and David back in training camp,” Wannstedt instructed me final week. “I went as much as the power and noticed all of these guys and my preliminary remark in July, the query was can Justin Fields be the quarterback of the longer term?
“My comment was I don’t know how the quarterback situation is going to work out. The one thing I do know is that Luke knows how to run the football. A lot of these offensive coordinators — I learned this a long time ago — in the interviews they all tell you that they want to run the football. Very few of them believe it.”
Wannstedt mentioned he lumps the overwhelming majority of offensive coordinator candidates into two classes. Either they don’t really imagine in working the soccer regardless of what they are saying, or they don’t actually perceive what it takes to do it successfully.
“Luke is a guy who understands it and believes in it and knows the importance of it,” Wannstedt mentioned. “So I’m enthusiastic about the place they’ve taken this staff. I simply hope … what they’ve completed with the offense general and with Justin Fields is de facto the discuss of the NFL. The improvement of Justin Fields — however the improvement of this offense actually — there’s numerous groups across the league that ought to take a detailed take a look at what the Bears are doing. Because these different groups are having related issues with younger quarterbacks and so they haven’t figured it out but.
“They do little or no drop-back passes. That’s the place Justin was getting hit. That’s the place he was throwing interceptions. Because of inexperience on the receiver place, inexperience on the offensive line, Luke and the offensive coaches principally made up their minds: ‘You know what, our best chance is we’ve bought to get him away. We’ve bought to get him on the transfer.’
“And there’s a lot of these offensive coaches — I heard this not long ago — ‘Oh, we don’t want to roll our quarterback out because he only has two options and he can’t find the fifth read,’ and all that bullcrap. Fields throws the ball extremely well on the move. It helps the protection and it gives them a run-pass option, which we are seeing more and more of.”
Wannstedt raved about Getsy’s potential to take the personnel he has — and everybody is aware of the Bears might be trying to improve at some positions within the offseason — and get the perfect out of what he’s utilizing, accentuating gamers’ strengths whereas attempting to reduce their weaknesses.
“In 17 years as a head coach, I hired a lot of assistants, and there are assistant coaches that are playbook coaches and there are assistant coaches that think outside the box,” Wannstedt mentioned. “And the distinction is a playbook coach can are available from a job — let’s simply use Luke and the Green Bay Packers — and he’s with Green Bay and he’s bought their playbook and that’s what they need to do with the Bears. And he is aware of that offense frontward, backward, however that’s principally what he is aware of and believes.
“Then there’s outside-the-box coaches, that are guys — and I might put Luke in that class — that swiftly, for no matter cause, we’ve bought to make some modifications. To achieve success with our guys, we’ve bought to make modifications. Now, what we are able to do? We can roll out. We can throw bootlegs. We can put in quarterback runs. We can throw screens to the receivers, the tight finish, the working backs.
“I’ve always separated assistant coaches, and the majority of them are playbook assistants. There are very few that are outside-the-box thinkers, and Matt Eberflus, give him credit, he made a great hire with Luke.”
While Getsy labored underneath Wannstedt for just one season, Wannstedt had a great feeling that Getsy would have fast upward mobility within the teaching enterprise.
“You could tell, No. 1, that he connected with the players,” Wannstedt mentioned. “No. 2, the man had concepts, after which No. 3, there was an actual respect with Luke that he was not the coordinator, he knew his area of interest, he may get his factors on the market and slot in with the workers. I assumed he was an awesome workers man, which was vital for me.
“He was a great communicator with the players and connected, but he would come up with ideas. He had a real sense of presenting them in the way he could get his point across.”
5. The Bears made one other vital particular groups error when Cairo Santos missed an additional level vast left.
The miss got here after Justin Fields’ 67-yard landing run within the fourth quarter put the Bears forward 30-24. The loss to the Dolphins in Week 9 featured a blocked punt that was returned for a landing, the results of a missed block by working again Khalil Herbert. Earlier within the yr, rookie Velus Jones had points with muffed punts.
