CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- After the Bears surprised the NFL in 2018 and entered this new season with championship aspirations, we got the first glimpse at the intrigue surrounding them Thursday evening.
The Bears fell 23-13 to the Panthers at Soldier Field as coach Matt Nagy rested many of his key starters.
Even with the likes of Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson and Tarik Cohen watching from the sidelines, there was plenty to learn from the first exhibition game. Let's break it down.
Chuck starts strong
Second-year linebacker Roquan Smith was one of four starters on the Bears' defense to take the field for the first possession of the preseason, and new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano offered a glimpse at how he could use Smith's speed.
On the fourth play of the game, Smith blitzed right through the A gap and sacked Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen. It drew a loud roar from the 45,823 fans who were on hand at Soldier Field.
The only part that was surprising about Pagano's call for a Smith blitz was that he called it four plays into the preseason. Pagano arrived to the Bears prepared to make more aggressive play calls than his predecessor, Vic Fangio.
Fangio often relied on the likes of Mack and Akiem Hicks to get home to the quarterback and create problems. Pagano knows what he has in those Pro Bowl pass rushers but will present different looks with the blitz.
The Bears could use Smith on frequent blitzes to challenge opposing offenses.
Big chance for Bunting
When asked about the Bears' unproven group of tight ends recently, Nagy replied the preseason would present a "huge" opportunity. That chance went to undrafted rookie Ian Bunting on Thursday.
Bunting had three receptions for 77 yards but also was called for a holding penalty and false start. The abilities that Bunting showed as a target should offer encouragement at what has turned into a position of uncertainty. But watching the penalties on film will quickly bring him back down to earth.
The Bears have another undrafted rookie tight end worth watching in Dax Raymond, a Utah State product. He should expect to see plenty of action moving forward in the preseason as well.
With veteran Trey Burton unlikely to play during the preseason, the Bears will get the chance to test their depth at tight end.
Some dazzle from Montgomery
Bears rookie running back David Montgomery wasted little time displaying his talents.
With the Bears trailing 6-0 and in the red zone in the middle of the second quarter, Montgomery only needed a quick pause with the ball in hand before seeing tight end Bradley Sowell pulling to the left side and opening up green grass. Montgomery then burst through the opening and rushed seven yards to the end zone for what the Bears can hope is his first of many touchdowns at Soldier Field.
Montgomery made a strong impression in his preseason debut, rushing three times for 16 yards while adding three receptions for 30 yards. He gave the fans a glance at the versatility that attracted the Bears to trade up and draft him in the third round.
Montgomery even caught the attention of somebody who knows a lot about running back play.
"I really like the vision, balance and elusiveness of young (Montgomery)," Matt Forte tweeted Thursday night.
"Can't coach vision," he continued. "You can have all the measurables but it's more important to set up blocks and create plays at running back! And that's what it seems like (Montgomery) can do. I like it."
How the Bears use Montgomery the rest of the preseason will be an interesting storylines. If he ends up taking a seat for the third and fourth games, it would suggest the Bears expect him to play a leading role early on in the regular season.
Kicking it
The exact scenario of Cody Parkey's infamous double-doink miss played out just before halftime. The Bears lined up for a 43-yard field goal toward the north goalposts, but a timeout was called and their kicker was iced.
Only this time, the outcome was different. Elliott Fry stepped up and drilled the field goal through those same uprights that helped create this Bears' kicking competition in the first place.
That was Fry's lone field-goal attempt of the game. He also made a PAT. Meanwhile, Eddy Pineiro missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt toward the north end zone wide left in the second quarter but later hit a 23-yard field goal in the south end zone in the fourth quarter.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace has said the organization will closely monitor the other kicking battles around the league and evaluate outside options as well. The Bears got an up-close look at another competition Thursday as Panthers kicker Joey Slye, the challenger to incumbent Graham Gano, hit a 42-yard field goal through the north goalposts and a 55-yard field goal through the south goalposts.
But for a few moments of preseason football, the Bears had a kicker inspiring hope.
Extra points
-- Credit veteran guard Ted Larsen for booking it downfield for a block that opened room for Montgomery on a 23-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. Of course, Larsen is no stranger to key downfield blocks after his block sealed the "Miracle in Miami" play for the Dolphins in their thrilling win over the Patriots last season.
-- When Roy Robertson-Harris joined the Bears in 2016, he was a slender outside linebacker fighting for a place on the roster. Robertson-Harris is now a defensive lineman with great size and the ability to bull-rush his way to the quarterback, as he showed late in the second quarter.
-- Not to be overshadowed by his fellow rookie rusher Montgomery, Kerrith Whyte Jr. flashed potential as he took on running back duties late in the game. Whyte displayed a combination of vision and speed that could make him a weapon for Nagy's offense this season.
-- Early in the third quarter, the Bears challenged an incomplete pass that they believed deserved a pass interference call. They were unsuccessful in that challenge and lost a timeout, but it offered Nagy and his coaching staff the opportunity to work with the new rule.
-- We're four weeks away from real football as the Bears and Packers kick off the regular season at Soldier Field on Thursday, Sept. 5.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
