The Chicago Bears hosted the Miami Dolphins for their preseason opener Sunday at Soldier Field, and, after a close battle, it culminated in a 24-24 tie.
The Bears starters didn’t play in this game, but there was still plenty of excitement, including some notable young players with standout performances in Ben Johnson’s coaching debut. Three of Chicago’s young rookie weapons made their debuts with tight end Colston Loveland, wide receiver Luther Burden III and running back Kyle Monangai all getting involved. Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen gave us a glimpse of what we can expect from this aggressive Bears defense — which forced two turnovers and notched six sacks — and the starters weren’t even in the game.
Here are some standouts from Sunday’s tie vs. Dolphins:
EDGE Austin Booker
There’s just something about preseason that brings out the best in defensive end Austin Booker, who had a monster performance against the Dolphins. The second-year pro was all over the field and totaled three sacks on the afternoon (including a strip sack that led to a Case Keenum to Deion Hanks touchdown). And Booker nearly had four sacks. The Bears are hoping the 22-year old edge rusher takes a big step in Year 2 and help elevate this Chicago pass rush.
RB Kyle Monangai
The Bears might’ve gotten a hidden gem in seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai, who made an impact in the running game against the Dolphins. With Roschon Johnson sidelined by injury, Monangai got the starting nod (with starters on the bench), and he made a strong impression. Monangai led Chicago with 30 yards on six carries, averaging 5.0 yards per carry, and he showcased his violent running style and his ability to pick up extra yardage. The Bears might’ve found their RB2.
LB Noah Sewell
All training camp, we’d heard about linebacker Noah Sewell’s impact, and that translated in Chicago’s preseason opener. Sewell made a strong case for the third linebacker spot with a dominant performance against the Dolphins. Sewell’s biggest moment came when he forced a turnover on downs with a huge tackle for loss on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line against Miami’s starting offense (it even had Ben Johnson fired up). Sewell finished with six tackles (tying a team high), including one for loss, and forced a fumble. He’s the clear favorite for the LB3 job.
LB Ruben Hyppolite II
While Sewell looks like the favorite to win that third linebacker job, fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite certainly isn’t making it easy on the Bears coaching staff. Hyppolite had an impressive preseason debut tying for a team-high six tackles, five solo, and one tackle for loss where he blew up a running play. On the first series, Hyppolite and Sewell combined for seven tackles. It’s clear the Bears have solid depth at linebacker, where Hyppolite (who had some big plays) has big potential in Dennis Allen’s defense.
QB Case Keenum
In the battle for backup quarterback, we’ve got an early front runner following Sunday’s preseason action. Veteran Case Keenum replaced Tyson Bagent in the second half, and he had an impressive outing leading the Bears on two touchdown drives. Keenum completed 8-of-10 passes for 80 yards and two scores, including touchdown passes to running back Deion Hankins and wide receiver Jahdae Walker. Keenum looked much sharper than Bagent, and he’s got the early edge for QB2.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 standouts from Bears’ preseason tie vs. Dolphins
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
