Breaking down the Bears’ Thursday training camp practice with the Bengals:
Feisty tone
The teams practiced for more than two hours on a hot, muggy morning in Cincinnati, and it was bound to get contentious. There was an early scrap between Bears left tackle Darnell Wright and various Bengals defensive linemen, a widespread scrum among second-stringers on the Bears’ offense and Bengals’ defense in which coach Ben Johnson raced to the middle of the crowd to break it up and a third skirmish in which a Bears defender and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow grabbed each other by the jersey.
Williams’ day
The Bears started with a botched snap between center Garrett Bradbury and quarterback Caleb Williams and ended with Williams throwing an interception in a two-minute drill. In between, Williams and the offensive line struggled with the Bengals’ pass rush quite a bit. After a rough start, the line played better and Williams began getting the ball out faster, but there still were some issues, especially managing three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Not only did Lawrence collapse the pocket, but he also stepped in front of a screen pass for an interception.
“They were running a lot of screens, so I felt this one,” he said. “I saw the running back in the corner of my eye and drifted over and did a little volleyball tip and came down with it.”
Tough to catch
The Bengals’ defensive line was strong throughout practice, but their linebackers and defensive backs had trouble staying on top of Bears running back D’Andre Swift and wide receiver Kalif Raymond. Raymond slipped into space for several catches in the middle of the field, and Swift weaved through the heart of the defense for a touchdown run in red zone work. Swift’s score elicited a loud f-bomb from a Bengals defender.
Special play
Johnson said he’d pay particularly close attention to special teams Thursday, and wide receiver Maurice Alexander gave him something to watch by returning a kickoff for a touchdown during a full-speed drill.
Nice grab
Bears rookie safety Dillon Thieneman was in the right place at the right time to intercept a pass from Burrow that went through tight end Mike Gesicki’s hands.
Secondary shuffle
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson did limited work on the outside in his first practice in a week, and rookie Malik Muhammad worked at nickel. Cam Lewis was the first-string safety next to Thieneman.
Notable spectators
Many of the Bears’ injured players were on the sideline, including wide receiver Luther Burden, nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, defensive lineman Shemar Turner and new defensive end Marcus Davenport. Bears chairman George McCaskey and president Kevin Warren also were at practice.
What’s next?
The Bears have a preseason game Saturday against the Bengals, who won’t play their starters, and resume practice Tuesday at Halas Hall.
