Chicago Bears training camp: Takeaways from Family Fest

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The Chicago Bears headed to Soldier Field for their annual Family Fest on Sunday, which marked their 10th practice of training camp. It featured some intriguing developments in the fifth padded practice of the summer.
The defense dominated the day in what head coach Ben Johnson described as closer to a preseason game. The offense was sloppy with pre-snap penalties that continue to linger, but they did end practice on a strong note during a two-minute drill where quarterback Caleb Williams connected with rookie tight end Colston Loveland for a 7-yard touchdown. There's still plenty to improve upon with the Week 1 opener just over a month away.
Here's what we learned from the 10th practice of training camp, from the defense's dominant day to the offense's sloppy pre-snap penalties to a chess match between Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen.
Defense ruled the day
The Bears defense dominated the offense during Family Fest, where all facets of the defense impressed. Whether it was the pass rush -- with Montez Sweat and Gervon Dexter making plays -- or the secondary bringing the heat and nearly coming away with interceptions -- including from Tyrique Stevenson -- Dennis Allen had his defense firing on all cylinders. The defense dominated from the jump, where Greg Braggs noted they "blew up three plays in a row" to start team periods. They were really bringing the pressure on quarterback Caleb Williams, and it got there -- which nearly forced an interception that Rome Odunze smartly knocked away. Larry Mayer noted that the defense was "excelling" during 11-on-11, which included "would-have-been sacks" by defensive end Austin Booker and cornerback Kyler Gordon off the blitz. One of the biggest plays came when defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. stuffed running back D'Andre Swift on the 1-yard line, per Zack Pearson, and got the safety. Afterward, Williams went to talk to Ben Johnson about the play.
Pre-snap penalties need to be cleaned up
The offense has certainly improved from the start of training camp, but there's one lingering issue that remains on Day 10 -- pre-snap penalties that contributed to a sloppy outing at Family Fest. During the first team period, quarterback Caleb Williams had two delay of game penalties that set the tone for a sloppy practice. Later in practice, Williams was called for a third delay of game, and it's a trend that's been consistent throughout training camp so far -- be it penalties or botched snaps. Following Sunday's practice, head coach Ben Johnson said the offense's pre-snap operation is "sloppier than we would've hoped for at this point." It's something that needs to be addressed, and Johnson noted "it showed up more today than it has in practice." While tight end Cole Kmet noted there was "a little nervous energy out there," Johnson was clear that if they don't pick it up, "we don't win many games."
Ben Johnson vs. Dennis Allen
Sunday's practice provided an opportunity for head coach/offensive play caller Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to show off. According to Zack Pearson, Allen was "dialing up different looks" during Family Fest. 79th & Halas Podcast noted Allen is "gonna create some interesting looks for defenses, stunts and switches around with some solid discipline from the defense" this season. With the defense dominating most of the day, Johnson cooked up some misdirection and trickery later in practice that resulted in some touchdowns. According to 79th & Halas, Johnson orchestrated a misdirection touchdown from Caleb Williams to Cole Kmet that "completely fooled the defense." But Johnson didn't limit it to the starters as Tyson Bagent fooled the defense on a play-action fake, according to Brad Biggs, where "he sucked in about seven or eight defenders" for an easy throw-and-catch touchdown to tight end Durham Smythe. It's certainly a hint of what we can expect from both play callers this season.
Ozzy Trapilo was with starters for second straight practice
The deadline continues to loom for the starting left tackle job between Braxton Jones, rookie Ozzy Trapilo and Kiran Amegadjie. With Amegadjie sidelined by injury, Jones and Trapilo appear to be in a two-man race for the job, although it sounds like the rookie might be in the driver's seat. Trapilo was with the starting offensive line during install for the second straight practice, which is certainly notable. Although, the rotation continued with Jones getting his turn with the starters later in practice. The competition wages on, but with the first preseason game looming, it'll be notable to see who gets the starting nod during Friday's joint practice with the Miami Dolphins and that first preseason game, assuming the starters just a series or two.
Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet will be nightmare for defenses
The Bears starting offense struggled most of the day against the defense, but tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet had two of the biggest highlights during Family Fest. With the defense dominating, Ben Johnson cooked up some misdirection that found Kmet wide open for a touchdown from Caleb Williams. The offense ended things on a high note during the two-minute drill, where Williams connected with Loveland for a 7-yard touchdown to cap a 49-yard drive in an end-of-game scenario trailing by three points, according to Brad Biggs. Loveland ran an impressive route to get open for the score, freezing safety Jaquan Brisker. Watching Kmet and Loveland find success in this passing game, it'll be exciting to see how Ben Johnson utilizes both with their unique skillsets.
Kyle Monangai making waves
Rookie running back Kyle Monangai has been making plays during training camp, and he continued to showcase his potential in this running back room with a solid outing during Family Fest. Monangai had three touchdowns on the day, including with the first-team offense during a drive where Michal Nwojak noted "Monangai was involved a lot." While Monangai did go the wrong way on a handoff from Caleb Williams -- which Johnson joked put him out of his good graces -- the Bears head coach is "very please with where he's at" and believes he's someone "we're gonna be able to trust this fall."
Attendance update
As far as attendance goes, right guard Jonah Jackson (leg) and long snapper Scott Daly (back) were back at practice on Sunday. The Bears were still without offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie (leg), offensive guard Bill Murray (right ankle) and center Ricky Stromberg (concussion). Following Sunday's practice, then team announced that running back Deion Hankins is in concussion protocol while wide receiver Miles Boykin (ankle) and tight end Jordan Murray (groin) were also held out of practice.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Chicago Bears training camp: Takeaways from Family Fest