The problem with the Bears’ new “takeaway bucket” wasn’t so much the idea, it’s that we weren’t seeing it used as much as the defense would prefer during the first couple days of practice.
The Bears’ defense had its chances, but it wasn’t corralling interceptions.
Prior to Saturday’s practice at Halas Hall, we learned about the takeaway bucket — a blue laundry bin that gets wheeled onto the field for a defensive player to dunk the ball in after he takes it away from the offense.
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New defensive coordinator Sean Desai approached Matt Nagy in the offseason with the idea.
“I think you could feel it yesterday, the vibe in practice, that they’re going after that football,” Nagy said. “They’re tagging off, they’re trying to punch for it. I want that to happen. It’s the quarterback’s job, it’s our wide receiver’s job to make sure it doesn’t, and that’s what we’re teaching them.
“… The guys have fun with it. It spices it up.”
When a coach describes a unique aspect of practice like that, it’s the natural inclination of a writer to be prepared to see it in action. So it was a bit of a letdown Saturday morning when a possible fumble the defense scooped up, which led Desai to sprint for the bucket, didn’t get a lot of fanfare. The offense contended the ball was out of bounds.
Then Deon Bush allowed the takeaway bucket to be the star of the day it was meant to be.
Late in practice, the veteran safety read an Andy Dalton pass to Cole Kmet and picked it off, the first interception we’ve seen at training camp. An Akiem Hicks pressure probably contributed to the pick.
.@deonbushlive2 said "GIMME THAT!" pic.twitter.com/TqNGmZ7SVA
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 31, 2021
The entire defense was jubilant, jumping up and down, chasing Bush down the sideline as he returned the pick the other way before dunking it in the bucket.
“It gives us an incentive,” defensive lineman Bilal Nichols said. “It gives us energy. Because when you get that turnover, you want to run to that blue bucket because you want to show everybody what you can do. It’s just something to keep us going, keep us excited. It’s hard to get a turnover in the NFL. They don’t come easy. So when you get them, you’ve got to celebrate them.”
Here are more observations from Saturday’s training camp practice at Halas Hall:
Smooth day for the QBs
Outside of Dalton’s pick, the starter had a pretty solid day. He was automatic in seven-on-seven drills and had the highlight of the day, dropping one neatly into newcomer Damien Williams’ arms deep down the right sideline.
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Williams had a step on Roquan Smith, one of the best cover linebackers in the game, and Dalton delivered it to Williams in stride.
The connection between Dalton and Allen Robinson has been apparent, too, throughout practice. Early in practice, he fired a completion to Robinson to keep it away from Bush, who was closing fast on the pass.
For the third practice in a row, one of Justin Fields’ highlights was a throw down the middle of the field to tight end Jesse James. He sneaked this one in between defenders for the long gain.
The few fans in attendance did seem to take note when a play broke down and Fields took off, providing a small glimpse of his speed.
Near the end of practice, Fields’ velocity once again was apparent when he hit Rodney Adams on a quick slant near the goal line. I asked Nagy about the “zip” that Fields possesses on his throws, and if that needs to be harnessed at times.
For plays with a low-to-high progression, Nagy wants to make sure Fields is making the right read when a shorter throw is optimal, even if he can complete the longer ones.
“But at the same point in time,” Nagy said, “some of his strengths, if you go back and look at what he’s done in college, are those 20-yard throws, whether it’s a dagger, whether it’s a circus route on the outside, outside of the numbers. … We want to work to his strengths, too, and be able to help him in other areas. But you don’t try to tame somebody too much. You want to be able to let him go and do his thing.”
Getting a boost from Goodwin
Veteran wideout Marquise Goodwin has been spotted late after practice with the JUGS machine. It’s a habit he picked up from when he was a kid.
“I grew up at a deficit. I grew up, no father; didn’t have a father to throw the ball to me,” he said. “So I had to really get on the JUGS to learn how to catch, so I still bring that same mentality every day. No matter what team I’m on, no matter where I am, I’ve just got to go for it. I don’t care if I catch 10 balls during practice or if I catch one, I’ve still got to get on the JUGS to make sure when I’m called on in the game that my hands are sharp and my eyes are sharp and I’m ready to go. Because I can’t rely on just the plays that I get in practice.”
The Bears have a tempered excitement about Goodwin, who is four years removed from his 962-yard, 56-catch season with the 49ers in 2017. He opted out last year and had only 12 catches in nine games in 2019. Goodwin has played in more than 12 games in a season only twice.
He doesn’t need to be a top outlet for an offense that is going to rely heavily on tight ends and running backs catching passes, but he’s already getting nearly all his reps with the starters, showing how confident the staff is in what he can bring.
“People like to say that Marquise is a track guy who plays football,” Nagy said Friday. “That couldn’t be more opposite of what he is. He’s a phenomenal route runner with great hands and I’m excited to see him go.”
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Nagy rewind
This year, the coach addresses the media prior to practice, so we’ll use this space to recap his analysis from something that took place in the previous day’s session.
Veteran tight end Jimmy Graham had what Nagy called a “load management” day at Saturday’s practice, as the team wants to be careful with their 34-year-old tight end.
He did show in Friday’s session that his size and savvy can still allow him to be effective — and the Bears are banking on that by keeping him and his $10 million cap hit. Nagy was asked about Graham catching a pass on cornerback Duke Shelley.
“Yeah, big-bodied him,” Nagy said. “Duke tried to get the ball from him and he just used his size.”
The Bears greatly value what Graham means to Kmet and other young players on offense, but he’ll have to produce — like he did in the red zone last season.
“When they see him out there and, in particular, when you get him in the red zone, these DBs, they know what’s coming and they still have to stop it,” Nagy said.
Graham isn’t the only former basketball player on the roster. Nagy said they sometimes joke about a starting five in offensive meetings. For those curious, it’d be Graham, Javon Wims, Nick Foles, Thomas Ives and Robinson, with Foles running the point.
Impressions of Fields
We continue to learn about the Bears’ top pick as we wait to hear from him for the first time in training camp. Goodwin spent time training with Fields over the summer.
“Cool, calm, collected,” he said. “Just talented. I haven’t really seen him get (shaken) by anything, and I’ve got a lot of work with him in the offseason. He’s pretty consistent in his attitude and the way he approaches everything.”
Rookie cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. said Fields is “a cool dude,” and the two will break down film together after practice. If Fields got the defense, Graham wants to know why and vice versa.
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“Energetic, positive,” Graham said of the quarterback. “He likes to walk around with a little swagger. Stays confident.”
Quick hits
• Rookie tackle Teven Jenkins (back) remained out. With padded practice set to get underway early next week — the Bears are off Sunday — the timeline will start to hasten to get Jenkins into the mix.
• Wims walked off the field with trainer Andre Tucker after an apparent injury during team drills.
• Rookie nose tackle Khyris Tonga got his hand in the passing lane to bat down a pass from Fields.
• Linebacker Christian Jones continued to stay around the football, breaking up a Dalton pass.
• The defense was pretty stout during team drills once again, and they got amped up when Khalil Mack burst through to get a would-be tackle for loss.
• Last year, running back David Montgomery’s increased quickness was notable. This year? He looks even faster. It caught my eye when he ran after the catch during Friday’s practice, and on a run play Saturday, he burst through the middle and kept going toward the end zone. The usual qualifiers apply — it’s still July, there are no pads on, etc. But early impressions suggest Montgomery may be better equipped to outrun defenders this season.
(Photo of Justin Fields: Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)
