Chicago Bears: 3 surprises in preseason finale vs. Buffalo Bills

Bears offense goes off in the first half

Even though Bears backup quarterback Chase Daniel was impressive throughout the preseason, he wasn’t going to get any playing time in this game. Third-stringer Tyler Bray would be under center for the entire game, and he had tremendous success leading the Bears offense.

The Bears scored on three consecutive offensive drives of 69, 85 and 83 yards, respectively. The team methodically moved down the field, using short passes and screens mixed in with running plays to get the offense going. While the first two drives resulted in field goals from Cody Parkey, the third drive showed off a great ground game that resulted in a Bears touchdown.

The Bears only ran two passing plays on that third drive that put the team up 20-0 in the second quarter. This drive was led by running back Ryan Nall. Fans have been rooting for him to make the team all preseason. Nall was a longshot coming into the game, but he had an electrifying 35-yard touchdown run on this drive that got some believing he could be a part of the final 53 players.

Nall only had four carries in the entire game, but he gained 79 yards on those carries. He really stepped up and created a tough decision for Bears coaches to make about his future. I really think Nall will fall just short of making the roster, but he’s a lock for the practice squad in that case. Even then, he may get scooped up by another team.

The Bears offense slowed down considerably in the second half. They did have one touchdown drive that put them up 27-3 in the third quarter, but they failed to score again. Still, it was encouraging to see some offensive bench players have a big contribution.