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soulman

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1 hour ago, dll2000 said:

Quinn got hurt in game.  Bummer.  

When isn't that guy hurt?  Nagy sticks the front line guys out there for a quarter and somehow Quinn manages to sustain yet another owie. 🙄 Gonna start calling him Bambi.

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By Kevin Fishbain Aug 16, 2021 comment-icon@2x.png 27 save-icon@2x.png

If quarterback Andy Dalton wanted to show the coaches how he would respond to nearly 48 hours of Justin Fields hype, well, Monday’s practice wasn’t exactly his best response.

The Bears returned to training camp at Halas Hall coming off a win in their preseason debut for a shorts-and-shells practice. Early on in team drills, Dalton threw behind the receiver on an out route and cornerback Jaylon Johnson picked it off, returning the interception for a touchdown.

Later in team drills, Dalton targeted Marquise Goodwin on a deep ball down the middle of the field, and once again Johnson picked it off.

However, it’s not like Fields had a sparkling day, either. One play after Dalton’s first interception, Fields was almost intercepted by cornerback Artie Burns on an out route. Corner Xavier Crawford then broke up his next pass.

Then in seven-on-seven drills, Teez Tabor intercepted a Fields pass. It’s possible that Fields didn’t even see Tabor coming from his safety position.

So what’s next for Justin Fields? The Bears see real progress but will stick to their patient plan. Let’s take a look how much Patrick Mahomes played in the preseason in 2017 and some more. My latest (if you like charts) :

Dalton did complete a nice deep ball to Damiere Byrd later in the session, while Fields’ best throw came on a similar throwback to the tight end that we saw work for a touchdown on Saturday — and once again, it was to Jesse James.

“Super bright, smart, willing to learn, lots of experience, understands how he fits in this offense,” coach Matt Nagy said of James. “He’s very valuable. He can do a lot of things. We trust him. He creates a lot of depth for us there and he’s been a great addition to the room.”

Dalton remained in sync with Allen Robinson, connecting a few times with the top receiver. Fields did a nice job with a throw to Riley Ridley, keeping it away from the corner, and Ridley made a defender miss with his cut, drawing applause as he ran to the end zone.

It was a good practice for the secondary and the takeaway bucket got a few additions, but as Nagy maintains his focus on the present for each of his quarterbacks, Monday was not an example of their best work in camp. The next test will come Tuesday when the pads come back on.

Here are the news and notes from the Bears’ 14th practice of training camp …

Injury report

With two off-days sandwiching the preseason game, it was fair to expect some players to return Monday, and the Bears did get three back: safety Tashaun Gipson, Goodwin and Burns.

Burns, a 2016 first-round pick of the Steelers who tore his ACL in camp last year, had an active practice, as he was often around the football. Burns is vying for one of the final cornerback roster spots.

Eddie Goldman practiced for the first time since he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Aug. 3. He was in his normal spot at nose tackle with the starters.

“Eddie’s one of the top nose guards in the league,” Cody Whitehair said. “He’s great with his hands. He’s powerful. All the traits of a great nose tackle, he has. So he definitely helps our defense out, along with all of those guys. (Khyiris) Tonga’s a good nose, too. So those guys are just continuing to make us better up front. We’ve got one of the best front sevens in the league. So going against all those guys, every week, every day, that’s only going to make us better as well.”

Nagy did have three to add to the injury list from Saturday’s game: Defensive back Michael Joseph broke his thumb, while Ryan Nall (chest) and Robert Quinn (ankle) missed practice due to injuries suffered against the Dolphins.

Running back David Montgomery participated in individual drills but remained on the sideline the rest of practice due to soreness, per the team. While Montgomery appeared to leave the field with a limp after his one and only snap on Saturday, he remained on the sideline all game and didn’t have any work done by trainers. We’ll see what Nagy says Tuesday morning.

No other changes to the injury report meant none of the following players returned: Teven Jenkins, Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan and Larry Borom. Germain Ifedi and Tarik Cohen remain on the physically unable to perform list.

Jenkins has now missed every practice of camp. Nagy said they have not considered putting him on the PUP list and that his status is unchanged.

“Same stuff. It’s a process,” he said. “We all want to make it happen sooner than later. Dre (head athletic trainer Andre Tucker) and our doctors are working with him and just trying to stay as positive as they can with him and (go) really, honestly, day by day.”

Awaiting Jason Peters

Jason Peters, the 39-year-old, nine-time Pro Bowl tackle, officially signed Monday and is expected to be thrown into the mix at left tackle this week.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Nagy said. “I know he is, too. And again, we’ll have to get him going, see where he’s at and everything, but it was good to talk to him.”

