March 28, 2024


Bears Analysis

2022 Bears training camp: Offense, defense grades for Aug. 3

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields throws a pass, Thursday, July 28, 2022, at Halas Hall in Lake Forest.

LAKE FOREST — Training camp is back in full force and the NFL season is right around the corner. Each day during Bears training camp, Shaw Local will grade the Bears’ offensive and defensive performances.

Shaw Local Senior Bears analyst Hub Arkush and Bears beat reporter Sean Hammond will be out at Halas Hall in Lake Forest each day during camp. Follow Hammond on Twitter here, and follow Arkush on Twitter here.

These grades are subjective and take into account many different factors. No two practices are the same, either. Some days the team will work on specific scenarios like the red zone or two-minute drill, while other days practice could be reduced to a simple walk-through. A good day or a bad day in training camp certainly won’t make or break the season.

Offense: C+

Wednesday was a much better day for the offense than Tuesday. In a two-minute drill, quarterback Justin Fields led the offense into field goal range. With the drive stalling near the 45-yard line, Fields completed a 12-yard pass to receiver N’Keal Harry across the middle to keep the possession alive and get into field goal position. Cairo Santos made a 42-yard field goal.

Fields said the offense still has a ways to go. That’s to be expected.

“There’s not one thing where we’ve met our full potential yet,” Fields said.

Other offensive highlights included a pair of tough catches by tight end Cole Kmet in traffic and a nice move from receiver Darnell Mooney in space to pick up an extra 20 yards following a short completion.

Offensive star of the day: Cole Kmet

Kmet made several tough catches across the middle with defenders in his face. Honorable mention goes to receiver David Moore, who made several nice plays with the second-team offense.

Defense: B-

The defense continues to look better than the offense in the early days of training camp. The defensive line has been creating pressure during team drills. Defensive tackle Justin Jones probably would’ve had a sack in the two-minute drill, but play carried on and Fields threw an incompletion.

Despite bottling up the offense, turnovers haven’t come very frequently. Cornerback Kyler Gordon nearly had an interception against Fields earlier in the day, but the rookie couldn’t hold on for the catch.

Defensive star of the day: Justin Jones

Jones stood out on a defensive line that was creating pressure all day long.

Sean Hammond

Sean Hammond

Sean is the Chicago Bears beat reporter for the Shaw Local News Network. He has covered the Bears since 2020. Prior to writing about the Bears, he covered high school sports for the Northwest Herald and contributed to Friday Night Drive. Sean joined Shaw Media in 2016.