Bears @ Chiefs
Writer: Zach Whetsel
As always, in these teams’ last preseason game of 2024, the top starters were tucked away on the sidelines to prepare for the regular season. This left a void of established talent to talk about, but that’s a good thing for the dedicated. This type of opportunity only comes around once a year for many of these players: a spotlight in which NFL hopefuls can showcase themselves for the whole world to see. The last game could dictate a player’s future in the eyes of their teams, their fans, and fantasy. Thankfully I watched it all, so you don’t have to. Here’s what I saw:
Three Up
- Carson Steele – The Chiefs clearly feel good about Isiah Pacheco commanding the starting RB role, but who might back him up has been a bit of a question all off-season. It took until last week’s game for most to start paying UDFA Carson Steele much mind, and tonight Steele made his mark known again. He actually might run angrier than the Chiefs starter, and he signed with the team because of the potential to work in a pass-friendly system. He will work his way onto the field, and he’s a talent you need to be grabbing now.
- Backup QBs – The Bears’ backup QBs all looked good. Tyson Bagent made solid decisions as always and ran the first drive in for 7, while the battle for QB3 between Brett Rypien and Hard-Knocks standout (R) Austin Reed has proven competitive as well. Ian Book also looked nice for the Chiefs with two touchdown passes, although he was their last QB to suit up on the night.
- Velus Jones Jr – This offseason position change of a 27-year-old backup from WR to RB is unique in a few ways. The 2022 3rd-round pick has shown electric athleticism when given the ball to run with; in fact, his kick returning and occasional trick plays have been the only reason he’s been worth having on the roster his first two seasons. Sadly, Velus’s dropped passes and muffed punts combined with his old rookie age have made him a subject of derision among many fans. However, new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron switched him to RB for this season, and he’s done very well to secure his spot in that role. He broke off some very impressive runs tonight.
Three Down
- Travis Homer – Another RB vying for a role in the murky Bears backfield may have secured his ticket home. He’s a major special teams contributor, but dropped a 4th down pass from Tyson Bagent early in the game that really encapsulated his preseason showings.
- Chris Oladokun – The Chiefs hopeful backup QB made some tough mistakes for a player trying to make the roster. He threw two picks on just 16 pass attempts, with no scores… it wasn’t a great showing for most on the Chiefs offense, but he looked pretty rough.
- Braxton Jones – The Bears backup swing tackle went down with a knee injury before halftime. He was looking to be a meaningful piece of the team’s depth, and his absence could prove important in trying to maintain an already shaky offensive line unit this year.
Bears
Quarterback
Tyson Bagent: 3/6, 57 yards passing, 1 rush, 5 yards, 1 TD
Notes
- He looked calm and in command of the backup role. He’s feeling confident and playing like it, so although it wasn’t his most accurate night, he still made good decisions and gave the coaches enough that they pulled him early.
Missed Opportunities
- He misplaced a ball early, but he made good use of his time on the field. Bears fans are pretty excited about him, but his arm isn’t the best. He’s a good backup to have regardless.
Brett Rypien: 9/13, 106 yards passing, 1 rush, 1 yard
Notes
- He’s been around the league a bit now but has done well to impress the on Bears. He hasn’t looked as great as in the HOF game, but he’s been confident in his command of the offense all preseason.
Missed Opportunities
- Rypien had a poor play on a third down in the red zone; his pass was caught for a touchdown, but he threw it from well beyond the line of scrimmage. The loss of down from the penalty ended the drive and forced a kick, and the play felt like one where the Bears have to be excited it’s Caleb steering the ship this season.
Running Back
Velus Jones Jr: 13 carries, 111 yards, 1 TD, 2 receptions, 11 yards
Notes
- Velus looked like Cordarrelle Patterson against the Chiefs 2’s and 3’s tonight. New Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron wants to use him as a running back since his biggest flaw is having bricks for hands, and it seemed to work. His explosiveness showed all night and he seemed confident in the role, which is not something we’ve seen from him in years past.
Missed Opportunities:
- Velus Jones Jr did not have return duties tonight. One would guess it’s just because he was being featured on offense, but with someone who’s made their keep returning the ball, it’s worth noting.
Travis Homer: 4 carries, 13 yards
Notes
- Bad night for the special teams contributor and fringe-RB4. Bad, bad night. He didn’t show much running the ball and dropped a would-be fourth down conversion on the team’s second drive. If he’s on the roster, don’t look to him to fill in for injuries.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tyler Scott: 6 receptions, 99 yards, 1 rush, 17 yards
Notes
- Although the stat line was good, I honestly don’t see Tyler Scott being more than a WR4 for many teams. He is fast but doesn’t play with the most strength, or the best hands, or even the greatest route running. He could continue to develop into a better player, but for now, I wouldn’t take tonight as a great endorsement of his talent levels. Regardless, tonight was a nice night, and after rebounding surprisingly well from a nasty hit, he has seemingly earned his role as this team’s WR4.
