Injury-plagued Jeffery back in action for Bears

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery missed the entire preseason last year with a calf injury but still played pretty well in the regular season … when he was healthy.

Jeffery averaged 89.7 receiving yards per game, which was eighth in the NFL, but he played in just nine games. He said getting some action in the preseason would be beneficial.

"It's always good to get on the same page in the preseason, so it can carry over to the regular season," Jeffery said. "It's always good to get some work and some conditioning and see where your teams at. Guys jell together."

It didn't take long for Jeffery and Cutler to get in sync in Thursday night's preseason opener, as they clicked on a 12-yard connection on the Bears' first play from scrimmage.

"It was cool, but I just think at times I played a little bit sluggish," Jeffery said. "It's been a while since I really been out there."

Confidence game:

Seventh-round rookie Daniel Braverman is one of the few Bears wide receivers who has been healthy for every practice, and he has impressed fellow wideout Alshon Jeffery, who missed some time with a hamstring injury.

"He's quick," Jeffery said of the 5-foot-10, 177-pound Western Michigan product. "He's smart. He's got what it takes to belong in this league. He just keep learning and listening to coach C.J. (Curtis Johnson) and (veterans) Eddie Royal and Marc Mariani."

Braverman has played with more confidence than expected from a rookie, showing up on the practice field almost daily.

"He's got a little swag," Jeffery said. "He's got a chip on his shoulder. I guess being a later-round pick, he's got something to prove."

Braverman had 2 catches for 7 yards.

Open competition:

With starter Zach Miller (concussion) and Greg Scruggs (bruised lung) out at tight end, several other players vying for spots on the roster got more snaps Thursday night.

"It's a good opportunity for all of us," said Wheaton-Warrenville South product Tony Moeaki, a seventh-year veteran. We're banged up at tight end a little bit right now. We're getting a lot of reps, and that's good for us."

Moeaki started Thursday but was not targeted by Jay Cutler; tight ends had none of the Bears' 16 catches.

Getting noticed:

Rookie defensive end Jontahan Bullard made some splash plays in training camp. But the 6-foot-3, 290-pound third-round pick from Florida needs to show up in preseason games to give the D-line a different kind of player from the veterans.

"He's not quite the size that those guys are," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "He's a guy that's got a little bit more quickness. He's a guy that we hope can be in our mix."

Bullard took a step in the right direction in the second quarter against the Broncos when he stonewalled running back Devontae Booker for a 1-yard loss.

Safety dance:

It's just Adrian Amos' second year in the league, but after starting all 16 games as a rookie the fifth-round pick from Penn State seems like an old pro, especially after an impressive camp.

"He's just a very mature guy from the day he walked in here," defensive backs coach Ed Donatell said. "He was a guy who was the same guy every day, which is really hard to do when you're transitioning in your first year. He's just been really solid. He's totally committed to everything we're doing."

Injury report:

Ka'Deem Carey left late in the third quarter to undergo the concussion protocol, and defensive end Cornelius Washington (knee/ankle) and safety DeAndre Houston-Carson (neck) also did not finish.

Wide receivers Derek Keaton (knee) and Eddie Royal (concussion), tight ends Zach Miller (concussion), Greg Scruggs (bruised lung) and Ben Braunecker (ankle), offensive linemen Hroniss Grasu (knee) and Amini Silatolu (knee), and cornerback Tracy Porter (coaches' decision) did not play.

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