The Chicago Bears had big moments and big blunders against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 of the preseason. Some stood out, while one likely earned his walking papers.
It's Week 1 of the NFL Preseason, and the Chicago Bears, who ended last year on a losing streak, were back in action against the Tennessee Titans.
Wait, got to be careful. Hopefully, George McCaskey isn't as sensitive as John Angelos, and a suspension isn't handed down for just reporting facts. Also, we can't totally praise Justin Fields, or else Mike Tannenbaum and Colin Cowherd and their fans will do anything in their power to discredit Chicago.
Puns and shots aside, The Windy City earned a 23-17 win over the visitors from the Music City to start the preseason with a bang. But the wins, in this case, don't matter as much as finding players who stood out and those who will likely need to be given walking papers come preseason's end.
Thankfully for the Bears, some stood out in an obvious way, like Fields, DJ Moore, and Khalil Herbert, but it's mostly the guys on the backend of the roster who need to stand out in order to have a legitimate shot of making the team. Here are three standouts and one that will likely need to be cut.
Bears Preseason Week 1 standout No. 1: DE Terrell Lewis
A castoff by the Los Angeles Rams, injuries have hurt Lewis during his short career so far. That said, he was known to get after quarterbacks in college at Alabama, and against Tennessee, Lewis was sharp and poised during his time in the game. It helped that he had other players step up as well, like rookie Travis Bell and Trevis Gipson, but Lewis was the man that popped off the screen.
Lewis has a chance to not only crack the roster, but if he keeps this up, he might get into the starting rotation sooner than later. It's mostly a matter if he can stay healthy. The performance against Tennessee should provide some solace. Two sacks, even if it's a preseason game, is still a good outing.
For a team that needs a pass rush, anything that can help matters. Lewis did his job, as did UDFA's Jalen Harris and D'Anthony Jones. Suddenly, maybe the pass rush has more juice than was previously commented on.
Bears Preseason Week 1 standout No. 2: S Bralen Trahan
To say that Bralen Trajan was an unknown in training camp would be a big misunderstanding. Those who knew the UDFA from Louisiana-Lafayette were well aware that Trahan had an instinct for going after the football.
Given the end of the game situation where Will Levis was driving Tennessee towards a potential game-winning touchdown, only for the rookie from Kentucky to launch an air pass that Trahan "fair caught" for the clinching turnover.
The Bears' secondary is a very deep core. It will take plays like that to keep Trahan in the secondary. With Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, and Elijah Hicks likely to make the team under lock status, Trahan can solidify his case by locking down safety No. 4 if he builds off this performance. One play can change everything.
Bears Preseason Week 1 standout No. 3: RB Roschon Johnson
Johnson may not have busted the stat sheet wide open, but given what he was playing with in front of him, what more could you possibly ask? The offensive line was largely made up of players who are just fighting for their careers.
At the same time, he showed that when the lanes were somewhat open, he was able to make his own yards and show glimpses of what he accomplished at Texas. 12 carries for 44 yards is very modest and old school, but at least with no turnovers, he's earned a good grade.
Johnson does have more work to do, but so do the offensive linemen. Chicago still has questions in that area, and no answers have been firmly locked in. However, with better blocking, anything can work for an offense. The trenches matter, regardless of who is working behind the unit. That includes Johnson.
Bears cut candidate after Preseason Week 1: WR/KR Velus Jones Jr.
Oh man, just when Bears fans had even the slightest bit of hope that the draft pick was going to pan out, Velus Jones Jr. muffs a punt, and at this point, his future with the Bears is in major doubt. That's not primarily from this preseason game but from what happened last season and the changes Chicago made to their offensive personnel throughout free agency and the draft.
Right now, DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool (still in doubt), and Tyler Scott (even with his unfortunate turnover) are likely to make the team. That means two spots are up for grabs, and the waiver wire still is a situation worth monitoring. Reinforcements come in many ways.
Daurice Fountain and Nsimba Webster made good impressions during their time in the game, and they could steal the last spots. Jones might have already used his last chance, but being a third-round pick gives more leeway than it should. The Colts game will tell all.