Chicago Bears: Preseason Week 2 Takeaways

Even though the Chicago Bears fell to the New England Patriots 23-22 in their second preseason game, a lot of improvement was made.

I think it’s safe to say that the Chicago Bears’ second preseason game went a little smoother than their first, a 22-0 blowout at the hands of the Denver Broncos. Even though they lost to the New England Patriots 23-22 this week, the Bears did show some improvement.

First off, the Bears finally scored. Second, the offensive line, which was treated like a punching bag last week (allowing seven sacks), allowed just one sack and opened up some bigger running lanes.

Related Story: Bears: Preseason Week 1 Takeaways

The first team offense moved the ball very well, and the first team defense, playing against Jimmy Garoppolo, held their own.

Here are a few other takeaways from the game:

• The starting offensive line played the entire first half and allowed just one sack. Quarterback Jay Cutler had a clean pocket for most of the game, and running lanes, which were nearly non-existent last week, were opened up. Strides definitely were made this week.

• Speaking of Cutler, he looked very sharp (8/12, 83 yards) and displayed good chemistry with receiver Alshon Jeffery (2 rec, 41 yds) and tight end Tony Moeaki (4 rec, 28 yds).

• Jeremy Langford, clearly the lead back, showed his big play ability with a 34-yard run and 5-yard touchdown scamper. It’s no coincidence that Langford’s strong performance (8 carries for 55 yards) coincided with the offensive line playing much better.

• The first-team defense was solid. The Bears had a goal line stand, Tracy Porter forced a fumble, and the team shut out the Patriots in the first quarter.

• With that being said, the Bears missed a ton of tackles and struggled with cutback runs. The cornerbacks took poor angles and failed to set the edge on running plays. New England finished the game with 114 yards rushing and a 4.4 yard average.

• This is a little frightening: Chicago scored 11 points in the first quarter. However, in the second and third quarter, the team went into hibernation and scored no points. During this time, the Bears saw their 11 point lead turn into a 12 point defecit.

Here are some players that stood out (for the better or worse):

• Rookie Jonathan Bullard had one of the best jumps off the ball you’ll ever see and was rewarded with a sack in the second half.

• Running back Jordan Howard, another rookie, had a very nice second half, displaying his power and surprising some people with some shifty moves.

• Harold Jones-Quartey will probably win the starting safety spot, but he certainly had his issues against New England. In one series, he was called for a holding penalty, got bulled over by Patriots’ back Tyler Gaffney, and gave up a 20-yard reception to former teammate Martellus Bennett. Yeah, it wasn’t pretty.

• John Timu was all over the field. He had 6 tackles, was solid in coverage, and had a near interception in the red zone.

• Defensive tackle Keith Browner probably won’t make the 53-man roster, but he definitely stood out this week. He made a few stops on the goal line, had a tackle for loss, and played with a ton of energy. He’s a candidate for the practice squad.

• The tight end position is still in flux, but veteran Rob Housler opened some eyes with his 52-yard catch and run in the second half. Housler, a six-year veteran, has 4.5 speed and an excellent chance of making the team.

• Rookie corner Deiondre’ Hall, one of the stars in the preseason opener, failed to make much of an impression in this game. He allowed a 25-yard reception and didn’t make the most of his extended playing time.

• Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer (4/14, 85 yards) was a mess. He threw a terrible interception and never got into any kind of rhythm.

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The Chicago Bears’ next preseason game is at Soldier Field on Saturday, August 27th against the Kansas City Chiefs. Starters are expected to play into the third quarter.