A Different Challenge Now for Bears
The preseason wins have rapidly lost value now, like cash in everyone's wallets in a time of high inflation.
The Bears are about to be measured in a different way than improvement and potential. They know it.
It's first team players against first team players. There are no games with four or five starters on the field on defense for opponents, barring a COVID outbreak.
The NFL standings will be the true gauge now for how much of a turnaround coach Matt Eberflus, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and defensive coordinator Alan Williams have generated with their daily dose of the HITS principle and an entirely new approach.
"I mean in the NFL success is really wins and losses but we're taking good strides, major strides, with Justin (Fields) being in charge of everything and all of us kind of follow suit and buying into the entire process.
"But yeah. It's gonna be fun that's all I can really say."
Facing the San Francisco 49ers in the opener will bring not only a realization to the Bears of where they truly stand as a team, but how far they need to go. There are few teams they could open against that could pose a more formidable first test, particularly for their offense.
"I think all of us are where we need to be as far as where we need to be in the playbook and we'll keep growing but where we are we're definitely in a great spot," Montgomery said. "You know we're kind of ready to go out there and get hit. We're kind of all anxious and itching to get out there on the field.
"So it'll be cool to see where we are."
Almost defiantly they proceeded through their 3-0 preseason, and Montgomery called their success in those games expected by players based on what they were seeing in practice, even if the public seemed shocked they weren't losing by 30 points in each.
"We already knew what we were capable of," Montgomery said. "I guess it was all new to you (media) but we kind of knew where where we were going and how things were trending for us."
But again, that's trending in the preseason.
Much changes now. Everything changes now.
Here's where the Bears could find they have definite problems measuring up against many NFL opponents, starting with the first one.
1. Running the Ball
Unless they keep Lucas Patrick on the bench, they haven't had the offensive line they'll use in the opener operating together as a unit. Even then, the first-team offensive line didn't exactly destroy opponents in preseason. They managed to move it on Justin Fields' arm or scrambling or on penalties by opponents. They were a long way from establishing a steady, consistent running attack and it is what they'll need to make their play-action passing game work effectively in real games against real defenses.
2. Lack of Continuity
The roster has and will continue to change. It's going to be a chaotic feeling. As a team sadly lacking in talent when the offseason began, GM Ryan Poles is going to be messing with the roster throughout.
"It's just making the most competitive roster possible and getting to game day and seeing how it looks and you just continue to adapt and change and improve where we can," he said.
However, as they constantly will be a state of flux, it's difficult to generate stability and consistency.
3. Air Game Consistency
Fields really hasn't developed a rapport or connection with receivers beyond Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet and Montgomery. Equanimeous St. Brown might be the close to having one. The other players have moved in and out of the lineup due to injuries or it being preseason, and thoses real connections the quarterback and receivers have within an offense haven't taken root. Dante Pettis had a few nice plays in the last game. He could start to develop one but it's questionable how much he'll even play once Velus Jones Jr. and Byron Pringle return, and they haven't had time together with Fields to develop that. Jones had only about 10 days of real consistent practice and one preseason game while Pringle has been gone since early August.
4. Pass Blocking
Especially for Braxton Jones, this is going to be a problem. It's going to be an immediate problem. The Bears have faced mostly second-level players or worse when they had Jones on the line blocking in preseason. He may have faced Robert Quinn on a semi-daily basis in preseason, but that's not 100% physical play in practice. There is no live tackling and so the blocking has an edge.
Now he's going to climb from second-line players to facing Nick Bosa.
"He continues to climb and get better and better and better," Poles said of Jones. "And then now that next phase is Week 1, he's going to see a 'big dog.' And I told him, too, there's going to be ups and downs, and part of being a really good player is the short memory how can you overcome some of those bad play."
He'll need to develop a short memory in a hurry.
The pass blocking shouldn't be as great of a problem on the interior, even with new guard Teven Jenkins. Interior players always have some help unless linemen are stunting and get lost in the fray. It's Jones and Larry Borom at right tackle who will be the real question marks.
5. Stopping the Run
Poles didn't hesitate to say he was happy with how Justin Jones would be able to replace what they lost when Larry Ogunjobi failed his physical in free agency.
"Justin's another one of those leaders in the room and he's got a high motor and been productive, and I'm excited to see him this year and be the guy that we think he can be," Poles said.
The three technique is critical to stopping the run. It's the run where many teams are going to attack the Bears now in their gap-shooting 4-3 defense. Traditionally this is true. They haven't really faced this year as in preseason there are no game plans, just a bunch of plays being run.
If Jones isn't that penetrator who shuts down plays in the backfield, the whole run defense can cave. Even if he is, Quinn has always been a pass rusher and not a run stopper. Trevis Gipson is in a state of flux, being moved from inside to outside and that's not a solid base. This is a defensive front strong on paper in terms of pass rush but with a huge question against the run. Getting Armon Watts on waivers can help, but then again, he's a waiver wire pickup.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
