It was Elliott Fry-day at Bears training camp, where the kicker kept the competition even in weather conditions certainly more favorable than Monday’s rain and wind.
It was the same old, same old, as the defense once again got the most of the Bears passing game, who looked a little rough around the edges going up against the second-team defense at times.
But it was the defensive linemen and defensive backs that stole the show, as they continued to challenge the offensive line and put pressure on quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
While Trubisky struggled, running back David Montgomery and the ground game rose to the occasion during the first live tackling of training camp.
Meanwhile, tight end Adam Shaheen returned to practice, where he still wasn’t a full participant, undrafted rookie offensive lineman Alex Bars escaped serious injury and receiver Anthony Miller had his best practice so far.
Here are my observations from Day 7 of training camp.
David Montgomery impresses while passing game struggles.
The Bears offense continues to get tested by the defense in training camp, as evidenced by Friday’s practice. But then again, defenses being superior to offenses in training camp isn’t any sort of revelation. Especially when it’s one of the best defenses in the league you’re going up against day in and day out.
“We are getting tested,” offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich told reporters after Friday’s practice. “Every inch of that defense is fast, talented, confidence. Most of them are vets. We know they are really good.”
And while the Bears continue to insist that practicing against this defense will only serve to make the offense better, it was a little troubling when the passing game was struggling against the second-team defense on Friday.
The defensive linemen certainly won the day and have been bringing the pressure on Trubisky and the offense throughout camp, and today it was names like Roy Robertson-Harris and Bilal Nichols that were bringing the heat.
Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks were also getting after the second-team offense with ease, which doesn’t seem fair.
“Sometimes when you draw up the play and you have the O blocking the X and the X is Khalil Mack, that’s a bad matchup for a lot of O’s,” Helfrich said.
But while the passing game struggled, the running game was able to find its footing, most notably David Montgomery.
Montgomery ended practice on a high note for the offense, when they went through an end-of-game simulation where they had to run for a first down. Montgomery broke a tackle and finished the drill — and end-of-game scenario — that left teammates celebrating.
“Cautiously very, very optimistic,” Helfrich said of Montgomery. “I like him a lot. Unbelievable guy, great mentality. Is constantly asking questions. If he does something well he wants to make sure he saw it correctly, didn’t just get lucky. He’s a perfectionist, competitor. Obviously, you guys saw that today in the live period. He’ll run the ball well. I’m very excited about him.”
Elliott Fry keeps kicker competition even.
Fittingly, it was Elliott Fry’s day to kick on Friday in Bourbonnais. Much like it’s been since the start of camp, Fry kept pace with Eddy Pineiro, who went 8-for-9 on Thursday.
The Bears continued bringing pressure in unique ways, this time running a fire drill of sorts when the special teams unit rushed onto the field to attempt a field goal, simulating an end of game or end of half scenario. They ran the drill three times, and Fry connected on all three field goals.
On the day, Fry connected on 10-of-11 field goals, hitting from distances of 33, 33, 38, 45, 50, 55 and 55 yards. His lone miss was from 42 yards, which went wide right.
At this point, the competition is fairly even between Fry and Eddy Pineiro, and the production proves as such. Through three practices, Fry is 27-for-31 (87 percent). Meanwhile, Pineiro is 21-for-25 (84 percent).
While Fry has shown, in one practice, that he can kick in the elements with success, Pineiro definitely has the superior leg.
Both kickers are expected to kick tomorrow during Family Fest at Soldier Field.
Anthony Miller has his best practice of camp.
While Bears receivers are garnering praise left and right, Anthony Miller has been having a quiet training camp. Coming off shoulder surgery, Miller doesn’t feel like he’s 100 percent just yet. That, he believes, will come by the regular-season opener.
But with that said, Miller had his best practice of camp on Friday.
Miller showcased his footwork, ability to get separation and playmaking ability and impressed throughout the day, including a beautiful contested, jump ball that he pulled down against Eddie Jackson.
Miller feels like he’s getting a fresh start this season, following dealing with a dislocated shoulder throughout his rookie season.
“It’ll definitely be different (this year) because I get to use my hands now,” Miller told reporters after practice. “Last year, I really didn’t get to use my hands. I was just relying on just having good footwork so I could get open. But now I can incorporate my hands.
Also, Allen Robinson and Javon Wims continued to impress with a receiver group that’s been so much fun to watch. Robinson continues to prove that he’s Trubisky’s No. 1 receiver while Wims keeps going up and getting the ball.
Bears’ secondary has a nose for the football.
As the defense has done this training camp is bring it to the first-team offense, and the same was the case on Friday. While the front seven have been bringing constant pressure on Trubisky, the defensive backs have also been making plays on contested balls.
Cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix made back-to-back plays on balls that looked like they were beat on during red zone drills, including a Clinton-Dix interception of Trubisky.
After Miller burned Fuller for a touchdown during 1-on-1’s, Fuller proceeded to intercept Trubisky twice against Miller, which were both great coverage. One of them was even a one-handed grab by Fuller, who’s continuing to showcase why he’s an All-Pro in this league and how he’ll help make these receivers better.
Adam Shaheen returns to practice.
While Trey Burton had a scheduled day off, Adam Shaheen returned to practice on Friday after being in a limited capacity a day earlier.
Shaheen, who has been nursing a sore back, did more than Thursday, but he did not partake in full-contract drills. He looked good during red zone drills, showcasing his size and hands in one-on-one situations.
There’s no doubt that Shaheen could certainly be a weapon for the Bears offense in the red zone. That is, if he can stay healthy.
Alex Bars goes down with a knee injury.
Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Alex Bars is one of the guys battling for those reserve roles, who could ultimately provide stability at guard if injury occurred.
Bars, who is coming off a torn ACL, was helped off the field by trainers before being carted off the field. After further evaluation, Nagy said that Bars suffered a knee contusion and doesn’t believe it to be serious.
