Game overview:
Finally, football is back...and we get another partial game, a game called early due to the weather. A couple years ago, we got no HOF game due to the weather...so, at least we got something here. The storm and early cancellation was ‘sweet relief’ to having to listen to Troy Aikman do his same old schtick...he earnestly ‘really likes’ or ‘has always liked’ every player who just did something or breathes oxygen. If you played a drinking game with any Aikman-called games, with the trigger word ‘like’ or ‘liked’ on players, and you took a shot every time he explained how much he’s ALWAYS liked ____ player...you’d die of alcohol poisoning by halftime. I’m so excited for football to be back, but not excited to see Aikman is back for another season...you take the good with the bad...
We also had the debut of the new kickoff setups/rules...and there was all kinds of curiosity and excitement and concern over kick returners dominating games and ramping up the offense...and...at least for this game...it was a yawn. It was interesting to watch the debut of the new return game...for a moment. It did accomplish what it wanted – no more constant touchbacks. But, at least for this game, the new rules did not lead to massive return game excitement. But it’s just one game...but for now, the hoopla/concern was overblown.
As for the game itself, I’d want to say ‘typical HOF game’...no starters playing, mostly, so we do get a look at who teams think are starters (those not suited up) and those who are more expendable (those who had to suit up)...but it was not a ‘typical’ HOF game in that the offenses actually moved the ball pretty well and there was real scoring...38 total points in 2.5 quarters.
In my opinion, on the eyeball test, the Texans looked like the better ‘team’...despite the ‘final’ score. Houston was energized, really efficient with their starters/the 2nd-teamers. The Bears looked more lazy/sloppy by comparison, and not as much of a ‘team’ vibe as Houston gives – but that’s a staple and function of what DeMeco Ryans has done as a leader...and what Matt Eberflus has not done/inspired in his Chicago years. We’ll talk more about this in the player notes below.
So, let’s do look at my player notes from this game...
Scouting Notes from the game:
-- First ‘major’ thing I noticed out of the gates was the Bears’ RB rotation...
Roschon Johnson (6-24-0, 1-7-0/1) started...and that’s not good if you’re a Roschon person. You can tell the non-rookie players the coaches think are critical and need to be kept safe by who does and doesn’t play in a HOF game, especially at RB. I was mildly shocked to see Roschon even on the field.
Then I was even more shocked to see Khalil Herbert (4-35-0) running behind him. Roschon and Herbert playing in this game is a disrespect to them...which means this organization is going to make the same mistake Detroit and Philly made, they are going ‘all in’ on D’Andre Swift.
I’m not going to entertain any Roschon redraft notions – because the Bears will not change their minds on this/Swift early. I have to assume they will stick to Swift through thick and thin, to prove they were right and everyone else was wrong. GM Ryan Poles is going to be fired if/when this season goes south...but first Matt Eberflus will get dumped, I predict around midseason...as Poles tries to shift the blame. It won’t work.
Khalil Herbert running behind Roschon in this game is an even bigger slap in the face – it’s 50/50 that they will trade Herbert before September. They will likely keep him because he’s a cheap 6th-round pick contract...even in his final year of his rookie deal ($1.1M).
The big winner in the Chicago backfield, from this game – D’Andre Swift heavy touch counts out of the gates.
-- Davis Mills (10-13 for 102 yards, 1 TD/0 INT) started at QB for Houston, ran for two series, and was very solid/efficient...one of the better backups in the league.
Mills’ starting WRs were of more interest to me to observe in this game...
John Metchie (1-4-0/2), the talk of training camp and OTAs, started here. I can see why he would start this game, since he hasn’t played as much in his career – but any narrative on Metchie being like a 4th-starter at WR...not happening if they are throwing him out in the HOF game. He’s being treated like any other 2nd-team WR.
I also focused on how Metchie looked off the snap/running his routes, to see if he’s fully back to having juice in his legs/movement and getting open better than ever, as C.J. Stroud alluded to this summer...and I didn’t see it. I saw a very bland, typical backup WR routes, size, movements.
Xavier Hutchinson (5-56-0/6) is better and looks more important than Metchie. Don’t forget about Noah Brown (DNP). Metchie is more a #6 WR than a quasi-starting #4.
-- I wanted to see Texans rookie, and C.J. Stroud BFF, TE Cade Stover (2-26-0/3) in his debut. He looked fine/unimpressive/no ‘wow’ factor. He looks like every backup TE in the NFL...except being a BFF of Stroud makes him FF-interesting.
-- Tyson Bagent (2-3 for 16 yards, 0 TDs/0 INTs) got the proper treatment of a young backup QB in an HOF game...one series (as the starter), then OUT. He looked fine in this brief appearance. He looks totally comfortable in his situation – and I know, deep down, he thinks he’s better than Caleb Williams, and there may come a time where there’s a QB controversy...but that’s down the road. We’re in the Caleb honeymoon phase right now.
