Bear Digest

Bears Winners and Losers from Preseason Victory Over Bengals

Analysis: Caleb Williams couldn't make the winner's circle even after the Bears won due to inconsistent play, but some players did shine enough in personal roster or starting battles.

Gene Chamberlain

Dante Pettis celebrates with Tyson Bagent and Velus Jones Jr. after one of his two touchdown catches in Saturday's Bears win.
Dante Pettis celebrates with Tyson Bagent and Velus Jones Jr. after one of his two touchdown catches in Saturday's Bears win. / Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
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Bears coach Matt Eberflus usually finds the positive side to talk about after preseason games.

Saturday's 27-3 win over Cincinnati was an example of this as there was probably more bad or mediocre than good despite the final meaningless score.

"Overall, I thought it was a good day, a lot of learning," Eberflus said. "We'll look at the tape. We'll get better from this.

"We have a short week coming up. It was good to get those guys in there for those amount of plays."

Considering many offensive starters played a half Saturday, it's possible the Bears might not allow them to do much at all in the final preseason game on Thursday after only two days of preparation to face the Chiefs.

This leaves little time left for the players who really need to show something in order to make the team or to convince coaches they should keep a starting spot.

Quarterback Caleb Williams did not have a particularly good effort. It's like Eberflus said, the arrow of development isn't a straight one pointing upward. It's more l ike a long-term stock chart. Sometimes the path to improvement takes little dips or flattens. It definitely didn't rise in this one.

Both Bears backup QBs outplayed Williams and the defense he faced was comprised of backup Cincinnati players.

Williams isn't one of those who really needed a solid, consistent game to win a starting spot or roster spot.

He needed one for a bigger reason and that's to improve the team's chances of being better when the regular season begins. So when he isn't in the winner's column, when he flattens out, the entire team suffers. It could have been worse but the Bears can't afford mediocre or worse right now.

BEARS REPORT CARD FOR PRESEASON GAME NO. 3

PROFESSIONAL EFFORT FOR CALEB WILLIAMS SAYS MATT EBERFLUS

Here's the scoreboard of Bears winners and losers from a game that might have implications for those trying to earn roster spots or starting spots.

Winners

WR Dante Pettis

His stock has been improving over the last two weeks in practice and from the Buffalo game. Then he made two touchdown catches and another 24-yard reception. Pettis did have a poor punt return decision that resulted in a 3-yard loss, and when Eberflus brought this up in postgame without being asked about it, this couldn't bode well. But by and large it was a big day for their 2022 punt returner and backup receiver.

RB Khalil Herbert

Like the rest of the team, Herbert seemed stalled at first but the more he touched the ball and got into the flow the better decisions he made at finding holes on plays. He eventually broke a 21-yarder and finished with 31 yards to lead the team in a game when rushing wasn't huge.

QB Tyson Bagent

One of the few players whose performance had no tarnish. He played well from the moment he stepped on the field and really needed it in his battle to retain backup quarterback duties. Brett Rypien had a strong first game and Bagent hadn't played poorly but needed a statement. He got it with a 151.6 passer rating on 7 of 8 for 87 yards and two touchdowns. So besides petting dolphins, as he recalled doing as a 4-year-old on Hard Knocks, the guy who grinded his face off looks like a solid bet to retain his backup role.

BEARS COME AWAY WITH 27-3 WIN AFTER SLOW START BY OFFENSE

LB Amen Ogbongbemiga

When he signed as a free agent much was made of his special teams abilities. He can play defense, as well, and showed it in the last two preseason games. He didn't start out well in the Hall of Fame game but an interception and matching Reddy Steward for a team-high six tackles said what needed to be said. To top it off, Ogbongbemiga also had a quarterback hit on pass rush. The Bears linebacker corps is thoroughly backed up with Jack Sanborn and Ogbongbemiga. Still to be heard from is Noah Sewell, who hasn't practiced this training camp.