Peters’ most important task is fortifying the left side of the line and giving the Bears as much as he can until Jenkins is ready, or until they’re comfortable with Elijah Wilkinson or Borom.

The secondary benefit of having Peters in the building is he can help teach the younger O-linemen.

“I’ll try to take in everything I can from him and just learn,” center Sam Mustipher said. “He’s 39 years old. He’s probably taken a million pass sets in his career. To understand the knowledge that he has for the game, the knowledge he has for training and the preparation it takes to play that long at that high of a level, I’ll probably be in his back pocket. I’ll probably be asking him more questions than he wants me to ask. But I just want to learn from him and understand, ‘What do you do that sets you apart from everybody else?’”

O-line review

The position group garnering the most concern is the banged-up offensive line, particularly the tackle position. Nagy and Juan Castillo probably would’ve preferred more than 52 plays of tape to watch, but that’s how many snaps they could review of right tackle Lachavious Simmons.

Wilkinson played 40 at left tackle, while guard Arlington Hambright played 35 snaps.

Overall, Nagy was pleased with how the group performed.

“That was probably one of the biggest things we talked about as a staff was just you didn’t really see a whole lot of touches or hits on those quarterbacks,” Nagy said. “I mean, not really. That there is really good. (The Dolphins) were doing some games up front, not a lot but some games, and we passed it off pretty well. I didn’t feel a lot of penetration back into the quarterback’s throws.”

Miami’s defense finished the game with zero QB hits and zero sacks.

From Justin Fields to Javon Wims, whose stock is rising or falling after the Bears’ first preseason game?

Strong start for rookie RB

Khalil Herbert was the third back on the field Saturday behind Montgomery and Damien Williams and ahead of Ryan Nall and Artavis Pierce. He carried the ball six times for 38 yards and caught three passes for 11 yards, impressing his head coach in the process.

“He’s really caught my attention,” Nagy said. “I think he’s somebody that, again, you talk about the word trust, he hasn’t made many mistakes as a rookie. He’s very, very smooth. When he gets the football, you can see the burst that he has. He’s always going to go forward with yards. I really like where he’s at right now. I think that running back room, in general, is playing their tails off and (running backs) Coach (Michael) Pitre is doing a great job working with those guys.”

That’s high praise at a time of year when the head coach tries not to single out anyone too much.

“Surprisingly, I wasn’t really nervous,” Herbert said of his NFL debut. “I kind of felt like this was where I was supposed to be. But it was a blessing to go out there and get the win. Everybody played really well. Got some stuff to fix, but ultimately got the win, so it was good.”

A sixth-round pick, Herbert seems to be in line to be the top reserve at running back, but to cement that status, he’ll need to prove his value on special teams — and his abilities in that area were a major reason the Bears drafted him.

Herbert had the first kickoff return Saturday and played nine snaps on special teams. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor has Herbert working all facets of special teams.

“He has me in a bunch of different spots,” Herbert said. “He wants me to learn all parts of different special teams so I’m able to go wherever he needs me to go.”

Mustipher as a leader

We’ll leave you with this quote from the Bears’ starting center, which is an example of why so many have gravitated toward him since he took over the job last season.

Mustipher was asked which offensive lineman is the one who brings the “nasty” to the group.

“Right now as a unit, we’re all trying to be that guy,” he said. “That’s the ideal situation, where we’re all that guy. I think you saw glimpses of it this weekend. Everybody being around the ball, everybody finishing on their man. We all want to be that guy. We don’t want to pick out one guy. If that’s the standard, then everybody should be at that standard. That’s the ideal goal for offensive lines.

“We don’t want to (say), ‘Oh, that’s our bell cow. We want to lean on this guy.’ No. Everybody be that guy. Everybody be the guy that down in, down out, I’m going to be able to depend on you, know where you’re gonna be at. I know you’re gonna be finishing your man, blocking to the whistle. I know you’re gonna be over there picking up our ball carriers, our running backs and protecting our quarterbacks with your life.”

(Photo of Khalil Herbert: Eileen T. Meslar / USA Today)

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BEARS WHAT WE LEARNED
Peters’ presence felt even before his arrival in camp

CT_IC_1016695325_1016769756_002-0817_on-peters-khalil-herbert_3.jpg
Former Eagles offensive tackle Jason Peters in 2020 in Philadelphia. Chris Szagola/ AP


By Colleen Kane Chicago Tribune

The Bears returned to practice Monday at Halas Hall after a day off following their 20-13 preseason victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Along with how coach Matt Nagy is approaching the quarterback situation, here are three things we learned.


