OK, so it didn’t exactly feel like home. And it certainly didn’t smell like it when a warm breeze suddenly shifted in the second quarter and the winds of change that characterize this 82nd Bears campaign threatened to buckle the knees of the uninitiated.
There were, however, several reassuring signs that despite the Illinois logos painted in each end zone, the Bears’ imprint will be felt here. Well, three signs, anyway.
That would be Urlacher, Colvin and Holdman.
The Bears’ imposing young linebackers weren’t in Saturday night’s exhibition opener against Denver long enough to break a serious sweat. But they were in long enough to remind those who still wonder if this team is for real to ponder their lack of depth at most positions.
You remember depth–that long-forgotten concept in this age of salary caps.
What would the Bears do if one of the big three on defense went down? Mike Caldwell, an off-season free-agent acquisition from Philadelphia, would have started if Warrick Holdman wasn’t re-signed, and is essentially a fourth starter.
The Bears’ running backs were notable, showing at the very least, that as running backs, they make great kick returners. Leon Johnson returned one punt for 35 yards in the first quarter and Rabih Abdullaha brought back one kickoff for 49 yards and two others for 30 and 31 yards.
At quarterback, No. 3 Henry Burris showed why being able to fling the ball 70-plus yards in the air, as he did last week in Bourbonnais, is impressive only when someone with the same uniform is camped under it.
He was intercepted twice in the third quarter Saturday night, could have lost a fumble and should have been picked off at least one other time in the first half.
No. 2 Chris Chandler, looking considerably more annoyed than any exhibition game deserves, was justifiably miffed after nearly being crushed by two Broncos bursting through–surprise–the right side of the Bears’ offensive line.
If Jim Miller were at all uneasy in the Bears’ first game at Memorial Stadium, he settled himself by quickly finding Marty Booker for his first two completions, then followed that with his first incompletion, trying to hit none other than Booker.
Jon Hilbert showed that, indeed, he can kick it into the orange paint on kickoffs, but we knew that already. It might have been nice to have seen what Hilbert would have done with the 36-yard field goal that Paul Edinger calmly booted through.
If there is any question as to the depth of this Bears team, Hilbert’s retention as a kickoff specialist should tell us something.
The secondary, a source of trepidation coming in, did little to allay that fear. Jerry Azumah, looking every bit like an NFL starter with his T-shirt on, still looked tentative on the field and was penalized once for interference.
Rookie strong safety Bobby Gray, the fifth-round pick, was victimized over the middle for a 5-yard touchdown pass from Steve Beuerlein to Dwayne Carswell and clearly needs work on his coverage skills. But he continues to impress Bears coaches in camp and is potentially a Mike Brown-type hitter.
All we know for sure after Saturday night is that Brian Urlacher, Rosevelt Colvin and Holdman will push this team as far as it goes. Urlacher was scary good with a sack, tackles for loss, and a forced fumble and recovery in less than one quarter.
Beyond that, time will tell if all the cliches apply this season.
Most of us were well aware that all football fields are 100 yards long and that they all have yellow goalposts sticking up from the back of the end zone, as Bears coaches have been reminding us.
A nearly full house was reasonable evidence that the Bears can count on solid support in Champaign as long as they don’t get off to a horrendous start.
As long as those winds of change don’t pack too putrid a punch, they should be fine.
