Jay Cutler was under pressure early in Chicago’s win over Miami in the preseason opener. (Getty)
Final Score
Dolphins 7-3-0-0 — 10
Bears 0-3-14-10 — 27
The Chicago Bears rallied to secure a 27-10 win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night at Soldier Field.
Ryan Tannehill led the Dolphins on a touchdown drive in the first quarter; Miami didn’t find the end zone again but will be encouraged with how well the first unit played.
The Bears starters struggled early but found a little more success in the second series. Jay Cutler went 4-of-7 for 42 yards in the game, with the second drive producing a field goal from Robbie Gould. The Bears capitalized on three Miami turnovers, including two interceptions from reserve quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson to score 14 points in the third quarter.
Check below for highlights of the game.
Dolphins Took Opening Drive 85 Yards For a Touchdown
Ryan Tannehill was in cruise control on the opening drive for Miami, taking his offense 85 yards. Tannehill was 6-for-7 on the drive for 56 yards; the drive ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis Landry.
Bears Got on the Board With a 48-Yard Robbie Gould Field Goal
After the first team offense struggled to move the ball in the opening series, the rhythm began to come in the second. Jay Cutler hit Martellus Bennett and Eddie Royal for completions, and Robbie Gould connected on a 48-yard field goal to cut the Dolphins lead to 7-3.
Caleb Strugis Booted a 31-Yard Field Goal to Give Dolphins a 10-3 Lead
The Dolphins racked up almost 250 yards of total offense in the first half, but had their drives stall in Bears territory. Third string quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson led the final drive of the first half into the red zone, but the Bears defense stood tall and Miami settled for a field goal.
The drive did include this phenomenal catch by LaRon Byrd for a 34-yard gain to set up a red zone opportunity.
In the first half, Tannehill, Matt Moore and Bethel-Thompson all saw the field.
Gould Connected on 2 More Field Goals in the 3rd Quarter
Led by Jimmy Clausen, the Bears had a chance to put touchdowns on the board. Chicago got inside the 10-yard line on back-to-back possessions but Miami forced consecutive field goals from Gould to keep a 10-9 lead.
A 1-Yard Run by Ka’Deem Carey Gave the Bears Their First Lead of Game
A Bethel-Thompson interception set up the Bears with excellent field position at the Miami 25-yard line. Ka’Deem Carey would score from a yard out to give the Bears the lead, and a successful 2-point conversion attempt made it 17-10.
Gould would add a fourth field goal to increase the lead to 20-10.
Senorise Perry Ran for a 54-Yard Touchdown Late in the 4th Quarter
The Bears finished off the win with an emphatic touchdown run from Senorise Perry, a second-year running back out of Louisville. Perry was a special teams player for Chicago last season.
Preview: Bears & Dolphins Meet in Preseason Opener
Ryan Tannehill has improved his quarterback rating each year in the league. (Getty)
One of the most overlooked quarterbacks in the NFL is Miami’s Ryan Tannehill. The fourth-year player from Texas A&M — the guy who was there before Johnny Manziel — threw for 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2014 while completing 66 percent of his passes. While some of this is a credit for offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s system, Tannehill, 27, is the best quarterback the Dolphins have had since Dan Marino hung up the cleats.
Tannehill should see the field on Thursday night when the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins meet in Week 1 of the preseason. While Joe Philbin was kept around after another 8-8 season, Chicago overhauled its coaching staff after a disastrous 5-11 effort.
John Fox takes over for Marc Trestman, while Adam Gase (offensive coordinator) and Vic Fangio (defensive coordinator) will look to inject life into a group that went 2-8 down the stretch last season.
Editor’s note: Football is around the corner, and Heavy’s partners at DraftKings have the best NFL and college contests. Sign up with DraftKings promo code HEAVY and get a $600 deposit bonus with no season-long commitment.
