Chicago Bears: 3 Storylines to watch vs. Bills in Preseason Week 2
The Chicago Bears take on the Buffalo Bills in their second preseason game. Here are three storylines to watch for in the game.
The Chicago Bears play their second preseason game of the year this week. They host the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. They look to build upon their win in their first preseason game.
The Bears looked good for most of the game against the Miami Dolphins last week. They fell behind 13-0 but rallied to score 20 consecutive points to pull off the win.
The Dolphins controlled the ball in the first half. Andy Dalton started the game and got two series in, but it took the entire first quarter for those two series. The team hoped to give their super rookie, Justin Fields, more time.
Fields came in and looked a little lost in the beginning. At the end of the first half, however, he ran the two-minute offense greatly and the Bears ended up with a field goal.
Then, in the third quarter, he looked like the Fields we’re all used to seeing. He had a rushing touchdown then added a throwing touchdown. He moved around and showed off both his arm and his legs. He didn’t look like a run-first quarterback that many critics accuse him of being. He stayed calm and cool in the pocket, and when he needed to, he moved around and tucked the ball and ran.
On defense, the unit also looked good. The Bears forced two turnovers. One of them was an interception in the end zone against Tua Togavailoa. A touchdown there would make the game 20-0 and a comeback would be difficult.
The other turnover came on a forced fumble in the third quarter. The Dolphins had a good return on a punt and had the ball on the Bears’ 49-yard line. Instead of allowing Miami to gain momentum, the Bears got the ball back on the first play of the drive.
We’ll see more of the starters in this game. Let’s see how well they look. Here are three storylines to watch for in this game.
3. WR Rodney Adams wants to finally contribute to a team
Every year in training camp, you’ll find some players who play their hearts out and become fan favorites. They are players who no one knows about who then burst out and make some plays. Their road to making the team is difficult, however, and they usually fail to make the roster.
This year, it appears as if wide receiver Rodney Adams is the training camp hero. The Chicago Bears picked him up to basically be a training camp body. However, he hitched his wagon on Fields. He and Fields have a good rapport and Adams did a lot to gain FIelds’ trust.
If you’re a player trying to make the team, making big catches from the team’s future franchise quarterback is a very good idea. Because of his connection with Fields, Adams caught the eye of the coaches. He made some great catches in training camp and his success with Fields carried over to the first preseason game. He led all Bears’ receivers with 57 yards. One of his catches was a spectacular leaping catch that went for 25 yards.
With Fields having trust in Adams, he threw a 50-50 ball. He placed it where only Adams could make the play and the wide receiver made it.
Adams has an interesting story. He was the Minnesota Vikings’ fifth-round draft pick in 2017. He got into one game but had no targets. That ended up being his only time on the field. The Indianapolis Colts signed him off the Vikings’ practice squad in 2018. Two months later, disillusioned with his progress, he retired.
Adams un-retired a year and a half later, however. Despite that, he couldn’t find a footing on the Colts and the team waived him. That’s when the Bears came calling. They signed him and now he’s hoping he found his home.
Now that Adams gained some attention, he needs to continue his play to keep the attention on him. In a crowded wide receivers room, he got off on the right foot. He could be one of the final cuts, but he’s ahead of players like Javon Wims and Riley Ridley.
If Adams has another good game, he could very well be on his way to making the team and getting a chance to contribute.