6 takeaways from the Bears' dominant preseason win vs. Bengals

The Chicago Bears got their first action of the year in at Soldier Field for their lone home preseason game, and they gave their fans a show. The Bears dominated the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, winning 27-3 in a rain-soaked affair on the lakefront.

Unsurprisingly, the buzz entering the game was the home debut of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. He and the starting offense got off to a sluggish start, but they turned things around to give fans something to cheer about with an impressive scoring drive. The reserves picked up where they left off in the second half with multiple touchdown drives.

Defensively, the Bears got after a Cincinnati offense that sat their starters. The defense created havoc, coming up with quite a few turnovers to keep the Bengals out of the red zone for much of the afternoon.

Despite the game being a preseason exhibition, there was plenty to learn from this victory. Here were our takeaways from the Bears' big win over the Bengals:

1. Caleb Williams can be the Bears' version of Aaron Rodgers

With all due respect to Tyreek Hill, the player Williams reminds me of may not be Patrick Mahomes but instead Aaron Rodgers. Williams' mechanics just look like the former Green Bay Packers quarterback who used to torture the Bears every chance he got. That was evident during his throw on the move rolling left to wide receiver Rome Odunze, which looked just like throws Rodgers would make 10 years ago. In fact, it looked just like one Rodgers made in a postseason game.

Even his scrambling while buying time to throw is like Rodgers. Sure, he's not the fastest player at quarterback and won't burn defenders like Justin Fields can, but he's excellent at sensing the pressure around him and keeping his eyes downfield. Both his rollout to the right, where he hit Odunze just out of bounds in the end zone, and his scramble to the left before he took the ball himself, were reminiscent of Rodgers. Maybe not in 2024, but definitely in 2014. There are things to clean up, of course, but we're seeing those special traits as a passer that made Williams so highly regarded coming out of college. And there's no reason to believe that it won't continue to get better.

2. The offense is still a work in progress

It was exciting to see Williams make those big plays (including his deep shot to Tyler Scott that fell incomplete due to pass interference). It wasn't exciting to have to wait multiple series before anything happened. This was a rough start for the offense, and it's important to acknowledge it. After last week's strong opening two series, the Bears couldn't get a first down until the fourth drive of the game. Passes were somewhat off target, Williams through short of the sticks on third down, and there were very few running lanes for the rushing attack. They gained just 16 yards total against a backup defense.

Is it cause for alarm? No. This is still a new offense, with plenty of new players still getting acclimated to one another. It's just important to temper expectations going into Week 1 because a slow start can easily happen with this group against the Tennessee Titans.

3. Nate Davis should not be anointed the starter at right guard

One of the reasons for the sputtering offensive production early on was Nate Davis. It was good for him to finally get back into a game, but he was a liability on the field at times. Davis missed a key block on a run to Khalil Herbert, allowing his man right through for the tackle early in the game. Whiffing on a block is one thing, but not knowing the play and where to go is another.

Things didn't get much better in the second quarter. Following the pass interference penalty that got the Bears within striking distance, Davis got worked by rookie Kris Jenkins and gave up a sack, leading to a second and long. This is Davis' first game action, but it left a lot to be desired and has me a bit concerned for Week 1. Things looked much better with Matt Pryor coming in with the second-string offense, and Ryan Bates could still be an option when he gets healthy. I just wouldn't be rushing to give Davis the starting job yet. He needs to do more to win it.

4. Kyler Gordon can be an "X-Factor" on defense

Let's shift gears to the defense, where nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon showed out in a big way. Gordon made his preseason debut after missing much of camp with a calf injury, but it didn't seem like the long absence affected his performance. He had four total tackles, two for loss, one sack, and two QB hits. He nearly had a pass deflection as well when he flashed in front of quarterback Logan Woodside to disrupt the timing.

Gordon was everywhere on Saturday, flying in from every direction. The Bears used him as a weapon to halt any progress the opposing offense was making, and he even got to break out his signature web shooter celebration following his sack.

It's not hyperbole to say that he can be an "X-factor" for this defense given his versatility in both run and pass defense. His pass coverage has improved from 2022 to 2023, and he's one of the best cornerbacks when making plays at the line of scrimmage. He can create turnovers and wreck plays as they're getting started. We saw it last year at times too. All Gordon needs to do is stay healthy for that to happen.

5. Daniel Hardy might have earned a spot on the final roster

There comes a point during the preseason where a player goes from a nice story to a legitimate threat to make the final roster. We've reached that juncture with defensive end Daniel Hardy, who continues to impress in the preseason on the defensive line. Hardy notched yet another sack on Saturday against the Bengals and knocked the ball loose in the process to create a turnover. He also totaled four tackles, two for loss, and two QB hits. He's constantly getting after the quarterback and playing with a motor that should make Eberflus proud.

Hardy was a longshot to make the final roster when camp began, but an injury to Jacob Martin, coupled with his strong play, has opened the door. The Bears kept five defensive ends on the roster when cuts were announced last year, and with Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker, and Austin Booker being the only guarantees to make the team, Hardy has a legitimate chance to stick.

6. The Bears coaches are not playing around

I have to give the Bears coaching staff for not going easy in this game. They could have easily mailed it in like they did a year ago during the second week of the preseason, but they had an aggressive gameplan that they stuck with and even enhanced. On offense, the Bears came out firing with three straight passes. They didn't work, but I appreciated the aggressiveness to give Williams more passing reps right out of the gate. I already mentioned how impressed I was that Eberflus kept the starting offense out there to continue to get work in. That would not have happened in previous years.

As for the defense, they came after the Bengals hard. Eberflus and defensive coordinator Eric Washington dialed up multiple blitzes and kept the pressure on the Bengals reserves with their starting defense. They even continued it with their reserves, bringing extra pressure and playing with a turnover mentality.

This isn't a team that can sleepwalk through the preseason. They haven't earned that, and Eberflus knows it. I'm glad to see they're taking meaningless games seriously while still minimizing risk for injury. We don't know if it will translate when Week 1 rolls around, but the process has been sound from the coaching staff.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 6 takeaways from the Bears' dominant preseason win vs. Bengals