With Caleb Williams and the starters watching from the sideline Thursday, the Bears opened their 2024 preseason slate with a sloppy 21-17 win against the Houston Texans at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
That's expected in what is the ultimate exhibition game. These teams have had less than two weeks of training camp and used Thursday's preseason opener to get an extended look at those battling for fringe roster spots.
Bears third-string quarterback Brett Rypien was crisp in relief of starter Tyson Bagent, going 11-for-15 for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scoring strikes went to wide receiver Collin Johnson.
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On defense, the Bears' backups had issues slowing down backup quarterbacks Davis Mills and Case Keenum but were able to do enough against Tim Boyle to earn the win in a game that was called with 3:31 left in the third quarter due to weather.
Here's what we learned from the Bears' 21-17 win over the Texans in Canton:
RB2 Battle Begins
The Bears brought in D'Andre Swift to headline their rushing attack, leaving second-year running back Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert to fight for the backup job.
Bears Analysis
Johnson and Herbert have split reps evenly in camp behind Swift, but one got more work than the other in the first half of Thursday's game.
Johnson started the game with backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, which could signal that he has a leg up for the moment. During the opening series, Johnson rushed for 17 yards on four carries.
Herbert entered the game for the second series, showing great vision and burst while racking up 35 yards on four carries.
Johnson returned for the third and fourth series of the night but struggled to get going behind the Bears' ever-shifting backup offensive line. He rushed for 24 yards on six carries.
Herbert did not re-enter the game after his lone series.
An interesting Velus-Scott decision
DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze were never going to see the field Thursday night. Based on how the Bears split up reps during camp, I expected Tyler Scott to get minimal work, while Velus Jones Jr. got a decent amount of reps with the twos. Scott has gotten more work with the first-team offense during camp than Jones.
But Jones didn't dress at all for Thursday's game, while Scott returned the first two kicks and played a series on offense.
This could mean that Jones is ahead of Scott on the depth chart, or it could just be the Bears playing things close to the vest against a team they will face in Week 2. Jones is expected to be the Bears' kickoff returner to start the season, so it would make sense for the Bears not to tip their hand and give Houston a look at how Jones looks in the new dynamic kickoff.
That's also likely the reason why rookie punter Tory Taylor did not kick Thursday.
Either way, the jostling between Scott and Jones for the WR4 spot will need to be monitored throughout the rest of camp. Scott has had a good camp so far, and the Bears are excited about his improvement as a route-runner after a subpar rookie season.
Roster risers?
Wide receiver Collin Johnson has had a good start to training camp, including an impressive diving touchdown catch during Tuesday's practice.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound receiver was on the Bears' practice squad last season and is battling for a backend roster spot.
Johnson dropped the first pass that came his way Thursday night from third-string quarterback Brett Rypien but responded with a 20-yard touchdown catch and an impressive 27-yard leaping grab on a jump ball.
Johnson then added a 9-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter to give the Bears their first lead of the game.
Johnson caught three passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns on the night.
Moore, Allen, Odunze, Scott, and Jones will make the Bears' 53-man roster. The Bears likely will keep a sixth receiver, and Johnson's impressive night Thursday should at least put him in the conversation for that spot alongside DeAndre Carter and Dante Pettis.
While Johnson's night was good, he will need to do more than roast the Texans' third-string defense to secure one of the few roster spots up for grabs.
On defense, rookie defensive end Austin Booker got good pressure and helped Byron Cowart notch a sack. Booker showed good get-off, bend, and power against the Texans' second and third-string offensive line.