Adam Jahns Reviews Bills Game; Good Piece w/Videos

[soulman]

There was some pretty sad stuff coming from the Bears defense in this game especially in punt coverage.  Do we even have any "Gunners"?

 

 

Bears risers and fallers: Justin Fields-Andy Dalton debate, Larry Borom’s rise at LT and defensive concerns

By Adam Jahns Aug 22, 2021 68

There were 40 seconds left in the first half. The Bears had three timeouts. And the ball belonged to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton and the Bears offense on their 29-yard line.

It’s the type of situation that’s difficult to simulate in practice, but it didn’t go well for Dalton. Not at all.

Dalton reached only the Bears’ 39 with a 10-yard pass to receiver Chris Lacy. He was sacked on second-and-10 by defensive end Carlos Basham Jr. after rookie running back Khalil Herbert failed to block safety Jaquan Johnson.

On third-and-12, receiver Rodney Adams slipped at the top of his route as Dalton’s pass sailed into the waiting hands of rookie defensive back Nick McCloud, who returned the ball to the Bears’ 39.

“It’s unfortunate,” Dalton said afterward. “There was a big window there for him to make a play. That was going to get us down there and get a chance to kick a field goal at the end of the half. Unfortunate that he slipped.”

On the Bills’ next play, former Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky scrambled to the right before finding backup receiver Jake Kumerow in front of nickelback Duke Shelley down the right sideline for a 16-yard gain. Kicker Tyler Bass then kicked a 41-yard field goal.

What the Bears hoped would be three points (or more) for them turned into three more for the Bills in their 41-15 victory at Soldier Field on Saturday. Typically, this would be nothing to fret about. It’s the preseason. Dalton also was playing with reserves.

The issue at hand for head coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and others involved in the Bears’ quarterback plan is that rookie Justin Fields was in a similar situation last week against the Dolphins.

With 40 seconds left in the first half against Miami, Fields had the ball on the Bears’ 23 with only two timeouts left, and he was on the field with backups. Fields, though, went for 5-for-6 for 42 yards. That first half ended with a 53-yard field goal by Bears kicker Cairo Santos.

Both possessions are now a part of the evaluation process at quarterback. Of course, there is more for Nagy and his staff to discuss throughout their roster. But this week’s assessment of who’s rising and who’s falling begins with Dalton and what’s next at quarterback.

Falling

What the Bears are planning for Dalton: The longer Dalton played against the Bills, the more it felt like Nagy was opening the door to a potential QB competition. He just hasn’t walked through it yet.

If Dalton is game-ready, which Nagy and Lazor have suggested, then why did he need 26 snaps over two quarters while throwing primarily to reserves?

Receiver Allen Robinson, running back David Montgomery and tight end Cole Kmet didn’t play, and tight end Jimmy Graham (four snaps) and wide receivers Darnell Mooney (one snap) and Marquise Goodwin (one snap) barely did.

“The stock for us in Andy is going to see what he does for us during the season,” Nagy said. “We have to see what Andy can do during the season with this team and with these guys. That has been our plan this whole entire time.

“At the same point in time, we also need to evaluate and see where Justin is at and what he can do, and again he’s doing everything that we are asking him to do. He’s doing great. I think it’s a good situation for us. I truly understand … for people to want to see more of Justin. I get that. But we also understand where we’re at and … what the true plan is. And all we can do is ask Justin to keep playing, and he’s doing it, and Andy to keep playing and Nick (Foles) to keep playing.”

If you think it sounds as if Nagy is wavering on his plan or if it’s changing, I’m with you. Nagy appeared to be looking for something from Dalton by playing him with reserves over two quarters. Foles, by the way, didn’t play at all.

Dalton finished 11-for-17 for 146 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Adams’ 73-yard touchdown was the only highlight for the first-team offense.

There are other team stats to make note of in the first half with Dalton at quarterback: four first downs (the Bills had 19), 0-for-5 passing on third downs, 8 net rushing yards and 145 total yards.

Dalton’s practices at Halas Hall have been different. It helps to play more with Robinson, Mooney, Kmet, Montgomery and others.

“It’s tough because not every starter’s out there,” Dalton said. “Not to say that that’s an excuse for anything. I think once we get back and get our group and our guys out there, I think we’ll feel a little more consistent with what we’re doing. We have seen it in practice. It needs to show up on game day, though.”

But that’s the point. Fields seems to raise the level of play of the reserves around him. Dalton needs help from the starters to raise his own play.

The tackling: It was awful. Simply awful. It didn’t matter who was on the field. The worst came on running back Devin Singletary’s 14-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 on the Bills’ first possession. He ran by a flat-footed Robert Quinn, through Mario Edwards’ tackle attempt and around Eddie Jackson on his way into the end zone.

There is more. The ones from the starters should stand out. Singletary eluded lunging cornerback Kindle Vildor on a short pass from Trubisky on first-and-10 from the Bears’ 33 in the first quarter. Safety Tashaun Gipson also had no chance of stopping fullback Reggie Gilliam when he bounced outside on his first of two 1-yard touchdown runs.

LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe’s place on the roster: If you’re wondering why veteran linebacker Alec Ogletree was able to pass Iyiegbuniwe, who has been with the Bears since 2018, on the depth chart seemingly in a matter of days, just watch this play.

Iyiegbuniwe was blocked one-on-one on a screen, then stopped pursuing Bills running back Matt Breida. He was on the field for 32 defensive snaps and assisted on only one tackle. Iyiegbuniwe also had a shot at recovering Bills returner Isaiah McKenzie’s fumble on his second punt return in the first quarter. Yet McKenzie was able to corral the ball he lost.

