A rejuvenated Noah Sewell and strong runs by Kyle Monangai highlight top takeaways from the Bears preseason opener vs. Dolphins
The first (preseason) game of the Ben Johnson Era was a success for the Chicago Bears even though the game ended in a 24-24 tie with the Miami Dolphins.While the final outcome would mean a lot to the locker room and coaching staff, what happened on the field means a lot more than the final […]
The first (preseason) game of the Ben Johnson Era was a success for the Chicago Bears even though the game ended in a 24-24 tie with the Miami Dolphins.
While the final outcome would mean a lot to the locker room and coaching staff, what happened on the field means a lot more than the final score in these games.
So, let’s take a look at some of the top takeaways from the preseason opener and which players were able to stand out in a big way.
1. Noah Sewell balls out under Dennis Allen’s scheme
During the first couple of drives, the best player out on the field was easily linebacker Noah Sewell, who’s looking to rejuvenate his career under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Sewell played just 22 games in his first two seasons with the Bears, and only 32 defensive snaps. Under a new coaching staff, Sewell got a fresh slate and is making the most of it.
The third-year linebacker has had a strong training camp at the SAM position and the strong level of play continued into the preseason. Sewell was consistently getting involved on the ball, including a key goal-line stop on fourth-down and a forced fumble on the sideline that went out of bounds.
Not to discredit rookie Ruben Hyppolite II, who made plays out there, but Sewell easily looked like the team’s third-best linebacker based on what we saw on Sunday.
2. Kyle Monangai ran with some authority
The Bears seventh-round rookie RB out of Rutgers looked like a bowling ball out there against the Dolphins defense, which is exactly what the Bears were hoping to see translate to the NFL.
Kyle Monangai kept his feet moving on every carry and was a tough man to bring down with the ball in his hands, the first man was rarely able to do so. Monangai’s wrapped up his first day of NFL action totaling 30 yards on six carries.
Monangai did have one bad rep on a pass rush pickup on the team’s first offensive series that I noticed but after that made some positive plays. In the second-half, UDFA rookie Deion Hankins had some physical carries as well while Ian Wheeler also showcased some physicality and speed.
3. Defensive end depth showed what we all hoped to see
One big gripe going into training camp was whether or not the Bears needed to add another player off the edge behind Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo. Only one player was added in Tanoh Kpassagnon, who has familiarity with Dennis Allen, but it was not the big name fans hoped for.
With Sweat and Odeyingbo sitting out, the top edge rushers starting on Sunday were Dominique Robinson and second-year Austin Booker. Booker shined the brightest of the two with three sacks, including a forced fumble, but both players managed to hit home and had multiple other pressures on the quarterback.
If these two continue to play like they did today, Bears fans should feel much more comfortable in the depth at the position.
4. Updates on the LT competition
This was one of the top areas I was focusing on throughout this game. Finding the starting left tackle is going to be a key decision to watch over the next few weeks when it comes to the regular season.
Incumbent starter Braxton Jones took the field first and played more snaps at the position. Overall, he held up okay outside of one pressure allowed against a one-on-one defender, luckily Tyson Bagent was able to turn play into a touchdown before the pressure hit home.
Rookie tackle Ozzy Trapilo then took over toward the end of the first-half and stayed in during the start of the third-quarter. His size was evident on the field and he largely held his own in pass protection. As expected, second-year Theo Benedet was the third player to rotate in at left tackle with Kiran Amegadjie sidelined due to a leg injury suffered during practice.
5. Luther Burden III was open for business
Luther Burden III had a productive first-half for the Bears offense without entirely showing too much. What he was able to show was some key plays to help keep two scoring drives alive.
The first one came on a 3rd-and-15 conversion in which Burden came back to the ball to get open and then moved the chains. On the final drive of the first-half, Burden caught a wide open drag and turned it into a 13-yard play while getting out of bounds with one second remaining to put the team in position to make a field goal before the half.
Overall, Burden did a solid good making himself open and had some good blocks as well. He even had one route down on the goal line that should have been a touchdown had Bagent looked his way. The best part, no out of alignment or pre-snap issues from the rookie.
Chicago Bears News
Chicago Bears 53-man roster projection ahead of the preseason opener, which players have been impressing throughout training camp
Players are starting to stand out.
| Be part of the A to Z Sports community and vote in our latest Chicago Bears poll as the preseason gets underway. |
