The Morning After...the Bears' 33-6 preseason win vs. Bills

The Chicago Bears defeated the Buffalo Bills, 33-6, in dominating fashion on Saturday. Chicago improved to 2-0 on the preseason, and there were plenty of standout performers who deserve credit.

Naturally, the marquee storyline of the game was the debut of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who saw action for two series. Williams completed 4-of-7 passes (which included two drops) for 95 yards and a 101.8 passer rating. He also had one rush for 13 yards. Williams led the Bears to points on each of his two series (both Cairo Santos field goals).

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s exciting win over Buffalo, including Williams' debut, some standout performances by fellow rookies Austin Booker and Ian Wheeler, as well as Velus Jones Jr. getting a look at running back. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 1 preseason contest.

Alyssa Barbieri

Caleb Williams made his much-anticipated preseason debut on Saturday, and he didn’t disappoint. Yes, it’s preseason. No, he didn’t lead the Bears to a touchdown on his two series of play. But Williams certain looks the part of franchise quarterback, even though he still has a long way to go. Williams looked calm and decisive operating Shane Waldron’s offense, where he flashed his pocket presence, arm talent and natural playmaking ability, which was highlighted in completions to D’Andre Swift, Cole Kmet and DJ Moore. It was hard not to watch Williams at work and not smile thinking about his potential.

While Williams’ debut was the marquee matchup, there were other standout performances on Saturday, including by some additional rookies. That started with fifth-round defensive end Austin Booker, who excelled getting after the quarterback totaling 2.5 sacks against the Bills. Undrafted rookie running back Ian Wheeler also put on a show on the ground, leading Chicago with 43 yards on five carries (8.6 yards per carry) and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to help put the game out of reach. Some other under-the-radar performers who made a statement included defensive end Daniel Hardy, who tied Booker for a game-high 2.5 sacks on the afternoon, and linebacker Micah Baskerville, who had a pick-six that put the game out of reach. This game also marked the debut of Velus Jones Jr. at running back, and he certainly looked the part of a playmaker despite an early trip on his first carry. Jones had 34 yards on six carries (5.7 yards per carry) and one touchdown. Jones could carve out a role for himself as a kickoff returner and reserve running back.

Preseason should always be taken with a grain of salt, as no one’s looking to give anything away this early in the summer. But there was plenty to be encouraged about in this game, be it Williams and the starting offense or depth guys competing for roster spots.

Brendan Sugrue

That was fun, wasn’t it? We all know preseason football isn’t meant to be taken at face value for a variety of reasons, but you can’t tell me you didn’t smile a little bit when quarterback Caleb Williams made those big plays in the first quarter. He, of course, was the big story heading into the afternoon, and he passed the first initial test, even if he wasn’t perfect. Williams looked like a natural out there, making calls at the line of scrimmage and evading the blitz well, showing how far he’s come in his progression. It felt good seeing him match the expectations set out before him at this point.

It wasn’t just Williams who played well, though. There were quite a few standouts from this game on both sides of the ball, particularly young players. Running back Ian Wheeler scored the final two touchdowns of the game, linebacker Micah Baskerville started to put the game away with his pick-six, and rookie defensive end Austin Booker was all over the field with 2.5 sacks, five tackles, two for a loss, and three QB hits. In fact, the Bears as a whole had eight sacks and nine tackles for loss, while the Bills only had one sack and four tackles for loss.

There was plenty of good to come out of this game, but no major injuries was the best. Get through the next two games with similar results, and the Bears will be in good shape going into the regular season.

Lucas Hunt

While it’s true the Bears’ 33-6 trouncing of the Bills doesn’t mean much in the larger scope of the imminent regular season, it provided thorough entertainment for fans everywhere who tuned in to see rookie QB Caleb Williams and the starters get their first taste of NFL action of the year. And, wow, did Williams look the part: he carried himself with poise that you would expect of a veteran, and he demonstrated his surprising grasp of the offense by leading Chicago on multiple long, methodical scoring drives. The starting defense showed encouraging signs of life as well, forcing a three-and-out on dual-threat QB Josh Allen on the defense’s first possession.

These preseason games are meant to showcase the backups, however, and several players fighting for a spot on the roster came to play. Young defensive ends Austin Booker and Daniel Hardy gave Buffalo a rude awakening by scoring two-and-a-half sacks apiece on the QB, undrafted rookie Ian Wheeler found paydirt twice in his first unofficial NFL game, and second-year linebacker Micah Baskerville read the eyes of Bills QB Shane Buechele and picked off the ball, taking the turnover back for a touchdown.

Of course, the rout won’t mean anything in the long run. Still, the Bears beatdown another team makes for a great afternoon of football, giving the fans hope that their team will play with that same fervor come September.

Vinnie Parise

Did the Chicago Bears end up in the Super Bowl the last time they won a preseason game by 20+ points? Yes. Yes they did. With that said, don’t expect a Super Bowl appearance just yet despite the 33-6 preseason victory over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

It is going to take a lot of time and development but they are on the right path. New rookie quarterback Caleb Williams will have a big say in that. He made his preseason debut in this one and he looked great. He didn’t play long but he showed what he can do in his limited time.

The rest of the team showed up to play as well. It is clear that the coaching is different this year and the players have been benefiting from it so far. Quite a few players made an impact in this big win.

On the defensive side of the ball, Austin Booker and Micah Baskerville made big plays as they try to make the roster. Being able to shut down the opposition and create turnovers is how they will take a step forward.

Now that Caleb has his feet wet in the NFL, he can gradually take steps toward turning this franchise into a winner. The biggest takeaway from this matchup is that the Bears may have finally done it.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: The Morning After...the Bears' 33-6 preseason win vs. Bills