Bears PFF grades: Best and worst performers from preseason win vs. Bengals

The Chicago Bears defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-3, in their third preseason game on Saturday. It featured more heroics from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in his Soldier Field debut, as well as some other standout performers that made strong statements.

Pro Football Focus has handed out player grades for those who took a snap in Chicago’s win against Cincinnati, and we broke them down by offense and defense, analyzing the three highest- and lowest-graded players on each side, as well as some other notable performers.

There were a few surprises — and then some not surprises — in terms of the highest- and lowest-graded players, both on offense and defense. Here’s a look:

Top 3 offense

• QB Tyson Bagent - 93.3

• WR Dante Pettis - 90.9

• TE Brenden Bates - 89.8

Bagent and Pettis were a deadly combination against the Bengals. Bagent completed 7-of-8 passes for 87 yards with two touchdowns and a 151.6 passer rating. Pettis was on the receiving end of three of those passes for game-high 53 yards and two scores. Bates was only targeted once, but he had a nice 23-yard reception.

Bottom 3 offense

• C Jerome Carvin - 48.2

• WR Keenan Allen - 52.4

• RB Travis Homer - 52.9

Carvin was the lowest-graded player on offense after struggles in run blocking (46.1), although he earned a solid pass blocking mark (79.7). Allen was targeted just once and came away with zero catches and a 53.7 passing grade mark. With D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson sidelined, Homer saw extensive playing time. But he had just four carries for three yards with a 0.8 yards per carry.

Top 3 defense

• S Tarvarius Moore - 82.2

• LB Amen Ogbongbemiga - 79.0

• LB Javin White - 78.8

Moore earned the highest mark among Chicago defenders, where he totaled three tackles and one pass breakup, with strong tackling (79.7) and coverage (76.9) marks. Ogbongbemiga has stacked back-to-back solid games after a rough start in the Hall of Fame game. He had a team-high six tackles, one QB hit and one interception. White totaled three tackles on the day, earning solid marks across the board in tackling (74.0), run defense (72.3) and coverage (64.3).

Bottom 3 defense

• CB Reddy Steward - 45.4

• S Elijah Hicks - 47.9

• DT Zacch Pickens - 50.0

Steward, who tied for a team-high six tackles, earned the lowest grade on defense, where he was marked down in coverage (39.7) and pass rush (50.7) but excelled in tackling (80.0) and run defense (66.4). Hicks, who saw plenty of playing time with Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard on the sideline, had some struggles. Hicks, who had five tackles, was marked down in coverage (45.1) but earned a high tackling grade (82.4). Meanwhile, Pickens, who had one tackle, was marked up in tackling (66.8) but struggled pass rush (50.9) and run defense (56.1).

Other notables

• DE Daniel Hardy - 73.5

• CB Kyler Gordon - 71.9

• WR Rome Odunze - 67.7

• QB Caleb Williams - 64.1

Hardy has stacked back-to-back solid preseason outings as he makes a case for a roster spot. He had four tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, one sack and two QB hits. Meanwhile, Gordon played like a man possessed in his small sample size. Gordon totaled four tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, one sack and one QB hit. Chicago's first-round rookie duo drew rave reviews, and they earned solid marks from PFF. Odunze had one reception for 45 yards, as well as one carry for 16 yards. Meanwhile, Williams' stat line didn't look super impressive -- 6-of-13, 75 yards, 64.6 passer rating -- but he did flash impressive playmaking and improvisation skills, scoring his first touchdown as a Bear -- a seven-yard scramble.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears PFF grades: Best, worst performers from preseason win vs Bengals