Chicago Bears Film Review: Denver Broncos preseason game second quarter

Diving into the second quarter of the Bears preseason loss to the Broncos we find the Bears on offense.

In this quarter the Bears get a lot of pressure from their front four.  Cheta Ozugwu, Nate Collins and Cheta Ozugwu get pressure and hits on Caleb Hanie.  Hanie is essentially running for his life on about half of every pass attempts.  McClellin really struggles against the run getting blocked out on more than one occasion by the TE. 

Overall McClellin shows to be a good pass rusher with some variety, but his struggles against the run are evident. 

Nate Collins really steps up his game on defense and is earning his way on to the roster. 

 

First play J'Marcus Webb flinches, false start five yard penalty.  Those are the types of penalties we constantly saw from Webb, that make you wonder if he can even remember the snap count at times.

First and 15 Gabe Carimi barely holds up on the right side, he pretty much gets beat around the corner but Campbell gets the pass off on a check down to Kahlil Bell.  Campbell is check down charlie to this point in his Bears career,  he rarely attempts anything down the field.

Campbell quick pass to Kellen Davis, Carimi barely holds up on a bull rush as he lets the rusher get up underneath his pads gain leverage before he can get the punch on him.  There seems to be a real lack of physicality to Carimi's game.

Third and nine Bears again throw nothing down the field, good protection from the O-Line.  Would like to see  Campbell try and get the pass down the field for a first down to continue this drive.

Bears back on defense, Chauncey Davis blows contain...and leaves a wide open cutback lane for the back.  Really bad lack of fundamental containment by Davis on this play.  His pursuit down the line leaves the TE to just work him down the line of scrimmage and leave the cutback open.  This isn't the type of run defense that's going to help Davis make the roster.

Craig Steltz with a nice fill up in the box as the eighth man, takes on the block sheds the block and makes the tackle.  Good fundamental run defense here by Steltz.  He looked good the whole game he likely puts himself in the fight for that starter spot.

This next pass play McClellin gets pressure but it's only after Hanie holds onto the ball for four seconds and then Hanie scrambles away at five seconds.  McClellin gets credit for the hustle and not quitting, but no way should he get credit for the pressure here.  Holding onto the football for four seconds and then only getting pressure at the last second is not the type of pressure you win football games with.  So while it looks good in the middle of the game, if you count the length of time Hanie holds onto the football the pressure is extremely late.

On the next running play McClellin gets worked inside by the tight end.  McClellin is completely unable to set the edge in the run game on this play.  Another negative play for McClellin.  The Broncos run right outside of McClellin for a big gain.

Dom DeCicco gets excellent flow to the football on the next play, he beats the lineman to the spot and gets held on the play.  Refs throw the flag and make the correct call.  The nice thing about this play is DeCicco's pursuit against the run here he runs hard laterally and is in position to make the play were it not for the hold.  Good middle linebacker defense from DeCicco another tackle in run support by Steltz.

Cheta Ozougwu gets good explosion off the snap off the football and gets the sack.  Nice burst off the edge turning the corner and getting pulled around on the holding call.

Lance Louis false start.

Bears pull the center and guard into the three hole and Bell gets a good run for the Bears.  Excellent run blocking here by Webb and the rest of the O-Line.

Dropped for a loss by the blitzing linebacker on the quick draw that no one picks up.  Linebacker comes free and gets a free shot on Bell.

Next play I'm really torn on whether or not to chalk up a sack on Webb.  You can make the argument that he gives up the sack because he is beaten by a bull rush, but there also appears to be some illegal use of the hands to get there.  It's kind of a bang type of hand use that may not have an outright effect on Webb's ability to hold his ground.  McCown holds onto the ball for four seconds before he is sacked.  So there's a litany of factors involved in this sack including the RB chipping to help out Webb.

Sanzenbacher gets pulled back on the press coverage on the Webb sack as well.

Isaiah Frey misses a tackle on the screen play good penetration by JT Thomas but he's steered clear at the last second.

JT Thomas and Dom DeCiccgo bite hard on the play action fake and the TE gets wide open up the seam for a nice catch.

McCargo decent run defense stringing the play out forcing back inside to his help.

Great play here by Nate Collins who steps inside his man and gets pressure on Hanie in the gap.  McClellin also has a good up the field rush on this play, but it's Collins to beats the guard in the phone booth for a hit on the QB.

Nat Collins holds his ground well versus the double team fights off the blocker and forces the runner back inside.  Brian Price fights inside his gap, the Bears' DTs do a good job of clogging up the lanes and holding up at the point of attack on this play.  Minimal gain for the Broncos.

Ronnie Thornton has a big chance to make a tackle on a quick slant and misses the tackle.  This leads to the receiver getting down to the two yard line.  Bad play from Thornton to miss this key tackle.

McClellin buried on the goal line touchdown Broncos.

Bears back on offense excellent slant route from Sanzenbacher good route, good throw, good catch.

Armando Allen lined up wide like a receiver runs a bad slant incomplete.

McCown with an excellent completion to Alshon Jeffery on the come back route.  Jeffery makes four catches in the game all four receptions are on the comeback route.

Jeffery interfered with on another comeback route on the very next play.

Spencer gets eaten up by the bull rush and a sack on McCown.

Jeffery's next reception on a comeback route.

McCown nobody open great pass blocking he takes off to get positive yardage on third down.

Bears back on defense no pass rush not good coverage completion for 18 yards.

Pass breakup from JT Thomas in zone coverage down the seam against the TE.  Thomas played well in this game.

McClellin gets another pressure on the QB Hanie scrambles away and gets eight.

Big double team block on Nate Collins, TE with a very good block on McClellin, Costanzo and Steltz come up to make the tackle.  Really bad run defense by McClellin getting locked out by the TE.

Big pressure from Nate Collins and Cheta Ozougwu the defensive end on a twist Hanie takes a big hit Hardin breaks on the ball and nearly gets an INT.

Bears run a double twist on both sides of the ball and the pressure gets to Hanie who takes off up the middle to get positive yards.  Good pressure up front by the D-Line in this game that didn't get home often enough.

McClellin again with good pressure to get to the QB with a solid up the field rush.

Nate Collins a solid up the field rush gets the inside the guard with good hand usage and buried the QB.

Notes from the much longer second quarter excellent pressure from the front four.  Nate Collins, Shea McClellin and Cheta Ozugwu with good pressure up front.  These three are very quick and athletic and it showed throughout this quarter.  Ozugwu is probably not going to make the roster, but it was a solid performance that may earn him a shot somewhere else.

Collins is a solid nose tackle rush option in nickel situations he provides versatile depth and is earning his way on to the roster in a big way.

McClellin was buried against the run but rushed the QB well.  McClellin at this point is a situational rusher that will consistently struggle against the run.  McClellin gets man handled by TEs and needs to learn to keep his pad level down and use his hands and leverage better.