CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears' effort against the Miami Dolphins served as a firm reminder that a team cannot fix all of its problems in one offseason. Chicago's historically bad defense showed few signs of improvement against the Dolphins' first-team offense, but while Jay Cutler still needs to win over head coach John Fox, the quarterback built a tiny bit of momentum in the Bears' 27-10 preseason victory.
QB depth chart: At least Cutler didn't turn the ball over. Cutler finished 4-of-7 for 42 yards and helped the offense score three points. Cutler stayed clean most of the night but did take a nasty hit from Miami pass-rusher Cameron Wake. No. 2 quarterback Jimmy Clausen looked competent after taking over, completing 8-of-11 pass attempts for 65 yards (87.3 passer-rating) in the first half.
Maybe that dude could start: Defensive end Jarvis Jenkins is accustomed to being first string. A former starter for the Washington Redskins, Jenkins flashed Thursday night when he recorded the first tackle of the game. Jenkins won the battle of the line of scrimmage and tackled Lamar Miller for a 1-yard gain.
Who got hurt: Cornerback Terrance Mitchell exited the game late in the first half because of a possible concussion. Tests were negative.
A surprise performer who looks amazing: Cornerback Sherrick McManis is a proven special teams commodity (38 career tackles), but he seems on a mission to contribute on defense. The Northwestern product had several notable plays, including a pass breakup and forced fumble. McManis has been surging up the depth chart since the offseason program and definitely helped his cause.
Rookie watch: In nickel, the Bears lined up second-round pick Eddie Goldman at nose tackle and slid veteran Jeremiah Ratliff outside to end. Even if Goldman does not begin the year in the starting lineup, he is obviously one of the top four defensive linemen on the roster. First-round choice Kevin White did not play but jogged on his injured shin during pregame warmups.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Bears looked ...: Mediocre. Cutler and the first-team offense promptly went three-and-out on their first drive but later recovered with 61-yard scoring drive that ended with Robbie Gould booting a long field goal. The Bears defense ... yuck. Most of the starters were out of the game before the first-quarter whistle blew. Miami outgained Chicago 132 yards to 49 in the opening 15 minutes.
One reason to freak out: The Dolphins steamrolled Vic Fangio's defense on the game's opening drive, marching 85 yards on a 14-play drive that ate up 8:01. Picking up where he left off last season, Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill went 6-of-7 for 56 yards and one touchdown. Poor run fits, soft coverage, missed tackles ... it sure looked a lot like last year's Bears defense.
McClellin in the middle: Congratulations on a job ... done. The best compliment paid to Shea McClellin is he appeared to be around the football. Having the best training camp of his four-year professional career, McClellin and the first-team defense got pushed around, but he did make two tackles. On the negative side, McClellin missed a ball in pass coverage that went for a completion. The Dolphins game is yet another indicator that McClellin remains a work in progess at inside linebacker.
Return battle: Former AFL standout AJ Cruz received the first opportunity on kickoff return, taking the Dolphins' first kickoff back 27 yards. Senorise Perry later ripped off a 42-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. Perry is worth monitoring in the preseason. Not only did he lead the team last year with 17 special teams tackles, he rushed for a 54-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Sure-handed Marc Mariani started on punt return. Barring injury, Mariani is a good bet to make the roster.
