Preseason Week 2 Game Thread - Bills at Bears, Fox, SUN, 8-17, 7pm Central

[adam]

Reports are that starters will play, which is nice to see. Bagent and Co started with back to back 3 and outs against Miami, so I hope Caleb can lead a scoring drive and show real progress on Sunday night.

[Mongo3451]

My hope is that the starters play a full half.  We'll see if Caleb is getting the ball out with accuracy.  I want to see if the interior defensive guys are penetrating and, of course, the LT battle continues...

[Stinger226]

I to hope they play at least a half for starters. We need to start seeing what training camp has accomplished on both D and O. BJ is taking a lot of crap for not players starters, and I to wish they would have played but I trust him as he executes what his plans are. Its all about playing better in Sept now winning some preseason games.

[adam]

57 minutes ago, Mongo3451 said:

My hope is that the starters play a full half.  We'll see if Caleb is getting the ball out with accuracy.  I want to see if the interior defensive guys are penetrating and, of course, the LT battle continues...

I think they have a snap count in mind, I heard someone mentioned 20-24 snaps, so we will see. A full half is probably the max.

[BearFan PHX]

2 hours ago, Mongo3451 said:

My hope is that the starters play a full half.  We'll see if Caleb is getting the ball out with accuracy.  I want to see if the interior defensive guys are penetrating and, of course, the LT battle continues...

for sure - we havent seen or heard much about the interior, I wanna see what all that $ looks like on the field!

And the LT battle continues to be an enigma, with sudden love for Theo Benedet, and Trapilo taking snaps at RT.

Who knows what any of that means? Is it serious? Is it motivational? I have no idea how to read this.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

New systems needs time and sitting most starters last week took that time away. I dont know where BJs thoughts are decisions came from but he's putting that to rest this weekend.  Caleb needs to show he can run this offense at its most basic form. If he struggles, the weight will only get heavier and if he plays the position well, the hype will build.  He was a B to C imo last year.  I want him to get to A.

[BearFan PHX]

1 minute ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

New systems needs time and sitting most starters last week took that time away. I dont know where BJs thoughts are decisions came from but he's putting that to rest this weekend.  Caleb needs to show he can run this offense at its most basic form. If he struggles, the weight will only get heavier and if he plays the position well, the hype will build.  He was a B to C imo last year.  I want him to get to A.

I wonder if because they are "feeding the offense with a firehose" if the coaches thought it would look too disjointed last week and the press would start to build too much pressure?

I do expect that with this roster and staff that we will get there, but I guess training camp is gonna bleed into the regular season. And we will need to have some patience.

I want him to be an A too, but I guess it could take time. Id like to see 17 to 20 points coming out of the gate here in general, on our way to 30 when we are in flow. But that could be the second half of the season.

[AZ54]

I’ll just take Ben Johnson at his word that he wants his starters to get the maximum number of reps they can get in camp and preseason.  By letting them skip the game they were able to pick up an additional 50 practice reps.  It’s not the same as a game but he also doesn’t have dumb down the script like he would have for a game.   The joint practices allow him to do that and he gets to see what they can do well.      
 

After this week things start getting locked in and he said as they prep for Wk 1 the offense will get trimmed down with shorter play calls and a clearer game plan.  He’s keeping his cards close to the vest stating that they still don’t know what type of running game they’ll be using.  
 

He’s keeping the Vikings guessing. 

[ASHKUM BEAR]

36 minutes ago, BearFan PHX said:

I wonder if because they are "feeding the offense with a firehose" if the coaches thought it would look too disjointed last week and the press would start to build too much pressure?

I do expect that with this roster and staff that we will get there, but I guess training camp is gonna bleed into the regular season. And we will need to have some patience.

I want him to be an A too, but I guess it could take time. Id like to see 17 to 20 points coming out of the gate here in general, on our way to 30 when we are in flow. But that could be the second half of the season.

It could be, as AZ said the starters got more reps in the joint practice too.  So the water hose was inserted.   I feel the Bears have been notorious for not playing starters in preseason and it has always showed.  Im not giving BJ any benefit until I see this team look the part.  On paper, he is the mad scientist that has history of creating monsters.  Lets start to see if that creativity followed him here 

[BearFan PHX]

1 hour ago, AZ54 said:

I’ll just take Ben Johnson at his word that he wants his starters to get the maximum number of reps they can get in camp and preseason.  By letting them skip the game they were able to pick up an additional 50 practice reps.  It’s not the same as a game but he also doesn’t have dumb down the script like he would have for a game.   The joint practices allow him to do that and he gets to see what they can do well.      
 

