Five Bears Takes: Another Preseason Blowout Win and Caleb Williams Doing Caleb Williams Things

With their second-straight blowout win on Saturday, the Chicago Bears find themselves one win away from their first undefeated preseason in quite some time. It’s always hard to know what will translate to the regular season, but there have been many more positives than troubling signs.

It wasn't always pretty during Saturday’s 27-3 victory. Chicago opted to play its healthy starters, while the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t want to risk health after a costly joint practice on Thursday. The offense struggled through its first three drives but turned things around to finish strong. The defense came out strong and caused the same familiar chaos we saw most of last season.

The good vibes continued on Saturday afternoon, and with one game remaining, the race to Week 1 is reaching the finish line. Before we turn the page to Thursday’s final preseason game, let’s take a look back at five storylines from Soldier Field.

1. All’s well that ends well. The Bears’ coaching staff deserves credit for riding through the waves and allowing the first-team offense to end on a positive note.

The first-team offense was originally expected to play right around a quarter. Give or take a drive. Then reality struck. Chicago’s offense went three-and-out on their first three drives of the game. On the opening drive, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams went 0-for-3. The passing game looked rushed, and the offense as a whole looked disjointed. On the second drive, they started to lean on the run game but came up short on a third-down pass to tight end Gerald Everett. The third drive started with a promising nine-yard pass to tight end Cole Kmet but went backward on the next two plays.

By the time the Bears’ offense got through their first three drives, the first quarter was over. Understandably, the coaching staff wanted to end their work on a good note. Williams fired a deep pass down the field to Tyler Scott, but the second-year receiver was held up and couldn’t come down with the pass. Although that play didn’t show up in the stat sheet, it went for 43 yards and set them up for a prime scoring opportunity. The issue: Teven Jenkins was called for a false start, and then Williams took a six-yard sack. After two conservative play calls, Cairo Santos was called upon to sink a 37-yard field goal.

It would have been easy to call it “good” and move on to the next spot on the depth chart. Instead, Chicago chose to send the starting offense out for one final drive. Starting at their own 10, the offense fired off three big plays to get them out to their own 48-yard line. After an incompletion to Everett, the Caleb Williams show finally started.

On 2nd and 10 from their 48, the play broke down. Williams scrambled around, gave a nice little spin, kept his shoulders squared, and launched a 45-yard bomb to fellow rookie Rome Odunze. With that one play, the feeling for most fans flipped. After another impressive scramble drill that should have resulted in a touchdown to Odunze, Williams took matters into his own hands and ran it in from eight yards out for the first touchdown of the preseason from the starting offense.

Heading into the preseason, head coach Matt Eberflus spoke about their vision for their rookie quarterback during the preseason. He said that after careful research, the “sweet spot” sat right around 45-55 total snaps. After not playing during the Hall of Fame game, finding those snaps total would be a little more challenging. After seeing 18 snaps last Saturday, it would have been easy to pack it in and give the first-team offense another crack at things next Thursday. Heck, they could have even abandoned the original plan and called it “good” without the starters seeing time next week. Instead of settling after three drives, they kept their faith in their offensive operation.

When all was said and done, the starting offense was on the field for 22 official snaps. Add in the pass interference on Scott, and the total was 23 plays. Couple that with the 18 official snaps from last week, and the goal for Williams has almost been reached. Eberflus was unclear on his plan for next Thursday but we’ll dive into that more later. Either way, the Bears were able to accomplish their goals over two games and now give themselves the option to sit the majority of starters on a short turnaround and get fully healthy for Week 1 in 21 days.

2. After missing on Matthew Judon earlier this week, what’s next for general manager Ryan Poles in the coming weeks?

Judon had been the apple of many Bears fan’s eyes over the past month or so. The 32-year-old has been one of the more productive pass rushers in the league over the last handful of years. The issue: He’s coming off a serious injury and wants a brand new contract.

Even so, for the right price, the upside outweighs the risk. Poles felt the same way. Shortly after the news broke of Judon being traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round selection, multiple insiders reported that the Bears were the other team seriously in on the veteran pass rusher. Sound familiar? During last year’s trade deadline, it was the Bears and Falcons fighting it out for Montez Sweat. Ultimately, Washington bet on the Bears to finish with the lesser record, and that’s how the deal got done. This time around, Atlanta got their guy. So far, without a new contract.

So, with Judon off the market and the Bears’ need for a pass rusher still a need, what now?

In short, Poles will probably need to wait until closer to the trade deadline. Sure, many have mentioned both Hasaan Reddick and Trey Hendrickson, but it does not seem like either player is likely to be traded. Especially regarding Hendrickson. The Bengals are trying to win a Super Bowl before they lose Tee Higgins and maybe even their top pass rusher. Reddick could become available but if there’s anything we’ve learned from Jets general manager Joe Douglas, it’s that he does not cave on trade demands early.

Assuming those two names won’t be options over the next couple of weeks, what’s left on the trade market? The short answer: Not much.

With Carl Lawson recently signing with the Dallas Cowboys, Yannick Ngakoue is the best remaining name on the free agent market. Following a down year in Chicago, I’m not sure how much upside he could provide at this point in his career. After all, he had a pair of workouts with pass-rush-needy teams and both teams went with different options. Frank Clark, Justin Houston, and Melvin Ingram are three other veteran names that could make sense. But at this point, how much sense?

