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Chicago Bears preseason ends with shutout loss: Highlights, score, analysis

By Khari Thompson

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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Here’s what we learned (?) from the Chicago Bears’ 25-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns in their fourth preseason game.

And with that, the Chicago Bears preseason has ended. And thank goodness it has. For one thing, the longer the play, the more of them fall down to the turf with injuries. And secondly, I’ve grown really tired of watching John Fox manage the usage of his young star quarterback. If I didn’t know any better, I’d seriously question whether or not he had any idea or plan regarding what to do with Mitch Trubisky…

Anyway, here are some abbreviated notes on the annual Battle of the Bad Players between the Bears and Cleveland Browns.

Mitch Trubisky Does…Nothing

Whether you were excited for Trubisky to start a game for the Bears—even in preseason—or questioned why the Bears were risking harm to him in the first place, you probably left this game thinking: “What in the world was that?”

The Chicago Bears claimed that they wanted to see Trubisky’s preparation for a start to gauge his progress. Well…I hope they learned what they needed to before the game. Because once the game started, I’m not sure what knowledge anyone gained from watching him play.

Trubisky’s first three drives featured nine plays in total. Every last one of them was a handoff.

If nothing else, Trubisky showed an outstanding comfort level turning around under center and giving the ball to the trio of Benny Cunningham, Jeremy Langford and Joshua Rounds. Oh, and in case you were wondering, he also handed the ball off very well on a shotgun draw play. Textbook technique.

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Trubisky did not officially attempt a pass until the second quarter, finishing 2-4 for 10 yards. He also had to scramble for his life behind the Bears’ awful backup offensive line. And despite the Bears’ seeming efforts to protect him, he still got shoved to the ground out of bounds after a scramble, resulting in a penalty.

So all in all, what was the point of any of that?

If John Fox just wanted to see his preparation but didn’t want to play him, he could’ve just started Connor Shaw. I know I’ve advocated for Trubisky to get as many reps as possible while he can, but that? That was a waste of everyone’s time, Trubisky’s especially.

I hope he learned something valuable from this game that we can’t see. Otherwise, this could be another sign that Fox simply isn’t the guy to help mold Trubisky into the star we’re all hoping for.

Lamarr Houston Makes his Case

Houston all but had a roster spot locked up due to injuries at the outside linebacker position, but he balled out just to be safe. Unfortunately, because some divine power hates the Chicago Bears, he suffered what could be a serious injury. Of course.

For the first half, Houston was quite simply everywhere. He was sacking the quarterback, penetrating on run plays and generally disrupting everything Cleveland did. Essentially, he looked like a decent NFL player should against backups.

And then, in the third quarter, this happened.

No one knows for sure, but that sure looked like that could mean more torn knee ligaments to me.

Hopefully, the situation turns out to be less severe than that. After all, I don’t possess a medical degree. But wow, the Chicago Bears really can’t catch a break with these injuries, can they?

The Bottom of the Roster is Terrible

This probably won’t surprise anyone, but the Chicago Bears have some serious talent issues on their roster right now. Truthfully, though, it’s not about the starters; they’ve proven to be fairly solid so far, especially on defense. Some positions, like quarterback, running back and defensive end also boast some solid backups.

But once you get to the reserves in earnest, this roster looks awful.

Of course, watching the fourth preseason game for any team means you’re going to see players who will be out of the league in the next few days. So I’m not saying I expected to see stellar feats of athleticism and execution or something.

But wow…could we find a few guys on defense that can stop these plays from happening?

And my goodness, Jordan Morgan: I’m pretty sure no one taught you to block like this…

Maybe it’s not worth caring about since hopefully none of these players will play meaningful downs for the Chicago Bears. And yet, if you’re going to be out fighting for jobs, can’t you just look a little better doing it?

Stud of the Game: Houston

Until he went down with an untimely injury, Houston was by far the best player on the football field tonight. He absolutely looked like he was regaining his pre-injury form and was going to contribute meaningfully this season. Now, unless that leg injury wasn’t as bad as it looked, he might have played his last game as a member of the Chicago Bears.

Dud of the Game: John Fox

The decision to do…whatever that was with Trubisky definitely didn’t look very good for Fox. And neither will what happened to Houston in the third quarter of a meaningless game.

Sure, you can get hurt at any time playing football. But by this point, whether there weren’t many bodies at the position or not, I’m sure you could’ve found someone else to play outside linebacker if you wanted to. Houston very likely would’ve been a crucial player with Pernell McPhee recovering from injury. Now, he could be lost with an injury of his own because he was playing when he didn’t have to.

Next: Time to start treating Kevin White like a top receiver

Not a good luck, Fox. Not good at all.

Anyway, I’m ready for next Sunday already. How about you?

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