Chicago Bears vs Indianapolis Colts
Note: For those curious about the fallout from the sudden Andrew Luck retirement, check out a breakdown I wrote here. I discuss the impact on the Colts season, how to treat Jacoby Brissett, and what we should expect from the skill position players.
Chicago Bears
Quarterbacks
- Chase Daniel: 3/9, 21 yards, 2 sacks | 1 carry, 6 yards
- Tyler Bray: 11/16, 136 yards, 1TD, 1 INT | 2 carries, -3 yards
It still feels like the Bears are trying to hide everything, so we had another week with no Mitch Trubisky. I’ve said it before, but this should bode well for the season: if you really still had a lot of wrinkles to iron out, he’d be playing. Chase Daniel started and he never got going. He was harassed by the Colts defense and he hardly had time to think. Daniel was also sacked twice, and I’m just happy he got out of there healthy. Despite the poor showing, he is still solidly the backup. Tyler Bray made some nice throws in cleanup action, helping secure the preseason win.
Running Backs
- Ryan Nall: 2 carries, 73 yards | 1 receptions, 11 yards
- Josh Caldwell: 11 carries, 17 yards | 2 receptions, 18 yards
- Kerrith Whyte Jr.: 4 carries, 8 yards | 1 reception, 7 yards
The running backs in action tonight don’t exactly qualify as headliners, but don’t tell that to Ryan Nall. Close to the end of the second quarter, the Bears had a 1st and 30 on their own 10-yard line. The call was a counter to the right, and Nall found a small hole in the middle. He preceded to stiff arm a defender into another and took off running. He fired off one more stiff arm to extend the run another 15 yards, and he ended up with a 69-yard gain. This was the most impressive run I’ve seen by a Bears player this preseason, and I’d love to see more of Nall. Keep in mind, though, that he’s buried behind David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, and Mike Davis. This certainly makes a good case for a roster spot though.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Jesper Horsted: 3 receptions, 39 yards
- Ian Bunting: 2 receptions, 31 yards
- Thomas Ives: 1 reception, 21 yards
So even the fringe fantasy guys (Riley Ridley, Javon Wims) barely saw any action. Let’s take a minute to talk about the depth chart for the regular season. Allen Robinson looks to be the wr1 for the team, and Bears fans can hope for a return to 2014 when Robinson saw 1,400 yards and 14 TDs. Taylor Gabriel should join Robinson to start the season and will likely be lining up on the outside. Anthony Miller is just about healthy, and I imagine he start with limited action from the slot. If he isn’t 100%, expect Javon Wims and Riley Ridley to try and pick up the slack. Trey Burton will be the starting tight end and Adam Shaheen should join him on two TE sets. Shaheen profiles as more of a blocker and red zone threat will Burton is a more explosive playmaker.
Kickers
- Eddy Pineiro: 2/2 FGs, long 58 | 3/3 XPs
It would be a disservice to Bears fans to not discuss how the kicker situation is looking. Elliott Fry and Eddy Pineiro were the big names in camp battling it out, and for a while it looked like anyone’s job. Nagy has been creative with challenging his potential kickers, and it all led up to real game action. In the first preseason game, Fry went 1/1 (43 yards) while Pineiro was 1/2 (23 yards). In the second game, Pineiro was 2/2 (41 yards) while Fry went 0/1. Fry was cut the following week which led us to this week. How did Pineiro do? He went 2/2 (long of 58) on field goals and 3/3 on extra points. Bears fans should be cautiously optimistic heading into the season that they’ve found their guy.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterbacks
- Chad Kelly: 16/21, 209 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks | 2 carries 34 yards
- Philllip Walker: 6/13, 65 yards, 3 sacks | 1 carry, 10 yards
So, just another quiet week for the Colts quarterback room…right? HA! This could be the single craziest game of the year simply because of the news that broke during: Andrew Luck has retired from football. We won’t dwell on the news, but check out QBList’s breakdown of the repercussions here. With Luck now gone, it’s no surprise that Jacoby Brissett sat: he’s now the starter. I expect Brissett to be a serviceable starter, but he’s not on my draft radar. I would probably rank him somewhere around QB20, though he has a high ceiling with all the weapons around him.
With Brissett out, Chad Kelly was the starter tonight and let me say this: Colts fans have at least a slight silver lining to the storm of this weekend. Kelly was regularly pressured by the Bears’ defense, but he still was on target with almost every throw. He made two great scrambles for first downs, and my favorite play came early in the second quarter. Kelly threw a short gain to Hale Hentges that was pick-pocketed by Deon Bush (look for an INT in the box score). Kelly ran down Bush on the play and could have made a play if not for a nice block by another Bears defender. I like the drive from Kelly and he looks hungry. I would love to see him get some serious play time, and he could be a part of the Colts’ future.
Running Backs
- Charcandrick West: 13 carries, 43 yards 1 TD | 3 receptions, 27 yards
- Aca’Cedric West: 11 carries, 15 yards | 2 receptions, 6 yards
Marlon Mack figures to be safe as the lead dog while Nyheim Hines will be the third down back. Jordan Wilkins is the next man up, but what about behind them? Depth at the RB position is vital to a team’s success. Charcandrick West played well tonight as he was heavily involved in both the pass and run games. He is an experienced back and he should be able to fill in for a week or two if anything happened above him. Aca’Cedric West was unimpressive with a big workload, and he isn’t relevant in even the deepest league formats.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Deon Cain: 3 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD
- Mo Alie-Cox: 1 reception, 36 yards
- Krishawn Hogan: 4 receptions, 35 yards
- Ashton Dulin: 2 receptions, 22 yards
There are three Colts receivers that I’m excited to see this year: T.Y. Hilton, Parris Campbell, and Deon Cain. Hilton and Campbell sat out today and this is likely telling of their safe spots as starters. Devin Funchess was also out today, meaning he’s the #2 or #3. Deon Cain will be in the mix at some point. Cain was drafted in the 6th round of the 2018 draft before going down with a torn ACL. I can happily report that he is back and looking good. His biggest highlight came late in the second quarter. Cain caught an 18-yard pass on third down while being wrapped up by a defender. He shook free, side-stepped a second man, and ran away for an easy score. If the Colts can figure out their QB situation, Cain could be a big weapon for the offense.
— Mike Miklius