FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Chicago Sun-Times’ Adam L. Jahns and Patrick Finley break down the Bears’ second joint practice Tuesday against the Patriots:
Alshon vs. Butler
The second joint practice featured some tense moments on Tuesday, but Monday’s main combatants, receiver Alshon Jeffery and cornerback Malcolm Butler, weren’t included. Instead, Jeffery and Butler slapped hands when they met for the first time in one-on-one drills. Jeffery then beat Butler with a stutter step on a go route for a long reception from quarterback Jay Cutler.
New WR coach?
Bears website writer Larry Mayer worked with Jeffery and Kevin White on the sideline during special-team drills. Wait, what? It happened. At a short distance, Mayer threw passes to Jeffery and White – the passes were all over the place – while receivers coach Curtis Johnson hung on the receivers’ backs and tried to prevent catches. … On a more serious note, White turned in another impressive day against Butler. It included a touchdown catch on a fade route during 7-on-7 play.
Adam L. Jahns
Floyd OK
First-round draft pick Leonard Floyd was tended to early in practice because of what appeared to be a left knee or ankle injury, but he returned to practice and claimed he wasn’t hurt. “I just got taped back up,” he said. Floyd has looked sharp even against some of the Patriots’ first-string offensive players, and even successfully covered tight end Martellus Bennett a few times. But how will he hold up in games, when running backs come right at him?
Deep ball
Brian Hoyer threw a 40-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline to Josh Bellamy, whose infectious energy has made him stand out the last two days — for better and, when he threw a punch Monday, for worse. … Linebacker Jamie Collins used Jacquizz Rodgers as a human bowling ball, shoving him into two Bears assistants and knocking them down. … For the second-straight day, Bears players ran hills side-by-side with the Patriots at the end of practice.
Patrick Finley
