Good, bad, and ugly from Bears' preseason tie vs. Dolphins

The Chicago Bears got their first crack at preseason action on Sunday afternoon, when they faced off against the Miami Dolphins after a joint practice last Friday.

In Ben Johnson's head coaching debut, most of the Bears' starters rested in the first game, but there was still plenty of intrigue and reason to watch.

After a slow first half, veteran backup quarterback Case Keenum would lead the Bears on two touchdown drives, while Miami scored all three of their touchdowns on the ground. Both teams had a chance late in the fourth quarter to pull away, but both were stopped and the game ended in a tie.

Here's a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly, from the Bears preseason opener:

The Good: Austin Booker

There was not a better player on the field for either team than Bears defensive end Austin Booker on Sunday. Getting more action with the starters resting, Booker made a strong case for more playing time this season on the defensive line. Totaling six tackles, four quarterback hits, three sacks, including one strip sack, and three tackles for loss, Booker was a matchup nightmare for the Dolphins. While Chicago made heavy investments in the trenches this offseason adding veterans on both offense and defense, the Bears could benefit greatly from having their young players developing under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

Have a day, @austinbookerr 🔥

📺: FOX32
pic.twitter.com/fDL0b19m0w

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 10, 2025

The Bad: Run defense

Miami could not get anything done with their passing game, and the Bears defense should be praised for their six sacks, but they'll need to clean up the run defense as quickly as possible. The Dolphins rushed the ball 26 times, picking up 101 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns on the day. Miami's lead back, De'Von Achane, carried the ball just three times but averaged 7.3 yards per carry on those runs. The defense was without several key players, but Chicago will have to make sure they've got a better response to team's running attacks.

The Ugly: Aggressive play-calling

Coming from Detroit, the expectation is that Ben Johnson will have an aggressive style of play-calling when it comes to his offense, as the Lions were the most aggressive team in going for it on fourth down last season. Johnson displayed that early in the preseason, going for it four times on fourth down, but only converting once. The preseason is an opportunity to work through any flaws or miscues in an offensive system, but the clear aggressiveness wasn't executed properly, and it played a factor in the game ending in a tie. There's a message to send to the team that Johnson will do what it takes to win at all costs, but he can not put himself in a situation where he's trying to do too much in his first year as head coach.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Dolphins: Good, bad and ugly from preseason tie