Sportsnaut
The Bears wrapped the preseason on Friday night with an exciting win over the Kansas City Chiefs. It started off sloppily, but the Bears ultimately saw some solid performances from key players and ended up winning 29-27.
This game was the last chance for those players on the fringe to prove they belong. Some of them lived up to the moment, while others likely doomed their chances of making the final team. The team will have to get down to just 53 players by Wednesday, so some big decisions are coming.
Now, let’s identify seven winners and losers from the preseason finale.
Bagent recently signed a contract extension with the Bears and then proceeded to have a solid game against the Chiefs.
Bagent completed 20 of 28 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns. The quarterback also threw a perfect pass to Jahdae Walker for a game-winning touchdown with six seconds remaining. If the contract extension wasn’t prooff enough that Bagent has a job in Chicago, he proved it on Friday night.
Brown had an excellent opportunity on Friday night as Ian Wheeler, Travis Homer, Roschon Johnson, and Kyle Monangai all did not play. However, Brown was unable to do much in their absensce.
Brown finished with 13 carries for just 27 yards. The running back also dropped a pass and failed to get into the end zone. It was always a longshot for Brown to make the team, but he had a perfect opportunity to prove he deserves a practice squad at least.
Walker has been one of the stars of the preseason for the Bears. The receiver has been a reliable target for Bagent and has demonstrated solid route-running and reliable hands.
Against the Chiefs, Walker caught three passes for 37 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. Thanks to his solid preseason, Walker should have a practice squad spot at the very least.
Williams’ final stat line looks pretty good. The quarterback completed 11 of his 15 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown. That doesn’t really tell the full story though if you watched the performance.
Williams looked unsteady and nervous at the beginning of the game. The second-year passer also fumbled once and misfired on a couple throws against a tough Chief defense. It would’ve been nice to see a more consistent performance from the starter in the final game.
It’s far from guaranteed that a sixth-round pick will make the team, so it was important for Newman to have a good preseason. Well, the rookie ended on a positive note against a great team.
Newman played at left guard with the starters in the first half and then got some tight on the right side in the second half. The rookie didn’t allow any sacks and looked solid as both a pass-protector and run-blocker. The rookie should make the team...
