The Bears were the victims a Colts 4th quarter comeback this Saturday in Indianapolis, but there were still some positives to take from the game. Since it’s preseason football, there is no point in criticizing play-calling or getting into the gritty details. With nearly every starter sitting out, the game simply served as an opportunity for backups to prove their worth. That being said, here’s a short rundown of the useful information Saturday’s game offered.
Roschon Johnson is a Stud
Fourth round rookie running back Roschon Johnson has had a decent amount of hype swirling around himself this summer. Many Bears fans are hoping that he can be ‘the steal of the draft’, and he already projects to play a solid role in the Bears’ three-headed-monster of a backfield. In his second preseason showing, Johnson proved why. He racked up 43 all-purpose yards on the team’s first touchdown drive of the day. This included 14 and 10 yard gashes straight up the middle. He also was able to avoid major losses. He should’ve been tackled for a loss on his fourth carry, but broke a tackle immediately after acquiring the ball and ran 5 yards upfield for a first down. Johnson showed great ability run through defenders, as well as quickly picking a gap. Though he wasn’t able to get into the endzone on either of his goal line carries, he looked great overall. Hopefully he gets some reps with the starting offensive line next week.
Notable Performances
Gervon Dexter Sr., Zacch Pickens, and Tyrique Stevenson were three of the most intriguing actives for Saturday’s game. Head coach Matt Eberflus clearly sees value in getting his rookie class as many reps as possible before the regular season commences. Although, first round pick Darnell Wright notably got the day off. Perhaps that is a testament to the confidence the coaching staff already has in him.
Dexter Sr. got some decent penetration, including the first play of the game. He also forced his way to Colts quarterback Gardner Minchew on one 3rd down play, but couldn’t manage to get him to the ground. Still, it was encouraging to see Dexter Sr., who is known to be more of a run-stuffer, creating some pressure. Fellow rookie Zacch Pickens also showed some flashes, generating one tackle for loss and one QB hit.
However, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson may have played the best out of the three. His name wasn’t called too much, so one can assume he was playing sound coverage. The few times the ball was thrown in his area, he clearly was playing top-down coverage. In these instances, he quickly and cleanly made the tackle. Unfortunately, he did miss an interception in the endzone. After placing himself in the perfect position, he watched as a Minchew bullet shot straight through his hands, and eventually to the sure-handed grasp of a Colt for the touchdown. Hopefully he’ll begin to buck this trend (he dropped a would-be interception last week as well) and capitalize on these opportunities.
Player of the Game
Tyson Bagent
Tyson Bagent is quickly becoming a fan favorite and it’s easy to see why. Second string quarterback PJ Walker has struggled mightily this summer. Bagent has seemingly seen his opening and is doing everything he can to move up the depth chart. After a good drive last week, he did more of the same this week against the Colts. Bagent finished the game completing 9 of his 10 passes for 76 yards while adding a touchdown with his legs. Most notably, Bagent made an extremely difficult throw on 3rd and 3 in the redzone. He identified man coverage and zipped the ball through a tiny window to tightly-covered Daurice Fountain for the first down. The offense appeared steady with him under center. He has flashed exceptional accuracy in both of his performances. If he and Walker continue what they have shown throughout camp, Tyson Bagent will be Justin Fields’ backup in September.