Tag: Dante Pettis

WATCH: Justin Fields buys time to find Dante Pettis for Bears 1st TD

The Bears are finally on the board against the 49ers thanks to an impressive play from Justin Fields to Dante Pettis.

It’s been a rough afternoon for the Chicago Bears offense against the San Francisco 49ers, but things might finally be changing in the second half.

After generating next to no offense for the first 30 minutes of the game, the Bears finally got on the board thanks to a miraculous play by Justin Fields. On a long third down, the second-year quarterback was flushed from the pocket, but had the awareness to find wide receiver Dante Pettis wide open on the opposite side of the field. Pettis took the ball 51 yards for the first Bears score of the year to make it a 10-7 ballgame. It was the first pass caught by a Bears wide receiver all day.

Prior to that touchdown pass, the Bears had just 17 yards of total offense. Entering the fourth quarter, the Bears trail the 49ers by three points.

Bear Necessities: Dante Pettis has made his case for a roster spot

Dante Pettis had a strong preseason for the Bears, and he’s someone who has a chance to lock down one of those final roster spots.

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The Chicago Bears wrapped the preseason are in the midst of making some difficult decisions as they trim their roster down to 53 players.

There are a number of roster bubble players who have made strong impressions this preseason in hopes of securing a roster spot. That includes Dante Pettis, who has taken advantage of injuries at the wide receiver position.

“It sucks when people get hurt, but it’s football,” Pettis said. “I’ve been hurt; someone else behind me has stepped up. So that’s kind of how the game goes.”

Pettis has elevated his stock with a strong preseason, including in Saturday’s finale against the Cleveland Browns. Pettis had three receptions for 37 yards and a 12-yard touchdown from quarterback Justin Fields in the left corner of the end zone. The score extended Chicago’s lead to 14-0 in the second quarter.

“It was a quick post-corner,” Pettis said. “The DB was lined up inside of me anyway, so I kind of knew that I had good leverage. I tried to take my time and make sure I wasn’t too quick. I turned around and saw the ball in the air.”

Pettis has shown his versatility on offense in the passing game and special teams as a punt returner. Usually, final roster spots come down to special teams.

“The more you can do, coaches love that,” Pettis said, “so I’m just glad that I had an opportunity to play both offense and punt return today.”

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7 Takeaways from the Bears’ preseason finale victory vs. Browns

From Justin Fields’ return to Cleveland to Kindle Vildor’s surprising play, here are our takeaways from the Bears’ preseason finale win.

Preseason games usually leave football fans wanting more, but it’s fair to say Chicago Bears fans are happy with what they saw from their team as they put a bow on the offseason. The Bears defeated the Cleveland Browns 21-20 but it’s what the starting offense showed that has people talking.

Quarterback Justin Fields was masterful in his return to Cleveland, completing 14-of-16 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns. His quarterback rating was 146.9, just shy of perfection. The Bears jumped out to a 21-0 lead and held it until the final seconds after the Browns reserves made a late comeback that fell short.

This game was a dress rehearsal for head coach Matt Eberflus and it appears his team is ready for opening day in two weeks. He should have a lot to be happy about when looking at the tape because there was a lot to takeaway from this game. Speaking of takeaways, here are ours from Saturday’s preseason finale.

Bears vs. Browns: Everything we know about the Bears’ preseason finale win

The Bears finish the preseason undefeated, beating the Browns 21-20 on Saturday evening. We break down the game here:

The preseason has come to an end for the Chicago Bears and they leave with an undefeated record. The Bears held on to defeat the Cleveland Browns 21-20 to finish the preseason 3-0. Head coach Matt Eberflus had his starters play for most of the first half and they put on a show.

Quarterback Justin Fields was masterful, throwing three touchdowns to account for all of Chicago’s points. He threw passes to tight ends Ryan Griffin and Cole Kmet, as well as wide receiver Dante Pettis. He missed just two passes on the day and showed out at the place where it all went wrong during his regular season debut last year.

The Browns didn’t give up, however, and hit a pair of field goals to trim the lead to 21-6 at the end of the first half. Then things got dicey beginning in the fourth quarter when reserve quarterbacks Joshua Dobbs and Josh Rosen each scored to bring the Browns within one point. Instead of kicking the extra point on the final score, however, the Browns elected to try and take the lead with a two-point conversion that failed.

The offense looked impressive, the defense was stifling, and most important, there were no major injuries as the Bears get ready for the regular season. Here’s everything we know at the conclusion of the preseason.

WATCH: Justin Fields connects with Dante Pettis for another TD pass vs. Browns

WATCH: Justin Fields connects with Dante Pettis for another TD pass

Don’t tell Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields that it’s preseason because he is not letting up against the Cleveland Browns. After his score to tight end Ryan Griffin in the first quarter, the second-year signal caller kept his foot on the gas pedal and led yet another scoring drive.

Following a missed field goal by the Browns, Fields and the Bears went on a drive that took just five plays and spanned 52 yards, ending with a touchdown. Wide receiver Dante Pettis shook his defender out of his cleats on a post corner route in the end zone, getting open for an easy touchdown from Fields to go up by two scores.

