Studs (and no duds) from Bears' blowout preseason win vs. Bills

USA Today

9 hours ago

The Chicago Bears dominated the Buffalo Bills in a 38-0 preseason win on Sunday night at Soldier Field, which included impressive showings on offense and defense as head coach Ben Johnson quickly set the tone.
Quarterback Caleb Williams made his preseason debut, along with the rest of the starters, and he didn't disappoint. Williams and the offense came out firing on the first series of the game, completing 5-of-6 passes for 97 yards on a seven-play, 92-yard scoring drive that culminated in a 36-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus. That set the tone for Tyson Bagent and the second-team offense, who scored three consecutive touchdown drives and gave Austin Reed and the third string a 31-point cushion.
On defense, it was a flat-out dominant showing. While Josh Allen and Buffalo's starters didn't play in this one, it's never easy to hold a team scoreless. But the Bears, thanks in large part to their defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, established an aggressive tone early and carried that through the remainder of the game with sacks and takeaways.
With that in mind, we're taking a look at a myriad of studs (but no duds in this one) in Chicago's preseason win over Buffalo:
Stud: QB Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams' debut in Ben Johnson's offense got off to a hot start with an impressive seven-play, 92-yard scoring drive that culminated in a 36-yard touchdown. Williams completed 5-of-6 passes for 97 yards, a score and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. The second series wasn't as successful, ending in a punt after wide receiver Rome Odunze failed to haul in a pass on third down, but Williams' night was an overall productive one. Williams completed 6-of-10 passes for 107 yards, one touchdown and a 130.0 passer rating. But, most importantly, he looked comfortable, decisive and sharp in his first live action since Johnson stepped in as head coach.
Stud: QB Tyson Bagent
Caleb Williams set the tone for the Bears' quarterbacks in this prime-time game, and Tyson Bagent had a sensational outing as he continues to stake his claim for the QB2 job. Bagent played for two quarters and led three consecutive touchdown drives to give Chicago a commanding 28-0 lead in the first half. Bagent completed 13-of-22 passes for 196 yards with one touchdown and a 103.6 passer rating. He continues to showcase why he'll most likely be the team's backup quarterback and also why he deserves a chance to compete for a starting job elsewhere. But, good news for the Bears, he's on their team.
Stud: RB Ian Wheeler
How's this for a redemption story? Less than a year after he tore his ACL in Chicago's preseason finale, running back Ian Wheeler had a commanding showing against the Bills. Wheeler saw substantial playing time with D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai all sidelined, and he made the most of it. Wheeler led the Bears in rushing with 19 carries for 80 yards (averaging 4.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. He likely would've had the hat trick had Chicago not gone in victory formation to close out the game inside the red zone. Wheeler is stating his case for a roster spot following an impressive outing.
Stud: WR Olamide Zaccheaus
Olamide Zaccheaus has emerged as one of Caleb Williams' favorite targets this summer, and we saw that translate to the field in Sunday night's game. Williams connected with Zaccheaus on a 36-yard touchdown, where Zaccheaus had some nice yards after the catch. Zaccheaus had one catch on two targets, but it was a small sample size and reflected his importance in this offense heading into the regular season.
Stud: TE Colston Loveland
While rookie Colston Loveland officially made his preseason debut in last week's game, this marked the first action with the starters in a live-game setting, and it's clear that he already has Caleb Williams' trust. Loveland had two catches for 26 yards, which both came on that seven-play, 92-yard scoring drive. His best reception was an 18-yard completion across the middle of the field where Loveland got good separation and picked up a first down on second-and-14.
Stud: WR Luther Burden III
The Bears got a steal in rookie Luther Burden in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, and he showed why against the Bills. Burden caught all three passes thrown his way for 49 yards (which ranked second behind Tyler Scott), where we saw his ability to gain yards after the catch. While Burden showcased his playmaking ability in the passing game, he also showed up big in run blocking. Burden had two big goal-line blocks that led to touchdowns, and it's clear that the young wideout has bought into Ben Johnson's philosophy. As Johnson's saying goes, "No block, no rock." And Burden took that personally.
Stud: DT Andrew Billings
One of the Bears' most underrated players is defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who's been instrumental to the success of Chicago's run defense. Booker, who's a monster of a player, had an impressive outing in Sunday's preseason game against the Bills. While he's known for his run blocking prowess, he flashed his interior pass rushing ability against Buffalo's backups, where he sacked quarterback Mike White. Billings totaled two tackles, including one for a loss, one sack and one QB hit in the dominant win.
Stud: DE Austin Booker
Second-year pro Austin Booker has been a preseason standout, and after his three-sack game against the Miami Dolphins, he brought the energy against the Bills with another sack. Booker finished with two tackles, including one for a loss, one sack, one QB hit and one pass breakup. Unfortunately, Booker's night was cut short after he suffered a knee injury during a special teams play. He was quickly ruled out. The hope is it's nothing serious and Booker will be able to get back on the field and do what he does best: Get after quarterbacks.
Stud: WR Tyler Scott
The Bears have a loaded wide receivers room, and there are plenty of players making their case for the final roster spot. Tyler Scott is certainly in contention for that final spot, and he put on an impressive performance with Tyson Bagent throwing him the ball. Scott led Chicago in receiving with 54 yards on three receptions, including an 11-yard touchdown reception from Bagent. Scott is certainly making a strong statement when it comes to earning one of those final roster spots.