The Morning After...the Bears' 27-3 preseason win vs. Bengals

The Chicago Bears defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-3, to improve to 3-0 on the preseason, and there were plenty of standout performers who deserve credit.

While things started slow for the offense -- including back-to-back-to-back three-and-outs -- rookie quarterback Caleb Williams put on a show at the end of the first half, which included an impressive 45-yard connection with fellow rookie Rome Odunze. Meanwhile, the defense was a force from start to finish, which included a dominant outing from cornerback Kyler Gordon, who saw his first preseason action of the summer. The Bears held the Bengals to just three points while notching three takeaways on the afternoon.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s exciting win over Cincinnati, including Williams' magic, the potential on defense and some standout performances by Daniel Hardy, Tyson Bagent and Dante Pettis. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 2 preseason contest.

Alyssa Barbieri

I guess you could say the Bears offense needed this kind of game as the preseason winds down. Last week against the Bills, things were smooth, clean and easy as the starters marched down the field for two scoring drives before exiting the game. But Saturday against the Bengals started out rough and clunky as the offense put together three consecutive three-and-outs where they were unable to move the ball. But you have to give Matt Eberflus credit. Rather than pulling the starters after the first quarter, which was the plan, he kept them out on the field and let them work through their struggles and end, what could very well be the starters’ last preseason action, on a high note.

Saturday’s game showed the importance of preseason reps for a rookie quarterback. Williams started off shaky, throwing three straight incompletions, and the offense couldn’t move the ball on their first three possessions. But we saw Williams overcome adversity, that he could very well face in the regular season, and wow the NFL world with the kind of plays few can make – just ask Tyreek Hill, who stopped short of comparing Williams to Patrick Mahomes. We also caught a glimpse of the Caleb Williams-Rome Odunze connection that will be a staple of this offense for the foreseeable future, and it’s impossible not to get excited…even if it’s only preseason.

For any talk of Brett Rypien potentially unseating Tyson Bagent as QB2, we can officially put that narrative to rest. The second-year quarterback was efficient and confident in the second half as he led Chicago to back-to-back scoring drives – and he found a new favorite target in Dante Pettis, who was on the receiving end of both touchdowns.

As for the defense, we caught a glimpse of what Williams and this offense get to go against every day in practice. It’s why the reports out of camp are in favor of the defense. This is a hard-hitting, talented unit that has the potential to be a top defense in the NFL. Saturday’s game marked the returns of some key starters, including cornerback Kyler Gordon and defensive end Montez Sweat, who both had significant impacts in their small sample sizes. Heck, even the second-team defense showed out with contributions from defensive end Daniel Hardy, cornerback Josh Blackwell and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. Holding a team to just three points and forcing three turnovers isn’t a bad afternoon, even if it’s only preseason.

Brendan Sugrue

If any Bears fan hasn't been able to attend a training camp practice, you got to see what the vast majority of them have been like during this preseason game. The offense has a slow start, the defense flies all over the field making plays, and Caleb Williams shines during the two-minute drill with some spectacular plays. It's funny how that works out.

Saturday’s home debut for Williams didn’t start out like he nor Bears fans would have hoped after going three and out on three straight possessions. Perhaps the weather and the field conditions played a factor, but neither he nor the offense looked in sync in the first quarter. Credit to Matt Eberflus for keeping the first-team offense out on the field longer than he planned for them to get things right. The drives got progressively better, and you want to leave the field on a high note. That was definitely the case following his impressive connection to Rome Odunze and the touchdown run. That’s growth from the head coach.

As for the defense, these coaches weren’t playing around. It didn’t matter that they were facing the Bengals’ backups—they were bringing the heat early and often. The Bears sent blitzers on multiple occasions to disrupt the passing attack, and it worked. Cincinnati was held out of the end zone, and Chicago nabbed three turnovers, playing hard-nosed football from the first whistle to the last. It's hard not to get excited about what this unit can do in the regular season with both the players in place and the calls being made from the coaching staff.

It’s nice to get big wins in the preseason, but we’ve seen this song and dance before. Eberflus has had his players ready to go in the preseason in the past, and when the games start to count, things fall apart. Still, this feels different than previous seasons, and it's thanks to Williams' continued growth. Let’s get through this last preseason game unscathed and get to the regular season already.

Vinnie Parise

The Bears had a very good week of practice with the Bengals as a joint effort. Each team has a lot of high-level aspirations this season which calls for a heavy compete level from the beginning. Once the preseason game came around, it went the way of the Bears. It took a couple of quarters to see it all come together for the offense, but it ended with a bang.

At the end of the first half, right as the starters were getting ready to end their day, they got the Bears on the board with a big touchdown. Caleb Williams capped off a drive with a touchdown run, and they didn’t look back from there.In the second half, Tyson Bagent led the second string players to big numbers and they pulled out the 27-3 win. The depth was on full display in this victory.

It is easy to get over excited about a football team in the preseason. This team still has a lot of work to be done. However, things are looking as good as they can entering the final preseason game. With one final match against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, they just need to be healthy and ready to go by the end of the game. This team is well on its way.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: The Morning After...the Bears' 27-3 preseason win vs. Bengals