After a long offseason full of free agent signings and draft coverage, Week 1 is finally here. That means that the preseason has officially concluded. While it is important to take preseason games with a grain of salt, there are some results that we can use to make predictions and better understand the team.
Caleb Williams Looks As-Advertised
In only 42 preseason snaps, I saw all that I needed out of the number one draft pick. Caleb flashed a little bit of everything in his three quarters of play. Most notably, he demonstrated his ability to make accurate throws off-platform. His 45-yard completion to fellow rookie Rome Odunze was a prime example. On that play, he was able to escape the collapsing pocket to his left and drop a perfect throw-on-the-run directly into Rome’s arms, in stride. The touch that he put on the ball was very impressive given the circumstances. Williams also flashed this ability against the Bills in preseason Week 1 with an impressive completion to Cole Kmet.
In addition to the off-platform ability, Caleb also gave the NFL a little taste of his theatrics. His Patrick Mahomes-esque no-look screen pass to D’Andre Swift comes to mind. Caleb’s scrambling touchdown against the Bengals also felt dramatic, though entirely necessary. He’s shown the ability to escape difficult situations in the pocket. It’s nice to know that he isn’t a statue behind his line and that he is already aware enough in the pocket to escape when he needs to. Williams only took one sack this preseason.
Despite a few consecutive three-and-outs when his headset was malfunctioning, Williams spurred nothing but hope and excitement out of me. His showing has left me even more excited for his regular season debut.
The Bears Dominated the Preseason
There’s really no other way to put it; the Bears were far-and-away the best preseason team according to the stats. They finished 4-0, outscoring opponents 115-47. Further, Chicago managed to finish 1st in overall PFF grade, as well as PFF defensive, offensive grade, passing, pass blocking, and tackling grades. As a whole, the team also ranked 2nd in PFF run block and run defense grade, and 4th in coverage grade. It’s tough to argue with these numbers.
While the preseason is the preseason, starters are playing limited snaps, coordinators are testing plays and concepts out, it is still impressive to dominate in this fashion. If nothing else, we can use these past four weeks as a sign of good team depth. Or perhaps the Bears’ second, third, and fourth-stringers played so well due to quality coaching throughout camp. Players like Caleb Williams have come out and said that practice has been harder than the games. No matter what head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff were doing, it worked well.
Hard Knocks Thoughts
The Bears were chosen to be featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks this preseason, and it’s been cool to get a behind-the-scenes look at our favorite team. Specifically, I’ve enjoyed getting to know Matt Eberflus a little more and get a glimpse into his coaching style. I thought it was smart of him to bring in legendary coach Nick Saban for advice, and very cool to then see him utilizing it later in the episode. Flus has a special player on his hands in Caleb Williams, and seems to be doing everything he can to make sure that he brings him along in the correct way.
To me, I would have prefered less Austin Reed and Ian Wheeler coverage, but I understand that Hard Knocks always homes in on a couple players that are on the cusp of making the roster. I question the choice of Reed, however, as he was never in true contention to make the team. I would have rather spent more time covering Williams, Odunze, or players like Montez Sweat, Tremaine Edmunds, or Jaquon Brisker who got little to no screen-time.
One true takeaway from Hard Knocks that we can take into the season is the change in Velus Jones Jr’s usage. While he officially made the 53-man roster as a wide receiver, it is clear that he is mainly going to be used as a running back. I think that this is a great idea. Jones Jr. hasn’t excelled as a receiver, but is extremely dangerous when he gets the ball in open space. With his inability to catch punts, sticking him at running back seems to be the only way to utilize his talents. With running backs D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, and Roschon Johnson clogging the depth chart, Jones Jr. probably won’t see the field too often. However, I expect to get a few big plays out of Velus this season given that he will be used sparingly, but therefore purposefully.
Overall, the Bears had a ball in the preseason. Let’s hope that the team can carry this momentum into Soldier Field Week 1.