The Chicago Bears opted not to play their starters last weekend in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. It was a somewhat controversial decision by head coach Ben Johnson. Players are learning new systems, especially on the offensive side. One would think quarterback Caleb Williams and others could use some live game reps to work out some kinks. However, Johnson felt a joint practice two days prior and extra work before the game was enough for the time being. Many wondered if the head coach had serious misgivings about Williams’ preparedness.
Those concerns were finally quelled on Wednesday. Johnson told the media that all starters will play in Sunday’s second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. The reasoning behind the delay isn’t entirely clear. Perhaps Johnson wanted to avoid any unnecessary injuries. After all, they were already down two key guys in teh secondary before the game (Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon). The primary goal for the coaches is getting this team to opening night as healthy as possible.
Ben Johnson has his reasons for doing it this way.
Truthfully, there is no real evidence to suggest a player is better or worse based on how many preseason snaps they take. The Bears’ offense looked pretty good in the preseason last year, but it ended up being one of the worst in the NFL. It feels like Ben Johnson chose this game because it will feel as close to a big-time atmosphere as you can get. It will be in the evening at Soldier Field against one of the best teams in the AFC. He probably wants to see how Williams handles that. He wasn’t always ready for such games last season. This will be a way to see where his readiness is. Smart money says the starting units will play at least the first quarter. That could be stretched to the first half, depending on how things go.
