Tough Stuff: Bears Quickly Adjust to Indy

The Bears find practicing with another team has benefits, like learning self-control while still being rough and physical.

It was more like real football than the Bears might have expected but they were up for it all the same.

Even QB Justin Fields was spotted getting up off the ground after a deep ball to Velus Jones Jr. as the first day of practices between the Bears and Colts was said to be physical, but players felt it never really got out of control.

Cornerback Kyler Gordon called it a matter of a young team learning self control in enemy territory.

"Guys want to come out here and be physical and fight and stuff like that but (it's) being able to have poise and stuff like that," Gordon told reporters in Indy.

Maybe it got beyond learning poise when Fields was seen on the ground after a long pass. Teven Jenkins was talking to Colts afterward. QBs are not supposed to be touched during practices, with other teams or otherwise.

Even after this, the Bears had an attitude of bring it on, which is really a mature and proper approach for an NFL team trying to build something.

On third-and-long, Justin Fields completed a long pass to DJ Moore over the middle. On the next play, Fields threw a nice deep ball to Velus Jones Jr. Fields ended up on the ground, I didn’t have a great view of who knocked him over.

— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) August 16, 2023

"I was kind of taking off, taking care of that safety," Cole Kmet said to reporters. "I didn't see too much of it. I know one of the (Colts) guys tripped.

"There's going to be things where guys trip, fall on the quarterback. It's don't touch the quarterback and everyone is all crazy about it. You just kind of have to take it for what it is."

It amounted to nothing in the end, but there were other situations as well. Tyrique Stevenson got flagged at one point for his hit on a play. 

"I mean he was finishing his rep," Gordon said. "We always talk: finish, finish, finish. If they don't like how (we) finish, that's who the Bears are. So we're going to go out there and finish. I'm proud of him."

Sounds like Colts defense hitting Justin Fields a lot today… just hit him to the ground

I know… its football.. but damn man, you’re not supposed to touch the QB in practice.

They better not hurt our QB1 🤬

— Sadeek 𓋹 (@SadeekNextWave) August 16, 2023

Kmet found a positive in the whole process. The Bears seem to be gaining an identity for toughness, which is never bad.

"I think it's just fun," Kmet said. "I mean, this is like real NFL football stuff here. I think it's just a lot of fun to be able to come out here and practice with another team.

"You know, things get a little chippy and a little chirpy at times and we all like that. So I mean, it's fun and we enjoyed it."

Justin Fields hit Velus Jones Jr. deep down the left sideline for a big gain. Fields ended up on the ground after the play. Bears and Colts ended up meeting in the middle of the field after Dayo Odeyingbo and Teven Jenkins started talking to each other.

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) August 16, 2023

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