1. Jason Peters didn’t practice, but his new offensive linemates are interested to see what they can learn from him. After Peters’ agent announced Saturday the veteran left tackle would sign with the Bears, the team officially announced the signing Monday afternoon.

Nagy said he would know more in the next couple of days about when Peters would begin working with the Bears.

The team is adding Peters, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection over 17 seasons, to compete for the starting left tackle job while rookie Teven Jenkins remains sidelined with a back injury. Bears linemen Cody Whitehair and Sam Mustipher said they’ll be glad to have a player with Peters’ credentials in their room.

“He’s played in this league a long time,” Whitehair said. “Having that veteran experience in our room, (we can) pick his brain. All of that is going to help our room grow. We’re excited to have him.”

Mustipher, who grew up in Maryland, said he remembers going to Philadelphia Eagles training camp with his family as a kid and seeing Peters in person for the first time.

“A Hall of Fame talent,” Mustipher said. “As a young offensive lineman, the opportunity to learn from greats is something (where) I’ll try to take in everything I can from him and just learn.

“He’s probably taken a million pass sets in his career. To understand the knowledge that he has for the game, the knowledge he has for training and the preparation it takes to play that long at that high of a level, I’ll probably be in his back pocket. I’ll probably be asking him more questions than he wants me to ask. But I just want to learn from him and understand, ‘What do you do that sets you apart from everybody else?’ “


2. Rookie running back Khalil Herbert has caught Matt Nagy’s attention. Herbert, whom the Bears selected in the sixth round out of Virginia Tech, saw a lot of action in the preseason game after David Montgomery and Damien Williams played their series.

He had six carries for 38 yards, three catches for 11 yards and a 16-yard kickoff return. Nagy likes what he has seen from Herbert in camp.

“You talk about the word trust — he hasn’t made many mistakes as a rookie,” Nagy said. “He’s very, very smooth. When he gets the football, you can see the burst that he has. He’s always going to go forward with yards. I just really like where he’s at right now.”

Nagy praised the Bears running backs room as a whole under new coach Michael Pitre, and Herbert credited the other backs with helping him catch on quickly.

“We all do a really good job of holding each other accountable,” he said. “So just little things out there in practice, or if someone else makes a mistake, it’s learning from that mistake. Getting in my playbook, learning my plays — just really studying and taking home my craft.”


3. Tight end Jesse James is another player earning praise from Matt Nagy. James, in his seventh NFL season, has developed a connection with rookie quarterback Justin Fields in practice, and that carried over to the game Saturday, when he caught a pair of passes from Fields.

One was an 8-yarder that helped set up a field goal late in the second quarter. The other was an easy 30-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.

James was a late addition to the roster this summer, but Nagy said he has provided nice depth to a room that includes Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham.

“Super-bright, smart, willing to learn, lots of experience, understands how he fits in this offense,” Nagy said. “He’s very valuable. He can do a lot of things. We trust him.”

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The_Romen

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On 8/14/2021 at 6:11 PM, soulman said:

To be honest I'd much rather see Bars playing LT than Wilkinson but somehow we seem committed to using Wilkinson.  Hoping Borom can return from concussion protocol this coming week so they can evaluate him at LT during the next preseason game.

Looking like Borom is also gonna be riding the bikes for a few weeks.

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1 hour ago, soulman said:

When isn't that guy hurt?  Nagy sticks the front line guys out there for a quarter and somehow Quinn manages to sustain yet another owie. 🙄 Gonna start calling him Bambi.

Seriously, what goes on behind the scenes at Halas Hall? There can't possibly be a team that plays guys through injuries in useless games and then covers them in bubble wrap for training camp as much as the Bears do... It's infuriating.

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2 minutes ago, The_Romen said:

Looking like Borom is also gonna be riding the bikes for a few weeks.

Well, they're obviously no longer committed to Wilkinson.  I coulda told them that before.....LOL.

Simmons held up surprisingly well in the first preseason game so we'll have to see how he does this coming week. 

Peters will in all likelihood move right into playing LT with Borom getting a few reps as well.  With Ifedi returning eventually and Simmons showing that he might be more than a JAG I would not be at all shocked to see Wilkinson being released.  I don't know why we signed him to begin with.

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35 minutes ago, The_Romen said:

Seriously, what goes on behind the scenes at Halas Hall? There can't possibly be a team that plays guys through injuries in useless games and then covers them in bubble wrap for training camp as much as the Bears do... It's infuriating.

