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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.
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.
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.”
Jaylon has all the confidence in this upgraded @ChicagoBears defense đź’Ş@NBAxJay1 | @BaldyNFL pic.twitter.com/JaBP2Dta5Y
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 9, 2023
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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With Day 11 of Bears training camp in the books, here are the players who impressed on Tuesday.
The Chicago Bears were back at Halas Hall Tuesday to resume practice ahead of Saturday’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans.
The offense had an up-and-down day, although there were some standout players among the bunch. While right guard Nate Davis and linebacker Jack Sanborn were back at practice, the team was still without its top defenders in linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, cornerback Kyler Gordon and safeties Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker sitting out. But other players further down the depth chart were able to flash their skill.
Let’s examine the Bears players who impressed during Tuesday’s training camp practice:
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.
After seven days of Bears training camp practices, here are our winners and losers up to this point.
Seven training camp practices have come and gone for the Chicago Bears up at Halas Hall and things are starting to fall in place at certain positions. There’s been some good, some bad, and even a little ugly at certain points depending on your perspective. But it’s all with a goal to grow as a team and prepare for the 2023 regular season that lies ahead.
Over the course of those seven practices, specific players have risen to the top and shined at crucial moments. Others, however, haven’t had the camp many envisioned they would up to this point.
It’s still early, but it’s clear some are in better spots than others. Here are the winners and losers of the first week of Bears training camp
Bears rookies Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith are battling it out for the starting outside cornerback job.
One of the more intriguing position battles to emerge from Bears training camp is between rookies Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith, who are battling for the CB2 role opposite Jaylon Johnson.
The pair have been splitting first team reps, and that continued during Tuesday’s padded workout. It’s been evident that a competition was brewing, and Stevenson all but confirmed it.
Stevenson said Bears coaches “made it real clear there’s going to be a competition” between him and Smith for the starting outside cornerback spot. And both continue to make plays during practice, including during Tuesday’s padded practice.
Stevenson broke up a pass intended for tight end Robert Tonyan, as well as locked up receiver DJ Moore during the 1-on-1 red zone period. Smith tipped a Justin Fields pass intended for receiver Chase Claypool, which was intercepted by safety Eddie Jackson.
“There’s definitely an opportunity open and [Smith] is doing his best to be able to be the CB2 and I’m doing my best,” Stevenson said, “so there’s no reason for me to go upstairs and ask questions. I feel like preparation and going out there and battling and competing is just going to bring the best man out on top for the job.”
While the pair remain friendly, there’s a competitive edge as they understand what’s at stake.
“It’s a competition until the end,” Stevenson said. “We both got drafted. For opportunities, it really doesn’t matter where you got drafted at. He comes in every day with his head down willing to work, just as I am.
“I’ve had a couple slip-ups as a rookie. They didn’t tell me anything, but they made it real clear that it’s going to be a competition. I didn’t earn anything. I have no stripes in the league. Every day we come in we smile at each other. We also know that we’re both working for the same position.”
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With the first padded practice of Bears training camp in the books, here are the players who impressed on Tuesday.
The pads are on! The Chicago Bears are fully geared up for the first time during training camp, and several players are already using that to their advantage.
Players that were already having a strong camp elevated their play with their gear on, and the Bears who rely more on their physicality were able to make a much bigger impression.
Here are the Bears’ biggest standout players from day six of training camp.
With the fifth practice of Bears training camp in the books, here are the players who stood out on Monday.
After a brief rest on Sunday, the Chicago Bears returned to the practice field for the second week of training camp.
While the pads aren’t on yet for the players — that’s coming tomorrow, according to center Cody Whitehair — several Bears stood out today, both on offense and defense. Even as the defense noticeably won the day for the first time this summer.
Let’s take a look at the seven Bears players who impressed on the fifth day of training camp.
Video highlights from Day 1 of Bears training camp have surfaced, including Justin Fields and DJ Moore. Take a look at the action:
The Chicago Bears kicked off training camp with their first practice on Wednesday, which was held inside the Walter Payton Center and closed to the public.
It was a ramp-up practice to start things off, but there were plenty of storylines to come out of Day 1.
There have been quick-hit video clips surfacing, from the team and the media, after the first practice. That includes a look at quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver DJ Moore’s continued connection, as well as an impressive one-handed grab by rookie wideout Aron Cruickshank.
Here are some highlights from the first practice of Bears training camp:
