Bears vs Giants
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
- Chase Daniel: 12/18, 103 yards, 3 sacks
- Tyler Bray: 6/13, 53 yards
Mitch Trubisky sat out the second preseason game, and I think this is a good sign. If there were still things to iron out, surely Coach Matt Nagy would have had his quarterback in for a drive or two. However, Trubisky sat. I take this to show that Nagy is comfortable with where Trubisky is at, and I’m hopeful he has taken another step forward. Chase Daniel got the start and made some good throws, but the Giants defense was relentless and he never had much time. Daniel is a solid backup but a far cry from what Trubisky offers.
Running Back
- Ryan Nall: 7 carries, 23 yards; 4 receptions, 21 yards
- Kerrith Whyte Jr.: 6 carries, 10 yards
David Montgomery surprisingly got the night off, and again I am excited about the implication for Chicago. As I said before, I think Nagy knows what he has and already has his gameplan in mind. I liked what Montgomery showed last week, and he should be the starter in week 1. Kerrith Whyte Jr. flashed his playmaking ability on an explosive kick return for a touchdown that was called back on a penalty. Whyte represents another versatile weapon for the offense with his 4.4 speed and capable pass-catching. He didn’t have many chances to shine running in the Bears purposefully vanilla preseason offense, but think of him as another weapon like Tarik Cohen or Cordarrelle Patterson.
Wide Receiver/ Tight End
- Javon Wims: 5 receptions, 64 yards
- Tanner Gentry: 3 receptions, 31 yards
- Riley Ridley: 3 receptions, 19 yards
With the starters out again, it was a chance for the backups and rookies to shine. I was most impressed by Riley Ridley. There was an early play where Ridley broke free on 2nd and 9, but he was overthrown by Chase Daniel. Ridley still pulled in 3 balls, and I like his progression. Javon Wims led the team in both yards and receptions, and he likely secured himself a roster spot. On a 2-minute drill right before halftime, Wims caught a pass from Daniel for an important 14 yard gain. Two plays later, Wims found space between a handful of Giants defenders to haul in another pass–29 yards this time–setting up a field goal.
New York Giants
Quarterback
- Daniel Jones: 11/14, 161 yards, 1 TD, 1 sack, 2 fumbles
- Eli Manning: 4/4, 42 yards, 1 TD
With Chicago’s first team defense sitting, Eli Manning easily moved the offense down the field for an opening touchdown. He looked sharp on the drive, and that was without Saquon Barkley. I imagine Eli starts the season, but it won’t be long before Jones works his way into the mix–barring some surprise playoff run by the G-Men. After the first drive, it was all about Daniel Jones. Jones best moment came with less than two minutes in the half when he threw a nice ball to TJ Jones. He let the ball fly before the route fully developed, trusting his receiver to make the play. It paid off with a touchdown strike. The biggest negative I saw for Jones was his pocket presence and ball security. He was stripped of the ball twice, and he seemed unaware of the rush at times. Still, I saw more good than bad on the night, so Giants fans should be pleased.
Running Back
- Jonathan Hilliman: 16 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD
- Rod Smith: 10 carries, 42 yards
- Paul Perkins: 6 carries, 35 yards; 2 receptions, 30 yards
It’s hard to get excited about the Giants running backs when Saquon Barkley is sitting on the bench. Still, there were some nice performances on the night by the Giants’ backups. Just before the end of the third quarter, New York put the ball in rookie John Hilliman’s hands for three straight carries. He picked up 20 yards and a 10 yard touchdown. He flashed the vision necessary to carry a workload, but he won’t matter unless something happened to Barkley. Former early pick Paul Perkins also had some nice moments, but I don’t expect anything to come of it.
Wide Receiver/ Tight End
- Cody Latimer: 2 receptions, 60 yards
- TJ Jones: 3 receptions, 32 yards
- Da’Mari Scott: 1 reception, 38 yards
Do you believe in life after OBJ? The Giants are taking on the unenviable task of moving on from one of the most explosive players in the league, and they are hoping that Cody Latimer might make it a little easier. On the first play of the game, the Giants ran a play-action fake. Latimer found space in the middle of the field and made a nice grab for 20 yards. At the start of the second quarter, Latimer took off up the sideline, separated from his defender, and then elevated for a 40-yard catch. I’m curious to see how much playing time Latimer gets with the first team next week.
— Ryan Kruse
Haven’t played fantasy football in awhile just wondering…besides actual talent which positions should be drafted in the early rounds? Not sure I trust ANY bears fans to give advice but I’ll go with my gut for now.
Haha, thanks for reading Aaron. In the first 4 rounds I will only draft RB and WR and I base my choices on whoever is the best player available at the moment (even if the means I get 3 rb and only 1 wr or vice versa). Travis Kelce will likely go in the 2nd round and I personally would take him at the start of the third. Typically, I’ll draft a TE in the 7th or 8th round. I’ll then go for my QB somewhere in rounds 8-10. Hope this helps!