Instant analysis of Bears' win vs. Bengals in Week 2 of the preseason

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.

The Bears took the lead early in the first half and never relinquished it, giving them an easy victory as they continue their undefeated preseason. Here is our instant analysis of the win.

Offense

Following last week's impressive debut against the Buffalo Bills, there was plenty of anticipation for Williams' home debut. It started out with a thud, however. Williams and the offense couldn't get much going early on, going three and out on three straight possessions. The Bears totaled just 16 yards, and Williams was missing his targets. Head coach Matt Eberflus decided to keep the starters out there longer than anticipated, and things began to turn around.

On the fourth drive of the game, things started to click with a nice end around to Rome Odunze and a pass interference call on a deep shot to Tyler Scott. That led to a field goal, which were the first points of the day. Things really escalated, however, on the final drive for the starters.

Williams made magic happen, first by finding Odunze for an impressive 45-yard completion, then scrambling for a seven-yard score for his first professional touchdown. Williams finished the day 6-of-13 for 75 yards and a rushing touchdown just before halftime.

The backups picked up where the starters left off. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent tossed a pair of touchdowns to wide receiver Dante Pettis to give the Bears a big lead. Bagent went 7-of-8 for 87 yards while dealing with unfavorable weather conditions. Chicago finished the day with 299 yards of total offense and played mistake-free football by not turning the ball over once.

Defense

Much like the offense, the defensive starters got plenty of work in at Soldier Field as well. Unlike the offense, however, they dominated from the getgo. The Bears starting defense went up against the Bengals backups, and it was clear who the better unit was. Defensive back Kyler Gordon created havoc with four total tackles (two for a loss), one sack, and two QB hits. The pressure got after Bengals quarterback Logan Woodside, resulting in a few ill-advised plays.

Woodside threw two interceptions on the day, the first of which was a deflection caused by cornerback Josh Blackwell on a QB hit. The ball floated in the air, landing in the hands of linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. His second pick was made by cornerback Terell Smith, who jumped in front of a pass to Cole Burgess and sprinted upfield for a big run back.

Up front, the defensive line continued to look strong. Defensive end Daniel Hardy had another big game, forcing a fumble on a sack and getting two tackles for loss on the day. Cincinnati struggled to move the ball through the air and on the ground as the defense stifled them from the first whistle to the last.

Recap

It was a mixed day for the offense, who started out slowly, but Eberflus showed growth as a coach by leaving them out there to work through the issues. It not only helps on the scoreboard, but it helps that unit continue to establish chemistry together. Allowing them to put everything together and exit the game on a high note was good to see.

Defensively, the Bears coaches were not playing around. Quite a few blitzes were called with the nickel corners, leading to sacks and turnovers. The unit continued to dominate and has not allowed a touchdown in two straight games.

Looking ahead

Just one more preseason game remains, which takes place on Thursday on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. Eberflus has not confirmed whether or not Williams and the starters will see action, but it will be the team's final tune-up before Week 1 gets underway at Soldier Field against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears and Chiefs kick off Thursday at 7:20 p.m. CT.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Instant analysis of Bears' win vs. Bengals in Week 2 of the preseason