The Bears started off the preseason on a positive note, defeating the Tennessee Titans 23-17. 

It's just one preseason game, but this team looked unrecognizable compared to the 2022 edition. The defense forced turnovers, put pressure on the QB, and the offense looked explosive at times. 

I want to shout out three players who impressed the most in this game. I won't include the stars since they didn't play for long, but they didn't have to to make highlights. 

DE Terrell Lewis

Lewis had a phenomenal game against Tennessee. The fourth-year player collected two sacks, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble that the Bears recovered. 

Many fans and media have pondered whether the Bears did enough to address the pass rush this offseason. While most talk has been about Trevis Gipson, Lewis should now be considered a quality option on the edge. Even when Lewis didn't get the sack, he was in the backfield all day. Lewis looked quick off of the edge and contributed against the run as well. 

It was nice to see Lewis carry his good camp over to the preseason. If he continues, he could end up being a solid rotational piece behind Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker. 

CB Tyrique Stevenson

Stevenson has earned rave reviews in camp and it was easy to see why on Saturday. 

The rookie corner collected seven tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass defense. Stevenson was around the ball on seemingly every snap. The former Hurricane made solid tackles and even helped against the run. Stevenson didn't get burnt at all and locked down his man all afternoon. 

This was a fantastic start for the rookie. I will assume this performance gives him a leg up in the CB2 competition.

RB Roschon Johnson

Another rookie makes the list. Johnson easily looked the best of all Bear RBs. His stat line wasn’t eye-popping, but that doesn’t tell the full story. 

Watching this game, Johnson ran violently, refusing to go down on the first hit. The rookie finished with 12 carries for 44 yards, and several of those runs could have gone negative if not for Johnson's aggressive style. The former Longhorn also caught three passes, albeit for just two yards. 

In this game, Johnson looked like an NFL RB. He wasn't afraid to put his head down and hit a defender. I have a feeling we won't see Johnson lose yardage on many runs this season. With another showing like this, don't be surprised if Johnson ends up factoring in to the offense from Week 1 on.

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Featured image via © David Banks | 2023 Aug 12