2020 training camp preview: Special Teams

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Chicago Bears 2020 training camp preview: Special Teams

ByZack Pearson Jul 28, 12:03 PM https://247sports.com/nfl/chicago-bears/ContentGallery/Chicago-Bears-2020-training-camp-preview-Special-Teams-149588371/#149588371_1

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Chicago Bears training camp in 2020 will look a little different this Summer. Not only will the Bears not be in Bourbonnais for the first time since 2002, but the team will hold camp without fans at Halas Hall.

New protocols will be implemented for players, staff, coaches,and media this year but the league does plan on at least attempting to start the season on time.

The Bears are coming off a disappointing 8-8 season in 2019, failing to make the playoffs after going 12-4 in 2018. It was a disappointing season and a lot of that fell on Chicago's offense with their struggles at quarterback, offensive line, tight end and run game. The hope is that the Bears improved enough to get back to the playoffs and potentially make a Super Bowl run.

We have already covered both offense and defense with our previews over the past two weeks and now it's time to focus on the third phase: special teams. 

This unit has become a bit of a problem for the Bears over the past few years. Really the only stable player on the unit has been long snapper Patrick Scales as Pat O'Donnell has had some struggles and the kicking situation as a whole has been inconsistent. 

Going into 2020, it's a big year for special teams coordinator Chris Tabor. This is his third season in his second stint with the franchise and there needs to be improvement, otherwise Tabor could be on the outs. A better special teams unit could also help Chicago improve overall, giving their offense better field position to work with and the defense being able to pin opponents back even further.

There is a lot more to special teams than meets the eye and hopefully this preview helps breakdown the unit more as we get set for the upcoming season. 

SLIDE 1 of 4

Eddy Pineiro

(Photo: Harrison Barden , USA TODAY Sports)

Kicker Eddy Pineiro is expected to face some competition this offseason but it won't be as crazy as it was last offseason. Instead, the Bears brought in former Nevada kicker Ramiz Ahmed for some competition as he will look to steal the job away from Pineiro.

But Ahmed will have to do a lot to win that job as Pineiro goes into camp as the favorite to be the Week 1 starter again.

In his first full season, Pinerio went 23-of-28 in field goals and 27 of 29 in extra points during 2020. He had some struggles midway through the year but rebounded well to make his final 11 attempts of the year. His highlight kick came in the Week 2 win on the road in Denver as he drilled a 53-yard attempt as the clock expired to deliver the first win of the season.

Pineiro wasn't incredible by any means but he was better than I think some give him credit for. This was not only his first full year kicking in the NFL but he had to do it in tough conditions at Soldier Field. Anyone that has followed the Bears knows just how hard it is to kick at Soldier Field with the swirling winds, especially from October-January.

There does need to be some improvement for Pineiro and he certainly can't struggle in this contract year. Going into the offseason, the Bears pinpointed what he needs to work on the most: Adding some strength. Pineiro told reporters that he added seven pounds so far this offseason, working out in his hometown of Miami.

“The biggest thing was ... gain a little bit of weight, try to get a little bit better in the weight room and stuff like that," Pineiro said. "That was one thing I really focused on this offseason -- just weight and getting (stronger) in the weight room.”

“Leaving the season, I was like 179. And right now I’m like 187 so I’ve gained like seven pounds. On that aspect, I’ve done a good job on that. In the weight room, lifting a little bit more and gaining more weight, that’s the biggest thing.”

It's going to take a lot for Ahmed to beat out Pineiro in training camp, so we should expect the former Florida Gators kicker to return for his second season with the Bears. The pressure is now on Pineiro to perform and earn a new contract with the franchise.

SLIDE 2 of 4

Pat O'Donnell

(Photo: Getty)

Former Miami punter Pat O'Donnell is entering his seventh season with the Bears and is coming off one of his best years of his career.

O'Donnell averaged 44.8 yards per punt for the Bears in 2019, with 26 of his punts being downed inside the 20 and just two touchbacks total, which ranked tied for the fewest in the NFL. While you would like to see more punts being downed inside the 20, overall O'Donnell wasn't terrible and bounced back from what I thought was a down year in 2018.

Going into training camp, O'Donnell wont see any competition as the Bears have decided not to sign a punter to their 90-man roster. Even with cuts looming and the team needing to get down to 80, I don't see them signing one for competition either.

