The Bears conducted a two-and-a-half hour joint practice with the Miami Dolphins Friday at Halas Hall. Here's what transpired:
From pass breakups in 1-on-1 battles to sacks and tackles-for-loss to takeaways during team periods, Dennis Allen's defense was firing on all cylinders.
"I think if we play the way we practice today on defense, we're gonna be pretty damn good," safety Kevin Byard III said.
In the first 7-on-7 team period, safety Jaquan Brisker jumped a route and intercepted Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa before returning it to the end zone untouched.
The defense continued their strong play in the first 11-on-11 period, where cornerback Terell Smith, who Byard described as a "ballplayer," recorded a pair of pass breakups.
At the end of the period, the Bears made their way into the backfield with cornerback Tyrique Stevenson delivering a strong hit on receiver Jaylen Waddle to blow up a screen pass and defensive end Montez Sweat and Brisker recording would-be sacks on back-to-back plays.
During the following team period, Byard jumped in on the action, intercepting Tagovailoa off a tipped ball by cornerback Nahshon Wright, who the veteran safety said has been playing "big time ball."
"I feel like we just came out with the right intensity," Byard said. "We kind of just talked about it last night in our meetings – being able to go out there and set the tone. I always believe that defense obviously, everything is set from the front. So, obviously boys like Grady [Jarrett], Dex (Gervon Dexter Sr.), Tez (Montez Sweat), Dayo [Odeyingbo], they're going to set the tone.
"But on the back end, we want to be able to hold our own too and Brisk came out there, got a couple big hits. He got a pick, kind of turned us all up. I was able to get a pick as well. Still a lot of things to clean up but I think if we play like we practiced today, we're gonna be pretty good."
Play of the day
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds generated a highlight-reel play during the final practice period when he picked Tagovailoa off at the goal line. While Edmunds appeared to catch the ball cleanly initially, he proceeded to bobble it multiple times before securing it for good and returning it all the way down to the opposite end zone, which elicited a celebratory dance from defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
"He tried to make it as dramatic as possible," Byard joked. "I think that was something good for the fans. He caught the ball like seven times. But it was just a good ending to the day that we had. I think we had four turnovers, we had a couple balls on the ground, some forced fumbles, some punch outs. For us, that's the standard. It's not something that surprises us. It's how we play. We have a lot of playmakers out there and it's good to see guys showing up and making plays."
Prior to Edmunds' interception, the defense held strong in the red zone period. Jarrett and Odeyingbo forced a play dead after reaching the backfield before Sweat and Stevenson combined for a strong run stop, which ultimately set up the takeaway.
That final period showcased the chemistry the Bears defense has displayed throughout camp thus far — a testament to both the veteran experience and roster continuity within the group.
"We got some experience playing with each other over the past year even though it's not the same scheme," Byard said. "But obviously we all knew each other. We're good friends. We hang out together. So a lot of it is just getting the communication down. We don't have a whole lot of rookies out there with us on defense, so guys that have been in this league, we understand how teams are going to try to attack us, especially in Dennis Allen's defense … it's still a work in progress, but we're making good progress."
Setting the standard
Byard said that Tuesday's practice, which many players described as one of, if not the most, intense practices they've ever participated in, set the standard for what the remaining training camp practices should feel and look like. That standard carried over into Friday's joint practice.
"When we watched the film, we told ourselves this is the floor now," Byard said. "If it's not going to be like this every single day — I mean obviously we're not going to try to fight each other — but then that's not the standard. And we're going to try to keep that standard as high as we can, and it's consistency, just making sure we're consistent as a team and as a defense."
As a 10-year veteran, Byard has been drawn toward coach Ben Johnson's intensity, attention to detail and leadership skills. He likened the culture Johnson is setting in his first year to that of Mike Vrabel when he became head coach of the Tennessee Titans in Byard's third season.
The intensity Johnson demands each day on the practice field is unlike anything Byard has previously experienced, but it appears to be paying off for the Bears defense.
"It's just a constant reminder: Just keep getting better," Byard said. "You still never really know how it's going to be until you get to those live games, live action … Most practices have felt like they've been live. I've never been a part of a training camp like this before in my career honestly."
Standing out
Receiver Olamide Zaccheaus excelled Friday, making several catches in 11-on-11 drills, including an impressive one-handed grab just inside the right sideline. The seventh-year pro also snared a deep cross and turned up field and ran for a touchdown. Both passes were thrown by Caleb Williams, who rebounded after being intercepted by Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks on the first snap of team drills.
Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent looked sharp, rifling a pass over the middle to rookie tight end Colston Loveland and hitting receiver Tyler Scott down field. Veteran backup Case Keenum connected with receiver Devin Duvernay on a deep cross.
Competition heating up
While most Bears first-teamers will sit out Sunday's preseason opener versus Miami, the main candidates for the starting left tackle job are expected to play.
"We'll end up having Braxton [Jones], Ozzy [Trapilo], Theo [Benedet], all those guys will kind of be cycling through throughout that game," said coach Ben Johnson. "They'll get the workload really on both sides."
Second-year pro Kiran Amegadjie, who is also competing for the left tackle position, remains sidelined with an injury.
"He's missing some quality reps there," Johnson said. "He was getting better, too. That's the shame of it. He was getting better. We were very pleased with the trajectory in which he was headed. Hopefully we'll get him back here sooner rather than later so he can get right back into that mix."
Work in progress
Johnson wants the offense to play with more consistency and cohesiveness.
"We're inconsistent as a whole on offense," he said. "You can talk to any position group. We really need to start playing more as a cohesive unit. We just haven't done that. Everyone's kind of taken their turn of not so good. When that happens, someone else has got to pick us up and get us out of that.
"We're frankly not there yet. That's the beauty of training camp. There are a lot of teams around this league that are dealing with some of the same growing pains."
Johnson added that he feels the offensive line is in the process of gelling.
"They're coming together," Johnson said. "Coach [Dan] Roushar and Kyle DeVan, I talk about it all the time, they're doing a great job coaching those guys up. They're very demanding. They understand the techniques with which we want to play. It's just a matter of using those all the time."
