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Quick Hits: Adams caps whirlwind weekend with TD

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No matter what Bears receiver Rodney Adams experiences the rest of his life, it'll be very difficult for him to top the last 24 hours.

Adams and his wife welcomed their first child into the world Friday night when Brexleigh Michelle Adams was born. And then, after about five hours of sleep on a hospital couch, Adams made a sensational catch and turned it into a 73-yard touchdown in Saturday's preseason loss to the Bills.

"Amazing isn't even the word," Adams said. "Having her yesterday, then coming out, scoring a touchdown for her [and] my wife, it's crazy."

Fittingly, Adams celebrated his TD by rocking the football like a baby. Asked by a reporter what he saw on the play, he said: "I saw my little girl at the hospital who we just gave birth to last night. That's what I saw."

The TD came on a pinpoint pass from Andy Dalton. Adams plucked the ball off the helmet of safety Siran Neal and raced to the end zone. Adams made a similar play in last Saturday's preseason opener when he leaped over Bills cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to haul in a 25-yard pass from Justin Fields.

"It was just a one-on-one play," Dalton said. "[Adams] made a heck of a catch. It's two weeks in a row that he's made a catch like that, going over somebody and making a big play for us."

Adams was selected by the Vikings in the fifth round of the 2017 draft and spent part of his rookie year on Minnesota's practice squad. He also was with the Colts during the 2018 and 2020 offseasons before signing with the Bears last August and spending the season on the practice squad.

Adams is vying for a backup spot at a deep receiver position that includes Allen Robinson II, Darnell Mooney, Marquise Goodwin, Damiere Byrd, Riley Ridley, Javon Wims, Chris Lacy, Jon'Vea Johnson and Dazz Newsome.

Adams insists that he doesn't dwell on his chances of making the final roster.

"We're family in that room," he said. "I'm just blessed to be in that room. We all go out and compete every single day. We help each other get better every day. We don't look at numbers. We're family and we just come ready to play every day."

Lengthy audition: Rookie fifth-round pick Larry Borom played the entire second half at left tackle. The Missouri product returned to practice Thursday for the first time since sustaining a concussion Aug. 5 in a workout at Halas Hall.

Borom had been practicing at right tackle, but after losing a significant amount of weight during the offseason, he showed quickness and athleticism when he stepped in at left tackle during the Bears' Family Fest practice Aug. 3 at Soldier Field. The outing put him in contention for the starting position on the left side.

"It's a lot of fun," Borom said. "I know I hear people talk about it's hard to flip side-to-side. And it is a challenge, but at the end of the day everyone loves a good challenge, so it was fun."

At Missouri, Borom made 19 starts at right tackle the past two seasons, including all eight games he played last year. He also opened two contests at left guard and one at left tackle, both in 2019.

Borom will continue working on the left side, even though the Bears signed veteran left tackle Jason Peters last week. A nine-time Pro Bowler in 17 seasons with the Bills (2004-08) and Eagles (2009-20), Peters did not play Saturday but is expected to make his Bears debut in next weekend's preseason finale in Tennessee.

"He's an 'OG' in the game," Borom said. "I just want to learn as much as I can from him and I value every little thing he says to me. I just want to pick his brain. He's seen it all. I want to know what it takes to be that great."

Déjà vu: There was something awfully familiar about Justin Fields' 32-yard completion to tight end Jesse James in the third quarter.

"That was the same play as last week," Fields said, referring to a 30-yard TD pass he threw to James in last Saturday's preseason-opening win over the Dolphins. "They were in man coverage. You want to fake the 'naked' [bootleg] and get the safety moving to the right and then just throw back left. He beat the linebacker that was on him, and of course it was definitely a big play."

James signed with the Bears July 27 after spending the past six seasons with the Steelers (2015-18) and Lions (2019-20), catching 150 passes for 1,460 yards and 11 touchdowns while appearing in 88 games with 54 starts.

The 6-7, 251-pounder has built a rapport with Fields while working together on the No. 2 offense in training camp.

"I've definitely gotten a lot of reps with Jesse," Fields said. "He's a great player. I like his size. I like his hands. And he's a smart guy. He has been in the league a few years now, so he definitely knows what he's doing out there. He's definitely a target I like to go to."

News and notes: Bears players who exited Saturday's game included receiver Javon Wims (appendicitis symptoms), defensive tackle Bilal Nichols (toe) and linebacker Austin Calitro (hamstring) … The Bears recorded four sacks: two by defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. and one apiece by outside linebackers Trevis Gipson and Sam Kamara … Receiver Jon'Vea Johnson led the Bears with four catches for 54 yards.

See the game unfold through the lenses of our sideline photographers as the Bears face off against the Bills in Chicago during the second preseason match.

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