7 biggest storylines to watch for in Bears vs. Colts
The Chicago Bears will play their second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday after collaborating on a couple of joint practices this week. The team only has a few weeks to prepare for their opening game against the Green Bay Packers, which means several concerns and questions will need to be sorted out before then. Several position groups will be looking to build off their solid game from last week, the offense will need to adjust after several starters were confirmed to be sitting out, and there’s even a position battle that still has no clear front runner.
Prepare for the game by taking a look at the seven biggest storylines to watch for in Week 2 of the preseason.
Bears offensive production without Fields
Quarterback Justin Fields’ stellar play in the team’s two joint practices with the Colts had the coaching staff satisfied with his readiness for the regular season, as head coach Matt Eberflus made the decision to sit the star passer for Saturday’s game.
The pressure is now on for the rest of the quarterback room to keep the ball moving, allowing other players to get their opportunity to shine. Chicago scored on two consecutive drives to start the game in last week’s contest against the Titans, and that same level of production will open up the offense and give the defense the jolt they need.
Quarterbacks PJ Walker, Nathan Peterman and Tyson Bagent will be tasked with keeping the chains moving through the air, while running backs like Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson will need to take the pressure of their QBs on the ground.
Will the defensive line put together another strong game?
The defensive line was one of the biggest positives coming out of last week’s game, much to the surprise and delight of Bears fans. The front four played like they had something to prove, racking up eight sacks in the contest. Rookies like defensive tackles Zacch Pickens and Travis Bell notched a couple QB takedowns, but the stars of the show were Trevis Gipson and Terrell Lewis; two defensive ends who plugged running plays and disrupted the pocket on nearly every snap.
The group will aim to be just as oppressive and dominant in the Bears’ second preseason game. Major snaps in the regular season are ripe for the taking; only recently signed Yannick Ngakoue has cemented himself a spot. It’ll be interesting to see who out of the spry defensive front four will string together another great performance.
Can the offense continue to create big plays?
The Bears offense made one thing very clear in their first preseason game: this isn’t your usual run the ball and score three points through four quarters sort of unit. Touchdowns were the mentality for Fields and the first-team offense, and the group was keen on making it a reality. Star receiver DJ Moore and running back Khalil Herbert took short passes in for long scores on two consecutive drives, giving the fanbase a glimpse of their potential.
The question is, can the team replicate that production consistently? Kay Adams of FanDuel TV made the point that skill players making special plays is integral to success in the NFL, and the Bears certainly have dynamic players on the roster. Saturday’s game will serve as another test as to whether or not the Bears offense can orchestrate more explosive plays.
Moore and Herbert could give the fans an encore, but it’s a prime opportunity for the other skilled players on the team to make some fireworks. Bears like Velus Jones, Tyler Scott, and Roschon Johnson could be next in touching paydirt.
Offensive line's performance
The offensive line also came to play in last week’s game, playing much better as a unit than what was previously anticipated. Rookie first-round pick Darnell Wright particularly turned heads due to his solid ability to pass protect and open up run lanes, but the line overall was graded as one of the best units of Week 1 of the preseason.
The guys in the trenches will be asked to display that same cohesion and reliability in Saturday’s game. It has yet to be confirmed if guard Nate Davis will participate in preseason Week 2, but the rest of the line is expected to suit up. Much like their defensive counterpart, the offensive line group is one of the more uncertain positions on the roster, which can allow players who impress the coaching staff to move up the depth chart.
The Bears’ offensive efficiency hinges on the offensive line. We’ll see if the group can get the job done.
Can the Bears' defense continue to force turnovers?
From the day he stepped into Halas Hall, head coach Matt Eberflus has preached the HITS principle: a defensive philosophy that revolves around defenders flocking to the ball and getting turnovers. The defense clearly adopted Eberflus’ beliefs last week, as the unit came up with four turnovers in the game.
The Bears will now look for those same opportunities against the Colts. Getting the ball back for the offense is a feat that will require all 11 guys being locked in on every snap, racing to bring down ball carriers, and being aggressive with causing fumbles and getting into passing lanes for interceptions.
While the Colts have talent up and down the roster, the team has had their fair share of struggles on offense over the last couple of years, something Chicago can exploit.
Linebacker battle between Noah Sewell and Jack Sanborn
After Jack Sanborn’s dazzling performance in last year’s preseason and his increased playing time in the regular season, fans assumed his position as the third linebacker in a 4-3 defense was solidified. Rookie Noah Sewell is having himself a good training camp and preseason to this point as well, however, and is looking to create some debate for who will get the starting job.
Sanborn isn’t confirmed to be playing in the Bears’ second preseason game as of this writing, and that may be to his detriment. Sewell saw plenty of snaps last week and played well, totaling four tackles, one tackle for loss and a QB hit. Another solid game from the rookie could have the Bears’ defensive coaches voting in favor of Sewell getting the start over Sanborn.
For the fans sake, let’s hope Sanborn does suit up, because this unexpected linebacker competition will be a fun one to watch.
CB Tyrique Stevenson's growth
In last week’s rendition of this article, we questioned whether Stevenson would make enough of an impact to pull ahead of fellow rookie corner Terrell Smith to get a starting cornerback spot. Stevenson answered that question in a hurry, quickly proving that he’s very comfortable playing outside corner as he dominated on nearly every snap.
Stevenson will have a difficult challenge to overcome a Colts team that will deploy much more talented receivers for Stevenson to blanket. Moreover, Stevenson made a name for himself last week with his physicality against the run and he’ll be asked to play with that same tenacity. Really, the only thing the rookie defender didn’t do was record a turnover, since the one astray pass he had a chance to pick off literally slipped through his fingers.
Another strong performance paired with an interception will have the fans thinking they struck gold again with another promising defender on their team.