Barring a surprise trade candidate, Chicago might be better suited to sticking with what they have and re-addressing this need in October. Rookie Austin Booker has been impressive, albeit against lesser competition. The same argument could be made for veteran Daniel Hardy, as well. There’s enough upside currently on the roster that it’s justifiable not to force a move, but one thing is clear: This front office is looking for an upgrade. If Reddick is made available, he immediately becomes an option worth making a move for.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

3. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Bears’ depth chart this deep at defensive back. There are going to be a few rosterable players that will be cut over the next 10 days.

Heading into training camp, all five starting spots were claimed. At cornerback, they’ll have Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon. Gordon’s health is a question but as he showed on Saturday, when he’s on the field, he’s an impact player.

At safety, it’ll be Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. Similar to Gordon, Brisker’s health is the only concern. The good news is that their depth boasts multiple former starters in the defensive backfield. Jonathan Owens projects as the first safety off the bench. He’s had extensive starting experience with both the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers. Tarvarius Moore was once a plus player in San Francisco. Even homegrown product Elijah Hicks has plenty of starting experience heading into Year 3. The depth at safety is undeniable, and there’s no guarantee that Moore is kept on the final roster. This doesn’t even account for Quindell Johnson or Adrian Colbert.

At cornerback, the depth might be even better. Josh Blackwell showed out well at Soldier Field on Saturday afternoon. Despite Gordon’s impressive performance, the drop-off was almost non-existent when Blackwell took over at nickel. The former undrafted free agent also brings special teams value. Behind the starters on the boundary is Terell Smith, who had an interception, Jaylon Jones, and Greg Stroman Jr. They even have a pair of undrafted free agents who have shown flashes in Reddy Steward and Leon Jones Jr. that could have made the final roster in previous years.

The unfortunate part is that not everyone can make the final roster, but Chicago should be able to retain a few of these names on their practice squad. One thing is for sure: the depth is the best we’ve seen in Chicago in a long time. That should prove a valuable tool when the season wears on, and injuries start to mount.

4. While it’s admirable that Velus Jones Jr. has taken his new role head-on, he’s going to be a project at running back. The front office will have a tough choice to make after next Thursday.

The running back position has plenty of name value, but only so many can fit on the 53-man roster. That’s where the organization will have some tough decisions to make. Let me be clear: What Jones Jr. has done with his transition to running back in the middle of training camp has been impressive. With that said, it’s unrealistic to expect him to be an instinctive runner right out of the gate. His vision is lacking right now, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. When he gets in open space, he’s as dangerous as anyone on the football field. The issue is that getting him into the open field will be a challenge unless he figures out how to run in between the tackles.

Only time will tell how the offensive coaching staff chooses to use him in the regular season, but it’s hard to imagine seeing him in a big role anytime soon.

Around him are a few names that this front office and coaching staff need to sift through. The primary names that come to mind are Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. In my opinion, Herbert is still the team’s best pure runner. The issue is: that his pass blocking and pass catching have not developed as hoped. Johnson, to put it bluntly, has been disappointing. At this point last year, most expected the former University of Texas product to eventually win the starting job and not give it back. Health and consistency have been major issues through his first year-plus in the league, though. Last year, his first concussion derailed what could have been a big opportunity to take over the starting job. In 2024, injuries have derailed his availability during the majority of training camp.

If I were a betting man, I’d guess both of them are on the Week 1 roster but there’s an argument to be made for either of them not making it. In the case of Herbert, he would be a trade candidate. If he doesn’t fit what this regime wants, dealing with him in the final year of his rookie contract could make sense. For Johnson, more patience is likely required. Even so, relying on him to stay healthy and be productive on the field feels like a stretch.

That brings up the final two names on the depth chart. Travis Homer was brought in for his special teams value and ability on third down. So far, I haven’t seen enough value to justify keeping his $2.11 million cap hit on the books. The one component many overlook is that he was a valued third-down back in Shane Waldron’s offense when they were both in Seattle.

Ian Wheeler is the x-factor here. On the surface, he’s probably better suited as a practice squad player at the start of 2024. He missed some time earlier in training camp with a minor injury but has played in their last two contests. His burst and overall speed might be his best quality. He’s a quality receiver out of the backfield and can bring value as a return specialist. The good news is that if they decide to slide him onto the practice squad, the odds of him being claimed by another team are slim.

Speaking of running backs, how they handle Fullback with Khari Blasingame will be interesting. Fullback was not a need for Waldron in Seattle, but that could change in Chicago. Either way, there are a few tough decisions upcoming.

5. When asked during his post-game press conference, head coach Matt Eberflus was non-committal when it came to the starters playing in the final preseason game. I feel comfortable saying that we’ve seen the last of the starters until Week 1 in three weeks.

At this point, I’m not sure what else the starters have to gain by playing, especially on a short week. Maybe I'm wrong, and the starters see a final series or two in Kansas City, but the risk far outweighs the reward from a health perspective.

If this indeed it for the majority of the starters, I’d call this preseason and overall camp a “win.” Health is the most important factor in all of this but the development we’ve seen from this roster has also been notable. Comparing the current roster to this regime’s first training camp is night and day. It has required plenty of patience but the light at the end of the tunnel is as bright as ever.

With a short five-day turnaround before their final preseason game, roster decisions will loom shortly after. I wouldn’t expect nearly as many waiver wire moves as we’ve been accustomed to but I wouldn’t rule out a “bigger” move from Poles before the start of Week 1. Whether that’s another extension or another veteran addition, I don’t know but I have a feeling we’ll get at least one more “firework” before Week 1 kicks off in three weeks.

Until then, enjoy the final preseason game and the wave of roster moves that follow. Week 1 will be here in the blink of an eye.