The second episode of Hard Knocks with the Bears went into the first preseason action for top pick Caleb Williams.
Best moment: Game action
After what appeared to be a solid week of practice, some of the storylines translated very well to the preseason matchup against the Bills. In his NFL preseason debut, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams displayed the talent that made him such a great quarterback prospect; and we saw Velus Jones Jr. and Ian Wheeler both play well, which we’ll get to later. In the stands, DJ Moore’s family, Rome Odunze’s mom, and Austin Reed’s parents were excited for the game, and overall it was a strong showing for Chicago (a 33-6 win) as they continue to build toward the regular season next month.
Worst moment: Austin Reed and Cole Kmet discuss Love Island
It was a comical moment, but rookie quarterback Austin Reed and starting tight end Cole Kmet—quick to become buddies holding current-event-type conversations during practice stretches—diving into Love Island talk was pretty absurd. Guys, you’re on HBO this summer. Watch The Sopranos or something!
Funniest moment: DJ Moore with his family
A day off allowed star receiver DJ Moore to take his family to a Chicago soft serve place that had pink vanilla ice cream—which looked very good—and some type of hot dog ice cream topped with real condiments. The look on Moore’s face when he tried the hot dog thing was hilarious—and his daughter was not a fan of it, either.
Underrated moment: Keenan Allen vs. Jaylon Johnson
In terms of practice moments, seeing veteran Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen go up against star cornerback Jaylon Johnson was probably the best from the first two episodes so far. Allen was not too proud to admit that he hadn’t gotten a catch on Johnson in practice yet, adding that things always seem to go wrong. We saw that on full display with a back-shoulder type of throw that went off Allen’s arm and right into Johnson’s hands for a sudden interception. Matchups like this will only improve both sides.
Best quote: DJ Moore
“Bro, this is a dangerous off day.”
MVP: Velus Jones Jr. & Ian Wheeler
Another cool scene from practice was Bears running backs coach Chad Morton working with rookie Ian Wheeler, who was accepted into medical school but is first focusing on his NFL dreams. Morton was definitely hard on the undrafted player, but it appeared to pay off with some chunk runs later on. The thought is that Wheeler is competing for a roster spot with Velus Jones Jr., a receiver by trade that’s now getting reps at running back. In the preseason game, both did a great job, with the versatile Jones scoring once and the fast Wheeler scoring twice. They both have risen to the occasion, and it’ll be fun to track them moving forward.