Tag: Gervon Dexter

8 takeaways from the Bears’ preseason loss to the Colts

This game didn’t provide many answers, but it raised plenty of questions. Here are our takeaways from the Bears 24-17 loss to the Colts.

All good things must come to an end. For the first time in over two years, the Chicago Bears have lost a preseason football game, snapping their five-game winning streak as well as head coach Matt Eberflus’ undefeated streak since becoming head coach. Okay, it’s not that dramatic but the Bears did fall to the Indianapolis Colts 24-17.

The game was dominated by the backups as neither team played many of their starters, including the quarterbacks. That was very apparent in the first quarter with no scoring of any kind. It wasn’t until the second quarter where things began to heat up. The Colts and the Bears traded long touchdown drives thanks to Gardner Minshew and Tyson Bagent, respectively, and were tied up at 7-7 going into halftime.

Following a field goal and another touchdown from the Bears in the third quarter, it appeared Chicago was on its way to another win. But Sam Ehlinger and the Colts had different plans. Indianapolis orchestrated scoring drives on their final three possessions to secure the win.

In a game with no starters, it can be tough to find noteworthy takeaways. This matchup may not have provided many answers, but it raised plenty of questions. Here are our takeaways from Saturday’s loss.

Bears rookie report card from preseason win vs. Titans

How did the Bears 2023 rookie class look during Saturday’s game? Here’s our report card.

When the Chicago Bears took the field against the Tennessee Titans for their first preseason game, it was the first chance many fans were able to see the team’s 2023 rookie class in action. After nearly four months since general manager Ryan Poles made his 10 selections, the rookies took their first test to show their progress at the professional level.

Though veteran stars Justin Fields and D.J. Moore stole the show early on in the Bears’ 23-17 win, it was the rookies who had the majority of the playing time as the game progressed. Some of them shined in their debuts, while others could have gotten off to better starts. Here is our report card of the team’s rookie class after their preseason debut.

5 biggest storylines to watch as Bears battle Titans in preseason opener

The Bears kick off the preseason against the Titans on Saturday. Here are five storylines we’ll be keeping an eye on.

Week 1 is finally here! Well, Week 1 of the preseason, that is.

The beginning of the 2023 Chicago Bears season starts tomorrow and fans are brimming with excitement, as there are many storylines to keep an eye on for Saturday’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans.

How will Fields do in his first action of 2023? Who will come out on top in the position battles?

Let’s take a look at the five storylines to watch in Saturday’s preseason opener.

10 Bears players to watch in the preseason opener vs. Titans

The Bears are set to take on the Titans this Saturday in the preseason opener. Here are 10 players to keep an eye on.

The preseason opener is finally here, marking another important milestone as we inch closer to the start of the regular season. The Chicago Bears are set to welcome the Tennessee Titans to town for the first look at the 2023 squad.

Though the starters on both sides of the ball likely won’t see more than a couple drives, the preseason will give everyone a chance to view veterans and rookies alike who are vying for a spot on the team. After all, it was this time last year that fans first got a glimpse at safety Jaquan Brisker and Jack Sanborn when they shined against the Kansas City Chiefs on the lakefront.

Who will stand out and make a name for themselves this Saturday? Here are 10 players to keep an eye on when the game kicks off.

5 Bears players who impressed on Day 13 of training camp

Here a few Bears players who stood out during the team’s final public practice of training camp.

Believe it or not, Chicago Bears training camp 2023 is already coming to a close. The Bears held their final public training camp practice of the season on Thursday, two days before they take on the Tennessee Titans in the preseason opener. After that, one more closed practice will take place on Monday before the team heads to Indianapolis for their joint practices with the Colts.

Following a lengthy and spirited practice the day before, head coach Matt Eberflus dialed things back a little bit on Thursday with a shorter session. But it was still one that featured plenty of plays from the defense, particularly on the line.

Here are a few players who stood out from the Bears’ final open training camp practice.

Jaylon Johnson claims Bears defense ‘has different mojo’ this year

CB Jaylon Johnson told Brian Baldinger that the Bears defense has a different attitude coming into the 2023 season.

Despite expectations being relatively high, the 2022 Chicago Bears fell well short of expectations. The team only managed to muster three wins, ending the season on a 10-game losing streak. Many fans were left with a sour taste in their mouths, pondering with irritation as to what crippled Chicago’s season.

Many fans were quick to attach the blame to Field’s “failure” to take the superstar leap and become an elite quarterback in only his second season. Others called out the subpar performance of both the offensive and defensive line, or the questionable play calling of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

The truth is is all of those factors and more were to blame; football is a team sport, after all. One major contributor that is often overlooked was the subpar play of the defense, and it’s easy to understand why.