Watching O'Donnell over the past few seasons I've noticed that his focus has shifted more from being a power punter to a directional punter. He did have a career-long 75 yard punt back in the Week 2 win at Denver but you also have to factor in the altitude with that kick. O'Donnell has worked on becoming a better directional punter and attempting to pin opponents deep inside the 20-yard-line. You can see it in the way he gets the snap and drops the football, as it's more at an angle that favors a directional punt. I thought that was interesting seeing him make that switch and expect him to continue doing that moving forward.

For O'Donnell, this is a big season. He's entering the final season of a two-year deal he signed before the 2019 season and is playing for a new contract. A bad season could mean Chicago finally moves on from him after his seven seasons and begins the search for a new punter. However, the Bears like having familiarity and if O'Donnell performs well again then we could see him earn another deal here in the Windy City.

SLIDE 3 of 4

Return men

(Photo: Mark Brown, Getty)

The Bears got a boost in the kick return game last season with the addition of wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. The dynamic Patterson served a few different roles for the Bears in his first season including as the primary kick returner.

Patterson was named an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in his first season with the franchise, leading the NFL with 29.5 yards per return. He had one kickoff return for a touchdown, bringing one back in the Week 6 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Patterson gave the Bears something they have been missing in this department for a few seasons now — a legit threat.

With his blazing speed, Patterson has the ability to go the distance anytime he touches the football. Chicago's blocking was a little better as well, helping create holes for Patterson to get through and set up nice field position for the offense. Patterson is expected to be the primary kick returner once again in 2020.

While Patterson was the primary kick returner, running back Tarik Cohen served as the team's punt returner in 2019.

Cohen is entering a contract year here in 2020 and while he wasn't selected to the Pro Bowl or named an All-Pro like he was in the 2018 season, he was solid as a punt returner for the Bears in 2019. He averaged 9.2 yards per return last season which was fifth-best in the NFL, and had 302 total punt return yards which was second-best in the league.

He had his struggles running East-to-West rather than North-to-South but overall Cohen was fine as a return man and had a few big returns during the season. He's expected to keep that same role going into his fourth season and the final year of his rookie deal.

SLIDE 4 of 4

Biggest question

(Photo: Rey Del Rio, Getty)

Will special teams be better than last season?

For the most part, the Bears special teams unit was fine in returns and punting but they had too many mental errors that may have cost them. How many times did you watch a game and see a flag on the Bears during a return? It happened too many times for the unit.

Going into 2020, this is a big year for Chris Tabor and his special teams unit as they know they need to be sharp overall. The biggest thing I would say to watch for is being consistent on returns and coverage, without making any mistakes.

The Bears did add a few players this season in free agency that should have a big impact on special teams coverage. In addition to Sherrick McManis and DeAndre Houston-Carson returning, the Bears added OLB Barkevious Mingo and S Jordan Lucas.

While Mingo will be battling for that OLB3 job, Tabor does see him being a big contributor.

"Ming is a guy who I’m very familiar with. I was in Cleveland when we drafted him. He was a four-phase, really good special teams player for us," Tabor said. "And I know he’s been a journeyman around the league. But Ming is a guy who I think when you guys meet him and get face to face, you’re really going to like. He’s very personable. Very team oriented. And just a great guy. So he’s a guy who can play a lot of different roles for us. I mean, he can run. The guy can run. And he made a lot of plays for me. And if he didn’t make the tackle, he was actually one of the lead reasons why somebody else made the tackle. So very active player. I’m excited that he’s here because he’s going to fit great in the room and into our culture. And he’s a player who’s going to add value to the Chicago Bears."

As for Lucas, he is behind both Tashuan Gipson and Deon Bush in the safety rotation but he's an excellent special teams player.

"Well, a player obviously that we studied there in Kansas City and know him from when he also played in Miami," Tabor said. "He’s a player that has speed; he’s played in a lot of different spots. I saw obviously very aware of how Dave [Toub] played him and the systems overlap there. But he’s a good football player. He played in a lot of critical positions. He just adds depth and ability into our room. I’m excited about having him, because he has flexibility and he’s a good football player and you can’t have enough of those guys. And he takes a lot of pride in it. So that’s gonna be big for us."

Those two along with Artie Burns should make a big difference for the Bears. With two good returners back there, the Bears should see some similar results as to last season and be a positive in that aspect. It's the penalties and mental mistakes that are costing them.

Let's see if Chicago's special teams can improve and be a big factor to success in 2020.