Bears vs Chiefs - Preseason Week 3

[Sugashane]

 

Two emerging second-year quarterbacks will anchor the storyline Saturday when the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Chicago Bears in Week 3 of the 2018 NFL preseason. The Bears are two-point favorites for the 1 p.m. ET kickoff and the over-under for total points scored is 47.5.

Both clubs are looking to take a step forward this year behind young signal-callers they are hoping will become franchise cornerstones. Chicago traded up to draft Mitchell Trubisky No. 2 overall last year, while the Chiefs did the same to grab Patrick Mahomes at No. 10. Chicago gave up much less to move up but was bashed incessantly, while Reid and Co were praised as geniuses.

Kansas City moved on from veteran Alex Smith to make room for Mahomes as the starter, while Chicago brought in offense-minded coach Matt Nagy to help develop Trubisky.

Nagy spent years as an understudy to Chiefs coach Andy Reid before landing his first head coaching job with the Bears. He also has former Kansas City quarterbacks Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray on the Chicago roster.

Both starting quarterbacks are expected to see extensive playing time, as Week 3 of the preseason is historically when first-stringers see the most snaps. Trubisky went 9-of-14 for 90 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Chicago's 24-23 win over Denver in Week 2. Daniel came in and threw two second-half touchdowns to lead the Bears back from a 13-point deficit.

Meanwhile, Mahomes made an impression with his performance in Kansas City's 28-14 win over the Falcons in Atlanta. He finished 8-of-12 for 138 yards with an interception and another pass that should have been picked off. But his one touchdown throw was among the highlights of the preseason thus far, as he hit Tyreek Hill with a pass that traveled 70 yards in the air.
 

The all-important fourth and fifth preseason games are going to tell us a lot about the 2018 Chicago Bears. Some of the team’s final roster spots will be cemented this weekend, with a couple more likely being up for grabs in the final matchup with the Buffalo Bills. When the Bears take on the Kansas City Chiefs in their fourth exhibition, and first at Soldier Field, a few players will have all eyes on them. Some of the guys fighting for spots have recently made some noise early in the preseason and could end up putting on a convincing performance against Kansas City.

By September 1st, head coach Matt Nagy will need to sit down with his team and make some tough calls. The roster will go from 90 to 53 players, just like that. There are no initial cuts anymore. It is now a full-fledged shedding of 37 players all at once. Which guys are in danger? Which players are trending upwards? That’s up for debate. But, there are a few key names to watch against the Chiefs. These are players who very well could cement a spot on the roster with a strong performance. They aren’t highly talked about, but they will provide immense depth come the regular season.

Let’s take a look at the players needing to put on a strong performance against Kansas City in order to land a spot on the final 53-man roster.

Safety Deiondre’ Hall

Prior to this past week’s news that he had been suspended for Week 1, Hall appeared to have one of the final spots on the roster. He had one of the stronger camps out of all the second or third string defensive backs, and was one of the players pegged to take a backup safety job.

The final safety spot will likely come down to either he or Deandre Houston-Carson.Personally, what I’ve seen from Hall has shown me more than Houston-Carson. I liked the idea of keeping Hall over the latter, but after violating the league’s substance abuse policy and receiving a suspension, he is going to have to work that much harder at earning that spot.

Safety depth was all but lost going into training camp, and many thought the Bears should go after a veteran to help fill the void. Even the recently-released George Iloka would make for an interesting add. But, the preseason has shown us some solid play from Hall, Houston-Carson as well as Deon Bush.

Hall isn’t a starter. He isn’t guaranteed a thing. So, when it comes to players having to play their best football over the next two preseason games, Hall should be right up there at the top of the list. If he fails to impress, Nagy will have a much easier time cutting ties with him, especially since a suspension is now in play.

 

Tight End Ben Braunecker

Prior to Shaheen injuring his ankle, you could have speculated as to whether the Bears would keep four tight ends. I, for one, have always been of the belief they will carry four. Shaheen’s injury all but cements that fact. The final spot will come down to either Daniel Brown or Ben Braunecker and my money is on Braunecker if he continues his stellar play against Kansas City. Last Saturday against the  Broncos, Braunecker came through with the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

It may have been his only catch, but that kind of moment was a big one for him. Braunecker stood out through most of training camp as well, and in my mind, he’s the clear guy to take hold of the fourth spot. Brown has kind of always been “there” as a pass-catching option for the Bears over his two years in Chicago. As the third or fourth tight end for the team in that span, he’s caught 29 balls, including a touchdown. But, he hasn’t offered anything spectacular.

Braunecker is a better athlete than Brown, is about 2 years younger, and one may think that Nagy keeps him for those reasons. If Braunecker gives us another moment or two against the Chiefs, I think he’s a lock for that final spot. Brown has been more of a large possession receiver, and to be honest I would not mind if he made the team there over the likes of Bellamy or Gentry.

Cornerback Michael Joseph

One of the things that has stuck out to me over the course of training camp and the preseason is how far cornerbacks Cooper and McManis have fallen. It seems as though the Bears have kept McManis around due to his value on special teams, which is perfectly fine. But, as for Cooper, like most of last year he hasn’t shown a whole lot to like. The Bears have a couple of young corners fighting for spots this year, and one of them is a former All-American out of Dubuque — Michael Joseph.

Joseph had a strong training camp and, although he went undrafted, he has shown exactly why he belongs in the NFL. He’s a strong tackler, for the most part, and plays aggressively. Now, Joseph has had a couple of tough moments in the preseason as well. He has a missed tackle on film against the Ravens which stood out big time.

But, he also has put some fantastic moments on film, and I think he gets a real shot to make this roster if he can show out against the Chiefs. Beyond the Bears’ top three corners in Fuller, Amukamara, and Callahan, the Bears would love for key depth pieces to emerge in the final two preseason games. Joseph can offer the team just that — and it helps that he’s young.

