4 Winners and 3 Losers From Bears Preseason Week 2: Jordan van den berg keeps dominating, left tackle battle is still wide open
The Chicago Bears did not have the outcome they wanted in preseason Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but some players still found a way to stand out and improve their stock during Saturday’s loss.
The Chicago Bears fell to the Cincinnati Bengals in Saturday night’s preseason game, but the final score is irrelevant with one preseason game remaining before roster cuts. Every snap matters from here on out for players fighting to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, and this game provided plenty of separation between those who helped themselves and those who didn’t.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson won’t be pleased with the overall performance, especially ahead of a heavy practice scheduled for Tuesday before the team heads to Tennessee for another joint practice going into the final week of the preseason.
So, with that being said, let’s break down which players did make a strong case for themself and which ones did not after Saturday’s game.
Winner: Jordan van den Berg continues to steal the show
The rookie sixth-round defensive tackle was the best player on the field for the second consecutive week. Jordan van den Berg posted an 80.9 PFF pass rushing grade and recorded two pressures, three tackles, and two stops in the run game. Those numbers alone don’t do enough justice to how consistently he pushed the pocket in both phases and the motor he played with. He was all over the field all night long.
What makes this even more impressive is that van den Berg is still raw in his game. Yet, he’s dominating at the NFL level despite having significant room to grow. He’s going to push for real snaps on the Bears’ interior alongside Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr.
Loser: Braxton Jones fails to close the door at left tackle
Earlier this week, I felt the left tackle job was Braxton Jones’ to lose. He had the opportunity to solidify the starting role in this game and build cohesion with the rest of the starting offensive line heading into the regular season.
Instead, he posted the lowest pass blocking grade on the entire team at 29.6. A holding call on the first drive with the starting offense negated a big run and stalled the possession. And he just did not look good at all anchoring in pass protection. The worst part for Jones is that he wasn’t even going against the Bengals’ starters.
The rest of the competition didn’t inspire confidence either. Theo Benedet graded out with a 50.4 pass blocking grade with no pressures or sacks allowed, Kiran Amegadjie allowed four pressures, Jedrick Wills Jr. had one penalty and one pressure allowed. None of the four looked like a capable long-term answer, but Jones had the clearest path to the job and fell flat on Saturday.
Winner: Dayo Odeyingbo flashed as the Bears’ best edge rusher
Back on the defensive side, Dayo Odeyingbo was the most eye-popping edge rusher in this game. He posted a 77.3 pass rushing grade and recorded two pressures, including one rep where he absolutely smoked Josh Johnson.
With no Austin Booker in this game, Odeyingbo lined up opposite Montez Sweat with the first-team defense. Johnson provided no update on why Booker did not play, making it a potential injury situation to monitor. Jamree Kromah also saw time with that first-team defense, but Odeyingbo stood out above the rest. It’s also worth noting that we still haven’t seen Marcus Davenport out there, who will factor into this edge room as well.
Loser: Dontae Manning’s rough outing drops him down the depth chart
Dontae Manning’s stat line tells a complicated story. He recorded three pass breakups, four tackles, and one defensive stop. At one point, he looked like a winner. Then he gave up back-to-back touchdowns in one-on-one coverage, getting beat off the line and smoked downfield on both plays. He was targeted 11 times and allowed six receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns.
Manning was out there with the starters with no Tyrique Stevenson, who Johnson said is week-to-week with another injury. That could change after this performance. Beanie Bishop Jr. could get a look with the starters in the final preseason game. That outside cornerback depth spot remains one to watch heading into roster cuts.
Winner: Sam Roush shows his hidden potential in the passing game
The rookie tight end’s run blocking grade of 53.0 wasn’t ideal for a player expected to fill a blocking role as the third tight end. But, Sam Roush flashed the receiving ability that made him an intriguing draft pick to add in Ben Johnson’s offense.
He hauled in two receptions Saturday, including a 26-yard catch on a play-action drag route where Case Keenum hit him crossing the field. What happened after the catch was exactly what the Bears saw on his college tape: Roush quickly turned up field after the wide open catch and then was bowling through defenders, showcasing the yards-after-catch ability that gives this offense a hidden weapon.
Loser: Kentavius Street is a player to watch closely this week
Kentavius Street played with the starters but logged only eight total defensive snaps. He recorded zero pressures and made little impact against either the run or the pass from what I saw. Meanwhile, Neville Gallimore posted two pressures and a tackle without starting. James Lynch added two more pressures after a standout performance in the first game. Even rookie Jayden Loving recorded a pressure.
A goose egg from Street on the stat sheet in the game where he needed to make a case for himself puts his roster spot in jeopardy with van den Berg making noise behind him.
Winner: Skyler Thomas makes his bid for the final safety spot
The undrafted rookie safety posted the best defensive grade on the team at 88.2. Thomas recorded an interception, allowed just one reception for six yards on his coverage snaps, and added an 80.7 tackling grade with two tackles.
He’s in a legitimate battle with Anthony Johnson Jr. for that last safety depth spot. Johnson wasn’t targeted on any of his 18 coverage snaps, so both players have made cases to stick around.
With Elijah Hicks still on the PUP list with a shin injury, the Bears may need to keep both Thomas and Johnson unless Hicks can return to the field soon. Ryan Poles indicated Hicks’ recovery might not take as long as initially expected, but until he’s practicing, the safety depth remains in flux heading into the final roster decisions.
