In the final preseason game of the year, the Chicago Bears seemed to learn more about themselves as a team and not all of it was positive.
While Chicago ended the preseason with a record of 2-0-1, the general consensus sounded like a team that knew they had a long way to grow to get to where they want to be. Veteran safety Kevin Byard spoke about the defense’s performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in the finale, and he was disappointed by the team’s effort.
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While he didn’t play much of the first half, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes looked nearly flawless, going 8-13, with 143 yards and one touchdown and a passer rating of 124.8 in very limited play. Byard, who finished the game with two tackles, said the team did not look inspired to play against a team that competed in the Super Bowl last season.
“Honestly, it was disappointing,” Byard said. “I don’t think we played inspired football going against a team that was in the Super Bowl last year.”
Last season, Byard was a locker room leader and one of the top contributors on the Bears defense, totaling 130 tackles, two sacks, and one interception. With new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen now calling the defense, expectations and standards will certainly grow. But Byard’s comments suggest that they’re not where they want to be with just over a week until the regular season begins.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears’ Kevin Byard disappointed by defense’s final preseason effort