LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears held a practice the day after a preseason game, something most staffs don’t do. The list of Monday’s participants was far smaller than normal, essentially a session for those who didn’t play in Sunday’s 24-24 tie with the Miami Dolphins.

That’s mostly starters, so there were lots of breaks, no fans and very little music. That made hearing the Bears communicate a whole lot easier. The intensity remained on both sides, especially from head coach Ben Johnson, as the offense struggled to find rhythm.

More on that later, but that’s the backstory for why receiver DJ Moore was asked about Johnson’s intensity and demand that all his players be detail-oriented.

That was his solution to the offense’s issues to this point.

“Just hone in on the details,” Moore said in a Monday press conference. “We are going out there having a lot of reps. There are some mishaps here and there, but you just have to get through it and be on the details and go from there.” 

Johnson is about as detail-oriented as it gets, which is a character trait that players were asking for and never got enough of from Matt Eberflus’ staff.

“What do I like about it? It’s going to get us where we want to go,” Moore said. “What’s hard about it is that you’ve really got to be in your playbook and know every last detail of that playbook like he (does). If not, you’re going to get either the evil eye or get yelled at to get in the right spot. I try to stay away from that.”

While we’ve seen a fair amount of offensive issues this camp, Johnson’s messaging and intensity have been steadfast. The coaches believe they’ll break through by stacking days and demanding accountability, that the offense will be ready for Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings.

“He doesn’t waiver from what he believes in the offense that he’s installed and how he’s going to call the game,” Moore said. “He hasn’t diverted from it yet, and I don’t think he will. He’s just being himself.”

Being direct and to the point is part of Johnson’s style, which players are getting used to.

“Real, real blunt,” Moore said. “Sometimes it’s like you have to be a man about it, and you can’t tuck your tail. You just have to take the coaching.”

Injury update

It wasn’t possible to take attendance with so many players given the practice off, but offensive linemen Kiran Amegadjie and Bill Murray were back at practice, but left after individual drills. That’s common for players returning from injury, who are going through a ramp-up period.

Bears add new RB

The team announced the signing of running back Brittian Brown, a UCLA product who was drafted by the Raiders in 2022. He has played in six NFL games but doesn’t have a carry. This might suggest that Roschon Johnson’s injury could be longer-term, but time will tell on that.

Defensive back Ameer Speed was waived-injured in a corresponding move.

Practice notes

QB Caleb Williams took every snap in Monday’s practice, but wasn’t able to find great sync with his receivers even when he was well protected. He threw two dimes, though, with WR Olamide Zaccheaus snagging one in stride and TE Colston Loveland receiving the other over the middle.

Overall, the offense just seemed off. Williams threw a deep shot to WR Rome Odunze that sailed out of bounds. WR DJ Moore had a drop.

The toughest stretch was an end-of-game/half-period with 54 seconds on the clock, with the offense down three points. Williams hit TE Cole Kmet on a short pass that didn’t gain much and kept the clock running. Then Williams found Zaccheaus and called a timeout. The offense couldn’t handle a blitzing T.J. Edwards on the next play. Then CB Nahshon Wright nearly picked Williams off. Then came an incompletion where Williams and Odunze weren’t on the same page.

While there were struggles in this session, Moore wasn’t ready to dismiss it as all bad.

“It can feel bad when we’re out there, but when we go back and look at the tape, it says a different story,” Moore said. “Everybody wants to chase perfection and that’s what we are doing.”

LT Braxton Jones was among the players featured in Sunday’s game to suit up for Monday’s practice. He played less than the other tackles, but it’s a positive sign that he could rebound well after live football with his ankle still feeling good.

DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, WR Devin Duvernay and RB Deion Hankins were among a small group who practiced after playing significant snaps, mostly to help fill out all positions in various packages.

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