Chicago Bears: Final observations from Miami game

It was an incredibly exciting Week 1 of the preseason for the Chicago Bears. After a slow start, rookie sensation Justin Fields showed many of the skills which led the Bears to move up in the draft to select him.

But the book is just about closed on the first game of the preseason and we now look forward to their next matchup against another AFC East foe — one which will bring a familiar face back to Chicago as Mitch Trubisky returns to Soldier Field for the first time since signing to be Josh Allen’s backup.

However, before we move on, we have a few final thoughts about game one that are worth discussing.

Here are some final thoughts and observations about the game against the Miami Dolphins as we start to look for things to watch on Saturday.

Chicago Bears’ Alec Ogletree looks like a real contributor

When the Chicago Bears signed Alec Ogletree, some fans jokingly wondered if it was to avoid having to play against him, as Ogletree has had a lot of success in the past intercepting Bears’ quarterbacks.

That trend has continued throughout training camp as he recorded six interceptions in his first five practices. Ogletree also looked good in last Saturday’s preseason game, flying all over the field in coverage making tackles in the run game. With Danny Trevathan being out since August 6th, Ogletree’s signing may prove more important than originally thought.

Marqui Christian should get start against Buffalo

One player that really flashed during the first preseason game was the ever-versatile Marqui Christian, who enters his sixth year in the NFL. Marqui had a number of nice plays on Saturday including a forced fumble on the first play of the 3rd quarter in which he laid a heavy hit on the runner. No doubt this will sit well with new defensive coordinator Sean Desai’s recommitment to forcing turnovers this season.

Christian also had a nice play later on in the quarter when he chased down the running back from across the field, covering a ton of ground to make a nice tackle and limit further damage.

Christian’s play earned him the opportunity to get more playing time, and one area where I would like to see him is at the stating nickel back position. While Duke Shelley started last week, he has had a couple of seasons to lock down that position, and hasn’t, so it’s worth taking a longer look at Christian. His diving interception of Justin Fields and another pass breakup this week in camp may go a long way in giving him that chance.

Chicago Bears’ Khalil Herbert showing something

With Tarik Cohen on the sidelines still recovering from knee surgery, the Bears are looking for some extra running back depth along with Damien Williams, who they signed this offseason. Although they have Artavis Pierce and Ryan Nall as holdovers from last season, they may have found their guy in Khalil Herbert.

The rookie out of Virginia Tech was very solid in his debut, rushing six times for 38 yards and hauling in three catches. He had a nice run where he appeared to be bottled up and then bounced it outside for a 16-yard gain. He also had a tough 4th down conversion in which he showed off his toughness.

He has apparently caught the attention of head coach Matt Nagy not only for his play, but for his ability to avoid/limit his mistakes. He is definitely someone to keep an eye on this coming Saturday against the Bills.