Chicago Bears Bubble Players Stand out in Preseason Week 4 vs. Cleveland Browns
Published by Matt Eurich on September 4, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The result of the fourth preseason game in the NFL means very little, but the preseason finale for the Chicago Bears was an important game for a handful of players considered to be on the roster bubble.
The Bears came away with a 24-0 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night and finished the preseason with a 3-1 record, but a few bubble players made their presence known in the final game before the start of the regular season.
Many spots on Chicago’s 53-man roster were already set in stone prior to the start of Thursday night’s game, but some spots on the bottom of the roster were still up for grabs.
The Bears have to trim their roster down from 75 players to 53 players by Saturday afternoon, but a handful of bubble players may be able to make the final 53-man roster because of their performance against the Browns.
Which bubble players stood out in Chicago’s preseason finale?
David Fales Looked Comfortable All Night Long
Veteran backup Jimmy Clausen did not dress on Thursday night because of a concussion, per WGN Radio’s Adam Hoge, and it is not known whether he will be able to dress in Week 1 when the Bears take on the Green Bay Packers.
With Clausen on the sidelines, second-year man David Fales got his first real opportunity to prove himself this offseason. He missed the majority of training camp with an undisclosed illness, and according to Pro Football Focus, he only played eight total snaps in Chicago’s preseason games against the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals.
He played deep into the fourth quarter on Thursday night and looked comfortable in offensive coordinator Adam Gase’s scheme. Chicago’s offensive line struggled to protect him early in the game, but he did a nice job of rolling out of the pocket and finding his receivers down the field.
Fales completed 14 of his 18 passing attempts for 131 yards with two touchdowns and recorded a 134.0 quarterback rating.
His first touchdown throw came in the second quarter when he found receiver Marc Mariani for a 19-yard touchdown on a nicely thrown ball, per the Chicago Tribune‘s Rich Campbell:
On his second touchdown throw of the night, Fales rolled out to his right, and in the midst of getting hit, he unloaded a ball toward the end zone and found wide receiver Ify Umodu for an 11-yard touchdown.
Fales played one more drive after throwing his touchdown pass to Umodu, and he was replaced by third-year man Zac Dysert. The young quarterback played for head coach John Fox in Denver and was claimed off waivers earlier this week by the Bears.
Dysert was signed because of his familiarity with Gase’s offense, but he completed just one of his four passing attempts for nine yards. Asking Dysert to come in and run Chicago’s offense after spending just a couple of days with the team was asking a lot, but he did not look comfortable on Thursday night.
Dysert still has a chance to make this roster because he knows the offense so well, but Fales‘ performance on Thursday night proved he can be a serviceable backup in Gase’s system.
A Young Lineman Flashed His Potential
With the majority of Chicago’s defensive starters on the sidelines Thursday night, reserve nose tackle Terry Williams made the most of his opportunity.
According to Pro Football Focus, Williams played just 33 total snaps in the team’s first three preseason games, but he was on the field for the majority of the game against Cleveland.
The East Carolina product finished the game with four tackles, two tackles for loss and one quarterback hit. He did a nice job of taking on blockers in the running game and was able to collapse the pocket at times Thursday night.
The Bears are relatively thin at the nose tackle position because veteran Jeremiah Ratliff is set to serve a three-game suspension to begin the season, but ChicagoFootball.com’s Hub Arkush thinks the young lineman has a chance to make the roster:
Williams went undrafted earlier this offseason, but he is familiar with playing the 0-technique nose tackle position in a 3-4 defense.
“I’ve been in a 3-4 defense for the past four years, so I feel like I know the scheme,” Williams said last month, according to ChicagoFootball.com’s Arthur Arkush. “It’s just different terminology. I’m pretty confident about it and I’m ready to go.”
Williams’ experience in a 3-4 defense—combined with his strong play against the Browns—makes him a sleeper to make Chicago’s 53-man roster.
John Timu Proved He Deserves a Spot on the Roster
Washington’s John Timu went undrafted this past May, but the Bears signed him as an undrafted free agent after the draft concluded.
He was a four-year contributor at Washington and registered 328 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, six interceptions and scored two defensive touchdowns. He spent the majority of the offseason and preseason as one of the team’s third-string inside linebackers, but he got an opportunity to get extended playing time against the Browns as a starter alongside veteran Mason Foster.
The young linebacker finished the game with four tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. He was terrific against the run and was able to apply a lot of pressure to Browns quarterback Thaddeus Lewis as a blitzing linebacker.
Timu was seemingly everywhere Thursday night, according to the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Patrick Finley:
Timu appeared to be a long shot to make the roster before the preseason began, but his strong showing against Cleveland could help him earn a roster spot. Shea McClellin, Christian Jones and Foster all appear to be locks to make the roster, but Timu could earn a spot over third-year man Jon Bostic.
Bostic has struggled with injuries all offseason, and he did not play Thursday night because of an ankle injury, per the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Adam Jahns.
Even if Timu does not make Chicago’s 53-man roster, he is a prime candidate to land on the team’s practice squad.
Statistical information courtesy of ESPN.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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