Odunze, Gordon on win over Bengals, getting ready for Chiefs |
CHICAGO—The Chicago Bears won another landslide in the preseason, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 27-3.
For a rookie like receiver Rome Odunze, the live game reps have been incredibly valuable in preparing him for the regular season. “I’m learning every single rep that I take out there and against another team. Competitive reps are something that I’m always looking forward to. So, being (out) there, make a few plays, make some mistakes as well, that’s football. So, something I’ll continue to learn from,” Odunze said. “I think it was amazing (Saturday), just being able to get out there, get some live reps, get a couple catches, some yards out there. Really, coming into my game was awesome, and also the mistake, the top tap, which I had. I think that’s awesome for me. I love to be able to go out there, make mistakes, make plays, and be able to reassess my game. What do I need to work on? What do I need to improve on? So, I think it’s a perfect mash-up, especially in a game like this preseason, where we’re all learning and finding our game. So, I’m continuing to do that, and I’m really grateful for (Saturday).” Naturally, a rookie will have a moment where they look like a rookie. Right after his 45-yard reception, which is one of the highlights of the preseason thus far, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams threw the ball right to Odunze in the back of the endzone. Odunze caught the ball but did not have the awareness to realize that he was out of bounds. “I thought I had at least a foot. You see me, I was confident with it, too. But, a mistake,” Odunze said. “I got to know where I’m at on the field, got to have an awareness to be able to do that and something that I’ll learn from, and you going to see me catching passes in the back of the end zone every day for a little bit til I get one right.” The All-American receiver has the right attitude. He is taking that rookie mistake and turning it into a learning opportunity to ensure that it does not happen again in the regular season. In addition, Chicago's only home preseason game, the game against the Bengals, gave him the opportunity to experience a game in Soldier Field. The energy from the crowd for a preseason game was something that stood out to him. “It was amazing. It wasn’t a packed stadium, but still loud … The fans out there were even (hyped),” Odunze said. “Even the fourth quarter, when they (were) naming the different parts of the city for everybody to cheer when their part was up (and) it was loud. So, it was tremendous, and it felt good out there. The grass was good. So, first time at Soldier, looking forward to next time.” Chicago’s preseason finale will be against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thurs. Aug. 22 (7:20 p.m./FOX 32 and NFL Network). Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been getting some action in the preseason, so there is the potential for the Bears defense to play at least one series against him and the rest of Kansas City’s starting offense. This challenge is exciting for defensive starters like cornerback Kyler Gordon. “I’m just excited for this team … I’ll take the experience of reps. (I’d) love (that),” Gordon said. “I’ve been out for a little bit. So, I’ll take the reps going there and be with my guys. I just love football. So, I’ll play, and I play. I’m going to play.” Gordon missed some time at the beginning of last season because of a broken hand and has missed some of training camp due to injury as well. Numerous other players on Chicago’s defense were not available for the first part of the season because of injuries, part of why they were struggling. The second half of last season showed what the Bears are capable of on defense. “We (are) going to be as good as we want to be and I feel like the sky is the limit. So, if we can go above and beyond, this defense is amazing. I love the guys around … I love my teammates. We (are) going to go far for sure,” Gordon said. “I feel like we already are on the same page, even with guys being out. We still talk. Even through walkthroughs, everyone’s in there trying to be on the same page the whole entire time. So, there’s not going to be no dropoff.”
