Bears-Bengals Joint Practice: Caleb Williams, Garrett Bradbury Miscues
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and center Garrett Bradbury were off in Thursday's practice against the Cincinnati Bengals, showing the two still need more work to solidify their connection.
Video Transcript
What's going on everybody?
Nicholas Moriano here from Roundtable Sports.
In Thursday's joint practice between Bears and the Bengals, there seemed to be something off with Caleb Williams and center Garrett Bradbury.
The first snap in the 11-on-11 session to open up this highly anticipated, valuable practice, a muffed quarterback-center exchange.
And then throughout the entirety of practice, there was consistent pressure on the left side off that left tackle spot, but also in the interior of that offensive line.
Now, the, the interior on the offensive line, it's hard to distinguish is that on Bradbury, Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, how the Bears are playing it.
But I think it's fair to say that whatever's going on in the interior, something has to be associated with, with Bradbury, either maybe the communication being off, something being off of that snap that was muffed.
Something needs to be cleaned up is where I'm getting at here.
And whether it's all Bradbury or obviously there's probably a mixture of everybody in being involved.
But this is something that has now, when you go back to some of the previous training camps, practices for the Bears, some of that has reoccurred.
I go back to one of the earlier training camps where, again, the Bears are just getting into an 11-on-11 series and there's a muffed quarterback and center exchange.
And like I said, all the pressure in Thursday's practice leads me to believe that that connection needs to continue improving.
Because at the basis of every play, it starts with the center and quarterback, the snap, being on time, just making sure you get the handoff on your center correctly so that you're able to operate this offense from Ben Johnson that is so strict and reliant on timing, it, it works as it's supposed to.
But that fundamental step needs to be the first part that is clean so everything else can have a chance at, at least working.
And this is, I think, interesting because we've heard the comments from Ben Johnson.
He's called Bradbury a phenomenal communicator, extremely sharp with his loud and decisive voice.
Williams, you have left tackle Braxton Jones, right guard Jonah Jackson, who've all spoke glowingly about Garrett Bradbury.
And there have definitely been a lot of practices where things have been smooth and clean.
But the biggest thing is you need consistency throughout.
When you go up against a, another opponent in a joint practice, you know, that's what you're kind of showing on tape, that that communication, that chemistry isn't quite where it needs to be.
Because the Bears can look great in practice when they're going up against their own teammates, but it means nothing if you can't bring that same intensity, focus to games, to opponents, what the Bears are obviously going to see throughout the entirety of this twenty twenty-six season.
So that needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed before the Bears end their final preseason game against the Tennessee Titans and get ready for a week one match up against the Carolina Panthers on September thirteenth.
The fundamental thing, the quarterback-center exchange, the snap, needs to be addressed for this Bears team, this Bears offense, to, you know, really wanna take that next step this upcoming season.
