The Chicago Bears took care of business in their preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns. After falling behind 10-0, they rallied to score 34 unanswered points. The game served as a reminder of how much deeper the roster has become and how much better the coaching has gotten. Several players had a great day, putting on a performance that should go a long way in helping them secure a job on the roster. Others? They probably wish they could scrub the tape and quickly move on to next week.
Here is a breakdown of the game’s biggest winners and losers. Be warned that there will be more of the former than the latter this time because of the game’s positive outcome.
Chicago Bears preseason winner opener: Kaden Davis
Easily the biggest winner of the afternoon. The former undrafted free agent-turned-UFL player signed with the Bears in the spring. Most saw him as a camp body at the time. What followed were two solid weeks of really good practices, marked by several big plays with the second and third-string offenses. Could he carry that over to actual game action? Yes. Yes, he could. Davis became the sparkplug on offense. After Chicago got off to a rough start, his 41-yard catch and run gave them some life. Then another 21-yard reception set up a field goal to tie it 10-10 at halftime. He finished with 88 yards in two quarters.
Winner: Jamree Kromah
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The former undrafted defensive end hasn’t been mentioned much in training camp, so he needed to make something happen in this game. He ended up producing the most pivotal play of the first half when he stripped Deshaun Watson on a sack and recovered the fumble. That turnover led directly to a Bears touchdown to make it 10-7. He remained a key part of the defensive effort that shut down Cleveland’s offense the rest of the half and then a big 4th down stop in the 3rd quarter. He finished with two sacks on the afternoon. The competition for those final edge spots will be fierce. Plays like those could mean the difference.
Winner: Caden Barnett
The Bears rarely spend heavily in undrafted free agency. It’s not the richest pool of talent, after all. That said, they made an exception for Barnett, an offensive guard from Wyoming. The “Vanilla Gorilla,” as he’s called, was known as an athletic and nasty blocker who probably should’ve been drafted. Chicago felt fortunate to get him, and the opener showed why. While protecting Case Keenum who dominated the second half, Barnett had one of the best sequences of the game when he threw two terrific blocks to spring the go-ahead 49-yard touchdown on a screen to Salvon Ahmed.
Winner: Ruben Hyppolite
After a brutal end to his rookie season, expectations were low for the former 4th round pick. However, rumblings surfaced over the past week that Hyppolite had really started looking good in practice. In what is a crowded linebacker room with D’Marco Jackson and Jack Sanborn, he needed to perform in this game. He succeeded, collecting 6 tackles, including two for a loss. One was on 4th down to force a turnover on downs. That speed he was known for at Maryland showed up on a few of those plays. If he can couple that with some improvement on special teams, Hyppolite can hold onto his roster spot.
Winner: James Lynch
Jordan Van Den Berg has been the story of training camp for the Bears’ defense. The 6th round pick had a strong performance in this game, but he was overshadowed by Lynch. The veteran defensive tackle was giving the Cleveland blockers fits every time he was on the field. Despite not recording a sack, he was constantly in the backfield, logging a QB hit and several pressures. He also had a pass deflection. Lynch was kind of the forgotten man of the Bears’ free agent additions between Neville Gallimore and Van Den Berg. This is a reminder that they’re much deeper up the middle compared to last season.
Loser: Jedrick Wills
With Braxton Jones not quite back from his knee injury yet, the left tackle competition was considered a head-to-head fight between former 1st round pick Jedrick Wills and former 3rd round pick Kiran Amegadjie. The latter got the start, and while the offense stalled through the first three drives, he held up well enough in pass protection. The same can’t be said of Wills. He had the ugliest moment of the game, getting badly beaten for a sack. He still doesn’t have the same springiness he did before his injury two years ago. It could be rust, but that play did him no favors. The Chicago Bears pulled him and went back to Amegadjie shortly after.
Loser: Roschon Johnson
Johnson’s status was already shaky after injuries slowed him last season. He was fortunate the team didn’t really need him because of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. However, those issues haven’t really gone away. His performance in the opener wasn’t bad. He finished with 8 carries for 34 yards. The problem was that Salvon Ahmed looked considerably better. He showed the same amount of physicality to go along with more burst. His 49-yard touchdown catch-and-run also showcased his value in the passing game. With Travis Homer gone, that third running back spot is up for grabs, and Ahmed staked a far louder claim to it on Saturday.
Loser: Josh Blackwell
With injuries hampering the cornerback spot, the Chicago Bears have been on the lookout for guys to step up. Blackwell should be grateful he’s so crucial to special teams. Otherwise, his performance in this game would’ve gotten him into serious trouble. The Browns picked on him several times throughout the game, hitting on multiple chunk plays. It didn’t help that Beanie Bishop, their emergency free agent signing after another wave of injuries, grabbed two interceptions. Blackwell better make sure he stays sharp on special teams, or he could find his spot swiped out from under him.
