Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus will buck the custom of a meaningless last preseason sport and as an alternative will play most of his starters Saturday towards the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Before apply Tuesday at Halas Hall, Eberflus introduced quarterback Justin Fields will lead a contingent of starters who will play till halftime with the purpose of getting in 25 to 30 performs. He stated the Bears would possibly pull choose skilled gamers earlier.
The last preseason sport was largely the territory of reserves battling for the ultimate roster spots. But the discount of the preseason schedule from 4 video games to 3 final 12 months, coinciding with the transfer to a 17-game regular-season schedule, gave groups one fewer likelihood to get their starters preseason work.
And with a brand new Bears teaching workers this season, Eberflus sees the advantage of extra sport motion collectively, even when the result’s in the end meaningless.
“It’s establishing your identity,” he stated, “establishing your type of play, the trouble we give, the execution we give, situational soccer, third down, if we get a two-minute drive, how we function within the pink zone. All of these issues that come into play which can be good soccer.
“We want to play with a good, clean operation and we want to be aggressive in our style and aggressive in our approach.”
Fields performed 27 snaps within the first two preseason video games towards the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks, finishing 9 of 14 passes for 87 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked twice and ran twice for 11 yards.
After main a drive that led to a area purpose in Seattle, Fields stated he would take a look at extra sport work underneath offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as “an opportunity for me to get better” earlier than the Bears open the season Sept. 11 towards the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field.
It’s unclear what number of of Fields’ injured offensive playmakers can be able to go Saturday. Eberflus stated the Bears will consider the standing of working again David Montgomery later within the week. Montgomery sat out the primary two preseason video games however participated in an intense apply Tuesday.
Wide receivers Byron Pringle, Tajae Sharpe and N’Keal Harry remained sidelined by accidents, and rookie Velus Jones Jr. additionally was absent from apply.
Veteran tight finish Ryan Griffin echoed Eberflus’ sentiment that Saturday’s sport can be a possibility for the offense to set a tone and set up its identification. Griffin stated having that mission for the third preseason sport is according to how Eberflus has operated throughout coaching camp.
“It seems like he wants us to be very intense and locked in every snap, so that’s about what I think he would do for the third preseason game,” Griffin stated. “That’s who his identity is, and it permeates throughout the whole team, organization. For four quarters, it’s going to be ‘finish.’ We’re playing our hardest for four quarters.”
Eberflus, who stated he knowledgeable Browns coach Kevin Stefanski of the Bears’ plans, additionally stated he expects linebacker Roquan Smith to play in his first sport after Smith ended his “hold-in” following stalled contract negotiations. Smith first practiced Saturday and is ramping up over 5 practices earlier than Saturday to get into sport form.
While Smith is a fifth-year veteran who in all probability might be prepared for the opener with out taking part in in a preseason sport, defensive coordinator Alan Williams stated Sunday it’s useful to get Smith in motion on the sector.
“He’s been in all the meetings. He’s been attentive. But there’s nothing like going out there and doing it live,” Williams stated. “There’s a coach view and there’s a participant view. He’s been within the coach view in how he’s checked out issues on the movie, from walk-throughs he hadn’t been in.
“Now he’s in there, so he just needs the familiarity with going through what we’re calling, motions, communicating with the defense. He’ll be fine.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com