Pompei: Observations From Bears-Browns
By Dan Pompei--
(CBS) The Bears' performance in Cleveland might not have the Texans shivering in their cleats, but at least it was a respectable performance and a departure from the debacle one week earlier. Grabbing a 21-7 win was a good way to end the preseason.
Here are my observations:
1. I would have liked to have seen quarterback Jay Cutler play a little with the first team and shake off the terrible performance against the Chiefs. If Robert Griffin III could play and Tom Brady could play, Cutler and some of the Bears' prominent starters could've played.
2. If the Bears had drafted Jonathan Bullard in the first round and Leonard Floyd in the second, they would feel pretty good about themselves right now.
3. The best thing Floyd has done since he's been a Bear was stop Isaiah Crowell for a loss of three on the goal line. He strung the play out to the right, disengaged from a block and made a tackle. If he can do that with regularity, he's going to be just fine.
4. The Bears coaching staff needs to commit to playing Floyd even if veterans are better than him. His development is more important than pulling out all the stops to try to go 8-8 or 9-7.
5. It was comforting to see reserve quarterback Brian Hoyer perform better, but not revelatory. His body of work is extensive enough to tell us everything we need to know about him.
6. The feel-good performance of receiver Kevin White was significant because it was the first feel-good performance in a game of his NFL life. He had four catches for 57 yards.
7. The only way White is going to improve is to continue to play, and that's going to mean making mistakes at times. What he lacks is experience at this level and in an NFL offense.
8. In the short term, it looks like White is going to be mostly a possession-style receiver with good run-after-the-catch ability. But in the long term, he should become a playmaker who makes defenses adjust.
9. I don't know if receiver Cameron Meredith can help the Bears win now. But I suspect he will be able to a year from now. He keeps coming.
10. If defensive back Deiondre' Hall takes to coaching, it looks like he is going to develop into a pretty good NFL starter.
11. Linebacker Christian Jones may or may not make the 53, but he's going to play in the NFL this year.
12. The preseason is too long, no doubt. But given the injuries the Bears are dealing with, they could've used another week.
Dan Pompei has been covering the NFL since 1985 and is a regular contributor to 670 The Score and a host on 670's Bears pregame show. He writes for Bleacher Report and theatheltic.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Dan Pompei.
