For most people, preseason football as a whole is unbearable to watch. The fourth and final game itself barely draws any eyeballs as the starters never really play and the only real storyline of the contest is what bubble player is going to do something special to land on the squad as the fifth option at his respective position.
Thursday night's contest between Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns followed this same narrative.
Third string quarterback David Fales, who is destined for the practice squad, led the offense while the defense consisted of a plethora of players that won't sniff the field come next Sunday. However, there was one position battle that has drawn some interest from Bears fans, that continued to play out last night.
While the Bears sport two elite receivers, a versatile running back that can catch the ball out of the field, and a dynamic tight end, they lack a true third receiver. In a majority of offenses across the league, the third receiver rarely sees the field and is targeted only a hand full of times. However, in head coach Marc Trestman's offense anybody and everybody who is on the field has a chance to make an impact due to the system's nature of utilizing every single possible option.
With the Bears uncomfortable with the performances of the countless options they ran out there during the first two preseason games, they brought on castoff Santonio Holmes to possibly provide another veteran target for quarterback Jay Cutler.
Holmes, who is known for his off the field issues as much as he is for his Super Bowl winning catch with the Pittsburgh Steelers, promised that he has cleaned up his act. On a team that does not only sport a "team-first" culture, but also a high-powered offense, Holmes knew he landed in the perfect place to have a fresh start.
On the receiving end of a short pass from Fales, Holmes displayed his explosiveness as he spun away from defenders in pursuit of the end zone. That one play itself would have been enough to show the Bears brass that he still had something left in the tank, but then Holmes returned a punt for 30 yards with a sense of purpose that has been lacking from the numerous players the Bears have tried at that position all preseason.
"You see the explosion in him," Trestman proclaimed. "He separated himself from the defense. That's a good sign."
For the Bears and Holmes, that is indeed a good sign.
It is too early to definitively say that Holmes has put his past behind him. Two weeks is too small of a sample size for that. One thing is clear though: Holmes has the ability to be a factor on this year's Bears team.
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