Bears Deliver 'Gameday' Practice Effort

Jaquan Brisker and the Bears defense dominated Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins in Friday's joint practice. The Bears will look to run their performance back in Sunday's preseason opener with the 'Fins at Soldier Field.

Dennis Allen's Chicago Defense Shines While Schooling Tua

By Clete Campbell Windy City End Zone

It was a “gameday” practice, but the Bears approached it like a must-win Sunday.

The intensity showed. The Bears won the day. The Miami Dolphins hope to win the weekend.

After two gritty weeks of battling each other, the Bears got a much better opponent to hit Friday and knocked them flat on their backs in a joint practice session at Halas Hall before Sunday’s preseason opener at Soldier Field.

The Bears defense brought more heat than the humidity on the Dolphins, delivering a smashmouth effort that had Tua Tagovaiola and Miami’s offense back on its heels.

Fox 32 Chicago’s Chris Kwiecinski called it a dominating performance where the Bears “swarmed and swamped” the ‘Fins. It was a fiery performance head coach Ben Johnson challenged his team to deliver.

“That’s what we should practice like every day,’’ cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said. ‘‘That’s what we need to see out there every day to be a championship defense and championship offense.

‘‘As a defense, we felt good to come out there and get the message across to the offense that it’s time to practice.’’

Both teams’ first team units took the bulk of the reps, but the Bears secondary had Tagovaiola (who had thrown one interception all camp) looking like a rookie free agent fresh to the show. The Bears picked the Pro Bowler three times and limited Miami’s highlight reel video for the local television stations to blase short-gain play shots.

“They ain’t played us,” Bears safety Kevin Byard said.

Tremaine Edmunds’ goal-line pick of Tagovaiola wrapped the Bears’ D’s dazzling effort.

“We just came out with the right intensity,” Byard added.

Offensively, the Bears’ new-look offense wasn’t runway ready but was far from terrible. Williams delivered a 16-for-28 passing line with a touchdown to Olamide Zaccheus and an interception.

Bears standouts on the day included cornerback Nashon Wright, Zaccheus, first round draft pick Colston Loveland, who took a short route catch for a 50-yard score, and a blazing Jaquan Brisker, who created havoc all over the field.

More than anything Friday, Dennis Allen’s Bears’ D looked like a legit NFL defense a month before it will need to be for real.

“I think if we play the way we practiced today on defense, we’re going to be pretty damn good,” Byard added.

And the Bears, even if these results only count on the progress chart, mirrored their new head coach’s intensity in the type of all-out effort fans hope to see week in and out this season.

“That’s one thing you’ve noticed: that intensity level,” Bears president Kevin Warren said. “When you’re able to have intense practices at this time in training camp, it says that the players respect the coaches, and especially the head coach.”