Now the Bears appear to be taking turns with breakdowns on particular groups, and that’s problematic for a staff with such a slim margin for error. Santos missed two further factors within the heavy rainstorm in the course of the Week 1 win over the 49ers however has made all 14 of his field-goal makes an attempt this season — together with 4 from 40 to 49 yards and 4 from 50-plus.
Santos additionally was penalized for a kickoff that went out of bounds, however the Lions did nothing with the ensuing premium subject place.
“It didn’t come off right,” Santos mentioned of the missed further level. “I simply have to take a look at what occurred, (take a look at) myself and make the correction.
“It’s easy to just count one, one point, oh, yeah, it’s a tie. But there’s so many things that happened and that’s how we all feel. We all have a lot of opportunities to make plays and help the team win. At that point in the game, we didn’t make the extra point, so we just didn’t end up tying the game because of that point. But so many things for why we didn’t come out with 31 points at the end of the game.”
Santos mentioned he has been kicking with numerous confidence, and that’s evident in how he has carried out on subject objectives. He stays as dependable of a participant because the Bears have on the roster.
The Bears additionally had a holding penalty on a punt that gave the Lions a 10-yard increase to start a possession on their 45-yard line, so loads to wash up for a unit that in any other case has been fairly darn good.
6. Rookie punter Trenton Gill stays a shiny spot on particular groups.
If Gill can deal with the change in climate, he may make a run on the staff file e-book. His gross common of 47.5 yards can be the perfect in staff historical past. Pat O’Donnell, whom Gill changed, holds that mark at 47.0 in 2017.
More importantly, Gill’s web common is 40.7 yards, and that might tie O’Donnell (2019) for the perfect mark in staff historical past. Adam Podesh (40.4 in 2011) is the one different Bears punter to have a web common of 40 or extra for a season.
Gill ripped a terrific punt late within the fourth quarter, a 46-yarder that drew a good catch from Kalif Raymond on the Lions 9-yard line. Special groups coordinator Richard Hightower couldn’t ask for a greater kick in that state of affairs.
Weather might be an enormous issue. It was 34 levels at kickoff, and once I talked to Gill in the course of the week, he couldn’t consider colder circumstances he has performed in.
“I was training for the draft and we were outside the whole time in Charlotte, N.C.,” he mentioned. “It was probably 20 or 30 degrees (at the coldest). Coldest game I’ve played in? I don’t know. Probably one of the later games at N.C. State. It was in the 40s.”
The ball doesn’t fly off the foot as effectively when it will get colder. Combine that with the swirling winds at Soldier Field, and the Bears are unlikely to have the league’s main punter.
How can Gill fight the chilly when the ball gained’t play the identical because it does in hotter circumstances?
“Having good placement,” he mentioned. “You could hit a 56-yard ball (when it’s warm), but if they return it 10 yards, that is the same if you hit one that goes out of bounds at 46. I’ve just got to be really good with that, putting the ball to the sideline so there’s no room anyway. Even if it’s not flying as far, I can get all net (yardage). Just have to play the conditions as best I can.”
7. The Bears had a 24-10 lead when linebacker Jack Sanborn dropped into protection and snared a excessive move from Jared Goff meant for working again D’Andre Swift.
It confirmed actual consciousness in area and was an awesome play that would have turned the sport with 11:42 remaining. Instead, a hands-to-the-face penalty on Jaylon Johnson worn out the takeaway. Johnson may not have gotten vast receiver Trinity Benson within the facemask. Benson dropped to the bottom on the play as his knee gave out. He left the stadium utilizing crutches.
“What a nice play by Sanborn,” Matt Eberflus mentioned. “Gosh, getting within the window there, that was actually a game-changer for him and his progress. Obviously he had the 2 sacks and had the interception, had 13 tackles I imagine it was (12 really), so he actually had a pleasant recreation in the present day for us.
“In terms of the penalty, I’ve got to go back and look at it, but what I saw on the Jumbotron, we’ll see if I see what I see tomorrow.”
