Pass rush impresses + wide receivers showing consistency
To set the scene, joint practices are a little chaotic for the viewer. During Friday’s practice there was action happening on two fields simultaneously. Buffalo’s wide receivers would be doing one-on-one drills against the Bears defensive backs on one field, while the Bills defensive backs would do one-on-ones against Chicago’s skill players. It was the same case for team periods and two-minute drill.
All that to say, it was tough to see every single play. Although, it was easy to come away with some big positive themes after just one practice against the Bears.
Defensive line’s strong day
Starting with the defense, the defensive line was on point during Friday’s practice. The whole unit had their Wheaties before stepping onto the practice field with a physicality about them. It didn’t show up in just one-on-ones or team periods, it was consistent throughout the entirety of practice. The Bears have several new pieces on the offensive line and are still building chemistry, but you can say the same for Buffalo’s defensive line.
It really looks like the unit has done a great job building chemistry off the field, which helps during practices. The new pieces are elevating the play of veterans like defensive tackle Ed Oliver and defensive end Greg Rousseau and vice versa.
The defensive line dominated one-on-one drills from starters to second and third team. During team drills, we heard plenty of whistles as plays were called dead due to the pressure the Bears offense was feeling. We counted a mix of sacks and pressures from Rousseau, Oliver, defensive end Joey Bosa, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, defensive end Michael Hoecht, defensive end Javon Solomon and more.
Dominant against the run + sticky coverage by DBs
The defense as whole was also dominant against the run. The linebacking unit and defensive line linked up for multiple tackles for loss and stops at the line of scrimmage. The group had sound technique to stay in their gaps and read their keys instead of reacting to the wrong thing. Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, linebacker Matt Milano and linebacker Dorian Williams had noteworthy stops in the run game.
Milano continues to show flashes of his old self. The linebacker was present against the run and the pass. He had a couple of pass breakups, showcasing his ability to drop into coverage. On one play, Milano was underneath and dove to knock out the ball and force an incompletion.
During a red zone period, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams targeted Rome Odunze near the end zone but cornerback Christian Benford and safety Taylor Rapp provided great coverage and pushed Odunze out of bounds before he could get two feet in.
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