Vincent PariseBears Wire
The Chicago Bears kept the hype train going with their 33-6 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in Orchard Park, N.Y. This marked their second win of the preseason after defeating the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame game last week.
Everyone on this team did their part in the win. The starters showed their stuff early, and the players competing for roster spots and depth positioning surely fought hard in the latter stages of the game. We saw big-time plays both on offense and defense from a number of players. At this point, trimming the roster down to 53 players is going to be tough.
Following this dominating win, here is everything to know about Chicago's preseason win against Buffalo:
Final Score: Bears 33, Bills 6
Keys To The Game
Caleb Williams looks legit: Williams made his preseason debut against the Bills, which gave us our first glimpse of him in live action against an opposing team. He looked the part in multiple ways. Williams, who saw the field for two series, was cool, calm and collected operating the offense, and he made several "wow" plays that showed he's a special talent. It's clear that Williams is smart, athletic, talented, and can improvise when needed. Going forward, it's very easy to be confident in him.
The defense showed up all game: After last week's poor start in the Hall of Fame game, the defense bounced back against the Bills -- whether it was starters or reserves contending for jobs and roster spots. Chicago allowed just six points -- holding Buffalo without a touchdown -- in the win. The Bears pass rush was out in full force, where they totaled eight sacks on the day. That included two players notching multiple sacks -- rookie Austin Booker (2.5) and Daniel Hardy (2.5). Linebacker Micah Baskerville also had the lone takeaway of the game, which he returned 53 yards for a touchdown. It was a dominant showing all around.
A dominant second half: The Bears only held a 6-3 lead at halftime, but they quickly pulled away in the second half thanks to a dominant showing by their reserve offense and defense. Chicago scored 27 points in the second half, including 20 unanswered to end the game. The Bears pass rush showed up in a big way to the tune of eight sacks, thanks to Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy, Zacch Pickens, Amen Ogbongbemiga and Khalid Kareem.
It was over when...
It was over when Bears linebacker Micah Baskerville intercepted Bills quarterback Shane Buechele and returned it to the house for a touchdown. The score extended Chicago's lead to 19-6, and Buffalo was unable to mount a comeback down big in the fourth quarter.
3 Stars of the Game
*** QB Caleb Williams: Williams definitely deserves a mention here after an impressive start to the preseason. With a ton of pressure on him, Williams went out there and showed his stuff. He completed 4-of-7 passes for 95 yards, which also included a couple of drops, and he showcased his ability to operate the offense in an effective way. And, as expected, Williams flashed his playmaking ability with completions to D'Andre Swift and Cole Kmet. The Bears scored (a field goal) on each of Williams' two drives.
** RB Ian Wheeler: Wheeler led the Bears in rushing with five carries for 43 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per carry. He also scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Wheeler isn't going to be high on the depth chart, but this game was a great case for him to contend for a spot on the roster -- or the practice squad. He runs very hard and seems to be very smart out there.
* DE Austin Booker: Chicago's defense is good, but the team definitely needs another pass rusher to complement star Montez Sweat. Well, for now, Austin Booker is making a case to be that player. In this game, he had five tackles, including two tackles for loss. He also had 2.5 sacks which showed his ability to get after the quarterback. Booker seems to be a great draft pick so far, and he showed out in this game.
What's Next?
The Bears will host the Cincinnati Bengals in their third preseason game next Saturday, Aug. 17 at 12 p.m. at Soldier Field. Chicago and Cincinnati will have a joint practice on Thursday before their preseason game, which will air live on NFL Network. You can also watch the Bears on "Hard Knocks," which airs Tuesday nights on HBO and Max.
