The Chicago Bears had a rough preseason showing against the Cincinnati Bengals in a 27-9 loss on Saturday night at Paycor Stadium, where they were held without a touchdown and were scoreless in the second half.
The Bears starting offense got off to an encouraging start before a holding penalty stalled the drive and forced Chicago to settle for a Cairo Santos field goal. The starting defense had an up-and-down first series but were ultimately able to hold Cincinnati to a field goal.
But when the reserves got in, that’s when things really got ugly. The Bears offense couldn’t find much success and the defense struggled to cover Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford. If you want to look for the bright side, this is the kind of game that should provide head coach Ben Johnson with plenty of material to challenge his team after this rough showing.
Here’s a look at our studs and duds from Chicago’s tough loss to Cincinnati, which included some rookies making an impression and a rough evening for the secondary.
Stud: DT Jordan van den Berg
Sixth-round rookie Jordan van den Berg has been a standout this summer, and he continued to show why he could be a huge steal during Saturday’s preseason game. Van den Berg, who totaled three tackles in the loss, was once again disruptive along the defensive interior and was able to create pressure on the quarterback while also stuffing the run. While the rookie still has a ways to go in his development, it’s clear that Chicago has a rising star in van den Berg.
Dud: CB Dontae Manning
Let’s start with the good. Dontae Manning made some nice plays, including three pass breakups and he led the Bears with seven tackles. But, ultimately, he was getting picked on by the Bengals offense all night long, and they capitalized. Manning struggled in coverage, allowing two touchdowns in what was an overall brutal evening for Chicago’s secondary.
Stud: Roschon Johnson
With the third running back spot up for grabs, Roschon Johnson bounced back after a lackluster preseason opener and led the Bears with 42 yards on 12 carries, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Johnson got a bulk of the workload during the first half, and he had some hard-nosed runs, including picking up a fourth-and-1 from Chicago’s own 15-yard line. Johnson made a strong case for that RB3 spot, especially with his special teams contributions.
Dud: WR J.P. Richardson
While J.P. Richardson was one of the Bears’ top receivers in yards against the Bengals — hauling in three catches for 37 yards on six targets — he had an overall rough showing. With one receiver spot up for grabs, Richardson didn’t help his case for a roster spot with some misses that included a muffed kick return and a drop on a fourth-down conversion.
Stud: K Cairo Santos
The Bears were held without a touchdown against the Bengals, so Cairo Santos was their entire scoring offense in this game. Santos connected on three of his four field goals from 45, 26 and 44 yards. His lone miss was a 53-yarder. But, when looking at this game as a whole, Santos was still a stud compared to everything else happening.
Dud: Bears secondary
I don’t have all night, so I’m going to lump everyone in on this one (after Dontae Manning). Yes, safety Skyler Thomas snagged the only takeaway of the game off quarterback Sean Clifford. But the Bears secondary was toasted all game, especially when the backups stepped in. Backup quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Clifford feasted on the secondary, throwing for a combined 282 yards and three touchdowns.
Stud: P Tory Taylor
It’s never a good thing when two of your studs are specialists, an indication that your offense has struggled to do much. Much like Cairo Santos, punter Tory Taylor was an extension of the offense in this one, and he was able to flip the field a couple of times. Taylor punted six times for 311 yards, including a long of 63 yards and pinned one punt inside the 20-yard line.
Dud: LT Braxton Jones
For what it’s worth, Braxton Jones wasn’t the only issue at left tackle in this game for Chicago. But considering he’s the favorite to win the starting job, and turned in that performance, it’s not very encouraging with the regular season just a few weeks away. Jones struggled against the bull rush and proved to be a liability in pass protection. He also committed to brutal holding call that negated a Roschon Johnson first-down run and ultimately stalled a promising drive for the starting offense.
Stud: TE Sam Roush
The Bears have one of the best tight end rooms in the NFL, and Sam Roush could very well be a surprise behind Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. The third-round rookie will be key as a blocker, as evidenced in this preseason game, but he also has the ability to make waves in the passing game. Roush totaled two catches for 30 yards on three targets against the Bengals, and he was able to showcase his explosiveness.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Studs and duds from Bears’ preseason loss vs. Bengals
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
