Bears take steps backwards in loss to the Bengals

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Bears take their first loss of the preseason and in the 21 -10 loss to the Bengals, both the Bears offense and defense struggled.

Offense: The Bears went into the game without their four starting receivers but it was the play of the offense line that lacked production.

Throughout the game the offensive line was called for a variety of penalties and put Jay Cutler in tough situations. Whether Cutler was trying to avoid getting sacked or having to try to convert a third and long situation, the offensive line failed to help Cutler. Starting left tackle Jermon Bushrod, has not had a great preseason and this was the same case against the Bengals.

The Bears backup receivers play solid with starters out.

Both Marc Mariani and Rashad Lawrence had two receptions and Josh Bellamy caught a pass. Cutler targeted targeted Martellus Bennett the most and he ended the night with seven receptions for 45 yards. Overall the receivers played well, except for the dropped pass over the middle of the field by Lawrence, that could have resulted in a first down.

Cutler had a mediocre game against the Bengals.

Cutler ended the night with 98 yards, completing 13 of 17 passes. Cutler used his legs on one particular play when the pocket collapsed, as it did most of the night and gained 16 yards. Cutler didn’t have much of a chance all game to look for any big plays down field and threw mostly short passes the entire game.

Defense: Just like the first preseason game against the Dolphins the Bears gave up an opening drive touchdown. The three biggest concerns on defense are the lack of pressure the Bears put on opposing quarterbacks, the responsibilities for each player filling in their gaps and the coverage by the linebackers and secondary.

Whether it was Andy Dalton or AJ Mccarron, both quarterbacks had time to throw and picked apart the Bears defense. The defensive line and linebackers didn’t provide any pressure or force either qb to throw the ball away.

There were a couple of instances where linebackers didn’t fill in their gaps and allowed for big runs to happen. In the third preseason game you expect the defense to start clicking together but it was evident that there is still plenty of work to be done.

The coverage by linebackers and the secondary was horrific against the Bengals. There was a play were Shea Mcclellin got beat with a throw over the middle and it resulted in a big gain. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati starting qb actually threw the same pass last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was picked off by the safety. Mcclellin needs to work on his drop back if he wants to remain a starter. The corners and safety’s also played poorly. There weren’t any deflected balls and the receivers made plays on the secondary all game.

What to look for: Overall the Bears performed poorly in their loss to the Bengals and will have to look to rebound as they host the Cleveland Browns next Thursday to conclude the preseason.

Injured Bears head to Cincinnati for third preseason game

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Bears will be playing the Bengals with a banged up receiving core, with all four projected starters at the beginning of the season currently sidelined.

Eddie Royal was the latest Bear receiver to get injured, after he didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice due to a hip injury.  Alshon Jeffrey has been battling a calf injury, Marquess Wilson suffered a hamstring injury last week against the Colts and rookie Kevin White could be shut down for the season after undergoing shin surgery.

This means that receivers Josh Bellamy, Marc Mariani, and Cameron Meredith should get plenty of playing time against the Bengals.

Bears Offensive coordinator, Adam Gase is going to give these young receivers opportunities to make plays and when the time is called the young receivers must answer.

With receivers who don’t have much experience being with the first team offense, look for Jay Cutler to utilize his main targets, Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte.

The Bears play the Bengals August 29^th at Paul Brown Stadium.

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.