All good things must come to an end. For the first time in over two years, the Chicago Bears have lost a preseason football game, snapping their five-game winning streak as well as head coach Matt Eberflus’ undefeated streak since becoming head coach. Okay, it’s not that dramatic but the Bears did fall to the Indianapolis Colts 24-17.
The game was dominated by the backups as neither team played many of their starters, including the quarterbacks. That was very apparent in the first quarter with no scoring of any kind. It wasn’t until the second quarter where things began to heat up. The Colts and the Bears traded long touchdown drives thanks to Gardner Minshew and Tyson Bagent, respectively, and were tied up at 7-7 going into halftime.
Following a field goal and another touchdown from the Bears in the third quarter, it appeared Chicago was on its way to another win. But Sam Ehlinger and the Colts had different plans. Indianapolis orchestrated scoring drives on their final three possessions to secure the win.
In a game with no starters, it can be tough to find noteworthy takeaways. This matchup may not have provided many answers, but it raised plenty of questions. Here are our takeaways from Saturday’s loss.
1. This was a painful game to get through
We’re all grateful Bears football is back in our lives, but the preseason can only generate so much excitement. Especially when only one projected starter on offense or defense played any snaps. This game between the Bears and the Colts was the most boring and uneventful preseason game since before the COVID-19 pandemic. There were very few big plays on offense, nothing significant on defense, and penalties slowed everything down. Kudos to everyone who made it through from start to finish.
Eberflus and the Bears don’t owe the fans anything at this point and they have their reasons for sitting the starters (more on that later). But this was more dreadful than the old fourth preseason game that would take place against the Cleveland Browns prior to the expanded regular season. Thankfully, there’s just one more before the real fun begins.
2. Tyson Bagent may be a legitimate option at QB2
Do you know what wasn’t boring about this game? Tyson Bagent. The undrafted rookie quarterback out of Shepherd was the unquestioned star from the Bears side of things on Saturday. In a surprise move, the Bears elevated Bagent to QB2 for the night as he was the first player to replace P.J. Walker, who started in place of Justin Fields but struggled mightily.
Once Bagent entered the game, the offense found its rhythm. He led the Bears on a 17-play drive that spanned 92 yards, culminating with a two-yard run from the quarterback himself. Bagent went 8-of-9 for 61 yards on the drive, but it was the little things that stood out. On his second play from scrimmage following a completion near the first down marker, Bagent quickly got to the line and snapped the ball for a QB sneak to move the chains.
Later in the drive, he successfully used a hard count to identify a blitzing defensive back before throwing a screen to Dante Pettis. And these are just the pre-snap activities. When it comes to his arm, he was accurate and timely on all but one of his throws. He committed just one bad play where he stepped into a sack during his final possession in the two-minute drill. Everything else was superb.
Bagent isn’t a stranger to the QB position. He threw for over 17,000 yards in college and attempted 1151 passes during his last two seasons alone via Lester Wiltfong Jr. of Windy City Gridiron. The former Shepherd star wants the Bears coaching staff to feel comfortable if he ever needed to play meaningful snaps. He’s definitely getting there and may have a legitimate argument to ascend to QB2 when the preseason concludes. Because the current option isn’t getting it done.
2. P.J. Walker is a liability at backup QB
It’s been nearly a month since training camp began and for the vast majority of practices, Walker has struggled. Whether it’s 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s or team drills, the veteran has been erratic in the pocket. Those same issues carried over into last week’s preseason game, the joint practices, and now Saturday’s game. It’s time to rethink his spot as the primary backup to Fields.
Walker finished the day going 1-of-4 for six yards. His first snap, he tripped over the running back and fired a pass that was nowhere near the intended target. On his final snap, he had running back D’Onta Foreman open twice on a third down play that turned into a sack.
It’s important to note that he didn’t get any help from his receivers either, who struggled with drops. But seeing how Walker operates the offense vs. Bagent is night and day. Bagent and even Nathan Peterman had quarterback ratings in the 90s. Walker’s was 39.6.
The veteran passer was a great story coming from the XFL and flashing with the Carolina Panthers. But Bears fans can’t feel good about the team’s prospects if Fields gets hurt during the season. A backup quarterback just has to keep the train on the tracks and with Walker’s accuracy issues, there’s questions if he can even do that. It’s doubtful the Bears would want to cut him and eat the entire $2 million he’s owed for the season but perhaps he’s demoted to third string. This next week of practice will be interesting to watch in that regard.
3. RB Roschon Johnson took another step in his development
Bagent wasn’t the only impactful offensive rookie for the Bears on Saturday. Running back Roschon Johnson once again received a significant portion of the carries and made the most of them. But his performance was a sizeable step up from his first preseason action.
Johnson totaled 32 yards on seven carries and added a reception for 11 yards. His yards per carry improved from 3.7 last week to 4.6 on Saturday. He turned sure losses into gains and glided through the holes for first downs. Johnson had multiple runs of 10 yards or more on the day and looks more and more like the future bell cow back.
It was a slow camp for Johnson as he dealt with nagging injuries and playing behind Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman. But the gap between the rookie and the veterans has narrowed. He was always going to get his carries early in the season but perhaps he’ll get more than initially thought.
