'Menacing' Austin Booker, Noah Sewell and Bears defense rule the day

There’s no doubt the most positive aspect of Sunday’s 24-24 Bears preseason-opening tie with Miami had nothing to do with Ben Johnson’s offense.

It was easily the defense and especially Austin Booker.

The second-year defensive end put his best foot forward with three sacks and a forced fumble in trying to secure a role as a critical third edge rusher behind Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo. A year ago, Booker wasn't up to big plays at big moments but he actually was involved in several on Sunday.

His strip-sack  of Quinn Ewers from the blind side at the 5-yard line set up the Bears at the 3 after Power Echols’ recovered and made a 4-yard TD pass by Case Keenum possible. Three sacks on the day and a big tackle on a run at the goal line made for a complete day.

“I think he was a factor the entire game,” coach Ben Johnson said. “He ended up with what three sacks there?

“He was just a menace. So you really feed off of that. Those kind of plays like that, that’s obviously a huge thing in terms of ending drives.”

The rookie QB had the ball out where Booker could get it. He made a long-arm move to get past the tackle and was on Ewers.

“He didn’t decide to throw it away so I gave it another two steps and reached out for the ball,” Booker said.

Training camp hasn’t necessarily been bad for Booker, just a little too quiet. Edge rushers can’t finish at the QB then. In games, it’s a chance to eat, and Booker is hungry after getting only 1 ½ sacks as a rookie.

“I feel like maybe it slowed down a little bit,” he said. “But I feel like I looked in the mirror and improved myself.”

He’s 8 pounds heavier and has been following the team’s nutritionist as he tries to get to a better edge weight for Dennis Allen’s defense.

More reps can only help his cause in the next two preseason games.

“I feel like I’m being more consistent than last year,” Booker said.  “And so even in practice I’ve shown up. So I just want to continue what I’ve been doing and be consistent.”

Booker wasn’t all the defense could hang its hat on. The goal line stand to start the game against the first-team Miami offense was easily the next best accomplishment.

Strongside linebacker candidate Noah Sewell made a huge play by nailing Jaylen Wright at the 4-yard line for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-goal at the 1 to end a 15-play drive. The fact it came against Miami’s starting line made it all the more impressive.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said the point of going for it was simple considering it was early preseason.

“We were driving,” McDaniel said. “We wanted to establish our pad level.”

Instead, they got uprooted and pushed off the ball by a front that had Zacch Pickens, Chris Williams, Tonah Kpassagnon, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Ruben Hyppolite, Noah Sewell, Dominique Robinson and Booker involved. Booker and Jonathan Ford had the key tackles on the third-and-1 play that forced the fourth-and-1 gamble, and that came after Jonathan Owens and Sewell had the stop on second-and-goal at the 2.

“I think that was outstanding by  the whole crew,” Johnson said. “They came out, the pass rush was ready to go, a little bit of the bend-but-don’t-break.

“You know Miami was able to matriculate their way down. In tight, our guys were able to hold. Our guys held firm at the end of the day. I thought for the entire unit it was a great way to start the game.”