Things couldn’t have started better for the Chicago Bears’ starting offense against the Tennessee Titans, which generated explosive scoring plays on their two drives in their preseason win.
“First two drives, can’t really draw it up much better than that,” said quarterback Justin Fields.
On the third play of their opening series, Fields threw a screen to wide receiver DJ Moore, who took it 62 yards for a touchdown on his first catch as a Bear. On the ensuing series, Fields bought time and dumped it off to running back Khalil Herbert, who broke free for a 56-yard score.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in a first preseason game,” said coach Matt Eberflus. “We’ve been working really hard on those screens, as I said last week. They’re operating better. Our timing still has to get better on those. But it’s really a credit to the athleticism of DJ and Herbert as well, but it’s also guys blocking. On the first one I saw Braxton [Jones] block the edge and I saw [Darnell] Mooney seal it. It was a really good play by all three of those guys, and then we saw the speed of DJ.”
Fields didn’t have to do much – merely get the ball out to his playmakers – but that’s exactly what he’s supposed to do. That, coupled with some impressive blocking from linemen Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Ja’Tyre Carter and Darnell Wright among others, cleared the way for Moore and Herbert.
Last season, the Bears ranked dead last in the NFL in yards after catch (1,147 yards). Chicago is looking to make strides in the screen game, the first of which we glimpsed during Saturday’s preseason opener.
“When you increase your skill on your football team, the catch and runs get larger and the stat line looks better,” Eberflus said. “We’re going to continue to do that, and certainly we’re going to take our shots down the field as well. But it’s a good thing to see. And it’s not a real big surprise to anybody that’s been around because we’ve all seen it in practices. Just got to keep working because we’ve got a long way to go.”