Nsimba Webster: 3 receptions, 68 yards
Notes
- Webster made a few nice catches today and certainly played his part in the Bears’ historic 2024 Preseason Championship run. However, you don’t want to see him playing for the Bears or your fantasy teams in the regular season. I think I’d rather they keep him than Dante Pettis, though, if that’s worth anything.
Chiefs
Quarterback
Chris Oladokun: 9/16 passing, 66 yards, 2 int, 4 carries, 6 yards
Notes
- Boy was that rough. Many QBs have struggled this preseason against the Bears, but Oladokun, I thought, looked the most rocked. He delivered on a few nice balls here and there but mostly seemed to get beat up by a Bears defense that’s been playing hungry all preseason. He threw two picks to the same player, one after being gifted a red zone possession from a muffed punt, and generally did not get anything going. If there’s one thing to credit, he did look athletic. Sacks did not come easy for the Bears in this game.
Missed Opportunities
- He made rushed, poor reads on two plays and had his passes jumped and intercepted on both by Bears safety Reddy Steward. Oladokun also barely missed on a deep ball to Kadarius Toney that would have been a touchdown if not for a great defensive effort in swatting the ball by S Adrian Colbert.
Ian Book: 6/9 passing, 71 yards, 2 TDs, 1 carry, 9 yards
Notes
- It was a solid night for Chiefs 3rd-string hopeful Ian Book. He completed two passes for touchdowns in the fourth quarter, giving the offense its’ first sustained success of the night. In particular, his work on the Chiefs’ final scoring drive was impressive; he completed a 49-yard pass to Montrell Washington, only to finish the drive with a 10-yard touchdown to Baylor Cupp.
Missed Opportunities
- Book could have had a third passing touchdown in which the receiver came down just out of bounds earlier in the fourth quarter. He threw it away on 4th down, the next play, ending the drive just 6 yards short of a score. He also struggled in his initial two drives in the third quarter, with neither attempt finding any success.
Running Back
Carson Steele: 4 carries, 50 yards, 1 TD
Notes
- The rookie from Ball State and UCLA showcased once again why he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster. He runs angry and seems to do the dirty work well- a good recipe for getting yourself involved in an offense. Steele stiff-armed a Bears defender straight into the dirt on his longest run of the day, a 32-yard run that fell just short of the end zone. He punched it in on the next play, and that was his night. His performance felt like the exact reason we watch these games… I’m sold on Carson Steele already.
Keontay Ingram: 4 carries, 26 yards, 1 reception, 4 yards
Notes
- Although Ingram had a couple fewer rushes than his counterpart Emani Bailey, he made better use of his opportunities tonight. The Chiefs offense struggled most of the night but Ingram came in and made his job look routine.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Montrell Washington: 1 reception, 49 yards
Notes
- Washington didn’t get many looks tonight, with the one long catch being his only touch, but he made that one play count. He broke free going deep down the middle with just under 5 minutes left in the game and Ian Book undershot the pass by a good bit. Washington was forced to slow down and high point the ball between two Bears’ defenders, and he made the play. He earned his props for that catch.
Kadarius Toney: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 26 yards
Missed Opportunities
- Toney is on here mostly for his missed opportunity, rather than than his final stat line. The one incompletion in his box score would have been the longest touchdown of the game by far, as he broke away crossing deep downfield and nobody could have caught him. Unfortunately, the pass hung out there just a hair too long, and Bears safety Adrian Colbert was just barely able to swat the ball away. Granted, the touchdown is assuming he had caught the ball had it made it to him… but it was there. His athleticism is still undeniable, even if it was against backups.
Jared Wiley: 1 reception, 3 yards
Notes
- I put Wiley on here because he’s everybody’s favorite deep stash this season at TE, in case we are seeing the end of Kelce. It was exciting to see him out there; but his two targets were not nearly enough to glean any info, especially since one was a bad decision that ended up being jumped and intercepted. He was one that I wanted to see more of today.
Baylor Cupp: 1 reception, 10 yards, 1 TD
Notes
- If you really want to make sure you’ve stashed the next Chiefs TE, and touchdown variance in a limited sample size is something you’re willing to ignore, you could always take a look at the other rookie on the squad, Baylor Cupp. He caught a TD today in the fourth quarter and could be a practice squad candidate that is worth keeping an eye on for the future.