The Bears finished off their preseason schedule with a 24-21 loss to the Bills on Saturday. In my opinion, it was the least encouraging game of the three, although some hopeful elements were still present. Both coaches opted to play their starters, which allowed for some good tests on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s matchup:
Starting Offense Struggles
The Justin Fields-led starting offense did not look great yesterday. In their defense, they were matched up against a real NFL defense, compared to the backups that the Titans trotted out in preseason week 1. Furthermore, the Bills had one of the top defensive units in the NFL last year, and are expected to be just as good this season. The Bears’ first two drives consisted of only six plays combining for two yards. The Bills were getting pressure while also stuffing up the run game. Bills head coach Sean McDermott had seen enough out of most of his starters after this, and took out stars Matt Milano, Taron Johnson, and Micah Hyde before the Bears’ third possession. It wasn’t until then that the offense was able to move the ball downfield.
Fields had one of his signature first down scrambles, and was later able to find DJ Moore for a 40 yard catch. However, after the quarterback took a big hit in the redzone early in the 2nd quarter, head coach Matt Eberflus opted to plug in the backups to finish the drive off. While they started off slow, the starters were able to get to end on a relative high note. It should also be noted that Chicago was working with an already hampered down offensive line, with Teven Jenkins, Darnell Wright, Nate Davis, and Lucas Patrick all out. Having even half of these players active could’ve allowed Fields to see the field a bit better. Saturday gave me flashbacks to Justin Fields running for his life on nearly every passing play last season. Hopefully, the offensive line will get (and stay) healthy to avoid a repeat of the 2022 season.
Josh Allen Marched Down the Field
In addition to the starting offense’s struggles against the high-level Buffalo defense, the Bears’ defense had trouble slowing down Stefon Diggs and the Bills’ offensive attack. While they forced three 3rd downs, Josh Allen was able to convert each one. Stefon Diggs found a way to get open on the first, and beat Kyler Gordon in man coverage to covert the second. On the third 3rd down, the Bears created pressure and flooded Allen out of the pocket. Coverage held strong initially, but Allen managed to throw the ball across his body to Gabe Davis and pick up the first down in a scramble-drill situation. Most teams without elite quarterbacks would’ve had to settle for a field goal. Still, the drive could have been over sooner if James Cook hadn’t been slashing though the defensive line, or if Tyrique Stevenson had avoided his holding penalty.
Tyrique Stevenson’s Season will be a Roller Coaster
Many people believe that cornerback is the most difficult position to play in football (besides quarterback). This is compounded with rookie cornerbacks. Second round draft pick Tyrique Stevenson fits into this category. His performance yesterday will likely be a microcosm for his 2023 season. As a rookie cornerback, he’s going to be targeted a lot. Quarterbacks will be testing him on a weekly basis. I believe that there will be ups and downs, just like there were on Saturday. In only a few drives on defense, he managed to commit two holding penalties. Being such an aggressive, physical player is helpful in many aspects of the game, but he’ll need to learn how to tow that line. After committing his second foul, he had been more of a detriment than a help to the team. However, he responded by snagging his first professional interception only four plays later. This is how Stevenson’s season will play out. He’s going to get beat. He’s going to make mistakes. But, hopefully, he’s going to stick with it and make some big plays as well.