The Bears’ punt coverage: Special-teams coordinator Chris Tabor continued to rotate in different players. But he simply might not have what he’s looking for on this roster right now. Bills returners McKenzie, Marquez Stevenson and Brandon Powell totaled 131 yards on five punt returns. Stevenson, a rookie sixth-round pick, returned one 79 yards for a touchdown. He started his return with 25 yards of open field. Linebacker Caleb Johnson was the first to miss him.

The Bears’ competitions in the secondary: Trubisky’s efficient performance in the first half, particularly in the first quarter, came against the Bears’ best players in the secondary. The only starters who didn’t play during the Bills’ first and second possessions, which resulted in two touchdowns, were linebackers Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan.

Trubisky’s success also came while throwing to the Bills’ reserves at receiver: McKenzie, Gabriel Davis and Jake Kumerow. What would have happened if Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley were out there? Or how about quarterback Josh Allen? Kumerow beat cornerback Jaylon Johnson on Trubisky’s 4-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone.

Here are the snap counts for some of the Bears’ starters and top reserves in the secondary against Buffalo:

 

Marqui Christian	44
Eddie Jackson	33
Tashaun Gipson	33
Kindle Vildor	32
Artie Burns	32
Duke Shelley	29
Jaylon Johnson	22

Yes, it’s just the preseason, but quick throws will be a part of any game plan against the Bears because of what Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks and others can do up front. It’s fair to question whether the Bears’ competitions at cornerback and nickelback produce capable and reliable starters or if they are positions of concern all season.

Elijah Wilkinson’s bid at left tackle: Fourth-and-8 is a pass rusher’s down. But what Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa still did to Wilkinson in the second quarter was criminal. He got his left hand under Wilkinson’s right shoulder pad and pancaked the Bears’ 6-foot-4, 329-pound veteran. Wilkinson was blown off the ball and never had his footing. It resulted in a violent hit on Dalton.

Rising

Fields’ elusiveness: Fields was the leading rusher in the game, gaining 46 yards on four scrambles. His elusiveness and speed obviously are skills that Dalton doesn’t have. They add a new dimension to the Bears offense. Nagy struggles to conceal his excitement about what Fields can do on the run, too. Fields’ ability to escape and gain yards also helps make up for gaffes by others, whether it’s penalties or drops.

“It’s not a one-time thing,” Fields said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve been one of the fastest guys on the field. I’ve had a lot of experience doing that, so when I do escape the pocket, I’m able to keep my eyes downfield. … Of course, I’m trying to throw the ball downfield first, but if the pocket breaks down or I see a gap in the line, I’m going to try to make a possible sack into a positive play every time.”

Saturday still featured a learning moment for Fields. The ugly, helmet-losing sack he took from Bills linebacker Andre Smith was essentially on him. He tried to hit receiver Riley Ridley on a double move to his left when he should have hit Herbert coming out of the backfield quickly to his right.

“Throw hot on the front side,” he said. “It’s a simple correction. Just make it.”

Larry Borom’s bid to start at left tackle: In his return from a concussion, the rookie fifth-round pick was on the field for 38 snaps. It was the first time he had played left tackle since his 2019 season at Mizzou against South Carolina.

“Everyone loves a good challenge, so it was fun,” Borom said.

Veteran left tackle Jason Peters, who practiced for the first time Thursday, didn’t play against the Bills but figures to see his workload increase this week. Borom, though, shouldn’t be overlooked. Offensive line coach Juan Castillo already was impressed by his two days at left tackle before he suffered a concussion.

“It’s just footwork,” Borom said. “It’s all muscle memory. Just doing it over and over again after doing on the right so long.”

Adams’ bid to beat out Javon Wims and Ridley: Adams went from celebrating the birth of his daughter, Brexleigh Michelle, on Friday to scoring a 73-yard touchdown Saturday. He celebrated by rocking the football like a baby. He slept five hours at the hospital.

“Amazing isn’t even the word,” he said. “Having her (Friday), coming out and scoring a touchdown for her and my wife, man, it’s crazy.”

It wasn’t a perfect game for Adams. He did have a drop, but splash plays like his touchdown catch should carry significant weight in the Bears’ decision-making. Adams made the reception around defensive back Siran Neal’s helmet before breaking free.

“Just a one-on-one play,” Dalton said. “He made a heck of a catch. It’s two weeks in a row that he’s made a catch like that, going over somebody and making a big play for us. It’s just one-on-one coverage and let our guys go get a chance to make a big (play).”

Wims and Ridley haven’t delivered the same in the preseason or much in practice. Wims played only one snap, which came on the Bears’ final offensive play in the first half, which resulted in Dalton’s interception. Wims then left the game with an appendix injury.

On second-and-16 from the Bears’ 19 in the third quarter, Fields gave Ridley an opportunity for the same. He went deep to him against rookie cornerback Rachad Wildgoose. Ridley didn’t go up for the ball, which could have resulted in a pass interference penalty. Instead, Wildgoose was credited with a pass breakup.

The Bears apparently wanted to see something from Ridley against the Bills. With Wims out, Ridley played 50 snaps on offense. He finished with one catch for 12 yards. Adams had three catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in 35 plays.

Artie Burns’ place in the cornerback competition: With veteran Desmond Trufant away tending to family matters, Burns has been playing with the starting defense in practice. On Saturday, he might have earned even more time with them. He broke up passes intended for Kumerow and receiver Duke Williams in the second quarter.

(Photo of Dalton: Jon Durr / USA Today)

Edited August 25, 2021 by soulman