CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears are set to take on the Cincinnati Bengals this afternoon, and here are some key players and matchups to pay attention to once the Bears line up for the opening kickoff of preseason game No. 3.
1. Does Caleb Williams build on his impressive preseason debut?
On Thursday, head coach Matt Eberflus said starters will be back out on the field again against the Bengals, after an impressive performance roster-wide against the Buffalo Bills last week where Chicago turned in a 33-6 victory.
During their game in Buffalo, Williams guided the Bears offense for two drives, which both ended with field goals inside the red zone.
The No. 1 overall pick finished his day going 4-7 with 95 yards through the air, and 13 yards on the ground. Williams displayed poise, feel for the pocket, and spin on the ball, which included a first down strike to DJ Moore through a tight window for his first NFL completion, and a dump off to running back D’Andre Swift that netted Chicago’s offense 42 yards on one play.
His poise also extended to using his legs, where a pump fake and a cut led to him getting all 13 of his rushing yards on a third down play in the first quarter.
After the two teams’ joint practice earlier this week, Bears coaches lauded Williams’ ability to adjust on the fly to Cincinnati, who runs an alternative form of the 4-3 base defense that’s considered unique compared to other teams around the NFL.
Williams first throw against the Bengals in seven-on-seven’s was intercepted, before he found Keenan Allen on a deep touchdown pass during the team period, and then again found Allen and DJ Moore for touchdowns during Red zone drills.
2. How does the back end of the Bears running back room continue to shape up?
With Velus Jones Jr. making the conversion from wide receiver to running back, highlighted by a and undrafted Howard alum Ian Wheeler becoming a Hard Knocks darling, a healthy competition is brewing for Chicago’s fourth running back spot.
Jones Jr finished the Bears’ last game with six carries for 34 yards and a four-yard touchdown, while Wheeler notched five carries for 42 yards and two touchdowns, which came from seven and 8 yards out, respectively.
On top of successful performances on the field, both running backs have also been highlighted by local and national media in recent weeks.
Jones Jr regaled media and fans with college stories of his then-pet ferret Crash, who he said was the result of a 2019 Craigslist-fueled transaction in a south central Los Angeles alleyway between a ferret breeder, him and his teammate at the time, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
Wheeler was featured on the second episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears, where the Howard University graduate revealed he has put his medical residency on hold in order to pursue his dream of playing NFL football.
3. Is Austin Booker the answer opposite of Montez Sweat?
While plenty of headlines have been given to the Bears offense, one of the biggest headlines on the defensive side of the ball after last week’s preseason game was rookie fifth-round pick Austin Booker, a defensive end out of Kansas.
Booker tallied 2.5 sacks, two tackles-for-loss and three quarterback hits against the Bills, where he put an impressive array of pass rush moves on display, and showed why Chicago’s defensive coaching staff see the potential for him to develop into a poor man’s Maxx Crosby.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has not been shy about saying the team is always evaluating talent and looking for ways to improve on both sides of the ball, but if Booker can prove to be a valuable pass rusher during his rookie season, maybe the need to add another edge opposite of pro bowler Montez Sweat becomes less glaring as time goes on.
The Chicago Bears kick off against the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field in preseason game No. 3 starting at noon CT.