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The Chicago Bears took down the Buffalo Bills in blowout fashion with a 38-0 win their Week 2 of the preseason. While the Bills didn't play most of their starters, including quarterback Josh Allen, that doesn't take anything away from the dominating performance that Chicago put on for a national audience on FOX.
Everything clicked for the Bears to earn their shutout over the Bills. This was Ben Johnson's first game using starters at full capacity, and it looked exactly like what he promised when he was first hired to be the head coach this offseason.
Every unit on the team had starters, backups, and third stringers throughout the game, and they all performed to the best of their ability. At times, it was hard to differentiate which level of depth was out there.
Following the win, we graded each unit of the team, from offense to defense to special teams to coaching.
The offense was humming for the Bears from the moment the game started. With Chicago backed up on placed on the 8-yard line, quarterback Caleb Williams led the offense on a 92-yard touchdown drive to go up 7-0. In his appearance as a whole, Williams was magnificent. He completed 6-of-10 passes for 107 yards with a touchdown and a 130.0 quarterback rating. It was an impressive performance to begin his preseason. The ball was distributed all over the field, but head coach Ben Johnson showed exactly how good he is at scheming tight ends open. Both Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet proved that they can be key weapons for Williams in this offense.
The dominance didn't end when the starters came out. Led by quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Austin Reed, they continued to rack up the score. Wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, running back Ian Wheeler, receiver Luther Burden III and receiver Tyler Scott led the way for Chicago's weapons. All in all, the world was treated to a clean operation on this side of the ball. Johnson, if anything, has a process that looks good out of the gate.
The defense didn't allow the Bills to score a single point. Josh Allen or not, that's impressive. Mike White and Mitch Trubisky are formidable backups, and there was nothing going for them against Dennis Allen's defense. They aren't going to get shutouts every week, especially if they don't add to their pass rush before the trade deadline, but they can be disruptive enough to support the offense. Whether it was Andrew Billings or Austin Booker, there was pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. The only issue following this week is that a handful of injuries occurred. If those aren't too serious, this unit can come away feeling great.
The special seams unit did its job. Cairo Santos made his one field goal attempt (40 yards) and didn't miss any of his extra point attempts, Tory Taylor didn't punt any balls that were returned for maximum yardage, and their return coverage was great. When this side of the football doesn't make any mistakes that lead to points against, it is hard to give them anything other than an A.
It is early and the preseason, but the Bears have never had an offense that looked as clean and efficient as what we saw in this preseason game. That was Ben Johnson's main strength as Detroit's offensive coordinator, and it's showing with the Bears already. There are going to be bumps and bruises along the way, but right now, he is showing what was sold before he was hired.
Dennis Allen's defense gives maximum effort every time they are out there, and it doesn't matter who it is playing. They also appear to be very smart with how they play, where they line up, and how they react to opposing offenses. Even the position coaches seem to be doing a great job with their rooms. Everyone, through two preseason games, seems to be on the same page.
Coaching matters in the NFL. We saw how things can be skewed in the other direction during the 2024 season. Right now, the operation looks great with this new staff. They can win a lot of football games in 2025 if these habits continue when the real games begin. Even if they aren't winning right away due to depth issues, talent disparity compared to the top teams in the NFL, or growing chemistry, the process seems to be correct, which is all you can ask for in year one. A's all around.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears report card: How we graded Chicago in preseason Week 2 vs. Bills
Continue reading...
Everything clicked for the Bears to earn their shutout over the Bills. This was Ben Johnson's first game using starters at full capacity, and it looked exactly like what he promised when he was first hired to be the head coach this offseason.
Every unit on the team had starters, backups, and third stringers throughout the game, and they all performed to the best of their ability. At times, it was hard to differentiate which level of depth was out there.
Following the win, we graded each unit of the team, from offense to defense to special teams to coaching.
Offense: A+
The offense was humming for the Bears from the moment the game started. With Chicago backed up on placed on the 8-yard line, quarterback Caleb Williams led the offense on a 92-yard touchdown drive to go up 7-0. In his appearance as a whole, Williams was magnificent. He completed 6-of-10 passes for 107 yards with a touchdown and a 130.0 quarterback rating. It was an impressive performance to begin his preseason. The ball was distributed all over the field, but head coach Ben Johnson showed exactly how good he is at scheming tight ends open. Both Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet proved that they can be key weapons for Williams in this offense.
The dominance didn't end when the starters came out. Led by quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Austin Reed, they continued to rack up the score. Wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, running back Ian Wheeler, receiver Luther Burden III and receiver Tyler Scott led the way for Chicago's weapons. All in all, the world was treated to a clean operation on this side of the ball. Johnson, if anything, has a process that looks good out of the gate.
Defense: A+
The defense didn't allow the Bills to score a single point. Josh Allen or not, that's impressive. Mike White and Mitch Trubisky are formidable backups, and there was nothing going for them against Dennis Allen's defense. They aren't going to get shutouts every week, especially if they don't add to their pass rush before the trade deadline, but they can be disruptive enough to support the offense. Whether it was Andrew Billings or Austin Booker, there was pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. The only issue following this week is that a handful of injuries occurred. If those aren't too serious, this unit can come away feeling great.
Special Teams: A
The special seams unit did its job. Cairo Santos made his one field goal attempt (40 yards) and didn't miss any of his extra point attempts, Tory Taylor didn't punt any balls that were returned for maximum yardage, and their return coverage was great. When this side of the football doesn't make any mistakes that lead to points against, it is hard to give them anything other than an A.
Coaching: A+
It is early and the preseason, but the Bears have never had an offense that looked as clean and efficient as what we saw in this preseason game. That was Ben Johnson's main strength as Detroit's offensive coordinator, and it's showing with the Bears already. There are going to be bumps and bruises along the way, but right now, he is showing what was sold before he was hired.
Dennis Allen's defense gives maximum effort every time they are out there, and it doesn't matter who it is playing. They also appear to be very smart with how they play, where they line up, and how they react to opposing offenses. Even the position coaches seem to be doing a great job with their rooms. Everyone, through two preseason games, seems to be on the same page.
Coaching matters in the NFL. We saw how things can be skewed in the other direction during the 2024 season. Right now, the operation looks great with this new staff. They can win a lot of football games in 2025 if these habits continue when the real games begin. Even if they aren't winning right away due to depth issues, talent disparity compared to the top teams in the NFL, or growing chemistry, the process seems to be correct, which is all you can ask for in year one. A's all around.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears report card: How we graded Chicago in preseason Week 2 vs. Bills
Continue reading...
