Studs and duds from Bears' preseason win vs. Bengals

The Chicago Bears defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-3, on Saturday at Soldier Field, where rookies Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze put on a show for the home crowd late in the second quarter.

But there were plenty of standout performances outside of just Williams and Odunze, especially on the defensive side of the ball, which held Cincinnati to just three points and totaled three takeaways.

After a slow start in the first quarter, the Bears offense turned things up in the second quarter to take a 10-3 lead into halftime. Then the reserves stepped into the spotlight and scored 17 unanswered points that helped Chicago improve to 3-0 in the preseason. The defense, from the starting unit to the backups, held Cincinnati in check and nearly pitched a shutout.

We’re taking a look at the studs and duds from the Bears' preseason win against the Bengals:

Stud: CB Kyler Gordon

After missing a couple of weeks due to injury, Gordon made his return to practice this week and showed off in his first preseason action of the summer. Gordon was a man possessed, making his presence known with his hard-hitting play. He had four tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack and one QB hit. Gordon has thrived since moving to nickel cornerback last year, and he got to showcase his playmaking ability in one of the NFL's best secondaries. Now, the biggest obstacle for Gordon will be staying healthy for an entire season.

Stud: DE Daniel Hardy

One under-the-radar player who keeps making his presence known is defensive end Daniel Hardy, who's quietly stating a case for a roster spot along the defensive line. Hardy has strung together back-to-back impressive outings where he's showcased his ability to get after the quarterback. After a 2.5-sack effort last week, Hardy totaled three tackles, two tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack, two QB hits and a forced fumble. He also had a tackle on special teams. Hardy has been having an unreal preseason, and it's becoming more and more likely that he could work his way onto the 53-man roster.

Stud: QB Caleb Williams

It didn't start pretty for Williams, who had three straight incompletions to open the game and led the offense on three consecutive three-and-outs. But Williams quickly turned things around and put on a show for the home crowd at Soldier Field, leading Chicago to two scoring drives, including his very first touchdown as a Bear. Williams once again flashed his impressive playmaking ability and improvisation skills with a couple of unreal plays, including Williams running to his left and delivering a deep pass to rookie Rome Odunze for a 45-yard gain. Williams nearly had a touchdown to Odunze in the back corner of the end zone (but Odunze stepped out of bounds), but Williams took matters into his own hands on third-and-goal, evading tackles and running it in for a seven-yard score. We knew it wasn't going to be perfect for Williams (6-of-13 for 75 yards), but he showed his ability to respond to adversity and end the half on a strong note. Heck, he even drew Patrick Mahomes comparisons from Tyreek Hill.

Stud: WR Rome Odunze

As Williams thrived, so did Odunze. We've been hearing a lot about the Williams-Odunze connection at training camp, and we saw it play out on the field against the Bengals. Odunze had an impressive 45-yard catch from Williams down the left sideline, where he showcased his tracking ability to haul it in for a big gain. But Odunze did have his "Welcome to the NFL" moment when he caught a beautifully thrown pass from Williams but realized he had a foot out of bounds. Luckily, Williams was able to use his legs to score a touchdown two plays later. Still, it's clear this rookie duo is going to be special.

Stud: QB Tyson Bagent

Have a day, Tyson Bagent. Chicago's backup quarterback solidified his role as QB2 with a near-perfect outing against Cincinnati. He completed 7-of-8 passes for 87 yards and threw two touchdowns with a 151.6 passer rating, while adding one rush for 10 yards. Bagent showed confidence and was dropping dimes all over the field, where his connection with receiver Dante Pettis really shined. It certainly looks like the Bears have a solid backup quarterback in Bagent, which is incredibly important in this league.

Stud: WR Dante Pettis

Pettis is competing for one of the final roster spots at receiver, and he had a strong showing against the Bengals that could help his cause. Pettis caught all three passes thrown his way for a team-high 53 yards and was on the receiving end of two Bagent touchdowns. Pettis also brings special teams versatility, where he could wind up contributing as punt returner. He did field one punt on the afternoon, where he unfortunately lost three yards trying to make a play. Pettis certainly helped his case for being WR5 or WR6 on this roster.

Stud: LB Amen Ogbongbemiga

After a rough outing in the Hall of Fame game, Ogbongbemiga has bounced back with two impressive games in the preseason. Ogbongbemiga tied for a team-high six tackles, one QB hit and recorded one of Chicago's three takeaways on the afternoon. His interception came on a nickel blitz, where cornerback Josh Blackwell forced quarterback Logan Woodside to heave a pass that floated in the air, which made for an easy interception for Ogbongbemiga. He certainly appears to be carving out a spot on the 53-man roster, where he's expected to be a key special teams contributor.

Stud: CB Josh Blackwell

The Bears starting secondary is loaded, but it's their depth that will prove to be important heading into the 2024 season. We saw that with Blackwell, who shined on both defense and special teams, which will go a long way in helping determine who gets one of the final roster spots. Early in the second quarter, Blackwell brought pressure on a blitz, forcing quarterback Logan Woodside to quickly get rid of the ball, which fluttered in the air before Ogbongbemiga made an easy interception. He also had a nice open-field tackle. Blackwell also shined on special teams, where he returned a punt for seven yards. With the punt return position wide open, Blackwell has a strong case to make the roster.

Stud: HC Matt Eberflus

The starting offense struggled early against the Bengals with three consecutive three-and-outs. Instead of pulling Williams and the starters, Eberflus brought them out for a fourth and fifth series that led them right up to half time. It wasn't the plan, but it was a notable, and needed, adjustment. Eberflus' decision to keep the starting offense on the field in the second quarter for valuable reps was important and showcased how he's evolved as a head coach in his third year. It helped Williams and co. work through their early struggles and led to two scoring drives, including Williams' first touchdown as a Bear. GM Ryan Poles even praised the decision in his on-air interview with broadcasters. In his postgame press conference, Eberflus didn't rule out Williams playing in next Thursday's preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs, even though he's neared the number of reps that was the target for the preseason.

Dud: RB Velus Jones Jr.

Jones is fighting for a roster spot, and performances like his against the Bengals aren't exactly going to help his cause. For the second consecutive week, the Bears continue to experiment with Jones at running back. Unfortunately, Jones didn't replicate his impressive outing from last week's game. He had six carries for just 13 yards, averaging 2.2 yards per carry. While Jones could still very well make the roster given his kickoff return contributions, there's plenty of competition at running back, alongside undrafted rookie Ian Wheeler, and receiver, with Dante Pettis and Collin Johnson.

Dud: RG Nate Davis

Davis isn't exactly a fan-favorite in Chicago given his injury struggles, but performances like his against Cincinnati isn't going to help matters. With Ryan Bates sidelined with injury, Davis got the start at right guard with the starting offensive line, and it was a rough debut. Davis allowed the lone sack on Williams as Bengals rookie defensive tackle Kris Jenkins got Davis with the spin move and Williams wasn't able to escape. Eberflus made it clear that the right guard position is far from settled, and Davis is going to need to improve if he's going to be the starting right guard in Week 1.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Studs and duds from Bears' preseason win vs. Bengals