Bears sit many starters, lose to Browns. Go winless in Pre-Season for first time in twelve years

CLEVELAND—OK, so the Bears finished this worthless so-called Pre Season winless. But so did the Indianapolis Colts for example. Many key Bears did not play in this one, same for the Cleveland Browns.Montario Hardesty, whose career at Tennessee was slowed by knee injuries, hurt his left one in the second quarter of Thursday night’s 13-10 win over the Bears, a potentially major blow to the Browns’ running game.Fellow rookie Colt McCoy got his first pro start and went a perfect 13 of 13 for 131 yards in two-plus quarters. The former Texas star fumbled his first snap, but finally showed some potential in easily his best performance of an otherwise rough preseason.Quarterback Todd Collins, recently signed by the Bears to back up Jay Cutler, completed 10 of 15 for 139 yards and a 15-yard TD pass to tight end Greg Olsen for the Bears (0-4).Phil Dawson kicked a 36-yard field goal — set up when Browns defensive back DeAngelo Smith blocked a Brad Maynard punt — as time expired for the Browns (2-2).Hardesty showed his inside power before getting hurt, scoring on a 1-yard run in the first quarter. He finished with 25 yards on seven carries.The team provided no details on Hardesty’s injury.Not wanting to risk injuries with their season openers looming, both teams rested most of their starters. Cutler didn’t play and the Browns sat starting QB Jake Delhomme and backup Seneca Wallace.Collins set up Cleveland’s TD with his own miscue. Backed up after a holding penalty, Collins was in the shotgun when he turned his head just as second-string center Josh Beekman hiked the ball. It bounced off Collins and Cleveland recovered at the 13. “It was pretty comfortable on most things,” Collins said. “The formations and play-calling, some of them I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be, but overall I thought it was a pretty decent effort other than the mishap we had on the shotgun snap.”

NOTES—Bears GM Jerry Angelo is comfortable with the 38-year-old Collins as Chicago’s second QB. “We’ve seen enough of him,” said Angelo, who plans to keep three quarterbacks. “His arm looks live. We feel good about him. We have confidence that he’s going to be our backup.” … Angelo said some of the final roster decisions will be difficult. “We have more decisions with the roster this year than we have had with past rosters on the fringe players.” … Dawson was wide on a 58-yarder on the final play of the first half. He also made a 24-yarder.