Running Back Ryan Nall

When you look at the Bears’ group of running and particularly the last two fighting for a spot, you notice some key differences. If the Bears choose to keep four running backs and cut fullback Michael Burton — which they should — it will be between Ryan Nall and Taquan Mizzell.

The thing with Mizzell is, there isn’t one thing he does particularly well. His preseason work has been lackluster at best. His speed is average. His footwork is average. He doesn’t possess above-average ability to find holes or break to the outside. He is, in a word, average. He is essentially a poor man’s Benny Cunningham — and that might be a big compliment.

Nall has shown flashes in both training camp and the preseason with his powerful running. His big spotlight performance came against the Bengals in that second preseason game, where he rushed nine times for 95 yards, including a 69-yard burst down the sideline. He has stated that his desire is to play running back, but he will do whatever is asked of him. If Nagy wants to keep the most versatile players he can, Nall fits the bill. He has good speed for a guy his size and provides goal-line value as well.

My hope is that Nall gets a good amount of time against the Chiefs and Mizzell doesn’t see much action. This has not been the case thus far in the preseason, which should worry fans of Nall like myself. If given the opportunity, Nall will be able to prove why he is a much better candidate for the roster than either Mizzell or Burton.

 

 

[beardown3231]

Out of curiosity, why are you a Nall fan?

[Sugashane]

Crap. It's preseason so I'm copying and pasting off a few sites to make it quick. Preseason doesn't warrant effort really. Meant to note that.

 

I'm not a big Nall fan, but Michael Burton sucks and there is nothing worth noting about Mizzell. Nall at least has power so he may be a decent short yardage option. I'll likely rather poach a practice squad guy once the chance comes. Or at least be a versatile FB if he can develop into an average lead blocker. 

[beardown3231]

Per Finley, Trubisky and most Bears starters won’t play tomorrow. Hallelujah!

[JAF-N72EX]

On Defense, I don't have much of a problem with this because most of the core players have been playing together in the same system long enough that it shouldn't have too much of an effect.

But on offense. This is might turn out to be a big mistake in the long run.

Why let your starters sit for nearly a month when they haven't even seen the field together at all yet except for the 11 and 7 drills. Especially in a brand new offensive scheme that everyone is still learning and one that features 6 new players who have never even played together at all, including 2 rookies.  

I understand the reasoning but I don't get the timing of this. 

I guess we'll see how it turns out. If the offense stutters out the gate and then suddenly comes alive around week 4 or 6 then I guess we'll get our answer. 

[beardown3231]

Didn’t they see the field together for a quarter or so last week?

Green Bay is doing this as are 7-8 other teams. This is becoming the trend and good for Nagy/Pace for being ahead of it.

 

RT @adamjahns: People forget that Trubisky's played in two preseason games, had two practices vs. the Broncos' starters and an extra week of practice in Bourbonnais ...

RT @adamjahns: A bold decision for #Bears coach Matt Nagy to sit Trubisky and other starters for their "dress rehearsal" but it also isn't. Get to the regular season healthy. The preseason is pointlessly too long.

RT @dabearsblog: Preseason has never meant much to NFL teams, even while you people refused to believe me. They treat practice - where they run the playbook - with far more weight. Now they’re killing it.

RT @AaronLemingNFL: Fans who are going to tomorrow’s game lose out for sure. Ultimately though, a healthy team is going to give them the best chance to win. Unorthodox to say the least but it’s probably not the worst idea, even with a new offense. #Bears

[Sugashane]

I'll take the words of a guy like Belichick and his multiple Super Bowls over the likes of talking heads above.

[Sugashane]

Daniels is looking sharp, so is Braunecker.

 

Great to see White in the endzone, even if it is just the preseason.

[JAF-N72EX]

Just now, Sugashane said:

Daniels is looking sharp, so is Braunecker.

 

Great to see White in the endzone, even if it is just the preseason.

I think Braunecker has pretty much solidified a roster spot at this point. Both blocking and receiving. 

[Sugashane]

Just now, JustAnotherFan said:

I think Braunecker has pretty much solidified a roster spot at this point. Both blocking and receiving. 

With his physical numbers I really want him to get a role in as a FB/TE hybrid. I think he could develop into a hell of a FB if he can keep improving his blocking.

[beardown3231]

12 minutes ago, Sugashane said:

I'll take the words of a guy like Belichick and his multiple Super Bowls over the likes of talking heads above.

I think Goff had 8 passes or something last preseason. I bet the organization wishes their staff wouldn’t have made such a foolish error!

[blkwdw13]

Wims is playing his way on to the roster, better pull him now so he doesn't get injured.

[JAF-N72EX]

18 minutes ago, Sugashane said:

With his physical numbers I really want him to get a role in as a FB/TE hybrid. I think he could develop into a hell of a FB if he can keep improving his blocking.

That's a good thought. It would also add a little more versatility. 

[Sugashane]

11 minutes ago, beardown3231 said:

I think Goff had 8 passes or something last preseason. I bet the organization wishes their staff wouldn’t have made such a foolish error!

Brady has thrown over 40 over two weeks. Someone far better than Goff or Trubisky will ever be. I bet the organization wishes their staff wouldn’t have made such a foolish error! Oh wait, no they won't.

 

 

[Sugashane]

Just now, JustAnotherFan said:

That's a good thought. It would also add a little more versatility. 

I know I'm really down on Michael Burton too, when I've really watched (admittedly quite a bit less than more important positions) him he was just SO bad.

 

Either have something you can do well or be replaced is kind of my stance. I liked Braunecker as a 5th round pick too, so I am a little biased.