The Chicago Bears won their first preseason game 23-17 over the Tennessee Titans Saturday. However, as we saw with the Bears going 3-0 in preseason last year, winning games in August doesn’t ultimately matter.
Performances do.
Players are using this month to put up what they hope is good tape so they can find a roster spot this season. Several Bears players looked great Saturday. A few might have put themselves in jeopardy of being cut at the end of the month.
I’ll bring back the studs and duds pieces for the regular season when the roster has been more or less finalized. For the preseason, we’ll look at who stood to gain regular season playing time or not by their performances against the Titans.
Here are three players who did well on Saturday against the Titans and three who struggled in the first preseason game.
Chicago Bears winners against the Tennessee Titans
3. D.J. Moore
The Bears traded the number one pick for D.J. Moore, and draft picks this offseason. It didn’t take long for Moore to showcase skills that have had beat reporters excited since training camp started. Justin Fields threw a poor pass that was low and behind Moore on a screen, but the veteran wide receiver turned it into a 62-yard touchdown.
Not a great throw from Justin Fields. DJ Moore though👀 WOW https://t.co/qG5C19EUVJ
— Jordan Sigler (@JordanSig) August 12, 2023
Moore isn’t on the roster bubble, but his play Saturday should make an impact on offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s play design for him. Moore was thought to be a deep ball threat for the Bears. But the Bears will need to creatively get the ball into Moore’s hands, even if it’s behind the line of scrimmage.
2. Kyler Gordon
Kyler Gordon had an up-and-down rookie season in 2022. The Bears traded up to draft cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. There was talk this spring Stevenson could potentially take Gordon’s job on the chart.
Gordon has had a terrific start in training camp this year. He proved he’s progressing in year two with his electric play on the Bears’ opening drive on defense. He forced an incompletion and made an electric hit in the open field after Stevenson bit on the bootleg.
.@kyler_gordon comin’ in HOT 😳
📺: #TENvsCHI on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/87wGMA06W2
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 12, 2023
1. Terrell Lewis
Terrell Lewis, who was signed to the Chicago Bears practice squad last December, had a terrific day for the Bears Saturday. He made a strong case he deserves to make the 53-man roster.
Lewis’s name has often been mentioned by beat reporters in OTAs and training camp as he’s been disruptive during passing plays, often recording sacks. He recorded two sacks against the Titans’ offense on Saturday.
Lewis came off the bench Saturday after Rasheem Green and Dominique Robinson left the game. (The Bears starters at defensive end, Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker did not play Saturday.) Green and Robinson did okay, but Lewis’ play warrants rotation into the first-team lineup. I’d like to see how Lewis plays against starters.
Honorable mention:
Overall, Tyrique Stevenson had a solid day. He led the team in tackles with seven total tackles. His rookie cornerback colleague, UDFA Bralen Trahan, sealed the Bears’ victory with an interception.
Bralen Trahan, who was a ball hawk for the Ragin Cajuns, intercepts a pass to seal the win for the #Bears.
He had 4 int’s last season in college. 👀— Jordan Sigler (@JordanSig) August 12, 2023
UDFA Tyson Bagent made the throw of the day, a 25-yard pass to Daurice Fountain on fourth-and-seven.
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