5 big takeaways from Chicago Bears’ 38-0 preseason win over Buffalo Bills

Quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the Bears starters returned to game action Sunday night as they made their preseason debuts in a 38-0 win over the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson mostly got what he wanted from his starters in their first game of the preseason. Williams and the offense looked efficient while the defense got on and off the field quickly.

The Bills rested most of their starters Sunday after they competed in a joint practice with the Bears at Halas Hall on Friday. But there was plenty to take from Sunday’s win.

Here are five of the biggest takeaways from Sunday night’s game.

Near perfect start for Caleb Williams

Johnson and Williams couldn’t have asked for a better start to Sunday’s game. Williams looked comfortable running the offense and was efficient with his throws and his decision making on the first drive.

He did so by finding his tight ends early. Williams completed three passes to Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland for 55 yards to move the ball from the Bears 5-yard line. The Bears eventually scored when Williams completed a short pass to Olamide Zaccheaus, who took it 36 yards for a touchdown.

Williams and the offense did pick up a first down on their second drive as Johnson tried to establish the run a little bit more. But Williams couldn’t connect with Rome Odunze on a third down throw that fell incomplete and ended the starters’ night.

He completed six of his 10 pass attempts for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Sunday was an encouraging step for Williams as he looks to make progress in learning Johnson’s offense. Williams told reporters after Sunday’s game that he feels more comfortable in Johnson’s offense but knows there’s still more work left to be done.

“From a month ago, I think I’ve grown a lot,” Williams said. “Now, my mindset is keep growing. That’s been my mindset since I’ve been a little child is to keep growing. Where I see myself, I think the ideas to be able to handle every single thing that I can and everything that [Johnson] says I should be able to handle.”

Left tackle competition continues

The battle for the starting left tackle spot continued Sunday night as Johnson and his staff look for someone to take the lead in the competition.

Returning starter Braxton Jones started his second straight preseason game after mostly taking second team snaps at practice this past week. He handled the spot well going against the Bills’ backups and played two drives along with the other offensive starters.

Theo Benedet earned the second team snaps at left tackle after earning more first team snaps during practice this week, including Friday’s practice against the Bills. Second-year offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie was the third Bear to take snaps at left tackle.

Rookie Ozzy Trapilo continued to work at right tackle exclusively as it might seem he’s not in the mix for the starting left tackle spot anymore. He played at right tackle with the second team.

Jones told Shaw Local after the game that he didn’t think too much into starting his second consecutive game or the switch in who’s getting first-team snaps at left tackle during practices. He’s more focused on reaching his full ability as he comes back from a late-season ankle surgery last year.

“Just another step in the right direction,” Jones said. “Just like the last few weeks, I think when you look at the film and be critical of it, and there’s definitely some things to clean up, but I just keep on taking steps each week and am just trying to lower that pad level and get better in those areas. That just comes over time as we get further into the season.”

Defense looks efficient in shutout

It only took one drive for the Bears starting defense to get what it wanted out of Sunday’s game. The group took care of business against the Bills backup quarterback Mike White and the second team offense by forcing a three-and-out.

Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds broke through on the first play to stop Bills running back Ray Davis for a loss of a yard on a run. White completed a pass for two yards before back-to-back false start penalties pushed the Bills back. His pass on third down fell incomplete and the first team defense’s day was done.

“The entire defense, they really set the tone there in the first half and did an outstanding job for us,” Johnson said.

It was a good showing for the group as it builds its identity under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. The unit had a good showing in Friday’s joint practice against reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen.

Defensive end Austin Booker and defensive tackle Andrew Billings each had a sack while linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga forced a fumble in the third quarter.

Tyson Bagent runs the show

While all of the attention was on Williams heading into Sunday’s game, Tyson Bagent continued to show that he should be the Bears’ backup quarterback heading into the season.

Bagent and the second team offense took over on the Bears’ third drive of the season and effectively moved the ball down the field. The unit scored a touchdown on its first three drives as Bagent got the ball where it needed to be. His most impressive pass came in the second quarter when he threw a ball perfectly on the run into the corner of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyler Scott.

Bagent threw for 197 yards and one touchdown, completing 13 of his 22 passes.

Sunday’s performance wasn’t new for Bagent. He’s looked comfortable in Johnson’s offense for much of training camp and has shown that he knows what he needs to do on each play.

That will be essential if Bagent has to go into a game for any reason. Quarterback Case Keenum didn’t play Sunday and he missed Friday’s practice after he left practice Thursday with a leg injury. With his absence and Bagent’s strong camp, it’s likely that Bagent is in the driver’s seat for the backup quarterback spot.

But for now, Bagent’s enjoyed the chance to consistently play in a game.

“If everything goes well, this is it,” Bagent said. “I’ll be watching a lot of football this year. [Williams] will go out there and do his thing. This means the world to me. This is my life’s work being put into action right here in front of everybody, so it means a lot.”

Injuries pile up

While the Bears’ starters came out healthy in Sunday’s game, there were some injuries to important depth pieces.

Cornerback Terell Smith was taken off the field in the second quarter after a pass play by the Bears sideline. The team quickly announced that Smith was out for the rest of the game with a knee injury. Smith came off a good week of practices as he battled for one of the top backup cornerback slots.

Booker also suffered a knee injury on a special teams play and was ruled out for the rest of the game. He’s had a strong preseason with four sacks as he’s tried to earn more snaps as a pass rusher in his second season behind Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo.

Defensive end Dominique Robinson (right ankle), running back Deion Hankins (knee) and wide receiver JP Richardson (ankle) were all ruled doubtful to return to Sunday’s game.

Johnson said the Bears would know more about the severity of the injuries Monday, with Smith’s looking the worst.

“[Smith’s] was most-concerning of that bunch,” Johnson said. “That didn’t look good. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”