The defense had a statement game in a 33-14 Week 7 thrashing of the New England Patriots, elevating the unit’s performance for a large stretch afterward. The defense soon after lost that magic, failing to make a stand in crucial late-game situations, resulting in many late Bears leads to be stolen away in the waning seconds of the game.

Veteran cornerback Jaylon Johnson made it clear in an interview with NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger that things will be different for his squad in 2023, confidently claiming that “there’s a whole different mojo with our defense.”

Johnson made the tremendous point that both him and safety Eddie Jackson were not what they wanted to be in 2022 and he holds both themselves and the defense to a higher standard. The two defensive backs are considered leaders of the team, and for the duo to take accountability for their mishaps last season surely means a lot to the guys they suit up with every day.

The 2023 Bears defense is looking good, at least on paper. General manager Ryan Poles invested heavily in the unit in the offseason, signing premier free agent linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and drafting promising rookies like cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. The team’s recent signing of stud pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue has, in Twitter (X) terms, given the defense some juice, and the talk of the town has suddenly shifted to how great the defense can be.

Most of the NFL world continues to overlook Chicago, and the fanbase generally expects the team to put the league on notice in a hurry. Although Fields is the one anointed to essentially carry the Bears back into relevancy, the defense is positioned to help QB1 shoulder that burden.

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Bears rookie Gervon Dexter getting opportunity to learn from Yannick Ngakoue

Yannick Ngakoue was spotted working with Bears rookie Gervon Dexter on pass rush moves after practice.

Bears rookie defensive tackle Gervon Dexter has been one of the standouts during training camp, where he’s consistently making plays. Dexter has been notably impactful bringing interior pressure, which caused issues for quarterback Justin Fields and the first-team offense on Thursday.

Following the addition of defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, Dexter expressed a desire to learn from the eight-year veteran.

“I’m ready to go back and pick his brain right now,” Dexter said Tuesday. “He is a great guy. Even coming to the room, he introduced himself. You can tell he’s a great leader. He’s a great guy as well. He has all the tools, so I’m definitely super eager to go in there and pick his brain.”

Dexter got an opportunity to do just that.

Following Thursday’s practice, Ngakoue was spotted working with Dexter on pass rush moves. And it sounds like Dexter was getting a tutorial of Ngakoue’s famous cross-chop.

While Ngakoue is expected to have a huge impact on the team’s struggling pass rush, there’s also the added benefit of how he can help the young players on the roster, including Dexter and fellow rookie Zacch Pickens.

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5 Bears players who impressed on Day 12 of training camp

With Day 12 of Bears training camp in the books, here are the players who impressed on Wednesday.

The Chicago Bears orchestrated a longer than usual training camp practice on Wednesday, with players on both offense and defense taking advantage of extra snaps.

Several Bears did not participate today, notably guard Nate Davis, defensive end DeMarcus Walker, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and safety Jaquan Brisker.

The injury bug also made a surprise but unwelcome visit to Halas Hall, as wide receivers Chase Claypool and Equanimeous St. Brown, guard Teven Jenkins and guard Alex Leatherwood all pulled up gingerly during their respective drills, causing them to go to the sideline for a time.

Without further delay, let’s examine the five Bears players who stood out on Day 12 of training camp.

6 Bears who stood out on Day 8 of training camp

With the eighth practice of Bears training camp in the books, here are the players who impressed on Friday.

The Chicago Bears kicked off their second week of training camp with a non-padded practice on Friday, and the team is slated to play its first preseason game in just under a week.

While the addition of defensive end Yannick Ngakoue was the big news out of Halas Hall today, there were several of his new teammates who made a strong impression during Friday’s slower, non-padded practice.

Let’s take a look at the six players who stood out during the eighth practice of training camp.

Bears training camp: Tracking rookie progress after first week

We’re taking a closer look at the 2023 Bears rookie draft class to see how they’ve performed in training camp up to this point.

Training camp is in full swing for the Chicago Bears, who have now completed seven days of practice since reporting to Halas Hall last week. Early on, the offense stole the show with big plays in the passing game, but the defense caught up once pads came on the last couple of days.

Players like Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, Chase Claypool, Tremaine Edmunds, Jaquan Brisker, and Kyler Gordon have stolen the headlines at one time or another after each practice, but what about the Bears rookie class? General manager Ryan Poles selected 10 players in total earlier this spring, most notably tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick.

Wright has been a starter at right tackle from Day 1 and he’s been one of the more intriguing players as camp has gotten underway. There’s more to the rookies than just the first-round pick, though. Here’s an overview of each Bears rookie performance up to this point in camp.