Lou breaks down Chicago Bears training camp with Tom Thayer
Lou breaks down Chicago Bears training camp with Tom Thayer
Tom Thayer can recall the intensity of Mike Ditka's training camps with the Chicago Bears. He breaks down what he's seen so far from Ben Johnson's first camp at Halas Hall: "I haven't seen these expectations from a head coach in 20 years."
Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is so focused on training camp that he couldn't tell you some specifics.
"I don't know what day it is. I don't know what practice it was," Allen said.
The practices have turned into days, which have now turned into weeks. The monotony of training camp has begun to set in, and the Bears have been trying to find ways to keep the days fresh.
On Thursday, they had the offense and defense switch side for the last rep of camp. Tyrique Stevenson was out at wide receiver, DJ Moore was a defensive back, Tremaine Edmunds was at running back and Joe Thuney was at defensive tackle.
On Friday, that monotony goes right out the window. The Miami Dolphins are in town for a joint practice ahead of Sunday's preseason game.
What's next:
The first two weeks of Bears camp have been constricted by offensive and defensive installation. The coaching staff is throwing a lot at the players to see what sticks.
Once the pads got on, the Bears have been going against each other at full speed since. A some point, getting to get after a different quarterback will be good for the Bears.
"We're going to be tired of seeing each other," Bears defensive lineman Grady Jarrett said. "You get to beat up on somebody else."
What makes joint practices different are how they take a lot of scouting elements out of the equation. There's no real film to study to prepare.
The Bears will be focusing on themselves, the fundamentals and getting their formations and their schemes correct.
"When you get into training camp and you've been going for however many days this has been, and you see the same things over and over and over, you can kind of begin to anticipate what you're going to see," Allen said. "Now, you're really just playing your rules and have to make sure you get your eyes in the right spot and then react accordingly."
The Bears will certainly revel in a chance to play against another team, especially after Tuesday's practice where the combined physicality was at an all-time high. The Bears' goal-line situations and short-yardage plays were tested on both sides of the ball.
You can go about short-yardage in one of two ways: walk through it, or play it live to see how the players react in real time. Jarrett's approach to that can serve as the kind of mentality the Bears can carry into Friday's joint practice, and the Bears' second joint practice in a week against the Bills.
"We're going to be ready when it's time to go," Jarrett. "It's good to see where you're at."
What we don't know:
The joint practice will also serve as a benchmark for the Bears. It'll tell the coaching staff where the offense is, what's working and what's not.
It might also set a precedent for who plays and for how long during Sunday's preseason game. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said he still needs to talk with head coach Ben Johnson about how much he'll be expected to play in the preseason.
Thursday notes:
Although Thursday was a lighter practice, the Bears still had some things to look out for.
Right tackle Darnell Wright left practice after taking an awkward step during a drill. Wright didn't return. Defensive back Ameer Speed gingerly walked off the field after a practice rep, too. Their status for Friday and Sunday's preseason game will be addressed on Friday.
Tight end Cole Kmet, who left Tuesday's practice with an injury, was back on Thursday and seems to be fine. Right guard Jonah Jackson was listed as day-to-day, earlier this week but practiced. There still wasn't a sign of left tackle Kiran Amegadije.
BearsSports