Chicago Bears Training Camp Practice No. 8 notes: Chase Claypool and Robert Tonyan get a fortunate bounce during team drills

LAKE FOREST — Sometimes you need a little luck on your side every once in a while.

Justin Fields and the first-team offense got their fair share of luck during a low red zone period in team drills on Friday’s practice at Halas Hall.

Chase Claypool lined up outside to the right side of the formation and ran a slant route in the middle of the field. Fields hit Claypool in the hands, but the receiver couldn’t handle the pass and the ball deflected in the air. The football somehow made its way over to Robert Tonyan, who scored a touchdown on the broken play.

Immediately after the touchdown, the offense lined up again. This time Claypool and Tonyan were to the left side of the formation. Fields attempted to hit Tonyan on a hitch route, but the ball sailed high and deflected off Tonyan’s outstretched hands. Somehow the football landed in Claypool’s direction for the score.

Even though the plays didn’t go exactly as planned, the offense still got the job done and ended both plays with touchdowns.

Friday’s eighth training camp practice was a bit more relaxed overall, especially with it not being in full pads, but there were still plenty of notable plays made.

1 on 1s

• Fields sailed a pass way over Moore on an out-breaking route to start 1 on 1s. Terell Smith was in coverage.
• Fields connected with Darnell Mooney an an in-breaking route. Really good separation from Mooney. Fields completed the pass to Mooney for an easy completion.
• Fields completed a pass to Tonyan over the middle of the field, but Eddie Jackson knocked the ball out as Tonyan was trying to complete the catch.
• Claypool scored against Tyrique Stevenson with a one-handed grab. Claypool extended his arm and brought the ball back into his body.
• Fields linked up with Equanimeous St. Brown for a score in the back left corner of the end zone.
• P.J. Walker attempted to fit a ball to Velus Jones Jr. on a fade route towards the right sideline. Kindle Vildor was in good coverage, but Jones still had an opportunity to catch the ball. The second-year receiver just couldn’t make the play.
• Daurice Fountain had a nice post route against Jaylon Johnson. Walker was the quarterback on the rep.
• Tyler Scott got Michael Ojemudia on a nasty post route. Ojemudia didn’t have a chance on the rep.
• Stevenson had nice coverage on Isaiah Ford.
• Mooney beat Greg Storman Jr. on a quick out route. Fields was the quarterback on the play.
• Fields connected with Moore in the middle back portion of the end zone. Moore beat Smith on the play. After Moore caught the ball, he posed in the end zone.

So fast even our camera can’t catch him 💫 pic.twitter.com/8dZaCZej33

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 4, 2023

• Vildor had good coverage on Jones on a slant route.
• Claypool won his rep against Jackson. Claypool ran a comeback route to the left front corner of the end zone and Fields zipped a pass for the score.
• Tonyan beat Brisker on a slant route.
• Nsimba Webster got open both times against Gordon on in-breaking routes. Both times Webster dunked the ball on the field goal post.
• Scott got the best of Ojemudia on their second rep together. Even though the ball from Fields fell incomplete, Ojemudia was called for a flag.
• Ford had a good catch against Stevenson on a fade route to the left corner.
• Kendall Williamson broke up a pass intended for Cole Kmet. The tight end ran a fade, but Williamson made a good play on the ball.

11 on 11s

• Rasheem Green and Dominique Robinson started out with the first-team defense while DeMarcus Walker was out.
• Speaking of Walker, he was dialed in and watching the first-team defense next to Matt Eberflus for a good portion of practice.
• Fields completed a screen pass to Jones, but T.J. Edwards and Brisker were there to mitigate the play.
• Gervon Dexter Sr. would’ve had a quarterback hit or sack on Walker after he got pressure in the middle of the Bears’ offensive line.
• Robinson got some inside pressure against Alex Leatherwood with a swim move. Fields still ended up throwing the ball to Moore near the left sideline, but Stevenson punched out the ball to force an incomplete pass.
• A.J. Thomas nearly picked off Nathan Peterman, but the ball went through his hands. Thomas did push-ups afterwards.

• On a different portion of team drills in the red zone, Fields connected with D’Onta Foreman for a touchdown off a play action rollout to his right.
• Then Fields found Claypool in the middle of the end zone for a touchdown. Fields showed good pocket prescense and Claypool did a good job of making the catch despite having several defenders around him.
• In a situational portion of practice, Fields and the fist-team offense went up against the backups in a two-minute drill. On the first play, Fields was intercepted by Josh Blackwell. It was tough to tell who exactly Fields was trying to throw the ball too, but Blackwell dove and made the interception.
• Fields and the offense responded with a completion to Moore along the right side of the field. Then Fields hit Tonyan in the middle of the field. The tight end dove to make the catch. Fields then completed passes to Claypool and Moore. On third down, Fields connected with Travis Homer for a big gain, which set up Cairo Santos for game-winning field goal.
• Walker and the second-team offense went up against the first-team defense in the situational drill. Jaylon Johnson broke up a pass intended for Velus Jones Jr. Then Walker attempted to hit Velus Jones Jr. on vertical down the right sideline, but Stevenson broke up the pass. A third-straight incompletion occurred on a Walker pass intended for Webster. Johnson dropped back from his zone coverage nearly jumped the route. Terrell Lewis nearly picked off Walker on a screen pass to the left.

7 on 7s

• Fields’ first pass fell incomplete intended for Claypool. The starting defense, which featured Stevenson, played tight coverage on the rep.
• Fields hit Foreman for a short gain to the left.
• Smith came in for Stevenson on the third play. Fields hit Claypool on the left side of the formation.
• Fields then hit Khalil Herbert in the flat to the right.
• Walker completed a pass to Jones. Jaylon Jones was in coverage, but he couldn’t stay with Jones on the over route.
• Walker hit Velus Jones Jr. again a few plays later with Jaylon Jones in coverage on the drag route.
• Fields started his second attempt in 7-on-7s with a short completion to Khari Blasingame.
• Then Fields hit Tonyan for a short gain to the right. Tonyan was immediately stopped on the play.
• Fields and Kmet had some miscommunication on a rep. Fields wanted Kmet to sit in a particular part of the field, but Kmet kept on running and Fields threw a ball into a vacant spot.
• Fields hit Tonyan in the flat to the right. It appeared that Moore was open on a vertical route down the right sideline.

Other Observations

• It was good seeing Nate Davis back on the sidelines. He was absent for the last couple of practices. Also, Teven Jenkins was at practice after leaving early on Wednesday. Both did not participate.

Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis are here. pic.twitter.com/TnjLDWBUMz

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) August 4, 2023

• Jack Sanborn also was on the sidelines, and so was Tremaine Edmunds. Eberflus was not asked about Edmunds during his press conference.