After this week things start getting locked in and he said as they prep for Wk 1 the offense will get trimmed down with shorter play calls and a clearer game plan.  He’s keeping his cards close to the vest stating that they still don’t know what type of running game they’ll be using.  
 

He’s keeping the Vikings guessing. 

another good theory. And you're right, we just have to trust him.

Then we'll see it on the field, if after a few games its looks terrible, then I'll deal with that then. Right now I have faith we will get there, I just dont know how many weeks itll take.

[Stinger226]

Some good coaches play their players a lot in the preseason and some do not. I would prefer lots of reps but Im just a fan. This is BJs first year and we have to wait and see how it all turns out. I think it will be rough in the begining but by our bye week we should start to show progress. Week 5 is the bye week. 

[ASHKUM BEAR]

56 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

Some good coaches play their players a lot in the preseason and some do not. I would prefer lots of reps but Im just a fan. This is BJs first year and we have to wait and see how it all turns out. I think it will be rough in the begining but by our bye week we should start to show progress. Week 5 is the bye week. 

We can very well see a 5 or 6 win team. That's why this team needs to put it together and fast.  After Sunday, they better have the starting oline set.  This is football and they are professionals, they should know the game and the technical crap they had to improve on should be worked out.  Like Braxton had it nipped Friday but reverted back to his old ways Sunday. Now Darnell is getting called out for being lazy, he got the same warning when Ben took the job and rode his high horse into camp. As for Caleb, it is time to shine. I want to see a scripted 1st series and he nails it.  Move the ball and get points 3 or 6. 

[Stinger226]

11 hours ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

We can very well see a 5 or 6 win team. That's why this team needs to put it together and fast.  After Sunday, they better have the starting oline set.  This is football and they are professionals, they should know the game and the technical crap they had to improve on should be worked out.  Like Braxton had it nipped Friday but reverted back to his old ways Sunday. Now Darnell is getting called out for being lazy, he got the same warning when Ben took the job and rode his high horse into camp. As for Caleb, it is time to shine. I want to see a scripted 1st series and he nails it.  Move the ball and get points 3 or 6. 

We were a 5 win team last year with terrible coaching, a rookie QB, and dysfunctional OL. At some point the players quit on Flus. There was a few more wins we could have had .( Hail Mary) 

This year we have a 100% upgrade in coaching, 3 new starters on the OL, a QB with talent and added talent upgrade. To think we will win the same number of games as we did last year doesnt seem very logical. I think our floor is 9 and celing of 12? 

[adam]

16 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

We were a 5 win team last year with terrible coaching, a rookie QB, and dysfunctional OL. At some point the players quit on Flus. There was a few more wins we could have had .( Hail Mary) 

This year we have a 100% upgrade in coaching, 3 new starters on the OL, a QB with talent and added talent upgrade. To think we will win the same number of games as we did last year doesnt seem very logical. I think our floor is 9 and celing of 12? 

Yeah, people do not give Williams enough credit for what he pulled off last year under those conditions. 3 losses were directly related to late-game coaching blunders. Besides the HC stuff, Williams had to deal with Waldron and then Brown as the OC/Playcaller. The other piece is play design. Waldron didn't scheme guys open. 

I still think 7 wins is the absolute floor with this O-Line, even if the LT situation is not rock solid yet. WR Corps is better, TE Corps is better, RB Corps looks better with Monangai, DTs are better, LBs look improved due to position swap, and the secondary was always a strength when healthy.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

5 hours ago, Stinger226 said:

We were a 5 win team last year with terrible coaching, a rookie QB, and dysfunctional OL. At some point the players quit on Flus. There was a few more wins we could have had .( Hail Mary) 

This year we have a 100% upgrade in coaching, 3 new starters on the OL, a QB with talent and added talent upgrade. To think we will win the same number of games as we did last year doesnt seem very logical. I think our floor is 9 and celing of 12? 

Go through the schedule and tell me how many wins you feel good enough to bet $100 on.  I come up w 6, maybe 7. 

Just because we have improvements doesnt mean the tough schedule got easier. Just being realistic since I have had high hopes every year.

[Stinger226]

I have already bet  100 on draftkings website that was 8.5 line for wins. I am actually more confident now that I have seen what kind of coach BJ is. Will it have a rough start, yes, will it be rolling the second half of the season. I believe so. 10 oe 11 could be the ceiling. 

