For years, the Chicago Bears have kept things under wraps when it comes to training camp practices. Whether it’s limitations with the media live-tweeting during practice or prohibiting fans from recording plays to share with other fans, it’s felt like Fort Knox at times.
The Bears are making a peace offering with their new behind-the-scenes series, 1920 Football Drive, which will give fans exclusive access to the things they’ve wanted a deeper look into in the past. Inside meeting rooms, exclusive access from practice and mic’d up coaches and players to bring it all together.
Here are four takeaways from the second episode of 1920 Football Drive.
1. Every rep counts in Bears’ QB competition
Given the circumstances of this offseason, the Bears’ quarterback competition will be decided with training camp practices, which means that every rep is going to be judged in determining the starter between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles. In this second episode, we got a glimpse of quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo breaking down practice film with the quarterbacks, and it’s clear that they’re looking for the guy that can be the most consistent.
Unfortunately for the Bears, neither Trubisky or Foles has been consistent at this point in the competition. While Foles has had the best practice of a Chicago quarterback in camp, he hasn’t impressed outside of that. Trubisky has had his moments, including the best throw of camp to Jesper Horsted, but he hasn’t impressed either. But we haven’t seen or heard about every rep either in practice highlights or through media observation. The Bears have been watching every rep in determining who will be under center come Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.
2. A closer look at the intense battle between WRs, DBs
Bears receivers coach Mike Furrey and defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend have turned up the competition in training camp between their position groups.
“During timed one-on-one red-zone drills, wide receivers and tight ends receive a point if they make a catch,” Chicago Tribune’s Colleen Kane explained. “The defensive backs receive points if the play takes too much time, goes out of bounds or they intercept the pass. The coaches keep score, and the group that comes out on top wins.”
The competition between Furrey and Townsend has ignited the same between receivers and defensive backs, which has made for some entertaining practices, as we saw firsthand during this second episode of 1920 Football Drive.
“We both obviously respect each other for who we are, so that’s why we can go where we go,” Furrey told reporters last week. “And it gets people’s attention too. It juices them up a little bit. … It’s easy to fall into complacency. It’s easy to fall — going through practices, going through camp — (into) the monotony over and over and over. And that’s our job as coaches — to make sure we provide that energy.”
3. Even without Eddie Goldman, the Bears still have one of best defensive lines in NFL
This second episode shined a light on the defensive line, where they’re returning one of the best in defensive tackle Akiem Hicks but also losing nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who opted out of the season due to COVID-19. This episode brought us into the meeting room with defensive line coach Jay Rodgers, who demanded more from what remains one of the best defensive lines in the league.
Players like Hicks, defensive tackle Bilal Nichols and defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris have impressed during camp practices so far. While there’s no replacing someone like Goldman in the middle of that defense, you could sense the belief in the players in that room to do their best to compensate for Goldman’s lots.
4. Bears hold their first scrimmage of training camp
The second episode of 1920 Football Drive concluded with some padded practice, including the Bears’ first scrimmage of training camp. Given there are no preseason games, these scrimmages are going to be integral in determining some important position battles at quarterback, cornerback and safety.
Nagy praised both the offense and defense as they were out there making plays. And, of course, he was focused on the quarterback battle between Trubisky and Foles, who both had some impressive plays. Nagy praised them for their decision-making, even on incompletions, as he’s looking for the quarterback that can best lead this offense. Although, according to the media, it was Foles that took this practice.
