Blues Smothered: Bills Best Bears in Preseason Finale

The Buffalo Bills' offensive starters ended the summer on a high note and their backups took care of the rest en route to a victorious preseason finale against the Chicago Bears.

The Buffalo Bills' starting offense's success on their one and only effort on Saturday afternoon set the tone for a victorious preseason finale. 

Josh Allen completed 5-of-7 passes for 49 yards, his lone Saturday drive capped off by a two-yard scoring run for Damien Harris. Fellow rusher Darrynton Evans also visited the end zone on a highlight run in the fourth quarter as the Bills powered their way to a 24-21 victory over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

After a listless showing in Pittsburgh last weekend, the Bills forced their starters into a series of service. The group earned the rest of the afternoon off after Harris' score, going 72 yards in a dozen plays, a trek that featured two catches each for Stefon Diggs and Deonte Hardy. 

Buffalo (2-1) also included aerial antics in their repertoire: despite losing two turnovers, Kyle Allen found Quintin Morris for a 29-yard tally in the latter stages of the first half. On defense, Ja'Marcus Ingram took back an interception of Tyson Bagent to set up a Tyler Bass field goal before the half let out, giving Buffalo a 17-10 lead at the break. Chicago earned its own touchdown on a six-point Bagent scramble.

Evans earned his touchdown, a 35-yard cash-in, at the onset of the fourth quarter. Those ground scores were part of a dominant day on the ground, as the Bills earned 157 yards total. Harris' fellow AFC East rival-turned-newcomer Ty Johnson led the way with 51 on 11 carries.

The Bears (1-2) likewise offered their starters their time, as Justin Fields completed 2-of-6 passes for 51 yards while picking up 16 on a trio of rushing carries. Saturday's hosts earned one last touchdown on a short pass from PJ Walker to Robert Burns in the fourth quarter, with the latter also putting in a two-point conversion to create the final margin.

Countdowns now commence at every side of the Buffalo locker room: a roster trimming to 53 men will begin almost immediately and those who make it will then prepare for the opener on Sept. 11, as the Bills face the revamped New York Jets at MetLife Stadium to kick off the 2023 campaign (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN).

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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