Maybe that’s one cause Johnson declined to speak to reporters. Perhaps he was so upset in regards to the vital name, one among 9 penalties that price the Bears 86 yards. But I’m simply guessing.
Sanborn confirmed a knack for attending to Goff on the blitz and was a part of the nice run protection I referenced above.
“If you go back and look at the preseason, you saw what kind of player he was,” Eberflus mentioned. “He’s very instinctual, makes a lot of plays on the ball, always reads his keys. He’s always on it that way. We’re pleased with where he’s going.”
8. With the exception of Justin Fields, has any participant helped himself extra within the final three weeks than tight finish Cole Kmet?
He has 11 receptions for 126 yards and 5 touchdowns in that span. Kmet had a team-high seven targets with 4 grabs for 74 yards and two scores Sunday. His 5 touchdowns in three weeks is three greater than he had in his first two seasons, a span of 33 video games.
Kmet wasn’t on the sector on the finish of the sport after he was dinged up following a collision with cornerback Jeff Okudah. Matt Eberflus mentioned he didn’t find out about Kmet’s standing, however the tight finish indicated he thought he can be OK.
That’s necessary for the Bears as a result of because the working recreation continues to dominate, it’s opening clear passing home windows for Fields and defenders are being influenced by the run motion. That lastly has made Kmet the massive goal in the course of the sector that may assist the quarterback.
“Cole is getting better each and every week with his route running, and he works hard day in and day out,” Fields mentioned. “Definitely happy for him the way he’s growing and the way he’s continuing to improve each and every week. Just the extra work we put in after practice.”
It’s not out of the realm of chance to suppose Kmet may have 10 touchdowns this season if he stays wholesome, and he has been a mannequin of sturdiness by means of 2½ seasons. Mike Ditka holds the Bears file for a decent finish with 12 touchdowns in 1961. Jimmy Graham (eight in 2020), Greg Olsen (eight in 2009) and Ditka (eight in 1963) are subsequent on the record.
9. The Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday waived defensive deal with Jerry Tillery, their first-round decide in 2019.
The transfer got here per week after Tillery was a wholesome scratch for the Chargers’ Week 9 recreation in Atlanta. It’s at all times noteworthy when a staff dumps a former prime decide in the course of a season, and also you don’t need to learn too far into coach Brandon Staley’s feedback to comprehend Tillery, a Notre Dame product, had worn out his welcome with the group.
“Competing visions for the role moving forward, and it just became clear that it wasn’t going to be a fit anymore,” Staley instructed Los Angeles media Friday. “Where we’re headed as a team wasn’t going to be compatible with Jerry and where he’s trying to go.”
Tillery was the second former first-round decide to be waived final week after the Las Vegas Raiders dumped security Johnathan Abram on Tuesday. The Packers claimed Abram off waivers, reuniting him with particular groups coordinator Rich Bisaccia. The Denver Broncos additionally submitted a declare for Abram.
It might be fascinating to see if the Bears take a shot at Tillery in waivers Monday. They’ve struggled on the defensive position, and the place undoubtedly might be a excessive precedence for GM Ryan Poles within the offseason. Tillery is popping out of contract on the finish of the season so the Bears would have him for less than seven video games (eight weeks), however it will be sufficient time to guage if he’s a participant the staff may take into account after the season. Chances are Tillery must signal a prove-it deal in 2023 — wherever he goes — in an effort to reinforce his worth.
Tillery, who missed observe final week for what the Chargers known as private causes, was fourth among the many staff’s defensive linemen in taking part in time with 190 snaps. Former Bears assistant Jay Rodgers, considered one of many higher defensive position coaches within the league, coaches the Chargers line.
Tillery had a career-high 4½ sacks final season. In seven video games this season, he totaled eight tackles (5 solos), one sack, two quarterback hits and one compelled fumble. He has 10½ profession sacks and 29 begins, though he was strictly a reserve this season.
