The Chicago Bears faced the Seattle Seahawks in the team’s second preseason game. The Bears are now 2-0 in the preseason following their 27-11 victory over Seattle.
Despite Seattle playing quarterback Geno Smith into the third quarter, the Bears’ passing defense played lights out en route to Thursday’s victory.
Though it’s only preseason, fans have much to like about Matt Eberflus and how he coaches this team. It’s more of an old-school approach, tailoring the offense and defense to fit their players, instead of trying to force a scheme.
Here’s everything we know about the Bears’ preseason win against the Seahawks:
Final Score: Bears 27, Seahawks 11
Keys to the Game
Bears’ passing attack: The most prominent topic revolving around the 2022 Bears all lead to the progression of Justin Fields. Whether he plays one series or the entire game, fans and experts cling to every throw. Fields is the starter for this team, but Trevor Sieman is proving to be the perfect backup quarterback.
Offensive line progression: It’s no secret that Chicago has struggled to protect the quarterback over the last few seasons. GM Ryan Poles made it his mission to rebuild the offensive line as quickly as possible. The Bears have continued to use different combinations over the first two preseason games. Last week, the offensive line gave up five sacks to the Chiefs. Tonight, Chicago gave up just two.
Continuing to play team football: In the comeback victory against the Chiefs, the Bears battled back as a team and found a way to win, playing well on offense and holding the game at the end on defense. Chicago has continued that pattern. They aren’t leaning on one aspect to carry the entire team. They’ve found ways to do well in all three phases of football, leading to a 2-0 start in preseason.
It was over when...
Despite a late comeback attempt by the Seahawks, this game was over when Elijah Hicks scored on Cade Johnson’s muffed punt in the end zone to put the team up 17-0 before halftime. Hicks was in the right place at the right time, after Trenton Gill’s perfect punt was muffed inside the 10-yard line.
That play has been the story of the Bears, so far, this preseason. Chicago is a team that is finding ways to put points on the board. There hasn’t been one fully dominant aspect of their game that has carried Chicago to their two victories. They’ve played great team football, playing well in the air, on the ground, on defense, and on special teams.
3 Stars of the Game
*Darrynton Evans: As the Bears continue to rebuild their offense, a place they have continued to have plenty of depth at is at running back. Evans played well tonight, rushing for 39 yards and one touchdown on eight carries (4.9 yards per attempt.)
**Trenton Gill: There’s a lot to like about Gill. When Pat O’Donnell left Chicago, there were a lot of question marks on what would be next. Poles hit a home run with the drafting of Gill. Tonight, he had seven punts for 319 yards, (45.6 yards per punt) – with four inside the 20-yard line and one touchback.
***Velus Jones Jr.: In his preseason debut, Jones showed his speed on special teams, with three returns totaling 78 yards (26 yards per return). That included an electrifying 48-yard punt return near the end of the first quarter.
What's next
The Bears will have a long break before their final preseason game this year. Chicago will travel to Cleveland to face the Browns on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. CT.
