On August 1^st, the Bears beat the Texans 21-17 in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. My dad and I visited the HOF back in 2005 during induction weekend, and it is absolutely a must-see for any football fan. Seeing the HOF busts and the memorabilia there definitely left me in awe. A couple days after the HOF Game, it was a very emotional moment for my dad and me watching former Bear Steve McMichael finally get inducted into the Hall.

With Mongo unable to make the trip to Canton because of ALS, his HOF jacket and bust were delivered to his house, where he was surrounded by his wife and former teammates. Looking forward to this honor is what’s kept him going, and I’m thankful that he lived to see it. It was also great to see Devin Hester get inducted. He was always my favorite player during his time with the Bears, and he made every return an event. The jersey he signed for me at training camp years ago is one of my most prized possessions.

Since hardly anyone notable played in the HOF Game, it’s hard to really glean much from that one. QB Brett Rypien threw for 166 yards and three TDs (two to WR Collin Johnson), and RB Khalil Herbert ran for 35 yards on four carries. This past Saturday, the Bears hammered the Bills 33-6 in Buffalo. Here are some notes from that game and from camp:

QB Caleb Williams finally made his highly anticipated debut against the Bills, and he did not disappoint, completing four of seven passes for 95 yards and scrambling once for 13 yards. His first throw was a 12-yard dart to WR DJ Moore, and he later flicked a near no-look screen pass to RB D’Andre Swift that he took for 42 yards. The big highlight was a 26-yard rocket on the run to TE Cole Kmet. Williams made throws like all the time at USC, but seeing a Bears quarterback do it was what made my jaw drop and even impressed my dad. Chicago’s defense has still been making things tough on Caleb and the offense in camp, but Williams’ first time facing a different NFL defense was impressive to say the least.

In addition to his 42-yard screen pass, Swift added a carry for three yards. He’s continued to impress catching the ball and looks like he’s going to be a big weapon for the offense. Herbert had nine carries for 31 yards and might have a leg up on injured RB Roschon Johnson for the backup role. Undrafted rookie RB Ian Wheeler had five carries for 42 yards and scored twice. In an interesting development, RB Velus Jones Jr was recently switched from receiver to tailback, and he had six carries for 34 yards and a TD against Buffalo. I think the switch isn’t a bad idea, considering that Jones is dangerous with the ball in his hands but doesn’t have very good hands.

Moore had two catches for 27 yards and couldn’t haul in a somewhat low throw from Williams. WR Keenan Allen was not targeted. Rookie WR Rome Odunze was targeted once in the end zone on a scramble drill play, but he and Williams had a miscommunication as Rome flattened out his route while Caleb threw to the back corner of the end zone.

Kmet had a drop in addition to his catch.

Rookie DE Austin Booker continued to impress, racking up two and a half sacks against the Bills. CB Kyler Gordon is still out, but HC Matt Eberflus said that he’s progressing.

PK Cairo Santos hit both of his field goals and three of his four extra points.

More to come later this month!

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