CB Kyler Gordon

His sack, QB hit and two tackles for loss announced his return to the lineup from injury. Gordon is a player who can be so much more than he has been if he can stay healthy and also if Eberflus lets him use those skills. He's a lot like Jaquan Brisker in both regards.

LB Daniel Hardy

With two sacks after he had 2 1/2 against Buffalo, Hardy is making a real push to show he can help in the rush. He even made a special teams tackle. A College of the Siskiyous and Montana State product, Hardy personally wins with the production he had but the roster spots available are scarce. He'll need to be even more dominant on a quick turnaround.

G Nate Davis

His is probably the last name you'd expect here and when Kris Jenkins got past him to make a sack after Williams held the ball far too long, it definitely didn't seem to help his cause. Yet, his blocking overall wasn't terrible and more importantly he played. If anyone should know that availability is the best ability, it's Davis. And his chief competition for starting right guard didn't play again. Ryan Bates might not be able to play until the opener as he's "week to week." In Davis they must trust.

C Coleman Shelton

Another week went by when he was the only one centering to Williams. Like Davis, he wins the starting center battle over Bates by default.

WR Rome Odunze

Not that he needed it, but it's always a confidence booster to contribute and Odunze hadn't done much against Buffalo. His 16-yard end-around play kick-started the offense and the 45-yard catch made the go-ahead TD possible. The rookie pass connection is officially budding. 

LB Micah Baskerville

Another tackle and tackle for loss and a quarterback hit was added to his training camp resume, which includes last week's pick-6. He's definitely taking advantage of opportunity with Noah Sewell sidelined all camp.

Losers

WR DeAndre Carter

Out of sight and mind. With Pettis making big catches, if the punt return battle comes down to who can help the offense more in a pinch it's not even close at this point. All Pettis has done is produce since preseason began. Carter had an injury of some type against Buffalo but came back into that game, then didn't practice or play this past week.

RB/WR Velus Jones Jr.

Jones had a great shining moment in the game when he showed he could play like a running back. He ran straight into the line and moved the pile 7 yards. On his other five carries he made 6 yards. He didn't have a chance on a few of those carries as blocking completely collapsed.

RB Ian Wheeler

A week after being one of the features on Hard Knocks and scoring two touchdowns, he wasn't even noticed with two carries for 4 yards. He could have applied pressure from the bottom of the roster but didn't.

DB Reddy Steward

This is one of the rare cases when a winner becomes a loser in preseason. Steward made six tackles and delivered good jolts with several of them. However, the way he's winning a spot on the roster is by being the backup slot cornerback. Backup slot Josh Blackwell had a very strong game in coverage and with his quarterback hit on a blitz. And Greg Stroman also plays backup slot or outside at cornerback and he made five tackles. Steward is making a strong case for practice squad but his competition appears too steep to make the 53-man. That is, unless coaches look at his starting point as being close enough to where the other backup slots are now that he could be eventually be even better. But none of that has to do with performances in Saturday's preseason game even if it matters more in the long run.

LB Noah Sewell

Matt Eberflus said players can lose their jobs if injured, as long as someone is playing well in their place. It's happening here. Sewell really didn't contribute last year. Would the Bears cut a fifth-round Ryan Poles draft pick to keep Baskerville on the roster? It's already apparent Sewell is going to be behind Ogbongbemiga in pecking order in case of a linebacker injury.

C/G Ryan Bates

It's tough to be on the sideline when he has his choice of two starting spots with strong play.

GM Ryan Poles

He needs a pass rusher. He also needed Austin Booker to be the one to step up. Booker had two tackles and provided some heat on one play without getting a quarterback hit. And the Bears did get effective pass rushing from Daniel Hardy, but they need it from the fifth-round pick rather than a practice squad player and former seventh-round pick. This leaves Poles in the position where he might need to sign another edge rusher to be certain they have sufficient edge help for Montez Sweat. He'd have been a winner if Booker had come up with a big game. It also would have helped had Gervon Dexter or Zacch Pickens made big impacts in the game against Bengals backup offensive linemen, but they didn't have impactful games as pass rushers.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.