Pettis has been active during this game on both offense and special teams. He has three catches for 37 yards and has been fielding punts. He’s fighting for a roster spot and is showing everything he can in the preseason finale.

Fields, meanwhile, has been on point all day and has just two incompletions through three drives. He’s 9-of-11 for 102 yards and two touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 144.5. The Bears lead the Browns 14-0 midway through the second quarter.

Bears injury, absence updates from Day 8 of training camp

Bears rookie CB Kyler Gordon is among the players not practicing on Friday. And, surprise, Teven Jenkins missed his seventh practice.

The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field on Friday for their eighth training camp practice, where the pads on are for the third straight workout.

While offensive tackle Teven Jenkins has missed his seventh straight practice, there were some other notable absences and apparent injuries.

The Bears have a long list of players who aren’t practicing on Friday, including several cornerbacks. Rookie Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor and Duke Shelley aren’t participating, which is concerning given the team is already without Thomas Graham Jr., who’s nursing a hamstring injury.

Defensive end Robert Quinn, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, tight end James O’Shaughnessy, wide receiver Dante Pettis and linebacker C.J. Avery were also not practicing.

Center Lucas Patrick remains sidelined with a right hand injury, and linebacker Roquan Smith remains on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

The good news? Defensive tackle Angelo Blackson and rookie tight end Chase Allen returned to practice after missing a few days.

Follow along with live updates from the eighth practice of Bears training camp below:

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5 bold predictions for Bears 2022 training camp

From position battles to trade requests, here are our bold predictions ahead of Bears training camp 2022.

We’re now just hours away from Chicago Bears training camp officially getting underway as all players are scheduled to report to Halas Hall beginning on Tuesday.

For a team that’s under new leadership from the top down, there’s a lot that can happen when practices begin later in the week. Position battles will ramp up, preseason darlings will emerge, key veterans will be in danger of being cut, and perhaps even a trade takes place. Here are our bold predictions ahead of Bears training camp 2022.

7 most intriguing position battles to watch at 2022 Bears training camp

We’re taking a look at the most intriguing position battles heading into Bears training camp later this month.

The Chicago Bears are set to report to training camp on July 26, and there will be no shortage of position battles to watch as camp and the preseason unfolds. There are not only starting jobs on the line but roster spots, as well.

With a new regime in place, there’s been some notable roster turnover this offseason, which includes a lot of players on one-year, prove-it deals. But there’s also plenty of young talent on the roster looking to establish themselves as long-term starters.

Here’s a look at the most intriguing position battles heading into Bears training camp later this month, from offensive line to defensive end to wide receiver.

Bears sign former 49ers, Giants WR Dante Pettis

The Bears continue to add depth at wide receiver. Now, they’re signing another veteran wideout in Dante Pettis.

The Chicago Bears might’ve only drafted one wide receiver in Velus Jones Jr., but they’ve been busy adding to their receiving corps in the days that have followed.

After signing Tajae Sharpe to a one-year contract, the Bears have signed another veteran wideout in Dante Pettis to a deal. Chicago hosted Pettis for a workout on Wednesday, and he clearly made an impression.

Pettis is a former second-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2018 NFL draft. During his first two seasons, he recorded 38 receptions for 576 yards and seven touchdowns in 23 games, including 11 starts.

After attempting to trade Pettis, the 49ers ultimately released him during the 2020 season, and he was claimed by the New York Giants. Last season with the Giants, Pettis had 10 catches for 87 yards and one touchdown in three games.

There’s been a lot of focus this offseason on Chicago’s receivers given the importance of second-year quarterback Justin Fields’ development. Aside from drafting Velus Jones Jr. in the third round and adding Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown in free agency, it’s been an underwhelming offseason on offense for the Bears.

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Chicago Bears sign wide receivers Tajae Sharp and Dante Pettis

The Chicago Bears added some veteran help at receiver Wednesday, signing Dante Pettis and Tajae Sharpe.

The Chicago Bears made a pair of moves on Wednesday to bolster their wide receiver room. They signed free agent wide receiver Tajae Sharp to a one-year deal, as well as wide receiver Dante Pettis.

Ian Rapoport reported on the Sharp move on social media:

Pettis himself posted about the move on Twitter:

New general manager Ryan Poles has faced criticism in recent days regarding a perceived failure to add talent around second-year quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears had a pair of selections in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, but used both picks to address their secondary, adding safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Kyler Gordon. Wide receivers Wan’Dale Robinson, Tyquan Thornton, George Pickens, Alec Pierce and Skyy Moore were all available when the Bears drafted Gordon with the 39th pick in the draft.

The team did address receiver in the third round, adding Velus Jones Jr. from Tennessee. Laurie Fitzpatrick outlined prior to the draft how his speed and quickness could benefit an NFL team.

The additions of Pettis and Sharpe, along with the selection of Jones, give the Bears some options around Fields. Whether those are enough for the young passer to take the next step remains to be seen.