The Chicago Bears got served a dose of humble pie to open their preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs, and veteran tight end Cole Kmet knows the level of execution they put on display would not have cut it against most opponents.
Kmet, who finds himself sharing the featured tight end role with rookie first-round draft pick Colston Loveland, did not mince words about what the Bears must do.
Cole Kmet Sends Clear Message After Bears’ Poor Start vs Chiefs
Bears TE Cole Kmet Upholds Standard
Kmet is one of the longest-tenured players on the team, and his voice has long been viewed as a fitting gauge of the tone in the Bears’ locker room.
“We definitely got to be better coming out,” Kmet told Clocker Sports on August 25, noting later that head coach Ben Johnson addressed them with a similar message postgame. “The sloppy start was definitely not what we wanted, but something we got a rebound from.”
The Bears’ first play from scrimmage was a botched handoff.
Quarterback Caleb Williams had to fall on the fumbled ball after mistiming his handoff to wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.
Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle noted the play was the result of a late snap, while not placing blame, and he expanded his critique to say that the Bears’ first two plays (the second was a pre-snap penalty) were unacceptable from an execution standpoint.
The Bears will open the regular season at home against the Minnesota Vikings on September 8.
Kevin Byard Gets Honest About Nahshon Wright After Rough Outing
To that end, veteran safety and Bears team captain Kevin Byard spoke about not harping on guys when they have difficult moments on the field.
Byard was specifically asked about cornerback Nahshon Wright, who struggled versus KC.
“He’s been in this league, you know what I mean? For me personally, I don’t like to really – during the game and during the heat of a moment, you kind of feel the vibe of a player, you know what I mean? As long as he’s not sitting on the bench with his head between his legs, I’m not about to try to get on them like, ‘Hey!’ You know what I mean? Nobody wants to mess up. Nobody wants to give up a deep ball,” Byard told Clocker Sports on Monday.
“At the end of the day, those guys get paid, too. You kind of let the coach handle it, get his technique right, and then hey, just tell him, ‘Hey, you’ll make the next one.’ You know what I mean? Like I say, he’s been in this league. It’s not like he’s down on himself or nothing like that. I’ve given up plays and stuff like that. So, you never want to just be in the moment like, ‘Hey, we got to do this. We got to do that.’ He’s trying to go out there and play and make plays. So, I think Shonnie will be fine.”
Wright has been thrust into his role amid the injury-related absence of star CB Jaylon Johnson, and he has mostly held up well in coverage.
The Chiefs were able to expose him in man, though. That is a staple coverage for Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, as he likes to scheme up different blitz looks. Byard is looking forward to those opportunities, but the Bears’ ability to hold up in coverage is key.
Johnson is supposedly on track for Week 1. However, he has yet to return to practice as teammate Kyler Gordon has.
Injury Bug, Roster Cuts Leave Bears Thin
The Bears announced another slew of roster moves on Monday, including parting with running backs Ian Wheeler and Royce Freeman. That left them precariously thin at the position for the week’s first session.
Starting tailback D’Andre Swift and recent addition Brittain Brown were the only players working with running backs coach Eric Bieniemy during Monday’s session.
Young veteran Roschon Johnson and rookie seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai remain out.
The Bears still have some trimming to do. They could opt to bring back Wheeler or Freeman on the practice squad. Veteran and special teams ace Travis Homer is also still banged up. It appears evident that the Bears will have to make an addition at the RB spot, though.