The Chicago Bears held their first joint practice of the preseason on Friday. It came against the Miami Dolphins, a team that went 9-8 last season and has made the playoffs two of the previous three years. Many saw it as a great measuring stick to see where the Bears are in preparation for an important season. By all accounts, it was a productive afternoon. The defense dominated most of the individual and team drills, forcing three interceptions and multiple stops for a loss. While not as effective, the offense also had some bright moments. However, it appears some controversy emerged from the afternoon.
Omar Kelly, a prominent Dolphins beat reporter for the Miami Herald, was there for the entire practice. He did a lot of grumbling about how the Bears players were way too physical in drills. There were hits on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and a bevy of late or unnecessary shots that should’ve gotten guys kicked out of practice. He called them outright dirty. It is interesting he said that, considering nobody from the actual Dolphins team mentioned it. For years, Miami has had a reputation for being soft. The fact that even their media complains about a practice being too physical feels a little on the nose.
The Chicago Bears have no reason to apologize.
It’s not like they went out of their way to intentionally hurt guys. If the Dolphins reporters had followed the Chicago Bears in the past week, they would have heard about one of the most physical practices in 20 years that didn’t involve another team. This is how they practice. It isn’t their fault Miami wasn’t ready for it. Besides, head coach Mike McDaniel didn’t complain afterward. If he felt that way, something would’ve been said. It is clear that the reputation of the Dolphins being meek in the face of a hard-nosed, violent team is earned. They fold when they run into the best teams in the NFL, especially in the playoffs. Head coach Ben Johnson understands that while physicality alone doesn’t win championships, it is necessary.