I don't know why it would be so difficult to say "Jenkins' back is going to keep him out another few weeks." This isn't hockey in May where you don't want someone slashing your star's wrist if he has a wrist issue so you call it "upper body." Just say the guy has a f***ed up back and be done with it

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dll2000

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1 hour ago, beardown3231 said:

I don't know why it would be so difficult to say "Jenkins' back is going to keep him out another few weeks." This isn't hockey in May where you don't want someone slashing your star's wrist if he has a wrist issue so you call it "upper body." Just say the guy has a f***ed up back and be done with it

Exactly what I would have done in Nagy's place.   "Jenkins hurt his back working out or practicing or whatever.  He didn't damage discs.   He is going to be out for some weeks until it feels better.  We don't want to rush it and don't want to put him on PUP in case he can come back."

Then if he comes back sooner everyone is happy.  But every gets bad news first and upfront and isn't speculating every day and having all this day to day agnst.

 

 

 

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Hicks walked off practice before it started for unclear reasons.

Peters can't join team for 5 days because of NFL Covid policies.  He isn't sick and hasn't been around anyone who has been sick.   But you know go ahead and sit around for 5 days anyway for reasons.  

Fields reportedly got exactly 1 (one!) rep with first team today after Nagy promised reps.   I don't get this development plan.   Artificial gravity is what it is.  

All these are self inflicted wounds.

In other news Burns was running at CB2 opposite Johnson whole day ahead of Vildor.   That is change.

I have noted all offseason that Burns was starting last year opposite Fuller before he got hurt.   It wouldn't surprise me if he won the job again.   Many had written him off - like they wrote off Ifedi who basically showed enough to be penciled in as starter at OT.

 

 

 

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The_Romen

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2 hours ago, dll2000 said:
2 hours ago, dll2000 said:

Hicks walked off practice before it started for unclear reasons.

Peters can't join team for 5 days because of NFL Covid policies.  He isn't sick and hasn't been around anyone who has been sick.   But you know go ahead and sit around for 5 days anyway for reasons.  

Makes sense.

Fields reportedly got exactly 1 (one!) rep with first team today after Nagy promised reps.   I don't get this development plan.   Artificial gravity is what it is. 

Quarterbacking 201 is up next!

All these are self inflicted wounds.

Bingo. The Nagy/Pace special. Outsmart yourself at every turn...

 

 

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A new nickname for the Bears Defense?  Desai brings back his version of a Vic Fangio Defense and the players are getting into it big time.  Could we have a top 5 defense again?  Possibly.

 

Khalil Mack isn't usually one for hyperbole or pontification but he might have just produced the name for this year's Bears defense.

The "Geek" defense or Geek Squad. The last one might be in use already.

The Bears edge rusher might have inadvertently coined this phrase while searching for a way to describe new defensive coordinator Sean Desai.

He calls Desai kind of a geek.

"I would say Sean has got a little bit more of a geeky side than any other coordinator I've been around," Mack said. "Definitely, his mind is always going, so it's definitely fun to see, it's definitely fun to see. But it's definitely different from that standpoint. But he's cool, he's a cool dude, but he's definitely got that geeky side, too."

On Tuesday the geek defense dominated the offense to the point where they had Matt Nagy doing some hollering. Justin Fields came into practice as the hottest thing on offense in the NFL and was picked off, just like Andy Dalton was. Both Marqui Christian and Eddie Jackson came up with picks to add to the turnover bucket.

They threw a rare safety blitz at Fields in 11-on-11 scrimmage and he stepped right into a sack by Deon Bush. Of course, they blew the whistle and didn't let Fields get hit.

When Mack sees this kind of play, he can't help but think about how it was when Desai's mentor, Vic Fangio, was defensive coordinator in 2018.

"Same thing, Vic, understanding not only his defense but the players, put us in position to play to our strengths, and this something that Sean is planning as well, putting every player on the field in the best possible situation in order to shine and make plays and get turnovers and feed the offense," Mack said.

Desai relates well with his players even if he is the geek. He got down in a stance with defensive linemen last week and tried racing them through a drill using dummies but lost, and as a result he had to get on the turf and do pushups.

He also has come up with the turnover bucket.

"The intensity has been completely different this year from the multiple live reps," safety Tashaun Gipson said.

The live plays seem to energize the defense rather than wear them down this camp.

"Those are things that as a vet you do not want to hear that—live reps," Gipson said. "But that's the type of mindset you've got to go in there, you've got to have. And we’ve had multiple days of that, just test our will, testing our intensity at practice. And you’ve got to love that. And I think that everybody appreciates that."

Mack sees the defensive scheme changes of Desai as being more fun because it lets them do what they love.

"Definitely getting to the quarterback, and being able to change the game and get turnovers, yeah, that's fun. That’s fun to me. I don’t know who that wouldn't be fun to."

Maybe the opposing quarterback?

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