-- The MVP of this game? That’s easy...Bears’ WR Collin Johnson (3-56-2/6). Two TDs and had a great high point catch down the sidelines for 30+ yards but landed just out of bounds and it was reversed.
Some of #80 Collin Johnson’s night (with some other Bears highlights mixed in):
https://youtu.be/FEATWmAEs7A?si=ZbVzrR0xGTytQyTI&t=25
(a closer look at one of his high point grabs) https://youtu.be/Oesu0gSdVcw?si=A5g6jasv_0zYj-BY
I thought Johnson looked really good here...made some nice moves to get open...used his 6’6” length to make plays. He likely just became the Bears #4 WR by default...because after the Big 3 starters, there’s a drop off on this depth chart.
Johnson has had an interesting/somewhat tragic journey in the NFL so far, but he may have found a new home/opportunity in Chicago.
I did a quick video reaction to Johnson’s night with some context of his career here: https://youtu.be/9gPnHk17xTU?si=YA6F50rGB8ekEXmQ
-- Looking at the HOU backup RBs (and Dameon Pierce looks like he got some respect by not being suited up for this one)...
Dare Ogunbowale (3-14-0, 2-21-0/2) was the ‘starter’ in this game...and was his typical self. J.J. Taylor (6-16-0) was in after Ogunbowale.
Cam Akers (5-13-0, 2-18-1/2) was third in the rotation in this game...his debut as a Texan, and coming off his 2023 injury late season. He looked OK. Hard to tell fully from his brief work.
I was really interested in seeing rookie Jawhar Jordan (3-5-0) as a proxy/preview of what I think Bucky Irving will look like in the NFL...and Jordan only got a few carries, but he looked skittish and unimpressive physically.
-- Just a side note on the real QBs, and other real starters, for these two teams, just an observation...
Early in the game, I saw C.J. Stroud engaged in the action and greeting players coming off the field...he was showing to be a good teammate/leader. Subsequently, I saw Caleb Williams just standing alone or with/near a WR not watching the game and often chuckling with a teammate about something. Just my flash observations that may be unfair observations – but Caleb Williams keeps getting pushed by the media and the Bears for his advanced maturity...I think it’s a fraud maturity. He knows how to con/sell the NFL.
The last QB we got all the ‘advanced maturity’ on was Bryce Young, all last preseason.
Also, note...Troy Aikman has always ‘liked’ Caleb Williams...so I feel even better about my scouting that’s cold/tepid on Caleb.
I also saw Stefon Diggs really engaged with the players as a quasi-coach/cheerleader. I am more impressed with his leadership everyday...while Keenan Allen gets accolades for bringing leadership to his new team, I don’t see him doing what Diggs is doing from this game/on the sidelines to training camp interviews. Just an impression without a lot of study/time on it.
One more note from the sideline looks: Early on, who was C.J. Stroud standing with on the sidelines the most/who was he talking to while watching the game (early on, that I saw)? Tank Dell...his favorite receiver...
-- Some IDP notes to take us home for this report...
HOU rookie Caleb Bullock (5 tackles) led the team in tackles. I was interested to see if this skinny SAF prospect could really be worth the surprising 3rd-round pick the Texans put into him...more to the point, would he be a liability in the tackling department?
I’m not ready to make a call on that because there was an opposing dynamic on display here with Bullock – he absolutely has the will to go in and hit/tackle, but his body is so thin-framed he tends to bounce off the ballcarrier or not knock them off their feet and has to try and hold on to them to corral them down. He’s not a clean tackler at his skinny disposition.
I thought the Bears defense was a huge disappointment. I know it was the 2nd+ team units and just a meaningless HOF game, but Matt Eberflus is known for his ability to coach defense. I thought we would’ve seen more of a spark from the defense, but we got them half sleepwalking through this game, whereas I thought the Texans played with more energy...on both sides of the ball. I like the Texans DST to be a potential upper tier DST1 this season for multiple reasons...but let’s see what their 1st-team looks like when we get glimpses of them in the next week or two. Houston made a lot of interesting moves on defense in DeMeco Ryans’ second offseason.
I focused on Bears UDFA DE Jamree Kromah (0 tackles) out of James Madison, because I was impressed with his tape (and output) in college – 20.5 TFLs and 11.0 sacks in 2023, as a DE/DT. Kromah worked the EDGE in this game and looked OK to semi-disappointing. It’s early (in his pro career) but I was hoping to see an instant ‘wow’ to get my attention...but I did not get that from this debut.
Snap Counts of Interest:
25 = Davis Mills
17 = Keenum
08 = Boyle
33 = Metchie
30 = Skowronek
27 = Hutchinson
14 = Ogunbowale
12 = JJ Taylor
12 = Akers
09 = Jawhar Jordan
36 = Stover
09 = Quitoriano
32 = Collin Johnson
26 = Swain
14 = Pettis
07 = Tyler Scott
04 = DeAndre Carter
14 = Roschon
11 = Felton
10 = Herbert
