Well, I don't know how the Bears are going to play during the regular season, or if they'll make the playoffs, but it kinda felt like they won the 2024 preseason. The Bears went 4-0 in the preseason, and absolutely dominated all 4 teams they played, including both the Buffalo Bills and the defending NFL champion Chiefs.
The defense was particularly stifling. Watching these preseason games almost looked like watching the '85 Bears' playoff run. Opposing teams simply could not move the ball, and the Bears dominated field position and time of possession.
Unfortunately, going undefeated in the preseason has been a bit of an albatross for NFL teams throughout history. The 2008 Lions and 2017 Browns both went winless in the regular season after having won all 4 of their preseason games. More generally, since 2010, teams that won all their preseason games would not do well in the regular season. Most would have losing records when all was said and done.
On the flipside, no team in this century has won the SuperBowl after failing to win a single preseason game. This does not bode well for the defending champion Chiefs, who lost all their preseason games, including the one against the Bears.
Something that doesn't help the analysis of the Bears' perfect preseason is the fact that the performance of the starters was lukewarm at best. It was really the backups who lit things up. It's hard to judge the Bears' top 2 draft picks because they didn't see a ton of action. Caleb Williams had a few good plays and showed a lot of the improvisational excitement that he was known for at USC. But all those theatrics did not result in many points, as the Bears' starting unit was mostly stagnating in the red zone and kicking field goals.
Rome Odunze almost had a touchdown against the Bengals, if only he'd stayed in-bounds.
There could have been a highlight touchdown between these 2, if Odunze had kept his feet in-bounds for a catch at the back of the endzone after a Caleb William's scramble. In Rome's defense, the sidelines and back lines were not fully painted. Usually, the lines around the perimeter of a football field are thick, solid white lines that are several yards wide. But in the preseason, these lines were hollow, so Rome may have thought he was inside the endzone because he was looking at the exterior line, instead of the interior line. In the regular season, he will hopefully be more aware of where he is on the field.
Backups shined ... but were cut anyway
As I said, it was really the backups who shined. It started with Brett Rypien driving the ball down the field in the Hall of Fame game. He came in after Tyson Bagent started the game and didn't exactly do well. Bagent would, however, turn things around. The remaining 3 games, he played very well and cemented his position as Caleb Willaims' backup.
In fact, the Bears cut Brett Rypien after the last preseason game, which surprised me considering how well he played in the preseason. I would have thought the Bears would at least keep Rypien on the practice squad, but he might not have been eligible now that the practice squad rules aren't as generous to veterans as they were during the COVID seasons. Rypien was signed by the Vikings after their first round draft pick J.J. McCarthy tore his MCL and will miss the entire season. So Rypien won't even be available to the bears later in the regular season, if they need a backup in case either Williams or Bagent get hurt.
Photo credit: Bleacher Report.
Tyson Bagent solidified his role as Caleb Williams' backup.
Perhaps the most surprising breakout star was Velus Jones Jr.. He has been a bit of a bust in his few years with the Bears so far, but he was given a lot of looks as a running back this preseason and played well in that role. In fact, he lead the team with over 6 yards per carry (of all players who rushed more than 3 times). I wonder if Eberflus is planning on using Velus Jones and his speed for more gadget-type plays? If so, his speed could make him a threat with the ball. He never quite live dup to his potential as a receiver due to poor hands and inability to really separate in his route running, but I've always thought that he could be dangerous as a returner, or in screens and Jet Pass situations.
Collin Johnson had some good catches and looked like he could compete for a 4th of 5th receiver roster spot. I was really surprised that he ended up being waived by the Bears. I was even more surprised that he wasn't picked up by any other teams, and that the Bears were able to sign him to their practice squad. He could become a contributor in future years, and maybe even this year if there are injuries in the receiving corps.
On the defensive side of the ball, Bears players didn't really accrue a lot in the way of statistics due to the fact that opponent offenses just weren't on the field very much. Daniel Hardy and 5th round draft pick Austin Booker led the team in sacks with 3.5 and 2.5, respectively, and a few guys made interceptions. Sadly, the defense, as a whole, may have been too good, and the offense too efficient, to adequately analyze any individual players because there weren't a lot of defensive reps to go around.
Another surprising move was that defensive back Greg Stroman Jr. was also cut, despite having a pretty good preseason. He also played and contributed in multiple games last season, so I really expected that he would remain with the team.
I will concede that some of the Bears' roster moves at the end of the preseason puzzle me a bit. However, Ryan Poles is the first Bears GM that I've really trusted with personnel decisions in a long time. Is he "perfect"? Of course not! But he has a track record of making good decisions in terms of signing, trades, and draft picks. If he thinks that Collin Johnson didn't quite earn a 53-man roster spot, and that Greg Stroman didn't even earn a practice squad spot, then I guess they didn't earn it. Until Poles starts showing consistently bad decision-making that tanks his credibility and good faith, then I'll accept his decision.
I definitely understand people's frustration with the preseason, when the wins are so meaningless, and players who have standout preseasons (Rypien and Stroman) can still end up getting cut. It almost makes the whole thing seem pointless. Almost...