Bears show improvement with win over Colts

IOWA CITY, Iowa – After practicing with the Colts in joint practice earlier in the week, the Bears showed improvement in all three phases of the game.

(This is for the first team offense and defense/special teams)

Offense: The Bears offense was able to move the ball against the Colts defense and generated three scoring driving, all ending in a field goal. Cutler went 8/9 for 69 yards and utilized all his receivers. Martellus Bennett, Eddie Royal, Matt Forte, and Marquess Wilson all had catches in the game, with Bennett’s 20-yard catch being the longest completion. Cutler showed some good escapability when the pocket collapsed or when the receivers didn’t get open. On the third offensive series, Cutler dropped back and looked at his receivers, none were open, so he took off running towards the left sideline for a gain of 13 yards. This is a step in the right direction for Cutler, not forcing the ball and living to play another down.

Matt Forte made his preseason debut and looked solid against the Colts. He carried the ball eight times for 24yards, his longest run being for 11 yards. He also contributed in the passing game where he ran a nice seven yard out route and beat the linebacker, resulting in a first down. Offensive coordinator, Adam Gase is going to take advantage of Forte’s ability to make plays, so expect him to have a big year this upcoming season.

Defense: The Bears defense got after Andrew Luck and it all started with Pernell McPhee. On the Bears first defensive series, McPhee used a bull rush technique, threw off the offensive lineman and sacked Luck. Then the next play he pressured Luck to throw an inaccurate ball, forcing a three and out. Last time the Bears defense gave up a touchdown on the first series of the game against the Dolphins, but against one of the top teams in the AFC, the Bears defense held their own. Jared Allen also showed his can still get to the QB. He lined up with his hands on the ground, the stance he has known his whole career and got around the tackle, forcing Luck to throw an incomplete pass. The defense held their own until the last series where Luck connected to his main target T.Y Hilton for a 45-yard gain. Kyle Fuller was the one in coverage and he added 15 more yards to the end of the play for unsportsmanlike conduct. This was a bone head play by Fuller, he got beat on the play and has to leave it at that. The drive ended up resulting in a five-yard touchdown run for Luck. The defense overall made strides in the right direction and will be something Bears fans should look forward to seeing in the next preseason game.

Special Teams: Robbie Gould and Marc Mariani were phenomenal against the Colts. Gould went 3/3 on field goals, with his longest being from 50 yards and Mariani gave the Bears great field position all game. Mariani knows how to hit the hole and explode with a burst of speed, his longest return was for 29 yards. Special teams could be a huge x-factor for the Bears this upcoming season.

What to look for: The player to watch on offense will be Marquess Wilson. He has some big shoes to fill with Kevin White out and needs to show he can make plays when the opportunity is given to him. On defense the player to watch is Kyle Fuller. He will most likely be on A.J. Green and that will be a good test for the young corner. The Bears are undefeated in the preseason thus far and will look to get another win as they travel to Cincinnati.