The Chicago Bears did many things well in their first game of the 2023 preseason. The Bears starting offense crushed the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter, giving the team a head start en route to a 23-17 win. Bears fans should be excited by what they saw from D.J. Moore and the offensive line.
The Bears looked like the faster and more robust team Saturday. However, many starters from both rosters were missing, so it’s hard to gauge the complete team yet. Preseason is mostly like that, where we see an incomplete view of the whole.
There are a few downward trends the Bears need to remedy before the season. Here are three things the Bears need to clean up when they play the Indianapolis Colts Saturday.
3. Chicago Bears special teams play
Velus Jones Jr. muffed another punt Saturday. Jones did that three times in the regular season and once in the preseason against the Seattle Seahawks. His fumbles were costly for the Chicago Bears last season and seriously hurt their chances of beating the New York Giants and Washington Commanders.
After the game, head coach Matt Eberflus said the team intends to “work on that” with Jones. That ship has sailed. The Bears can’t afford to let Jones handle the ball this year.
Tyler Scott would be an intriguing option for the Bears to try as a punt returner. But he reportedly has had issues in camp with dropping passes. Scott fumbled in the red zone inside Saturday.
That leaves the Bears’ best option as likely Dante Pettis. Pettis is fine, but the Bears need a genuinely explosive returner. That’s why they risked drafting the speedy Jones in the third round last year.
Chicago Bears: 5 surprise players who deserve more opportunities against the Indianapolis Colts
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