4. Tyrique Stevenson fell back to earth
Rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was one of the brightest stars from last week’s preseason opener. He led the team in tackles, played well in run defense, and had an impressive pass breakup. He looked ready for the main event as the starting corner opposite Jaylon Johnson. Saturday’s game was a nice reminder that he’s still a rookie who needs some seasoning.
Stevenson totaled just three tackles and was penalized for the second week in a row for an unnecessary roughness hit near the sidelines. Stevenson threw running back Kenyan Drake to the ground when he was out of bounds. Fortunately for the Bears, Drake retaliated and the penalties offset but it could have been worse. The biggest blunder from Stevenson, however, was his missed interception in the end zone.
Minshew drove the Colts downfield on the edge of the goal line in the second quarter and fired a pass near the right corner of the end zone to Juwan Winfree for the score that went right through Stevenson’s hands. Stevenson was in perfect position for the pick and couldn’t even get a hand on it.
Minshew to Winfree for 6!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/UlaKNxdq3a
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 19, 2023
Things will get better for Stevenson. He always seems to be around the ball and is looking to make a big play. The rookie just needs to play smarter and capitalize on those opportunities when they come around.
5. Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens were impressive
The defensive line didn’t have the banner day like they experienced against the Titans, but the pair of rookie defensive tackles showed out when given the chance to start. Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens flashed early for the Bears on the defensive line.
For Dexter, he was in the backfield on the first play from scrimmage, narrowly missing on a tackle for loss. The result aside, Dexter looked quicker getting off the line and used his strength to create havoc on the interior of the offensive line. He finished the day with one tackle, but his impact went beyond the box score.
Someone who did show up on the stat sheet, however was Pickens. He did the bulk of his work on the Colts second drive of the game where he totaled all three of his tackles, including one for a loss where he snuffed out a halfback screen pass. Like Dexter, he also broke through the protection and made an impact elsewhere. The rookies are not only improving but they’re learning to play off one another, which should benefit them both when the regular season begins.
6. Daurice Fountain is making a case for a roster spot
By the end of the game, it was clear the best wide receiver on the field for either team was Daurice Fountain. With so many receivers either sitting out or dealing with injuries, this was Fountain’s time to shine and he took advantage of all of the targets. Fountain caught five of six targets for 86 yards and a touchdown, easily leading all Bears and even Colts receivers.
His best highlight of the day was the touchdown grab from Peterman early in the fourth quarter. The quarterback rolled to his right and found the receiver in 1-on-1 coverage in the end zone. Fountain made a leaping grab to haul in the catch for the score.
Fountain’s had just a cup of coffee in the league up to this point and is still likely on the outside looking in when it comes to a roster spot for the Bears. But the veteran receiver showed he can be a capable option in a pinch and could maybe push someone like Equanimeous St. Brown for a place on the active roster. There’s still one more preseason to go but Fountain has been this year’s darling at the skill positions.
7. The penalties need to get cleaned up
One of the calling cards for the Bears under Eberflus last year was the lack of penalties. According to the Football Database, the Bears committed the third-fewest penalties in 2022 with 80. This was after they were just outside the top 10 in 2021 under Matt Nagy with 106. But through two games of the preseason, the yellow laundry has been littering the field and it hasn’t been kind to Chicago.
The Bears committed eight penalties this week, one more than their total from last week. If the Bears were to average over seven penalties a game for a 17-game season, Eberflus’ squad would have 127, which would have easily led the league last year. Of course it’s still the preseason and mental miscues will get cleaned up. But penalties can make or break games. The Bears committed two on Saturday while on defense that gave the Colts offense easy first downs and eventually points on consecutive drives.
This is atypical for Eberflus and it would be a surprise to see them continue to be an issue in the regular season. Shoring up that area of the game should be a priority over these next few weeks.
8. The starters should have played at least a series
From the moment Eberflus announced Fields and the starters wouldn’t see playing time, the decision was questioned and scrutinized by fans and experts alike. Sitting starters in the preseason, especially after completing joint practices against the same opponent, is a growing trend in the NFL. But given the Bears starters lasted just one drive last week (seven snaps on offense, 12 on defense) and with many new faces around them, I would have liked to see them suit up for at least one series on Saturday night.
This is a different regime than the one in 2019 but my mind harkens back to the Nagy era where Mitchell Trubisky didn’t sniff the preseason and the Bears proceeded to score three points in their opening regular season game against the Green Bay Packers. That was also Trubisky’s third season as a pro and second in the same system, just like Fields this year.
Practices are one thing and it’s good to hear Fields was effective for the most part. But the specific drills he and the offense struggled in was 11-on-11s. Why would Eberflus not allow them more reps to work on those issues in a live game? The Colts also opted against playing their starters, including Anthony Richardson which is more egregious, but in the case of the Bears, this could have been a helpful exercise for all involved.
If Fields and the starters come out next week and see game reps, this won’t be much of an issue. At that point, they will be two weeks out from Week 1 and they will get that tune up. If they don’t, we’re going to have problems and I’d be concerned about the matchup against Green Bay.