“He’s sort of been productive this season,” one personnel director mentioned Friday evening. “But really hit or miss. Can flash a little bit. He has a little ability to rush the passer. He can get on the edge a little bit. But plays really tall, hollow, doesn’t fight in the run game, can get pushed around. I don’t want to say he’s feast or famine because he really hasn’t feasted much. But he’d have a couple flashes.”
Tillery is 6-foot-6, 295 kilos, and one factor Matt Eberflus covets for his protection is size. It’s price protecting in thoughts when questioning if the Bears may take into account kicking the tires on him.
“I liked the player when he was coming out,” a nationwide school scout mentioned. “He was one of those guys that was really talented but probably didn’t have the mindset to achieve his potential. Didn’t play to his potential there and didn’t necessarily have the makeup to achieve his potential. I’m not surprised he hasn’t had success.”
The personnel director and the nationwide scout mentioned it wouldn’t shock them if the Bears — or any staff that feels undermanned on the inside — take a shot on Tillery. There’s no threat concerned, and infrequently an abrupt change of surroundings might be motivating for a participant.
10. Speaking of defensive linemen, that’s the place the Bears now are working observe squad participant Sammis Reyes.
He was signed to the developmental squad Oct. 18 and spent the primary three weeks at tight finish earlier than switching to protection and taking part in finish final week.
Reyes, the primary NFL participant born in Chile, has an unimaginable backstory as a former school basketball participant that I detailed a few weeks in the past (see No. 7). At 6-foot-5, 260 kilos, he actually has the body to be an edge rusher, however aside from per week throughout preseason observe in highschool, he by no means has performed protection.
“We’ll take this week to see how everything goes,” Reyes mentioned. “We’ll have a dialog subsequent week. I’m having enjoyable with it. I’m having fun with it. I’m trusting Coach (Matt Eberflus). He is aware of what he’s doing. I’m placing my head down and dealing — no matter they need me to do.
“I’ve played it for a couple days, but defensive end feels like me.”
Reyes is totally chiseled, and teammates final season in Washington, the place he performed primarily particular groups, joked with him about taking part in defensive position.
“They planted a seed in my head, maybe I can do that,” Reyes mentioned. “Playing basketball, the first thing everyone thinks for a (player transitioning to football) is tight end. Testing it out is fun.”
10a. Right guard Teven Jenkins left the locker room with a transparent limp. He was inactive with a hip harm that was added to the harm report Thursday. Jenkins was on the harm report the week earlier than with a again concern. He briefly got here out of the Week 6 recreation in opposition to Washington with a shoulder concern. Jenkins was pulled from the Week 16 recreation in Seattle final season with a stinger, and naturally again surgical procedure knocked him out for the primary half of his rookie season. He has been a pleasant improvement at proper guard, however the record of illnesses he has handled is rising and price noting.
10b. The Bears went with their 5 finest receivers Sunday, and that left N’Keal Harry and Velus Jones Jr. with out uniforms. Byron Pringle took Harry’s place on the game-day roster after being activated from injured reserve, and Jones was scratched for the second consecutive week.
“Yeah, that’s what I really said last week,” Matt Eberflus mentioned. “We thought for us it was the best five receivers up for this particular game, and that’s what we decided was best for the Bears this week. Again, with Dante (Pettis) doing a good job on the punt returns, he’s continuing to do a nice job back there catching the ball and he got some good yards today too.”
Pringle was a part of particular groups; I noticed him on the kickoff and punt groups. He had one catch for 12 yards.
10c. Slow day for vast receiver Chase Claypool, who was focused twice and had one catch for 8 yards. Until the Bears get extra quantity within the passing recreation (they’d solely 20 makes an attempt), it is going to be troublesome to get everybody an applicable variety of targets. I’m excited about Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet, Claypool and even the working backs.
10d. Will the Atlanta Falcons flip to rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder for Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium? They are 4-6 and coming off two consecutive losses during which they totaled 32 factors with veteran Marcus Mariota at quarterback. Ridder was a third-round decide from Cincinnati.
10e. The Falcons opened as three-point favorites over the Bears at Westgate SuperGuide.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com