Cade McNown was not exactly pleading his case. But in a quarterback competition with Shane Matthews that came down to the final exhibition game, it was not always a level playing field.
Penalties plagued the second unit while McNown was in Saturday night’s game at Cleveland. In his first two series, he faced a second-and-25 and a second-and-26 as the Bears committed eight second-quarter penalties.
Matthews, meanwhile, had the benefit of starting his two scoring drives on the Bears’ 43- and 47-yard lines after Glyn Milburn kickoff returns of 33 and 32 yards.
“It’s pretty obvious to the coaches you’re not going to be able to do much in those situations,” McNown said. “It’s not your fault. You step up and hit Marcus (Robinson) for a 10-yard gain (in the first series that ended up going minus-8 yards), hope the defense holds them and then you start over.”
Bears offensive coordinator Gary Crowton praised McNown for protecting the ball better and improved judgment. McNown, too, said he saw progress after two quarters in which he finished 4 of 10 for 42 yards and a 19-yard touchdown pass to Robinson.
“Even though the stats may not show it, I feel like I was playing a lot better,” McNown said. “I was making the right reads. I felt comfortable out there. I’m starting to read a little quicker and I’m rushing the throw because I’m seeing it so quick. The key now is when I read those plays, just be patient, finish the read and make the throw.”
McNown conceded that coming late to training camp has affected him. “Who’s to say in another couple of weeks I won’t have accelerated?” he said. “Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward.”
Crowton did have one problem with the rookie Saturday. “He needs better rib pads,” he said, “and yeah, he needs to slide. But I like his competitiveness. He’s a tough kid.”
Nothing to prove: Moses Moreno left Saturday’s game with bruised ribs but not bruised pride after a preseason that may end up leaving him the odd man out in the battle for No. 3 quarterback.
Moreno came into the game having completed 7 of 9 passes for 64 yards. Against Cleveland he was 4 for 9 for 44 yards with one interception. Jim Miller was 12 of 16 for 152 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in four games.
“I feel good about what I put on the table,” Moreno said. “Now it’s their turn to analyze all that and decide what’s best for the Chicago Bears.”
Bubble trouble: Crowton said he was trying to get another look at Robinson in downfield situations, and the result was a 19-yard touchdown pass from McNown.
“I wanted to see if he could go vertical because he’s big and fast, and he did it,” Crowton said. Still, Robinson will be hard-pressed to beat out rookie Marty Booker.
Edgar Bennett, who did not appear in danger earlier, surely did not show as much as he would have liked in two games: two carries for 2 yards against St. Louis last week and five carries for 14 yards against the Browns.
If the Bears decide to go with five running backs, a decision could come down to Robert Chancey or James Allen. Chancey has looked good at times catching the ball out of the backfield but hasn’t had many opportunities. Allen’s fumbles early in camp hurt his standing, though he came back with a 102-yard kickoff return against Pittsburgh.
First cuts are Tuesday.
Herndon lost: Backup left tackle Jimmy Herndon tore his left anterior cruciate ligament Saturday night and will miss the season. He will be placed on injured reserve. The Bears’ only two backup tackles are highly regarded Dan Palmer, an undrafted free agent at right tackle, and rookie Jerry Wisne, a converted guard from Notre Dame who played left tackle for the first time Saturday. Backup right tackle Chad Overhauser has been out the last week with a pulled hamstring.
Not just yet: Rookie linebacker Warrick Holdman has made big plays consistently during the preseason, including a sack and an interception against Cleveland. But he apparently isn’t close to dislodging one of the three starters.
“He is a playmaker,” coach Dick Jauron said. “He’s just going to have to learn about the game at this level. I’d like to see him pick up the intensity all the time. But he is a valuable guy. Anybody who can pick the ball out of the air like that. . . . Not a lot of guys can do that.”
