Schrock’s report card: Evaluating the Bears’ offense and defense in their preseason win over the Chiefs originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
It wasn’t perfect, but the Bears completed their first 4-0 preseason since 1994 with a 34-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Fields at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday.
The Bears outscored their opponents 115-47 in the four test games.
Quarterback Caleb Williams and the regular players were not used, but the Bears’ second and third team players built a 34-7 lead over the Chiefs’ reserves before Kansas City tied the score with two late touchdowns.
With the preseason schedule in place, head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff now turn their attention to Tuesday’s roster cut deadline before the highly anticipated 2024 season begins.
Here is the final preseason report card for a Bears team with a lot of potential and a lot of work to do:
Passing offense
The Bears didn’t exactly play their best in Kansas City on Thursday night.
Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent started and completed 3 of 6 passes for 57 yards in two drives. Third-string quarterback Brett Rypien replaced him and completed 9 of 13 passes for 106 yards, including a 37-yard pass to Tyler Scott down the left sideline.
Scott caught six passes from ten targets for 99 yards during an extended outing on Thursday.
Undrafted rookie quarterback Austin Reed was efficient in cleanup, completing 8 of 10 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown.
It was nice to see Scott have a productive day. The second-year receiver has been performing well in camp and should be the No. 4 receiver on the list after the camp break.
Swing tackle Larry Borom has an ankle injury and will undergo an MRI on Friday. Borom was on the roster before the game, and this injury could blow it up. If Borom doesn’t make the 53-man roster, that leaves Matt Pryor and rookie Kiran Amegadjie as the Bears’ backup tackles.
Grade: C
Attack force
Travis Homer started the game at running back, but it was Velus Jones Jr. who got most of the work after undrafted rookie Ian Wheeler had to leave the game due to injury.
Jones, who switched to running back two weeks ago, ran for 111 yards on 13 attempts (8.5 per attempt), including a 39-yard touchdown.
The Bears have a lot of running backs, but Jones looked explosive on his outside runs.
“When you set up your roster the way we did at this new position, we wanted to see as many reps as possible at that position,” Eberflus said after the win when asked why Jones had so much to do in the final preseason game. “He had to defend, run routes and run the ball the way he did. So we wanted to take another look at him. He really put together a good performance today.”
Grade: B+
Pass defense
With neither Patrick Mahomes nor Carson Wentz eligible to play, the Bears’ deep defense made life difficult for third quarterback Chris Oladokun.
Undrafted rookie cornerback Reddy Steward intercepted Oladokun twice, including a pick-six, and the Bears held Oladokun’s passes to a total of 66 yards.
Fourth quarterback Ian Book threw two touchdown passes in garbage time.
The Bears’ pass rush didn’t produce anything special on Thursday night.
Rookie Austin Booker made his presence felt once, while Dashaun Mallory recorded the Bears’ only sack.
Eberflus admitted after the win that the Bears’ lack of depth at the defensive tackle position is a concern. The Bears have Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings, but second-year defensive tackle Zacch Pickens is injured and there is no reliable replacement behind him.
This is the position the Bears will start with next week.
Grade: A
Run defense
Chiefs rookie running back Carson Steele rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on four carries Thursday. Steele ripped off a 31-yard run that included a massive stiff arm to safety Tarvarius Moore.
Overall, the Bears defense gave up 135 yards on 27 carries (5.0 yards per attempt). The interior defensive line was unable to make a consistent push, but the Bears got a good all-around game from Daniel Hardy, who further solidifies his place on the 53-man roster.
Grade: C+
Special teams
Veteran wide receiver and return specialist Deandre Carter is battling for one of the final spots on the Bears’ roster, but an unforgivable special teams mistake on Thursday won’t help him.
Carter went back to return a punt but let the ball bounce. Carter went up to block the shooter but was pushed back and the ball bounced off his leg and the Chiefs were able to recover the ball.
With Dante Pettis missing Thursday’s game due to injury, Carter should still have a good chance of making the roster.
But in an era where every rep counts, this mistake could prove costly for Carter.
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