CHICAGO -- Coach John Fox went the safe route and rested all of the starters, but a handful of reserves strengthened their case to be included on the Chicago Bears' 53-man roster. Here are some quick thoughts on the Bears’ 24-0 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
QB depth chart: Jay Cutler and Jimmy Clausen (concussion) were both scratches, leaving the Bears with only No 3. quarterback David Fales and recently claimed Zac Dysert. Fales did not disappoint. The former sixth-round draft choice fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to Marc Mariani -- the best receiver on the field Thursday night -- on Chicago’s lone scoring drive in the first half. In the third quarter, Fales hit Ify Umodu for an 11-yard touchdown to finish with a 134.0 passer rating. Dysert took over at the end of the third quarter.
Maybe that dude could start: Mason Foster should dominate against backups. Forster, who made 54 starts for the Bucs, led the defense with four tackles and one sack in two quarters of play. Don’t rule out Foster at inside linebacker at some point in the regular season.
Who got hurt? Safety Anthony Jefferson left the game with an arm injury after making a nice open-field tackle on special teams.
A player who looks amazing: Inside linebacker Jonathan Anderson had a memorable sequence in the second quarter. In a span of four plays, Anderson recorded two sacks and forced a fumble that Cornelius Washington recovered.
Rookie watch: Fourth-round pick Jeremy Langford thrilled the crowd with a 34-yard rush before halftime. Langford finished the first half with 47 rushing yards on six carries. Third-round choice center Hroniss Grasu was guilty of a holding penalty that negated a long Ka’Deem Carey run. Tayo Fabuluje replaced Jordan Mills at right tackle.
One reason to freak out: The preseason is over. Celebrate! Green Bay visits Soldier Field in exactly 10 days. That’s probably not a reason to celebrate, but at least the games will count.
Alshon Alert: Banged-up wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (calf) emerged from hiding and played catch on the Soldier Field turf prior to kickoff. The Bears have kept Jeffery away from the media for two weeks. Jeffery is expected to be ready for Week 1, but he hasn’t practiced since Aug. 12.
Willie watch: Willie Young went from leading the Bears in sacks to starting the final meaningless preseason game. Such is life for Young, who is firmly on the bubble with cut-down day approaching. Young played hard in the first half, but was it enough? Young’s projected base salary of $2.45 million isn’t helping matters. Lamarr Houston has an even higher 2015 base salary ($5.95 million), but he seems further along at outside linebacker.