Gambling is always a risk, each game bets will be determined by how we progress thru the season. Now is not the time to bet games. Injuries always come into play through out a full season. Our team or our opponent. We will have a few disappointments and a few surprises over our schedule but you have to take in consideration, we are only going to get better as we go forward. IMO

[Mongo3451]

1 minute ago, Stinger226 said:

I have already bet  100 on draftkings website that was 8.5 line for wins. I am actually more confident now that I have seen what kind of coach BJ is. Will it have a rough start, yes, will it be rolling the second half of the season. I believe so. 10 oe 11 could be the ceiling. 

I thought about it, but our schedule brutal.  Two ifs:  Caleb, LT...

[AZ54]

I"m not that worried about LT because at least there are 4 options roughly as good as Braxton Jones so I know what the floor is.  Can we make it better than that?  I sure hope so but as Ben Johnson said today it might take some time, even into the season to get it right.  Ben was clear about Ozzy that he's too slow off the snap, but he's much better at RT.  He likely has good enough traits to get where we need him to be but switching from RT to LT hasn't been as easy as hoped.   Ben likes what Theo has done at RT and decided to try him at LT but again it's going to take him time to adjust.  It'll be interesting to see him this weekend.    Kiran is just a wildcard...there was no mention of what they think of him.   

My biggest concern with Braxton is the mental lapses where he gets beaten very early in the snap.  It's one thing to lose the rep 2s into the play, another to lose inside 1s.  His good plays are acceptable but I suspect at minimum Ben wants to find a more consistent floor or Caleb is going to come out of the some the play action fakes and get leveled.  

[ASHKUM BEAR]

31 minutes ago, AZ54 said:

I"m not that worried about LT because at least there are 4 options roughly as good as Braxton Jones so I know what the floor is.  Can we make it better than that?  I sure hope so but as Ben Johnson said today it might take some time, even into the season to get it right.  Ben was clear about Ozzy that he's too slow off the snap, but he's much better at RT.  He likely has good enough traits to get where we need him to be but switching from RT to LT hasn't been as easy as hoped.   Ben likes what Theo has done at RT and decided to try him at LT but again it's going to take him time to adjust.  It'll be interesting to see him this weekend.    Kiran is just a wildcard...there was no mention of what they think of him.   

My biggest concern with Braxton is the mental lapses where he gets beaten very early in the snap.  It's one thing to lose the rep 2s into the play, another to lose inside 1s.  His good plays are acceptable but I suspect at minimum Ben wants to find a more consistent floor or Caleb is going to come out of the some the play action fakes and get leveled.  

Should have taken Simmons, killing it at KC.  Afraid bc of his injury but the guy has feet. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

8 minutes ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

Should have taken Simmons, killing it at KC.  Afraid bc of his injury but the guy has feet. 

I was a big Simmons fan. 

[ASHKUM BEAR]

19 minutes ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

I was a big Simmons fan. 

I was afraid of him at 10, but if he starter material for the Chiefs, I feel we missed out.  I was more sold on the G/LT tweener Banks that once he was selected i was lost.  Happy for Loveland, but damn now we still might need a LT. 

[BearFan PHX]

I hear Ersery is killing it too.

Anyone hear anything about how Banks is doing?

[AZ54]

Y’all have a lot of confidence in preseason reporting.  I’d have been good with Josh Simmons but I do wonder about those work ethic questions and how that would fit into Ben’s culture.  Ersery too could have helped. We’ll see how it shakes out by week 8.  
 

i watched Bears reports and we had a lot of good plays against the Bills.  I watched Bills reports and they were happy because they had a lot of good plays against the Bears.  The one player that caught their eye as a problem: Rome.  

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I think the biggest worry I have is if Wright ends up being mediocre. Jones was a late pick - Wright was a high pick. 
 

Let’s see these tackles step up. I also want to see what sort of dude Trapillo can be on right side - pretty clear he isn’t there yet on left side and the real risk is that might always be the case. 

[BearFan PHX]

I dunno. Giving Trapilo reps at RT is good for a baseline, so you know how he'd be if you need it. It also should motivate him.

Trapilo's college film looks "boring" it's consistent and never looks dramatic. He kind of just does his job without fanfare. Maybe the Bears want to see a meaner streak in him.

Nothings decided yet, but someone needs to step up and take the job. I hate the idea that someone just gets chosen without having served notice.