Three Big Takeaways from Bears-Dolphins |
Dustin Riese
· · 7 hours ago
Now that the first week of Preseason is in the books, it's time for the Bears to regroup and refocus, as there is plenty of work that needs to be done. On the positive side, the Ben Johnson era didn't begin with a loss, nor did it start with a win as the Bears played the Dolphins to a 24-24 tie.
Had this been the regular season, there would've been at least an overtime, but given that this is the Preseason, the game just ends in a tie and both teams move on to week two. When you look back and watch the film from this game, there was a lot to like, especially considering that most, if not all, of the Bears' starters sat out for this game. In other words, Johnson used this game to showcase his overall depth on this team and wanted to see how some of these position battles would shake out, as the only way to decide a winner is by having them see game action. He now has a good sense of where his team is currently and what they need to work on going forward. Here are some takeaways from week one of the Preseason.
If you had to nitpick when it comes to the Bears roster, this team could use another pass rusher to help take the pressure off Montez Sweat. Sure, the offseason addition of Grady Jarrett, among others, will help with that, but unless someone steps up and proves they can be a true pass rusher, Sweat is going to see plenty of double teams this season. Perhaps Booker could be that guy to provide the help Sweat needs, as he came out and put on a show in this one. The former Kansas product, Booker, has always had the raw talent to be an elite pass rusher at this level, but he was always seen as a project more than a finished product. While that may still be the case, Booker had himself a game and if he wasn't on the Bears radar before, he is now. Booker was a menace against the Dolphins on Sunday, picking up a pair of sacks, including a strip sack, which helped set the Chicago offense up for points. It's that type of pressure that has been lacking on the defensive side of the ball, and if Booker can continue to bring the pressure, he could play himself into a much bigger role in 2025.
One thing that was discussed throughout the early portion of training camp is just how tough Johnson has been on his players. Whether they are a rookie or a seasoned veteran, Johnson treats his players the same, as he won't hesitate to pull guys out of practice for messing up and has put several players on notice. That type of accountability is something this franchise hasn't seen in years, and now that it is here, you can see that it is a breath of fresh air to all of these players. You can already see the impact it is making on these players, as yes, there were some mistakes against the Dolphins, but not nearly as many as there have been in years past. Look for Johnson to continue to harp on his team to make sure they are being challenged at practice, as that is the only way to eliminate the mistakes. The fewer mistakes this team makes, the better they will be, as that will be crucial to the instant success of this team. Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson on trusting rookies Kyle Monangai and others.pic.twitter.com/z8jJq4zBoe
Even if this was the first preseason game, there was one area that you can assure will be addressed at practice this week, and that will be the special teams side of the ball, in particular the kick return coverage. As good as this unit has been since Richard Hightower took over, the Bears' kick return coverage had some issues on Sunday as the Dolphins turned short kicks into big returns to make things easier on the offense. Whether that was by design or not is a question for another day, but their lack of coverage on Sunday can't linger into the regular season, as this team isn't good enough to consistently hold teams on short fields. Again, a small area of concern as we are only one game in, but it is still one of the areas that this team will have to focus on heading into next week.Have a day, Austin Booker
Johnson's no-nonsense style is apparent
Special Teams coverage was iffy
