Fourth Preseason Game Midweek Report

With the fourth preseason game against the Cleveland Browns just a day away, the anticipation for the regular season to start is higher than ever! However, Bears fans are going to have to wait a little over a week for the first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. This week leading up to the last preseason game there has been a lot of news coming out of Halas Hall regarding running back Chester Taylor. There were reports on Monday that Taylor had been told by coaches that he was being released from the team and should pack up and leave practice. However, later that day upper management contacted Taylor and denied the reports and told him to report back to practice on Tuesday. Like I have said before, I think it would be very wise for the Bears to try and trade or release Chester Taylor for many reasons. First, I feel like his running style is pretty similar to Matt Fortes and does not offer much of a change of pace for the offense like Marion Barber does. Second, assuming that the Bears stick with Marion, the barbarian, Barber as the second string running back, Taylor's value as a third string running back is very low. The Bears have high expectations of the third string back making key contributions on special teams, and personally I don't see Taylor doing that. I think Kahlil Bell brings much more to the table as a third string running back, with his ability to contribute more on special teams along with bring a combination of speed and power to the running back position. The next bit of news that has been swirling around the Bears is the release of defensive end Alex Brown by the New Orleans Saints. With the injury to Corey Wootton, many are questioning the Bears depth at defense line which stirs the speculations at possibly bring back Brown as an insurance policy. Personally I do not think bringing back Alex Brown is the answer to the question at all. The Bears have invested the a majority of the shortened off season into the development of the defensive line with an infusion of young players, and bringing back Alex Brown would only delay that process. I enjoyed watching Alex Brown play for the Bears for the many years he did, but there was a reason he was released and bringing him back causes more problems than it solves. The last thing I would like to address is players fighting for a final roster position in this last preseason game. I know almost all the starters on offense and defense are pretty much set, but I always enjoy watching player give everything they have this last game to try and make the team. This game will probably be a good indicate for the Bears of what players are going to step up and make the roster and contribute on a special teams basis, or  a limited role on offense or defense. I would look for two players in particular to make an impression in this game. Dane Sanzenbacher has been very impressive all of camp and will get a lot of playing time on offense and special teams in tomorrow’s game. He is a perfect fit for the Bears in the slot potion, where he can utilize his quickness and agility. His play tomorrow could have huge implication on whether or not he makes the final 53 man roster. The other play that is looking to make an impact is safety Winston Venable, who has already made an impact on special teams in the previous three games. Look for him to come out very aggressive and try to make as many plays as possible on special team. I hope everyone enjoys the game tomorrow and the countdown to opening kickoff is down to 11 days, so Bear Down Chicago!

Third Preseason Game

On Saturday August 27th, we watched the Bears third preseason game which means we are just that much closer to the regular season that starts on September 11th. Throughout this preseason, Bears fans have been riddled with numerous concerns, questions and reaches of optimism. This last preseason game against the Titans addressed many of these topics. First, we saw the offensive line come together even more. They did not give up a sack against the Titans and opened up some very nice running lanes for Matt Forte. We saw Jay Cutler and Roy Williams connect for a few pass receptions. However, at the end of the day, I believe the receiver Jay trusts most would be Earl Bennett, so I wouldn't count on Roy Williams getting to many passes his way in key situations. We saw the defense resort back to what most Chicago natives are used to seeing, with the defense line producing some good pressures. All in all, I feel like the third preseason game was a good step forward for the Chicago Bears and look forward to seeing what battles shape out in the fourth preseason game. I wouldn't expect much playing time at all from the starter, so be prepared for the second and third stringers to receive plenty of time and watch numerous player battle for those final roster spots. Look for rookie free agent Dane Sanzenbacher to make a hard push at one of the few remaining roster spots and also the playing time given to running back Kahlil Bell. He could be fighting for the third running back position, where in my opinion, he has more value than Chester Taylor. The countdown to opening day is only 13 days away and more information is to come before then. So in the mean time Chicago, Bear Down!

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