The Chicago Bears held joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Friday. The two teams will meet again for their preseason opener on Sunday. While the defense delivered the message they set out to, Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s comments before practice best describe the offense.
Johnson was brought in to revamp the Bears’ offense. He has been clear about spreading around the blame for why they have not clicked on all cylinders.
He likely left Friday’s session feeling just as he did going in.
Bears HC Ben Johnson Describes Offense Perfectly Before Joint Practice
Bears’ 1st-Team Offense Continues Inconsistency
Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks intercepted Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ first pass of 11-on-11s. It was on an errant ball intended for tight end Cole Kmet.
The day got better after that. Williams found Rome Odunze for a short gain. On the next play, Williams hit Olamide Zaccheus on a medium throw that the WR scored on. Still, the effort fell short of the fluid operation the Bears want to be offensively, including multiple pre-snap penalties.
Johnson knows those things will lose them games during the regular season.
“We’re inconsistent as a whole on offense. You can talk to any position group. We really need to start playing more as a cohesive unit. We just haven’t done that. Everyone’s kind of taking their turn of ‘not so good,’ and I talked about that the other day. When that happens, someone else has got to pick us up and get us out of that, and we’re just not – we’re frankly not there yet,” Johnson told reporters on August 8.
“That’s the beauty of training camp. I think there’s probably a lot of teams around this league that are dealing with some of the same growing pains.”
Williams will not play in Sunday’s game, and many of his fellow starters could miss the game entirely as well, or at least be on short leashes. In that sense, the Bears may have come away from Friday’s practice feeling like they left plenty on the table.
Defense Bringing Physicality
Bears safety Kevin Byard spoke with reporters after the joint practice, in which he was one of several Bears players who got involved in scuffles on the day. Byard, who told Dolphins wideout Dee Eskridge he was a “little boy,” said the Bears were just standing on their plan to be physical.
That showed up between the whistles, too, with the Byard, fellow Bears safety Jaquan Brisker, and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds intercepting Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa on the day.
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson delivered a hit on Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle.
The Pro Bowler eventually returned to the field, but he had to be helped to the sideline for a blow by trainers. Ditto later on for Dolphins CB Jack Jones, who had to be carried off after committing a pass interference penalty against Bears wideout DJ Moore.
Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings briefly exited with an apparent leg injury but quickly returned to the fray.
Dayo Odeyingbo also recorded what would have been a sack on the drive Edmunds got his INT.
The Bears were without Jaylon Johnson, who remains on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list with an undisclosed leg injury. Fellow corner Kyler Gordon also missed the session with a hamstring issue picked up on Thursday.
The Dolphins did not have top wideout Tyreek Hill, but it was a good day for Stevenson and fill-in starting CB Nahshon Wright on the perimeter, along with the rest of the first-string defense.
Offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie and running back Roschon Johnson also remained out.
Kevin Warren: Bears Focused on Arlington Heights
Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren spoke with reporters, as did team owner and chairman George McCaskey, after Friday’s practice. Both gentlemen thanked those in attendance for their work during training camp and expressed excitement about Johnson and the season.
However, they (mostly Warren) also shed new light on the organization’s plans for a new stadium, which Warren said they plan to build in Arlington Heights.
Per Warren, that is their only focus and the only conversations they are having.
Warren said the stadium has already been designed and they are ready to seek out an “architect of record” to begin the next steps. Warren said, pending the potential passing of the state’s “mega project bill” (IL HB4058), they hope to “move dirt this year.”
McCaskey spoke about fans deserving a “world-class” facility. He added that their only real “concern” is that further delays will cost more money.
He also spoke fondly of his late mother, Virginia McCaskey, who died in February.
McCaskey admitted it will be “difficult” to go through the team’s first games without his mother. However, he also reassured that she “showed us the game plan.” They plan to keep the team in family control, which requires them to stay united, which he said they are.
He did not go into detail over the recent reported split of late former owner Andrew McKenna’s shares.