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Emma: Bad Saturday For The Bears

By Chris Emma—

(CBS) If the third preseason game is indeed a dress rehearsal for meaningful football, the Bears' stage caught on fire and most else went haywire.

Had it not been for new Bears preseason hero Ify Umodu – No. 85 in your program, No. 1 in your heart on Saturday – then Chicago's 21-10 loss in Cincinnati would have appeared a lot more worrisome to those who didn't watch, which I would suggest for a summer Saturday.

To summarize, the Bears' offense looked to be in disarray, largely expected without the top four receivers on the field. Alshon Jeffery, the go-to target for Jay Cutler, stayed home in Chicago. The defense was often disastrous, too, piling on the concerns for first-year head coach John Fox.

"I don't think we improved," said Fox after the loss.

Saturday started with a Bears three-and-out that lasted barely a minute. The Bengals responded with a methodical 16-play, 77-yard touchdown drive that worked more than nine minutes. Of course, Cincinnati made a mistake, too, forcing franchise face Andy Dalton to operate a quarterback sneak on fourth down. Dalton injured his neck and did not return.

Former Alabama star A.J. McCarron took advantage of his chance against a beleaguered Bears defense, slinging for 149 yards and a touchdown. His greatest highlight came on a strike to receiver Marvin Jones that caught Shea McClellin off guard in coverage, one of several times that has happened.

The Bears' first-team offense still hasn't scored a touchdown this preseason, and punted five times on six possessions. The defense surrendered 333 yards and let McCarron look like he was back at 'Bama. Which unit performed worse?

"We've got to get some stuff cleaned up before we start up," said Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who played well – 13-of-17, 98 yards – considering his shorthanded unit.

Added Jared Allen of the defense: "Unfortunately, it wasn't what we needed consistently throughout the night, especially when you're playing on the road. Your defense has to show up."

As a whole, the Bears posted 12 penalties for 117 yards, were outdone 333-194 in yards and looked worse than the scoreboard would indicate.

Among the Bears' greatest concerns are finding solutions at tackle, where Jermon Bushrod has struggled on the left side while Charles Leno and Jordan Mills both struggle on the opposite end. The offense couldn't function as a whole, with Bengal stripes constantly in Cutler's face. Healthy receivers would be nice, too.

Chicago's defense must improve in the passing game, because Cincinnati had too much success against Vic Fangio's 3-4 defense. An improving unit looked lost at times. Oh, and does anybody want to play cornerback? Kyle Fuller continues to struggle in his second season, and Tim Jennings, who saw Alan Ball start in his place, is fighting for a roster spot.

"I think everybody is," said Fox. "There's 90 people — do the math."

On Tuesday, there will be just 75 people, and by Saturday there will be the final 53. The Packers come to town two weeks from Sunday. The regular season nears, yet the Bears seem no closer to readiness.

What's next for Chicago? For now, hoping that Jeremiah Ratliff's ankle is OK, that Eddie Goldman recovers smoothly from his concussion, and that the walking wounded wide receivers group of Jeffery, Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson can take the field. Those are only the non-performance concerns, adding magnitude to the struggles of Saturday night.

There's plenty for the Bears to better before the games get real. That was only a dress rehearsal.

Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.

 

 

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